Why isn’t my house selling?

[slithytoveisascientist]

Please can you help?

We have been on since I think October, had only 2 viewings and one offer of £317k which was withdrawn as it was the top end of their budget - we wouldn’t have accepted anyway.

Most other houses locally seem to be moving really fast. Would appreciate guidance.

www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/88479571#/

I think it's great. The only thing I'm not sure about is the layout of living room, dining room then family room all in a row but that wouldn't put me off booking a viewing.

I think you have a lovely house. Things like lamps on don't bother me because that's just something estate agents do, regardless of the level of light.

For me, your pictures are poor and don't show the rooms to their best advantage. The angles are odd and the feel a little low. I would suggest you focus on making the living room look more inviting. I think the market is very odd at the minute, when lock down move down a level or two people will feel more comfortable moving house.

Looks like a lovely clean spacious house, but I don't think the decor or photos are doing it justice.

Haven't read the full thread but I actually quite like the look of your house from the outside.

The things I would mention are what everyone else has said, pick a sunny day to have the photos taken, all those lights on makes it feel dark.

Personally if I bought the house that living room carpet would be the first thing to but it wouldn't put me off buying.

Remove the photo of the garden looking into other properties as it just screams 'these are all the people who can see into your garden and house'

The lack of pictures on the walls makes the house feel unloved. Like it has no personality. So I would be getting some picture up, especially in the living room to help distract from the massive Tv.

Also, plants and fresh flowers help. I notice you have some plants in the dining room but none anywhere else.

So really, I think if you just 'dress' the place up a bit, it will really help for the photos and viewings.

No, but I'd not be wowed by something that makes everyday living such a ball ache for the sake of looking pretty

Surely you'd add it to the to-do list? I can't believe the trivial stuff that might stop people spending hundreds of thousands of pounds...

Haven’t read the full thread.
I think it’s lovely, you just need a picture up in each room to make it less stark and over de-cluttered.

Have a look and see if your competitors’ listings have used a wide angle lens or not. If they haven’t then I wouldn’t worry too much. In some areas it’s just the very high priced ones that have the better photography. In others it’s every house.

Front view - nice house.
To enhance this, cut back rose bush so there’s a clearer view into house. As is, the impression is that the bush is out of control & untidy, & the rest of the house will follow.

In reality, this is bollocks BUT this is about ‘nudging’ people to look further.

Garage doors are self evident, so no need to have car parked there - another ‘black blob/hole ‘. New photo - less bush, no car.

This is where I’ll struggle short of getting rid of DD’s bed which she wouldn’t cope with easily - if I put it lengthways in the room, I feel like the headboard will look bizarre? Would appreciate thoughts

We have about six houseplants and they put them ALL in the dining room. I just don’t understand their methods.

It looks a bit dull and bland but stuff like that wouldn't bother me as I would look at it as though it was empty and undecorated.

The garden is typical of the house style and age, not very big, boring and overlooked, I prefer a more mature garden, for that reason I probably wouldn't buy it but the house is ok

On the market 4 months though we took it off for about a month around Christmas and then dropped the price when it went back on, so 3 in total.

Road in front not busy

Kitchen shot.

Black table - black hole, drakes the kitchen.

Suggest that you dress table with PVC table, something like this www.johnlewis.com/orla-kiely-linear-stem-pvc-tablecloth-fabric/cool-grey/p3158232. Cheap, cheerful, stylish AND reflects light.

Also, tuck chairs in on other table edge so they don’t take up circulation space in kitchen. Looks neater & more spacious. Obvs for photo shoot & showings.

Road in front of house

Darkens the kitchen.
Drakes?

We don’t have that table any more it’s an old pic. Don’t have the splash back either

Get new photos taken. They are awful.

😀

Will DDs bed go where the tall bookcase is?

I think if it was there it could block the wardrobe. I need to measure later

Our estate agent isn't expecting the stamp duty discount to be extended beyond March so people are definitely holding off putting in offers until afterwards as they are expecting a house price drop across the whole country.

We had agreed a sale in November and our buyers pulled out at exchange of contracts last week. They outright told us that it was because although they are saving 15k on stamp duty if we complete in two weeks, if they wait until after March, they'll probably save 25k on our house if the price drops 🤔 I said I wouldn't even consider selling at the price you are suggesting so jog on.

We sold our house a few of hours later to the couple we are buying our new home from (basically a part exchange) to still meet the stamp duty deadline. We're exchanging next week! BOOM!

OP Your house is a good size and seems reasonable money. Get a new agent on it and have some professional photos done. Nice houses sell.

Agree that the pictures don't do it justice - you need a better estate agent. The virtual tour is actually one of the better ones I've seen, but I don't know that people necessarily view those, unfortunately.

Can't say I agree with all the "drab", "bland", etc comments - people on here project their personal tastes!

I know exactly where you are OP as I used to live on your road!
Houses were built in 1997.
I also know what you are saying with regards to areas of Middlewich and you being on the more expensive side.
I would change agents, have the dining room next to kitchen as it was originally ( this means buyers could potentially knock through and create larger kitchen leading on to family room overlooking garden)
Main issue for me would be the row of houses behind, but with better garden photos the potential to screen them with trees would be perhaps more evident.
I’d also drop the price a bit!

Lilac room.

I see storage room with a bed rammed into the space underneath window. Bed up against radiator is instant red flag for me that the room is not big enough as a bedroom, it’s a half room better used as a home office.

Take out dressing table - cute but clutter - & take out tall shelves that’ll reduce the sense of clutter further.

Move the bed out of the alcove, & shunt the chest of drawers in there. That’ll give a sense of space & light into the room.

Light bright roller blind instead of dark curtains will allow more light in.

Small bright rug in front of radiator to counter dark flooring.

Light bright roller blind at window instead of curtains will open up the room.

Move bed if possible into main part of the room