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We have been on since I think October, had only 2 viewings and one offer of £317k which was withdrawn as it was the top end of their budget - we wouldn’t have accepted anyway.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

@slithytoveisascientist

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

What? Says who? Are you also imposing this restriction on potential buyers for your house?!

@DeloresWw

Every room has different flooring, the kitchen is ugly and dated, I would never buy anything with carpet, it's small, it's attached to another house, the yard is basic and tiny. Ugly bathrooms. So many reasons!!

Oh kick a woman when she’s down, why don’t you? There’s nothing wrong with the kitchen that a bit of dressing wouldn’t sort out. And some people like carpets. What’s she supposed to do about the structure? Demolish it and start again?

The vendors of our house had had an offer accepted on a new place before we viewed it. We were returning from abroad so had no U.K. Property to sell.

@HaveringWavering

The vendors of our house had had an offer accepted on a new place before we viewed it. We were returning from abroad so had no U.K. Property to sell.

Most agents and sellers won’t permit viewings from people who aren’t proceedable, it’s entirely normal. Presumably your vendors’ purchase wasn’t dependent on selling the house you bought.

I'm sorry for being so lazy and not reading all 17 pages, but why have people said that you should move the study out of the bedroom and into a living room?

Don’t paint the kitchen cupboards unless you can get someone else to do it - I did it, it took ages, and it’s loads of work. And it has to be decent or it looks worse. And if you do get someone to do it don’t go with grey! Grey is on its way out. Actually wood is on its way back...

The vendors’ purchase 100% was dependent on them selling to us @VinylDetective, we were very conscious of that in the negotiation.

I know we had to show that we had a mortgage offer in place before our offer was put forward, but I assumed that was because we were not selling.

Are you telling me then that Phil gets some special exemption to show people round properties on Love it or List it? But they always ask them how many properties they have viewed themselves, and none of them are selling yet because they are about to do work?

Are you telling me then that Phil gets some special exemption to show people round properties on Love it or List it?

Of course he does! It’s TV, not real life! In the real world most agents and vendors won’t entertain you unless you’re under offer. And they check so you can’t just lie.

@VinylDetective

Are you telling me then that Phil gets some special exemption to show people round properties on Love it or List it?

Of course he does! It’s TV, not real life! In the real world most agents and vendors won’t entertain you unless you’re under offer. And they check so you can’t just lie.

I know, I was being sarcastic. But what about the second part of my question? Why would they ask people how many properties they had viewed if viewing was not allowed without an onward sale agreed?

I can see that an OFFER might not be communicated without being proceedable, but a viewing denied?

Having the room sizes in metres would put me off!

I wouldn't paint the kitchen cabinets. If your buyers wanted to change the doors it's an easy job themselves but painted over doors would put me off more than the originals. It screams DIY on the cheap and would make me worry about what else has been done on the cheap.

I'd get better photos and keep your furniture and plants as it is now.

Don't put too much money in it! Anyone with any sense will know they can put their own style on it once it's theirs.

Look @HaveringWavering, I really don’t care whether you believe me or not. I’m certainly not arguing about it.

Yes no viewings, particularly now, happen with unproceedable potential buyers. If an offer is made it has to be communicated to the vendor. Unproceedable viewers are known as tyre kickers, agents and vendors hate them.

I wouldn't paint the kitchen cabinets. If your buyers wanted to change the doors it's an easy job themselves but painted over doors would put me off more than the originals. It screams DIY on the cheap and would make me worry about what else has been done on the cheap

We saw so much of this sort of thing when looking at houses. Might look great in the photos but not so much in real life. I don't think it's worth spending money on, when the kitchen is in good condition just not to everyone's tastes.

OP, please don't spend any money or go to effort like painting until you've had a local agent round again. I'm reading some of the things people are suggesting and thinking 'well I quite like your kitchen!'.

I would get a few more things out like plants and pics as mentioned previously. Then have another crack at better photos.

You are understandably defensive of your location but it's the one thing all of us who don't know the area can't comment on in terms of what difference it really makes to value, so can't comment in comparison to other houses. Your front outlook is lovely but the overlooked garden will be a negative factor.

Agree don’t paint the kitchen cupboards that’s batshit.

The green grey colour in thr office is nice. And different muted tones of that across the rooms would make it look very elegant and up to date.

However if you can’t do it youtself id not be paying someone., it’s unlikely you’d you’d get anyone decent quickly and it’s a large cost, when the real issue is it’s over priced and a bit dated.
.

The carpet and the lounge is an issue. But a big cream rug, some nice cushions, some artwork on the wall could brighten it up and make it look more up to date.

I would concentrate on making the downstairs look more welcoming. Theres a lot of grey/brown/black. I would replace your curtains as they arent doing anything for the look - get some colour in there with floor to ceiling curtains, colourful cushions, plants/flowers and a colourful rug.

A small table 4 could sit around in the kitchen perhaps and flowers/plants. Its a lovely house - just not looking that way. Good luck OP

@VinylDetective

Look *@HaveringWavering*, I really don’t care whether you believe me or not. I’m certainly not arguing about it.

Yes no viewings, particularly now, happen with unproceedable potential buyers. If an offer is made it has to be communicated to the vendor. Unproceedable viewers are known as tyre kickers, agents and vendors hate them.

That's how it's been for my daughter and her partner. As first time buyers they had to prove that they had a mortgage in principle offer before they could book in to see any houses.

In covid times they don't want any Tom, Dick or Harry timewasters spreading their germs around. If I was a seller I would agree with them.

All lights on implies that house is naturally dark. Lilac room is very purple and the furniture positioning does it no favours by making it look oddly shaped. The photos are taken at weird angles. The house looks nice, but perhaps your photos need to 'sell the lifestyle' rather than just be clean and tidy ie. fresh flowers, a few really luxurious cushions and throws?

Are you in the UK @Handsoffstrikesagain ?

It’s extremely tidy!

It does make it hard for sellers (and in turn their buyers) - you have to sell, then hope there's a house you like available, or wait to hope one comes on, or take the hit of going into rented.

Before you could see the houses you really loved and at least respond super quick if you did get an offer!

But yep, now if you're not proceedable, you're basically dead to EAs.

@Handsoffstrikesagain

Seems I am in the minority on painting the cabinets 😂 Done badly, yes of course it looks awful (this is usually where people have attempted it with a brush rather than a roller). As I said, 200 properties annually, the best results are nearly always where we’ve repainted a dated kitchen . It’s doing your research and knowing your market I guess.

Advice from estate agents when we have bought and sold (many times) is not to bother doing anything to tired bathrooms and kitchens, just price accordingly as it’s all personal taste and people will just come in and rip out if they don’t like it anyway. It really is a waste of money. With all due respect to the professional house styler - I know it’s your business to need people to do it and I have no doubt it reaps rewards in SOME circumstances but ultimately if you’ve had barely any viewings, dropped the price and still no viewings then you have to see that the most likely issue is price. Advising them to spend money is bonkers. Or the seller is really awkward - who knows, we don’t know the OP.