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Will we EVER sell our house?

228 replies

TroublesomeTownHouse · 09/10/2020 11:23

We have been on the market since Feb. Basically sold and then lockdown hit and they pulled out. Sold again in the summer but they also pulled out having found somewhere they preferred.

Switched agents mid-September because we'd been on so long and hoped for some new interest but got 1 solitary viewing.

Then did a fairly big price drop 2 weeks ago and NOTHING.

I know we should probably just take it off the market until next year but everything around us is selling. Cons are we are on a main road and we don't have much garden but we (and both sets of agents) are really genuinely puzzled about what's going on because otherwise its pretty good!

Does anyone have any miracle stories about buyers appearing suddenly after months?

OP posts:
TroublesomeTownHouse · 09/10/2020 16:45

Trouble is @pilort dropping the price didn't generate a single viewing so I'm loathe to drop again.

OP posts:
OhCaptain · 09/10/2020 16:51

Maybe drop it to £699,995

Because if someone searches up to £700k it won't come up.

pilort · 09/10/2020 16:53

Maybe you're in an awkward price bracket. The people I know moving out of London are looking at the 1m ish bracket so want more for their money & it's not a FTB property.

Depending upon circumstances some buyers have more choices then ever before. DH & I have never even thought about living outside of London but he started a new job this yr & 1 wk in was working remotely. He's looking at going back at some point maybe 1 day a wk & that will be similar across the industry. We actually don't need to pay £££££ for a smaller than I would like property now & have a host of new areas that we could potentially move too.

diddl · 09/10/2020 16:54

@OhCaptain

Maybe drop it to £699,995

Because if someone searches up to £700k it won't come up.

Yes it will!
DespairingHomeowner · 09/10/2020 16:56

You have a lovely home, and it has great balance with loos/bathroom on each floor

I’d definitely market as having a separate annexe for granny/nanny/adult child annexe, and then it will appeal to right buyer (of a limited pool)

Do you have a lot of multigenerational families in your area? That seems the market to me

On the negative: smaller and low maintenance garden sounds good, it full patio is a bit off putting to me - could you lay some to lawn or put lots of pots down for photos?

orangenasturtium · 09/10/2020 16:57

[quote FAQs]You need a mix of the new and old photos or add some of the old to show the rear and parking better www.rightmove.co.uk/house-prices/detailMatching.html?prop=89666510&sale=46471074&country=england[/quote]
You need the photo of the rear garden used in this ad so people can see the whole garden and what they could do potentially if they remove the shed and relocate the parking space like next door.

The phrase "courtyard garden" and the single photo of the seating area makes it seem like that is literally all you have, a patio a few metres square. Your garden is actually a decentish size for a townhouse in the centre of town.

Violetmarmalade · 09/10/2020 17:00

Have you considered getting an planning consultant/architect to look at it and see whether you might get planning permission to split the property into flats? If it’s not working as a large family house smaller units could be an option - and you wouldn’t need to do the work, you could sell it on to a developer with the planning permission.

TroublesomeTownHouse · 09/10/2020 17:03

@Violetmarmalade interesting idea but there's more demand for family homes currently and a few flats being converted back. Also the numbers just wouldn't work.

OP posts:
NW2SW · 09/10/2020 17:05

Are there two dining tables in different rooms? I find when spaces are undefined then it's always harder to picture yourself in them. Not many people need two dining tables. Not gonna lie, a kitchen without windows puts me straight off.

I'd ask the EA to reorder the photos and have them each clearly labelled with the basement/flat pics at the end "basement flat bedroom" "basement flat kitchen"

There are lots of photos which are duplicate or the show both ends of the room, it's confusing and showing all 4 corners leaves nothing to the imagination to entice someone to view. Also odd when others like the laundry and the boot room are completely absent - these are quite a unique seller for a property, I'd want to see them. Similarly for the additional bathrooms and ensuites.

