What's wrong with my house

[mrsanflowerpot]

Please help.

Our house went on the market about three weeks ago, 8 viewings compared to everyone else in the same bracket having lots. Similar price to others locally even though we have an extension that we use as a dining room. I know the second bedroom is small, but nothing we can do about that. Can we do anything else?

Thank you!

www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-72197922.html

As in genuinely good luck with selling , I'm now paranoid that my ending sounded sarcastic. 🤣

It is not just the picture and decor. The layout of the kitchen is not what I would prefer (sink too far from the hob and not an efficient design). The toilet layout is also not optimal.

No parking. That would be pretty much the only thing to put me off.

My house is probably a similar size overall, although we do have 2 double bedrooms & 1 single.

DD also has the exact same bed as your DD .

Guide price is annoying.

Estate agent info is very badly written and along with pics does not sell it at all.

Lack of clarity on parking.

Understand similar houses on at similar price but it is dated and needs work so perhaps over priced?

Has almost no kerb appeal. Outside, I'd tidy the hedge, trim it and make it really level and neat, widening the gap where there would be a gate (the right side as you look at it is very overgrown at the top of the gap) so you can see the front better, and sweep under it so the path is clear of weeds. I'd add a large hanging basket to the wall to the left of the front door, and paint the front edge of your porch white to match your neighbours. That will stop it looking unloved and uncared for in the first instance. .

Outside at the back, I'd remove the garden toys out of the way for the photos, straighten the broken railing on the decking - and re-paint it if you have time do the shed too, trim that shrub against the fence near it into a regular shape, and add some colour in the form of flowering pots, and fill your empty troughs with flowering plants.

It's also worth noting that people these days can access all manner of information about a house and the area with just their phone and 5 minutes.
Took a few minutes to find that the area your house is in, and I'm not saying it's horrible or anything, has a higher percentage of social housing than average (33% as opposed to 18% average) that nearby there's 60 or so flats. In June alone there were 65 crimes reported within half a mile, 24 of which were violent or sexual.
This info, rightly or wrongly, paints the area in a certain light and perhaps not many people want to pay £360k to live there unless the house was absolute perfection.

(I don't post this to be horrible or mean, just to show what research anyone thinking of spending serious money will likely do)

It is overpriced in my view for what is offered.

Very dated for the guide price
I bought large two bed house with garden in hertford for 300,00
Modern bath shower
All grey style new kitchen etc
I think need do some work to get the money you are asking

*too small. Also on closer inspection your EPc rating is really poor, especially for a terraced house. It would make me wonder how expensive it would be to run. Any ideas why the current rating is so different from the potential?

Declutter and get it properly staged. The kids rooms look fine, albeit crumpled beds and clutter like pictures along the wall and that chair, but the master looks dreadful! You haven't even made the bed properly, let alone dressed it.

Your kitchen is fine but your lounge and dining room look a but unloved. Look into a company that can stage them for you with their furniture etc and get that bed properly dressed in the master.

Nobody needs to see pictures of a toilet and there are several. The garden needs some colour and the dining room needs to be “dressed”

Can't believe people look at decor and furniture as a deciding factor when buying a property! I look at what I can rip out!

Your EA needs to use a wide angle lens

The first picture is very confusing as there appears to be two front doors but the floor plan shows one entrance in through the kitchen, so the door off to the side. Can you put some large potted trees/plants in front of the non useable entrance ?

Fourth photo and the third , make the lounge look like a corridor , can you paint the doors into the extension white ? Your eye is really drawn to them.

Kitchen is a good size , but are there bulbs in all the lights ? seems quite dark and doesn't look like all the lights are switched on.

Extension/dining room, get rid of the table cloth, the orange and blue mats by the door and the heater and whatever the yellow thing is. Basically declutter and switch the lights on for the photos.

Main bedroom , declutter and get a valance for the bed, headboard if the budget will allow. Curtains or voile pannels for the window.

Bedroom with gaming chair , get rid of it , get rid of as many stickers as you can , fix the curtains.

Pink bed room , get rid of the fan, pictures off the floor and let the curtains hang loose.

The Garden , paint all the fencing, decking and shed etc , it just looks a bit unloved , move the toys etc, maybe get some flowers/plants etc.

Are you paying any estate agency fees ? because I would be really miffed if I was and they hadn't tried to encourage you to make some minor changes before taking the photos.

Remove all rugs and doormats as they make the room look even smaller

Properly make these beds hotel stylee

Hi OP,

Have you noticed this one has went on the market today at 10,000 less than yours... Presented slightly better too. Depending on how quickly you want to sell, I'd put yours on for 345,000.

Your house is lovely, but I'd paint the dark wooden doorframe and de-clutter where possible. Your garden is a real selling point. Good luck.

@earthyfire

Can't believe people look at decor and furniture as a deciding factor when buying a property! I look at what I can rip out!

Same! Or what I need to add. I couldn't care less what someone's sofa looks like.

@bookgirl1982

The description is pretty badly written too - either change agents or get someone else from the office to start your listing again from scratch.

Having worked within an estate agent in a different role, I would agree with this. They need to start again, or I’d change agent. They either rushed this, or they’re new, or just generally lazy. De-clutter every room, I’d even remove 1 sofa if you can, even if you just put it in another room for the photos. Also the big tv on the wall looks very imposing, it’d probably look better on a stand. Make the beds so they’re straight, smooth duvets with cushions on the pillows. Hide the fans and the heater. Take the table cloth off, move the mats. I’d also agree guide prices can be confusing and annoying!

[quote Shmithecat2]@earthyfire

Can't believe people look at decor and furniture as a deciding factor when buying a property! I look at what I can rip out!

Same! Or what I need to add. I couldn't care less what someone's sofa looks like.[/quote]
You’d be surprised how many people don’t have any imagination and concentrate on irrelevant things when viewing, or deciding what to view.

Oh and why are the front windows wide open in the photos ? makes me wonder if there is a need to 'air' the house ?

Front of house needs tidying
Beds need to be made properly, they look like a 4 yr old made them
I reckon a small de clutter and staging would help.
Also tidy the back garden too...

The main thing that strikes me is that your living room and kitchen are both long thin rooms, and the photography doesn't really do them any favours. Plus, they both look a bit sparse and dull. I wonder if they could be photographed from a different angle/with a different lens, to show them off to better effect - and, in the living room, what you could rearrange to aid in this.

Agree with others the photography is not the best angle and the rooms look narrow. But I would still View because I would think it would look better in reality

Get some huge cushions to make a headboard.

Remove Rugs in lounge, they look like something Granny gave you.

Remove the clutter - gaming chair etc and fans and heater.

Less pictures of some rooms and more of others - bath and loo?

Get rid of your shit agent!

Paint the decks.

Could you stretch to paint the kitchen cupboard? That French chic stuff might do the trick. Or

Zinsser satin paint would do it.

As pp’s have said re dressing the rooms but definitely need to finish the shed and freshen up the fence panels and decking.