Advice Welcomed on Sale of My House

[goodbyestranger]

I get on well with the agent who says he doesn't think a price reduction is a good idea; that the price is right. His view seems to be that the house may take a while to sell because I just need 'the right person'. The obvious problem is no on site parking but there's plenty on street parking nearby: I've parked on the street opposite for forty years (for the last twenty with a large VW nine seat people carrier) and there are a number of other spaces just a few steps up the road. A similar house with parking sold for £200k more a couple of years ago and another where parking could be created, assuming planning permission and c. £20k to create, sold for £50k more this summer. A smaller house with a small garden and no comparable views and no parking and much, much further from the beach sold for £125 less a few weeks ago. It's a ten minute flat walk along a National Trust path to the incredibly beautiful beach and the buses to both local schools (one a comp, the other a top co-ed grammar) stop at the door. I've brought my eight DC up in this house - admittedly a bit of a squash, but they love the house even so. I can't create any on-site parking, it just isn't there. The other possible issue is the extension I had to build in 2006 to accommodate the family as they grew. It's not the best looking extension ever but all that could be done within the confines of very strict planning controls in the area (AONB - Jurassic Coast) and is a really lovely room inside. The village community is vibrant and welcoming. Advice on how to proceed welcomed.

www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/73186305#/

That's a very sensible phrasing Bluntness. When I have more time later tonight I intend to go right through this thread and extract all the ideas, look at the listing in detail again and compose an e-mail to the agent re photos, amendments to wording etc. Yes, two more beds in the summerhouse - I've literally needed beds everywhere :) DS3 has just taken photos of the excess beds and I'll put those on the local facebook page to see if anyone wants to take them for free.

SinkGirl thank you very much indeed for that different perspective.

Pegasus the answer is now yes - I've moved to that position from being very torn, over the past couple of years.

And yes Countmeout I've got the chance of a stunning place, affordable, but it needs work. A project for an empty nester which is exactly what I need. Admittedly the rain appeals less.

I only have 4DC and currently still married. I think I find it hard to stay in our multi roomed house when they have all flown tbh.

Sadly I don't think we could realise enough equity to help them out, would if I could though!!!

My point is that the other sold house is sold. Have an objective think why. I don’t think it’s the parking potential (as it will still be accessible by walkway only, even if you put a parking space). You say it looks shabby - it doesn’t at all from the pictures. The kitchen looks a better quality to yours. For example, I noticed yours has plain white tiles. They look like the cheapest of the cheap white square tiles you can find in a shop. They might be imported handcrafted stones for all I know, but that’s not what I see on the photos. I see a carpeted bathroom (which means ripping out and replacing with tile in most people’s mind.) The other house oozes charm while it’s not cluttered. The fact it was a holiday let is probably telling as it’s decorated neutrally enough without too many person items and it’s photographed to be as attractive as it can be (since it got lettings from the pictures alone).

I see beds in a “summer house”. That’s not even bloody legal, is it? You can’t use the summer house as a bedroom for sleeping or it would be an annex and a separate residence with its own council tax. You need to get rid of the beds and put in a rattan chair and an end table as a peaceful reading nook. Don’t chuck in a desk- it’ll just look smaller. Or get a console table and a chair and let someone imagine working on their laptop there.

@landoshalo perhaps reread the relevant posts, you seem to be struggling with comprehension

[quote PegasusReturns]@landoshalo perhaps reread the relevant posts, you seem to be struggling with comprehension [/quote]
DId you mean to be so rude?

I pointed out that only on Mumsnet would people think 40k was a limited amount for a house deposit when actually it's a bloody good amount and only somebody who was spoilt rotten would think otherwise. I'm glad I don't live in your world where 40k is not considered to be adequate.

And please don't worry too much about the rain here in Scotland OP, that's a myth that we perpetuate to keep the undesirables out .

Did I mean to be so rude?

Oh for goodness sake. Yes I did. In response to your first

I’m assuming you know that though and were aiming for pithy MN wit?! If not I stand by my assertion that your comprehension is lacking.

In my view the benefit cost ratio is of limited, not inadequate - which is your descriptor - value when given to educated adults who have the ability to earn their own livings.

That’s not to say it is an insignificant amount of money, simply the trade off is not in my view worth it. The OP however has decided it is so I wish her well.

They look like the cheapest of the cheap white square tiles you can find in a shop

That’s quite rude. They are just plain white tiles, they aren’t offensive in any way.

I agree on the carpeted bathroom, no one likes that, but it’s clean looking. I prefer the ops house to the other one by a long way. So it’s personal taste. The things that would put me off is the way the extension is stuck on the front of the house and the parking situation, because as said, I can’t work out from street view where I’d park. I wouldn’t wish to risk my car, it would need to be secure,nor do I wish to be carting my shopping a long way in the rain.

