Selling

[housemoving]

Hi, I've name changed so I'm not identifiable

Our house has been on the market for 9 weeks. We've had around 12/15 viewings but no one has really given any feedback except they don't like the area. The majority haven't even got back in touch with the EA. We've reduced by 5k but won't reduce any further as we then can't move.

I may be impatient but it's a bit disheartening & I'm getting sick of getting the house ready a few times a week 😂.

What would you do, would you try another agent or am I being impatient.

Thank you

OP, people will never get over Blacon as an area. It's the worst neighbourhood in Chester with awful schools + neighbours to match! I do hope you sell because the house itself isn't too awful. I guess all your viewers have had friends and family advise them against it when they mentioned the location...

I personally don't mind offers over so long as you accept £160,000, I think it shows your base price which is important if you've been on a while. It's guide prices I don't like, when a house has been on a while with a range of like £20 or £50k, who's going to go in on anything other than the minimum if it's not new to the market.

I think it's decorated nicely, seems a reasonable price for the amount of house but I don't know the area, generally if a house isn't selling it'll be the price. So you may need to be patient but I know it's hard, like a pp says, can you negotiate on the next house?

Maybe try offers over £159,950 to go down a search group on Rightmove?

(I love the way you decorated your son's bedroom!)

@Golfinches

OP, people will never get over Blacon as an area. It's the worst neighbourhood in Chester with awful schools + neighbours to match! I do hope you sell because the house itself isn't too awful. I guess all your viewers have had friends and family advise them against it when they mentioned the location...

Oh wow 😨 my sons school is actually amazing!! Believe it or not people actually want to stay in Blacon as well. Like you say yes it has bad points like a lot of areas but there's houses selling for a lot round here! I'm sure that doesn't explain all the viewings as people must do their research before they view and have a vague idea about the area

@notheragain4

(I love the way you decorated your son's bedroom!)

Thank you, he's already put in his request for his new bedroom 😂

Blacon doesn’t have the best reputation and the layout does look a bit 1960s local authority. Do you get much noise from the nearby main road? Also are they flats next door. Rightly or wrongly people often associate flats like that with anti social neighbours.

Layout of the area/houses opposite not your house.

@housemoving I looked at your link and the 'streetview' isn't where you are. So when you find it (or visit) then it's on what seems a busy road. You have a chicane in the road almost opposite? Also you're opposite a big estate that looks like a 'council estate' plus nearly opposite a tower block. You're next door to low rise flats - so that is your 'don't like the area'. I'd suggest you get the EA to position the Streetview accurately and you won't waste time there.
I agree with the 4 bed question. I would get the EA to take off the description that is either or and leave it as a bedroom.
Then I guess it will come down to how much you'll accept - have you had any offers? Change the pricing to 'offers in the region of' and see what you get.

I've lived in Blacon for 12 years now, it has got a reputation but to be honest houses do seem to be flying off the market round here.

This is what worries me though about being so close to flats, there's some next door and 3 blocks of high rise you can see from our house. We bought this 11 years ago & we didn't really think of re- sale at the time 😫.

I will ask the EA to change the street view & description thank you

@sbplanet no offers, 2 people have said they are going to make an offer but then just never got back in touch

Can they do a different floor plan? I find the one there slightly odd with the strange 3D and with no dimensions on it doesn't help me picture the rooms. I know it's on the descriptions but it's nice to see it on the plan.

I also find the lounge bedroom description slightly odd.

The EA should be chasing all viewers for feedback

The feedback novelty soon wore off for me. 9 times out of 10 it's something you can't do anything about anyway. After about two weeks in the only feedback I was interested in was an offer!

Good luck☘️ OP, house selling in England is not for the faint hearted and is long overdue for an overhaul (much prefer the Scottish system).

I'm not familiar with the area but if it's as bad as people are saying I would honestly think about reducing your price by 10 grand and going into rented, assuming that prices are on the way down over the next couple of years anyway.

Your pictures all look fine to me, nicely presented, the only thing I don't like about your listing is the lack of measurements on the floor plan - it's useless without them.