The kids bedrooms are huge but having everything to the sides makes you wonder it's a trick of the eye, I'd play around with the layouts so the beds aren't shoved under windows and in corners. And other than the startlingly bright bed linen and set of curtains there's not a lot of colour. I'd either go neutral or a colourful homely feel, atm it's slightly odds and ends.

Dailyhandtowelwash · 09/10/2020 17:08

I think it’s a gorgeous house with loads of potential for people to use the space as they want, and I’m very picky on floor plans. Your old photos show the ground floor space much better, although it appears that Harrogate estate agents really struggle with bathroom photos!

As a PP said, I think some rooms do struggle with their identities and that makes things harder for some buyers. Being clearer about the basement flat would also help.

Links to other cheaper houses are interesting. I’d say the six bed house has just one bathroom - one bathroom to six bedrooms! And that bathroom needs some work. The second cheaper one needs a total overhaul - it would cost tens of thousands. So they each have their own issues. Yours has the most character to me.

diddl · 09/10/2020 17:09

Oh God no not flats.

Breaks my heart to see these beautiful homes made into flats.

NW2SW · 09/10/2020 17:13

Also - does your EA offer virtual showings where they do a video walkthrough and do they change the primary photo with each price drop? A little trick like that will make people think it's new or reconsider it again in a new light

MintyMabel · 09/10/2020 17:15

living room bathroom is actually a separate flat

Do the other properties that have sold, also have this?

I only ask as, my parents have a house with a granny flat on the market and despite being in an area that is moving well, theirs has been on the market for a couple of years with very few viewings. It’s a more specific market, not many people looking for a house with a separate flat. It isn’t a selling point as it adds something on to a family’s life that they may not have time for.

VinylDetective · 09/10/2020 17:17

It’s the garden - or lack thereof. Particularly since lockdown outside space has been a huge consideration to most people.

Dailyhandtowelwash · 09/10/2020 17:21

I’d have thought that the ability to move relatives into the house but maintain separation would be a big selling point right now, if framed right. I can see Air B&B being less of a sell though.

I have kids and that size of garden would be fine for me, although I might turf some of it over. We just want space for a barbecue, seating and paddling pool. My kids are sloths.

LyndaSnellsSniff · 09/10/2020 17:35

The photos make it look quite dark and gloom. Which is such a shame because it’s a beautiful house. Have a look at this website for inspiration. The photos are stunning.

housepartnership.co.uk/

The garden will be off putting for a family if they have younger children. Sell it as low maintenance and say if you are close to a park.

Aknifewith16blades · 09/10/2020 17:51

OP, I looked at the photos and felt like all the good stuff was just outside the frame, if you see what I mean. New photos needed!

Obviously the garden is an issue (and looked tiny in the photos), but you are so close to the Stray etc I don't think it would be as much of an issue as it would else where.

12309845653ghydrvj · 09/10/2020 18:21

Hi OP! Firstly your house is totally stunning and would be something I would be interested in—I love those old terraced houses, the exterior is gorgeous. Garden would be surmountable at you still have an entertaining space outside.

Agree with others that pics make no sense and don’t do it justice. However I think it might also be worth taking it off market and doing some small work/restyling, nothing hugely expensive (in context of price) but that might make it more appealing? My first thought was that the interior doesn’t quite live up to exterior, in that I was expecting interior to be a lot more characterful and styled. It doesn’t scream entertaining potential, and a lot of the house seems underused.

Would you consider seeing an interior stylist/designer who can give you a bit of advice towards what work would make an instant impact, then have them come in again down the line to style it for photos? Big old rooms like these can be stunning but can also look a bit bare and cold if not dressed right.

Garden: I have a friend with similar garden paving, you need to get a power washer!

Sitting room: this was my first “oh”, it’s the first interior pic and it underwhelms. It doesn’t scream heart of the house, it feels a bit like a lot of small bits and pieces (like small pieces of furniture) that juts make it look a bit drab—I think it’s one of the things about how these rooms photograph? The cushions, the small bookshelf, the pictures—all detract from any sense of wow about the room. The lighting also doesn’t look great in the first photo which would be my biggest concern, although the next photo shows this is actually not true. I think if you had a different sofa, a different colour on the walls and some good styling it would look great. Also the drapes/curtains: that colour looks old? Like they could be new, but from the colour my first thought is that they’re very old. You’ve got some great modern pieces in there, but the end result doesn’t live up to.