Bluntness you're on the money. All tiles throughout the house are Fired Earth. The white tiles in the kitchen have raised birds every so often and in both bathrooms they have raised fish every so often. The kitchen tiles are Fired Earth terracotta. All the paint is F&B.Extension floor is solid oak. Every time I've done something is erred on the expensive side simply because I like living with nice stuff. The house is structurally as solid as a rock. I know why the others buyers bought the KnightFrank house and that was because it has potential for creating parking. That was the start and the end, according to them. They'd also heard it was coming on the market for about a year before it did (village rumourmill), so were waiting to pounce.

Nekoness it's entirely legal to have beds in our summerhouse. Indeed it's explicit in the planning permission that we can use it for that.

I meant the kitchen floor tiles are terracotta. I do see that lots of people would prefer tiles on a bathroom floor but I wanted carpet the time. And yes, the house is very, very clean.

Apologies for that terrible typing - tiny phone.

I've looked again at the pics. You can just about see some birdies in the Rayburn alcove although admittedly you can't see the fishes in the bathroom. All the tiles are the really thick wobbly ones with irregular edges, so actually very pretty. While I'm on a roll I should say the kitchen surfaces are all Corian :)

Am I getting too defensive?

No! I think it just reinforces the need to have some beautiful lifestyle photographs that illustrate the quality finishes

It’s a beautiful house op. Once you’ve rearranged things I would just get the photos redone. I’m sure it will sell.

All kudos to you op. I would have left the thread by now.

@IHeartNiles

It’s a beautiful house op. Once you’ve rearranged things I would just get the photos redone. I’m sure it will sell.

Definitely. You've got lovely things and good quality materials that aren't shining through. So much easier to rectify this than if you were trying to make something bad look good.

The one thing you might find difficult is families (who tend to be the ones viewing bigger properties like this) might automatically have a filter on to only see properties with parking. I also think this may especially be the case given how far away the secondary schools are depending on what public transport is like in the area and if there are direct buses to the comp from your town.

Honestly, I think the price is fine, just be patient. I would also reorganise the extension. The three beds with the little table watching them is a bit odd (it makes it look a bit like an orphanage rather than a cosy family home) and automatically put me off what is otherwise a gorgeous home. I would put a bed or max 2 at the top and turn the bottom into some kind of living space. It would make a lovely air bnb space or living space for an au pair.

I also hope that didn't come across as cruel. I come from a large family so I know what it's like to have so many beds in one room. I just wanted to give an outsider perspective from someone who has just been house hunting.
You have an absolutely stunning home though. I'm sure the estate agent is correct in thinking it's just waiting for the right person. I bought my house in August and it was literally on the market for 24 hours. My cousin, an estate agent, told me the houses were taking no time to sell. Come September she said the houses were not budging, and a number of houses had reappeared on the market because of the size of the deposit the banks were now demanding. Maybe this is the same in your area too and you might just need for the market to improve a little.

I think the upsurge in working from home could work to your benefit here OP if you set the extension room up as a home office type space.

CheesecakeAddict haha when I told my DC that the comments here characterised their sanitised bedroom as a youth hostel they laughed and said orphanage more like (I toned that down to boarding school upthread).

In fact the school transport is a dream: a bus goes one way from our door to the comp, the other bus goes the other way to the grammar which is one of the top grammars in the country. Both leave at 8.10am, so pretty civilised. No cost for either bus until sixth form when it's fairly nominal.

Fairydustrust I'm finding all the comments whether positive or negative incredibly constructive. I can't thank all contributors enough.

OP, have you thought about staging then listing your home out as a holiday let and then using that money for a rental in Scotland? That way, you’ve done two things: tried Scotland and for your children to try the journey home to see you - even the ones who are keen. You may also achieve a better price than you think with a known value of annual income from an investment purchaser rather than a more picky homeowner who is less bothered about parking as they won’t be needing to park? Then every one of your children benefits from a higher sale price and if the Scotland idea doesn’t pan out you can always rethink?

If the tiles have relief shapes on them, then maybe a photo of a tile immediately after the kitchen or bathroom photo would be in order, and certainly the school bus could.be mentioned alongside the statement about the schools.

Yesbutisittouching you're very good at this. But yes I have thought of that and the best holiday let company in the area has given me a good spreadsheet for potential income, based on a very similar property to ours which is about five minutes walk down the road.

Also - things are slightly more complex on the Scottish front. I have a place provided I can sell Devon in a fairly timely manner. It's beautiful but not for rent.

Absolutely get your logic though. The Devon house sorts of shouts out holiday let/ holiday home rather than family home. Bottom line is I'm keen to start my new life and have some certainty for both myself and the DC. Don't want to overdo the personal stuff but I've been about a year waiting to be told I was ok with a certain prognosis, and that's concentrated my mind.