Will we EVER sell our house?

[TroublesomeTownHouse]

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?

@12309845653ghydrvj

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

It looks like it's the original exterior wall, with the eating area being in the newer side return.

Widening that opening to create a better space is a big structural job. It would provide the large, light kitchen that people expect these days, but it's a big job and that's what you would have to reduce the price for.

@TroublesomeTownHouse

Obviously,as you've acknowledged, there are things limiting your market. But that's life! I wouldn't 'take it off the market' - I'd market it differently.

Whilst Air BnB etc isn't making the separate accommodation a selling point, you CAN focus on the possibilities for having separate accommodation for elderly parents/adult children/tenant etc.

It's really not immediately obvious that there's a separate apartment

Redo the photos yourselves or get a friend to do them. The agents ones are dreadful to the point they were making me feel a bit sea sick flicking through them with the lens they used. They definitely do not give you a good feel for the house.

Move the coloured drawers & easel of of the window area for the photos!

You'll sell, hold tight!!

It's a very nice house indeed. But I'd say most people wanting a big house would want a reasonable size garden with a bit of grass. But you bought it do somebody else will.

The kitchen is an issue as it is tired but price reflects that. Am chuckling a little about the suggestions of new curtains (have you seen the size of the windows), new furniture, knocking walls down. OF COURSE if we spend a load of money on it we'd improve it!

We can't reduce price again without it looking deeply suspicious plus as I said upthread we sold at close to 800 before lockdown.

On reflection we will probably give it another couple of weeks and then come off and do some sprucing with a view to going back on next year.

Thanks again for comments.

Were in the same position as u Hun...our house has been up for sale since June and had a sole agency 16 week contract with an estate agent that was rubbish and messed us around many times...we've finally finished that contract and moved to another fab estate agent but we just can't sell...we did have a low offer at first back in just which we rejected but now wish we had accepted...we do live in a 3 storey but no ones gave bad feedback regarding that...it's really disheartening when house on the same estate are selling and ours isn't...hold out and ur find a buyer as long as the estate agents are pushing to the right sort of buyers xx

I’ve decided to give up for now, taken it off the market. Time to recharge my batteries and try again in the new year. Feels great not waiting for the phone to ring requesting a viewing.

But you didn't sell at £800K.

Well it fell though as they pulled out when Covid hit as they were worried about the size of the mortgage. But the point is they offered at that price.

* We want to move because we want a house with a garden *

And that right there is the issue with your property I’m afraid.

A large spacious family home
With a strip of paving stones for a garden.

You are the market for your own property. And you don’t want it!

@Oneandzero we're not actually because we have a different budget now. When we were the target we loved it and bought it.

But you bought the garden when it was “jungle“ and needed to be overhauled.
You choose to overhaul it in possibly one of the most in family friendly styles possible.

Yes new buyer could pull up all the slabs and start over, but harder to get your head around pulling up paving slabs only installed a few years ago to the overhauling a jungle.

“Un family friendly”

I think it would be worth your while taking up those paving stones and laying some grass down. I honestly can't see it selling with virtually no garden. The other house somebody linked to only has a very small garden but it was green and looked inviting to sit in.

Errr ok.

We have loved the back yard. Table tennis, scooting about, roller skating etc plus we can now park next to the house. Not that family friendly parking away from the house

@TroublesomeTownHouse

Errr ok.

We have loved the back yard. Table tennis, scooting about, roller skating etc plus we can now park next to the house. Not that family friendly parking away from the house

You seem quite defensive about it OP but people are just looking at it from an objective point of view.

Ok.... ignore a load of parents

And the fact that you want to move to gets garden

Drop the price, we are heading into serious recession.

I don't mean to be defensive. I said very early on we have a small garden. We are in an area close to town with small or no gardens. 5 mins from a massive open green area.

We could dig up the slabs we've recently paid for but lawn is unlikely to do well because only half the garden gets decent sun.

A few people have also said they would like a low maintenance area.

Very many people have told me they would not buy a house with such a small garden . I get it.

@TroublesomeTownHouse

Well it fell though as they pulled out when Covid hit as they were worried about the size of the mortgage. But the point is they offered at that price.

An offer is not a sale! They might have pulled out anyway, Covid or not, or not got a mortgage offer.

I've been in your position, and there's really only one reason that a property doesn't sell - people don't want to pay that price.

Yes but you don’t have a “low maintenance garden”.
You have a courtyard.

It’s a lovely sized home in a good location. So much positive. But the demographic will be looking for different outside space.
In central London? Hell yes. That courtyard would be a dream.

Not in your location.

The price.... the only way is down

Ok. We don't want to sell at a much lower price so sounds like we will just stay put for a year or 2. We don't have to move and it seems like trying to do so at the moment doesn't make sense.

I will say though that we had more viewings at 800 than at 750 and since dropping to 700 we've had none!

But the OP, and others, have repeatedly said that the garden is par for the course in the area. Other houses posted have been in different locations. Prices are pre-adjusted to take local factors into account that will be more subtle than a RightMove search will reveal. I’m not saying that I have any idea about the price, but it sounds like people who want to live in that area may be prepared for a smaller garden. And it wouldn’t bother me.

Op... when I was on at 800k it was pretty pandemic
Might as well be a different world in property market terms

pre pandemic.

But those viewings were before Covid, weren't they?