The first thing I noticed about the other house compared to yours is that they've made the downstairs front room a proper lounge. I can't tell what yours is. I don't like townhouses for the fact that I don't like lounge on first floor, especially with young kids when you want to throw them in front of a telly to make dinner.
The rest of your house is lovely. But I don't know the area. Good luck.

Good luck @housemoving you're getting plenty of viewings so it's maybe down to area (can't do owt - but tell viewers about the great school etc) and price - see what you get if you remove the 'offers over', you don't have to accept them. But you might get a better idea of whether what you want is achievable.
Out of interest did you get a valuation from the EA the other property is on with? Except for no floorplan I like their pictures more. Still you only need one buyer. :)

The lamite flooring in bedrooms would put me off, i would just be thinking of cost to replace it all with carpet. And the garden with the artificial turf.

I don't think it is a 4 bed, its a 3 bed with a seperate kitchen and then dining room or family room.

The fake grass in the garden would put me off. I’m house hunting atm and gardens with fake grass or decking are a complete no-no for me. If I saw an otherwise perfect house I would consider it as it can be removed but everything else would have to be spot on. Also love your DS’s bedroom

Ok I'm going to be picky. Please don't be offended. This is just what I would do if it was mine. I don't like the fact that there are exclamation marks after everything in the initial 'blurb'. I would tell my EA to remove them and make sure to mention about the great school you mention. I would also ask for new photos because I don't think they do your home justice. ( Taken at weird angles and, in particular they've seemed to have focussed on your sofa and made all your rooms look small.). I told my EA to mention the local excellent school and that their are lots of country walks. I also asked them to re take one of the photos as it didn't do the room justice. Hope this helps 😊

OP you're probably getting viewings because it's one of the cheapest things in Chester then so that draws people in and then they realise how awful Blacon is. You could buy in nicer areas outside Chester for that price with lovely neighbours, greenery and no council flats. Maybe if you want another Morris home/new build you could consider a part exchange. Otherwise you are going to have to accept you have a cheap house in a bad area and save more money to move!

I’m going to ring the EA tomorrow and ask for dimensions on the floor plan

@MartinJD1976 the only problem we’d have and maybe due to the area is rent is so much higher than our mortgage will be once we move

@Mummyshark2018 I use that room to do nails & now it’s back up and running I need it ready for clients, I might get some things to style it as a living room though

@sbplanet we didn’t ring that EA as they aren’t that local to use really, but I do like the way they have marketed it

@kerrymucklowe2020 I agree about the living room photo, I didn’t really think of that but now I look again it’s a weird focus on the sofa.

@Golfinches I’ve never heard of Morris homes. I have accepted it’s maybe not in the best area, but there’s houses going for 300k plus in Blacon! I agree with part of what you’re saying, but I’d be very shocked if all 15 viewers weren’t aware of the area until they arrived at my house! I think you’re being a bit rude really and just a bit snobby, I am obviously raising my son here and aside from picking up my house there’s nothing I can do 🙃 your not even being constructive just slagging off Blacon.

Thank you, there’s some really good tips on here. I’m going to have another chat with the EA tomorrow and get them to re word the listing. We really want to move, but I’m training to be a nurse at the moment so it’s just not in our budget be go 10k lower on the sale price. Maybe if it’s doesn’t sell we’ll hang on for a few years till I’m earning.

God it's depressing how much house you can get for £160k. I paid double that for a small London flat

agree with OP that you aer being a bit rude, Golf. She's not in the actual block of council flats but the fact is, most council tenants are absolutely fine as neighnours and many work but are on housing credits. Yes, you may get some drunks etc but there's no guarantee at all nowadays that you won't get a druggie next door in private houses (some are 'nice' gong by appearance, the drugs ar more expensive guess) and equally can get neighbours who aer into partying / smoking / playing loud music.

Or how about a rowing couple a la Boris and Carrie ! It really is snobby to tar any partucular 'class' with the same brush.

OP, I think it's just not a 'pretty' outlook (it's not bad, just dull) and possilbe the road noise. Probably a good idea to train and wait till yo uearn more and can afford to upsize. It will sell due to the size of house but atm there is a surge of houses on the market due to people trying to upsize while the stamp holiday is on. Once it cools down, less choice, people will buy for the size and the good condition/styling of the house - they don't need to see it as forever home.

*possibly