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We have been on since I think October, had only 2 viewings and one offer of £317k which was withdrawn as it was the top end of their budget - we wouldn’t have accepted anyway.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

What is your financial situation like? I am on the fence about whether or not to paint the kitchen cupboards as I can see both sides, but it would be absolutely crucial to do it well if you do do it. Can you afford to pay someone to do it for you?

I can’t paint
I am cackhanded and clumsy and rubbish

I would have to get someone in

I would be happy to spend about £2k on doing EVERYTHING

So x 2 rooms wallpaper, 1 room paint, kitchen units paint, plus some new accessories

I wouldn’t want to replace the kitchen tile which are a jasmine white

You’ve heard from so many people already but just my view ...
If I was looking to buy a 4-bed I’d want plenty of family space, and the way your house has been photographed makes it seem really small. The sitting room feels like a narrow corridor. The garden looks small and very overlooked - I couldn’t imagine the kids having football nets and a kickabout there. There are no pics of the barbecue area, downstairs loo, utility room. The pics only show two double bedrooms - then there’s one single and a small office. You don’t see all the parking space out the front. There’s no room to have the kids sitting at a table in the kitchen while I do dinner / the dishes. There isn’t a separate adult space to sit and chill in the evenings.
I think you could address a lot of this with some simple staging and rephitographing. You don’t have to keep the rooms as they are staged - it’s for the photos. So you could take a bed from one of the other rooms, dress the office with it, photograph it and then move it all back again. And so on.

Can’t comment on price as I don’t know the area.

What is your situation re moving- have you found a new place to go to, are you moving for work or just a change of scene? Just to get a sense of how much time you have to get it sold.

Oh sorry one more thing on price. The question which I don’t think anyone has asked you yet is - what’s more important, to move quickly or to achieve your asking price? If the former then obviously drop the price til you get a buyer. But sometimes the latter can be more important - for example if you need it to be able to afford your next house. So do think clearly about that question and have it in your mind when considering how much effort to put into staging etc.

@Handsoffstrikesagain sounds like she knows what she’s talking about! Go with her advice.

PS I was really bemused by “Glastonbury Road” when you are in Cheshire! My family are from Somerset and I thought initially you were going to be near them. Are the other nearby streets called “Bestival Avenue” and “Womad Crescent”?

Not suggesting you ask the Council to change the street name to get a sale though!

slithytoveisascientist

I suggested taking the office out and making it a bedroom.
I suggested this type of thing when my friends 5 bed house wasn’t selling.
They had one bedroom set up as an office and one room set up as a playroom/living room.
First viewer after they had moved the office out and put a bed in both rooms bought it.
It is psychological. If viewers only see 3 beds then it is downgraded to a 3 bed house.
In the meantime having your office on the dining room table and being able to clear it for viewers is the only suggestion.
I loaded our cars with all sorts of detritus when it came to viewings

Op, are the room sizes accurate? It says that it’s only 70 sq metres in total 750 square feet. Which is half the size of the average 4 bed in the Uk and much smaller than an average three bed. In fact it would be the usual size of a small two bed normally,

The rooms look large in the photos, but the description of total sq metre and room sizes indicate something very different.

Is there an error? I don’t think it’s usual to have four beds into a house that’s only 753 sq foot/70 sq metres?

I think the living room is the room that actually is letting it down because the TV is rather large and the way it is photographed has just a sofa on the opposite wall like a waiting room. I think therefore it looks smaller than it probably is and a bit of furniture placement may change that feel.

Ut says that it’s only 70 sq metres in total 750 square feet. Which is half the size of the average 4 bed in the Uk

The downstairs is 70 m2, and the upstairs is another 60 odd m2.

@TheYearOfSmallThings

Ut says that it’s only 70 sq metres in total 750 square feet. Which is half the size of the average 4 bed in the Uk

The downstairs is 70 m2, and the upstairs is another 60 odd m2.

Ah, that makes more sense,,,

Yes maybe there is an error, I’m trying to find the initial listing from when we bought it. We’ve always found it to be quite a big house.

In no rush to sell - it’s hard to find what we want in Middlewich.

Due to COVID rules we can’t be here for photos to shift stuff and put things in cars etc which does limit us a bit. Will have a think and chat with potential agencies re that one.

The tv is fucking enormous 🙄😂

Living room at the moment

I know you think it looks messy but actually having more stuff in it actually makes it look larger than it did with everything removed

In no rush to sell - it’s hard to find what we want in Middlewich.

Aha! Maybe this is the issue. Is the agent telling people that you have not offered on anywhere yourselves yet? Imagine if you, as a buyer, are part if a chain yourself. You don’t want to get stuck in a situation where the person you are buying from delays and delays exchange while they swan about looking for a new place.

Also, if you want to stay in the same area, have you ever watched Love It or List It? with Kirstie and Phil?
Maybe doing up the house and staying night actually be a better solution for you?

So would you put the home office into the bay window of the living room? Leave the blue sofa in the playroom/family room?

We aren’t allowed to even view places until we have a sale agreed!

And for us moving we need more space. 2 home offices required and ideally a spare room as well. Plus we want to be further from neighbours.

Something like this: www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/77749098#/

Omg @Handsoffstrikesagain that is so kind, if you really don’t mind I would love that!

I think if we sold we would rent for a bit