Kitchen: this would actually be my sticking point with the house. It looks from your photo that the kitchen has no natural light? The photo is not good at all and this would probably make me not view. When I look closely at the cupboards they’re actually quite nice, but my initial reaction to the colour is that they’re really old and need to be ripped out. Having someone repaint them a more modern shaker colour, or just a paler f&b offwhjte-would make it look a whole lot better immediately. Also the freestanding unit/island is the total wrong size and looks awkward. The space also needs styling—lights do nothing for it and make it feel drab. E.g. nice big colourful pendants would change the whole feel. If you could get walls and tiles done cheap too it might help?

Dining room: this would also be a major turn off for me, it doesn’t look like a space that you could use for entertaining. It looks like you might have 2 dining rooms, in which case you should have one for family/causal and a beautiful one? Colours, drapes, pianos, furniture and pictures here all looks dated, table is total wrong size, just have a viserval reaction of “no” to that room—however it’s a stunning space and could be a real selling point?

Two of the bedrooms (red drape room, blue duvet room) look unappealing. Furniture in front of he windows kills the main selling point! Colours done properly in these rooms could make them look 100x nicer immediately, as well as a bit of styling. They both look simulate bare and cluttered, if that makes sense?

You say you have a boot room: style that nicely and sell it! I get no impression of storage in the house, even though it’s massive, and the magnolia walls give a bit of a dated country hotel vibe. I would still consider viewing, but only if the price was exceptionally good, as I would think of it as a project (interior, kitchen and garden would all be redone).

I hope that’s helpful, I think it has amazing potential but the pictures really don’t sell it. I think you could really change first impressions for a small bit of investment in a stylist.

NW2SW · 09/10/2020 18:21

If you'd like to get sold then why not invest in a photographer. This guy works in your area and seems reasonable when you compare it to the alternative of dropping another £50k

SushiGo · 09/10/2020 18:45

Apologies if someone has already said this, but I get the impression the garden is not actually as small as it looks? I would turf half of the courtyard patio, as some running around green space is much more appealing to families with younger kids than none, and it will look bigger if it isn't all one colour.

12309845653ghydrvj · 09/10/2020 19:09

Another thing I noticed: there is only one bathroom photo? My assumption in this case then would be that all the rest of the bathrooms needed redoing?

Asterion · 09/10/2020 19:10

I agree with all that @12309845653ghydrvj says. The furniture is all a bit "bitty", and the curtains are dated.

However, having looked more closely, I think that your big, big problem is the kitchen. The layout is awkward, there's no natural light in the cooking area, and the sink is tucked away in a corner. The only way to fix all that is structurally, which would mean having to spend £50,000 on it, at least. Kitchens sell houses, and I think yours is stopping your house selling.

whattodooooooo · 09/10/2020 19:11

You need new photos. Often you can take better ones than the agent as you can capture the rooms when the lighting is good and play around with angles.

I do find the kitchen underwhelming - I was expecting something with a bit of wow but I'm willing to bet in person it looks better than the pictures.

Having looked on maps the garden isn't as small as it initially appears. Get some pots and take a pic on a sunny day.

Overall the house is lovely. But your nearest competition is on for 625k and although a little dated has a driveway to the front and a more family friendly garden. If I was looking for a house in your area I would choose the competition I'm afraid.

I think I'd take the house down and then remarket it.

12309845653ghydrvj · 09/10/2020 19:12

OP is there a photo of the nice dining area with natural light next to the kitchen? This looks to me to be one of the selling points of the house? If the wall in the kitchen is cheap to knock, would you consider remodelling open plan? That would be what I would want to do, but I would need a big chunk off the price

12309845653ghydrvj · 09/10/2020 19:13

Agree with @Asterion