Why hasn’t this sold?

[Goostacean]

Considering making an offer on a property. It was on the market with one agent who couldn’t get us a viewing, said the seller was very unresponsive. Booked a weekend viewing, it got cancelled 90mins before it was due to start. Now the property is with another agent (weeks later) and we managed to get two viewings this week (husband was working so I did a cheeky recon by myself). Potentially interested but Zoopla tells me it’s been on the market 6-odd times since 2010 and hasn’t sold... what do we think? Seller isn’t serious? Something major is coming up on the surveys? Any thoughts?

another possibilty - horrible neughbours/historic crime in the house or next door?

looks great to me.

sounds to me like the vendor doesn't actually want to sell. I wonder if there is a court order requiring the sale following a divorce? and the party who has the right to raise there until it is sold is perfectly happy for the process to take years.

unless there is some terrible secret like overwhelming subsidence or Japanese Knot Weed or (if leasehold) exponentially increasing ground rent.

They could have at least jet washed the patio for the pictures!!!

It’s got some nice features but the bathroom layout would put me off.

Nice house. However, some of the bedrooms seem narrow, and the garden seems tatty, although all gardens look a bitty tatty if a winter photograph. Also personally don’t like stairs in the lounge - makes that room more like a corridor than a living room. Also wondered about train noise, although that’s a plus for commuting, but is there restricted parking as a result?

I’m going with neighbours or owners with issues preventing them making the move, divorce, MH, physical illness etc.

This could also account for difficulty in getting a viewing as neighbours were kicking off or owner couldn’t cope.

Wow... That's stunning!

I agree with other posters, there is either something really dodgy in the survey or they are divorcing and one is getting shitty about selling.

Good luck though

Just as another perspective, we live abroad and have tried to sell our UK home three times in four years but we end up renting it out again as the offers fall through etc. So nothing untoward, it's just that we can't leave it vacant.

Did you ask the agent why? They should usually be open and honest about it.

Ask if there have been precious offers that got to survey - that will tell you if it's the survey that's the problem.

Or go back and ask the vendor outright.

It might have tenants living in it - would explain why it's been on the market a few times, i.e. between tenancies, but then they've been able to let it again and rather than have it empty and not covering the mortgage they've let it out again.

I'm right - it's being advertised for short lets here

Couple splitting up. She is very reluctant to sell. Family home, didn't want the split, making life tricky... And all that jazz.

We viewed a house recently that we loved on Rightmove. Had a similar issue in that we really struggled to get a viewing then the house was a shit too when we turned up. On speaking to the vendor the impression I got was that they were being forced to sell due to divorce and really really didn't want to.

Shit tip not shit too!

Odd bathroom situation.....

@wowfudge nice detective work!!

That’s your answer OP

Also all the “shock horror you could buy my whole town up here for that price” posts are entirely predictable

It could be a number of things but the agent will have to declare if they have any knowledge of dodgy surveys/issues with neighbours/structural problems! If they have no knowledge of any of those things I’d also assumed perhaps a bit pricey or unmotivated seller?

Aside from the bathroom situation, the garden would be unsuitable for many people with younger children, who‘d want a soft surface for them to play on - and preferably level and a bit bigger.

And a minor thing, but if I had children to think of, I’d hate glass banisters! Finger marks needing constant cleaning.
A case of style over substance, IMO.

Though could easily be a case of ‘I’m not taking a penny under asking price’ - not exactly uncommon.

Overpriced. It’s got lots of reception areas but the bedrooms (4) let it down and one of the bigger upstairs bedrooms should have an ensuite as opposed to the narrow one that does.

Assuming nothing wrong with surveys I’d say £2-400k overpriced.
Do some good research on other houses comparable and see what you get in the same price bracket.

It is because they keep letting out.

My neighbour has been 'selling' for six years. She accepted a couple of offers and then sits there, and sits there and doesn't find anywhere she likes, so never moves. It must be incredibly frustrating for the buyers and I'm sure the agents are wise to it now, but for the first ones it must have been incomprehensible. She just never finds her dream flat so she stays put.

Wow, so many answers, thanks! To answer various questions/points:

Was it definitely the owner you met?
Yes, pretty sure, but can ask the agent.

Divorce
Could be, but reason for selling is cited as the family moving abroad... they also live abroad for short chunks of time and rent out the downstairs area as a stand-alone space hence the short lets our detective up-thread has found! Which is fine, but then why market it for sale?!

Layout
Agreed it’s a bit unusual. There are three bedrooms upstairs, one at the back above the kitchen, and one on the lowest floor at the front. Properties around here get snapped up in a week though so I’m surprised it’s not sold in a decade...

Will definitely ask about whether anything has fallen through after a survey.

The layout is awful – minute bathroom on the floor with the bedrooms, world's most hideous staircase in the craply designed open-plan bit, expensive fittings that are ugly as sin, particularly the extension; steps out front so tricky with a pram, patio rather than garden, some of what are labelled "bedrooms" are on a level with living space, etc etc

It might be "done" but it needs a lot of work to redo to suit family living. Plenty of millionaire houses on the market without those issues.

I wonder if it's been extended without necessary permissions.

I have just clicked on the rental link, it's advertised at 2 bed so the owner is living there as well? This would explain why certain bedrooms and bathrooms look 'cold' vs others and also why so many ensuites. You need to ask the agent who gets priority. If you put and offer in and start preceding will they bail out on you if someone comes forward to rent. If you do want the property you need to be clear it's to be removed from the rental site as well - this is potentially where other previous potential buyers have gone wrong.

The garden size is fine and pretty good for London.
My experience with properties that have been on and off the market or hard to view is that the owners are on the fence about selling and are repeatedly testing the market. They'll sell if they get an offer they can't refuse.
If other properties nearby have been selling around that price then its unlikely anything would come up in a survey (if something serious -like subsidence - affects one house it will affect several).
I'd have a frank talk with the agent about the sellers.

For the price the garden is too small for a family. The layout is weird too, especially that huge open space between the hall/staircase and 'family room.