House not sold yet

[cooperbug]

Just feeling a bit deflated really. We put our house one the market 3 weeks ago and have had 6 viewings, one offer which we were able to negotiate very near to asking price but they pulled out on Monday. They have found something they like better.

Do we just need to be patient or reduce it? Anything else we can do to her more viewings? The phone hasn’t rang since Monday!

It’s a 3 bedroom semi in a nice area, very nicely presented with a garden.

Yes you need a floor plan. If there are other suitable properties in the same area then a lack of floor plan would put this down the list for me. Brother bought a house and they didn't mention a downstairs loo in the description and no floor plan. It was an extra for him but would have been a reason not to view for us.

Your agent has been a little lax - no floorplan and no mention of a south facing garden (a big draw for some buyers). No explanation of the outbuilding ....unless it’s the garage.

I don't usually click on video tours unless I am looking at a house that someone I know is going for but your video tour is just the same photos with a voice over.

The video tours I watched when my sister was looking at houses did a 360 spin of all the key rooms.

Good to see the floorplan is being sorted, I agree with giving it some kerb appeal, couple of pots of bright and colourful plants at the front would massively help.

Does the garage have power? Just says up and over door. Also no photo of the en-suite.

Forgot the positives, your house is lovely, clean, easy to live with and well presented.

@cooperbug I'm not far from you and I think you just need to give it a bit more time, 3 weeks is nothing. Cleadon is one of the most desirable locations around here plus you're in the catchment for Cleadon primary and Whitburn Academy so I wouldn't consider reducing your selling price yet. Are you planning on staying in Cleadon?

Three weeks is nothing. But it's disappointing when your buyer pulls out. It give it another month before reducing.

@TattiePants yes we still want to be in cleadon or east boldon.

Thanks for your advice

Apparently op, you may not have been told this yet, but there’s no floor plan

Someone on another thread recommend getagent.co.uk and it was quite a useful . Looks like your house is great but agent is lazy /inexperienced

OP, your agent needs to get that floor plan up ASAP, it's still not there . I would never bother viewing a house without one as it would make me think there was something to hide. Bonkers to have a video tour but no floor plan!

Your house looks immaculate but I agree with previous comments re the front garden etc. Plus - and I know it's only decor and shouldn't really factor - but the all-grey look can be a turn-off for some. Even just some bright flowers in the hallway etc could make a difference.

I'm also not quite sure whey they've flagged up the 'modern bedroom furniture' in the listing - surely you're taking that with you?! If they mean fitted wardrobes they should say so. Small point I know but you don't want anything that will make potential buyers think, what??

OP, its 2.30pm on Tuesday and your estate agents still havent added the floor plan!

Please get on the phone to them and tell them to pull their finger out and get it added today!

I promise you most people look at the floor plan. Pictures are important but the floor plan is essential on a advert.

I know I’m furious! I’ve chased it up with them and it’s in progress! They have said to me that floor plans make little difference and are mainly for bigger properties!?

What the agent said is totally untrue about floor plans being for bigger properties only, and if they really believe that they are incompetent and you should change agents. It’s the second thing I look at when checking out houses (location being the first) and only then I look at the photos as decor can be easily changed but not so straight forward to move internal walls and find it really irritating if it’s not there.
Our agent had 12 viewings booked in in the first 7 days of them marketing our house very recently and we accepted our third offer after 6 days and this is on a completely bog standard 3 bed ex council mid terrace so get with one that knows what they are talking about.

First thing I look at is a floorplan. Get one of those online.

Second point is that its very nice inside, but there is another 3 bed around the corner that is also very nice inside but also a more desirable (imo) property type. Thats on for OIEO £250k. Yours might be bigger inside to justify a higher price but nobody knows because there isnt a floorplan.

I would argue that floorplans are just as essential for smaller properties because you've got less space to play with so good layout and room dimensions are key.

Your agents sound crap.

If your agent is telling you that floor plans are unimportant for your size of property then the best advice I could give would be to move to a different agent... they're either clueless or lying to you because they can't be bothered to do one, neither of which is a positive for selling your house. Did you get three valuations from different agents before advertising it? Did they all come out the same?

I am looking for a house similar to yours (not in the same area unfortunately!) and I would completely say thay a floor plan is essential. I also like to have square footage (or room sizes) as it means I can compare to my current house.

I never understand about the south facing garden thing. Ours is north facing but we get so much sunshine in it, in fact I'd rather have more shade!

I agree with everyone about floorpan I would be disappointed with the video tour as it really isn't one, that should be sorted (particularly if you have paid extra).

Floorpans are always the best bit (IMO). What a strange thing for Estate Agent to say.................

Three weeks is nothing but I also join all the PPs in saying that I wouldn't even go and view the house if there's no floorplan, unless it looked like a house of my dreams in all other aspects (and still would want to know total square footage before I view), no floorplan to me also says lazy/incompetent agent who would be a PITA to deal with in the later stages of sale so I would avoid them.

Floorplan is MORE important in a smaller house, with a massive house you know there's enough space potentially whatever the layout, and the smaller the house the more the layout and size are of the essence.
Also second buying a couple of colourful pots with flowers/bright grasses and sticking them by the front door.

So just an update. I have spoken to my estate agent this morning and have to wait for somebody independent to come out to do the floor plan. I questioned this as they took the measurements of rooms when we had it valued.

I’m seriously thinking of changing the agent as they have made it seem like an inconvenience and that it won’t make a difference to a sale!!

So fed up as in the meantime the phone hasn’t rang for any more viewings and they have said it is quiet at the minute! I know things may be a bit quieter in the North than the south but come on! They are selling other properties without floor plans.

Change agents, OP. They sound utterly useless.

Honestly, including a floorplan is like House Selling 101. If they can't even be arsed to do that what else are they cutting corners with?

I think it's really pushing the price bracket. As others have said, similar or a bit bigger can be had in similar location for less. Buyers will know that.
Therefore, perhaps keep it at that price for a couple more weeks with the expectation that you'll probably have to lower it a bit.

Tell the agent that you are really disappointed they didn't put a floor plan on as standard (ask them if that is actually their policy or if this is an oversight) and point out that evidence suggests floor plans play a big role in selling smaller houses, where use of floor space is even more important. You can also say they have made you feel like a nuisance over it, which doesn't seem good service when they have missed out a basic essential on the listing. I actually might consider putting a complaint in writing to the agency about it - the fact they missed it off and then tried to put you off by suggesting a floor plan isn't needed which is a blatant untruth.

How long are you tied in with this agent for?

@WombatChocolate not tied in at all.

We had four valuations and had four very different values. We decided to market it with the second cheapest of the four prices!

Just disappointing when we have had a offer so close to asking price which is now gone. I agree that we may not be so lucky to get that amount for it again.

Have to agree with @WombatChocolate and others. Even without looking at the wider surrounding area, yours is the most expensive three-bedroom property on the market in your village - after that it’s all four-bedroom places. So, yours needs to be pretty special for buyers to consider it worth paying top dollar for. It’s lovely inside (though there are a couple of others just as nice or nicer, on at a lower price) but decor can be changed and therefore many buyers won’t pay over the odds for that.

If you say other places are selling with no floor plan then the problem is less likely to be the floor plan and more the asking price.