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We have been on since I think October, had only 2 viewings and one offer of £317k which was withdrawn as it was the top end of their budget - we wouldn’t have accepted anyway.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 wouldn’t view it - it’s very old fashioned. I would have to spend a lot to update. The price would have to reflect that.

Amazed that there's that sort of market for house staging tbh. I know it's more common in other parts of the world but they tend to be places where people have already vacated and where they have open house type events. I would have thought that staging houses with residents in situ was more of a niche market, especially for 300k ish sort of homes.

Interestingly I live in a house with an almost identical layout, just without the extension.

Your kitchen/utility/downstairs WC is a much better use of the space than in my house though, so I may well be copying this when it comes to re-doing our layout!

I was going to say the same as many others - the photos make the house look darker than I'm sure it is. The middle dining room is listed as such on the floor plan but then the dining room table is in the extension.

I can see from your posts that you don't normally have it that way and I would agree your usual way of using the rooms makes more sense - at the moment the pictures make it look like a nothing room, whereas using it as a dining room would mean the extension room can be used as a family/play room - if you were going to move any furniture anywhere, I'd suggest this is the room the blue sofa could go in.

If I were looking to buy your house, I would be thinking that I'd want to knock through between the kitchen and the dining room to open it up and make it brighter. As a PP has said you could then close off the living room, or as I want to do when we do ours, put in glazed pocket doors to keep as much light in the living room as possible (as ours can be a little dark too)

In all honesty, I really don't think there's much "wrong" with your house OP - it's just the people that took the photos made some really bizarre furniture moving decisions. I can understand depersonalising to some extent but I'd put the pictures back up on the wall too, unless they're pictures of family members. General artwork is perfectly fine to leave up.

I’d redo the photos with some strategically placed flowers!

I think it looks like a lovely house. All quite neutral and so a blank canvas. If you did want to jazz it up some funky cushions and vases of flowers might help. Other than that what are others going locally for in your area? Could it be over priced?

What’s wrong with carpet? I hate laminate/ wood tiles etc. Unless in kitchen because they are cold put I hate hate rugs!
What’s wrong with the kitchen looks clean, again I hate the modern high gloss.

There is absolutely nothing wrong with the house - it looks like a normal well cared for property which is neutral enough for someone to do what they like with decoratively with reasonable ease.
Compared to some of the overpriced horrors you see on rightmove this is really a very nice house.

The layout and presentation would put me off. You're selling a lifestyle. It's a family home so needs to feel modern and welcoming, at the moment it looks cold, dated and unwelcoming.

Make the kitchen and the room next to it feel like sociable, family spaces. I don't mean by cluttering them, but have the dining table next to the kitchen and the door open so if someone's cooking, they can be chatting to kids perhaps doing homework at the table. Also, ergonomically, why carry stuff through a room to the table from the kitchen?

Get better, lighter pictures with some fresh flowers and lit candles around and tidy up the cushions so they look neater and in line.

Make the room next to the garden feel like a relaxing 'garden room', perhaps by having some lovely house plants and beautiful throws on the seating, some artfully placed books so you'd feel like curling up and watching the birds outside.

You have a lovely house, there is a programmee on net called House Doctor. She sells all houses that dont sell with her ideas.
Your front area needs pots of colourful flowers? First impressions, cared for house., important. Clear all clutter, unblock doorways, if they have stuff behind them. Put all family photos away. People like to imagine their photos in situ. Have nothing on display when viewers come. Maybe have one open day for viewers. So your life is not disrupted constantly. If you can clear house of stuff you dont need or use. Good luck hun

Firstly I think check the price for the location again. Have you done the thing where you have 'best house in a bad neighborhood?'

It's really lovely in a lot of ways but if I were looking at it id be thinking it's pretty much an overhaul job. Needs new kitchen and flooring, painting, throughout. So the amount of work needed might be putting people off for the price.

Hope that doesn't sound nasty op it's a lovely family home in a lot of ways.

Forgot to add, I also am confused by the curtains between the living room and family room - I'd remove them as otherwise it says to me that the extension is cold and you need the curtains to keep the warmth in.

I don't see the issue with your kitchen that other posters have OP. I think it looks nice! To today's style? No, but at 6 years old it's still perfectly new enough. If someone buys it and wants to paint the cupboard to keep them going for a few more years then that's up to them. Personally, I wouldn't bother.

Our house has what I presume is the second kitchen since it was built in 1993. I think it must have been put in around 2000 as it's (very good quality) oak cabinets with (cheap) black "granite" effect laminate. I am beginning to hate it with a passion but it still comes up clean nicely and I'll get round to replacing it one day.

For me, it looks very dark - I see most of the lights are on in the photos. The garden looks very overlooked - lack of privacy.
It looks a bit soul less with no character or redeeming feature - a box on an estate. I don't mean that in a rude way, but the rooms look like they need a lift.

I think its a nice house ,but maybe a fresh coat of paint and try to get rid of coffee tables if you can as well .Obv dont know area well ,but a quick google and a couple of 3 bed detached came up at £250000 and a bit less .Often homes are overpriced and this results in buyers not looking.Maybe chat to EA again re price ?

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.

I can see that FTBs would have to prove they had the finances to buy. But someone who already owns a house will obviously have a mortgage already and/or equity. Why would a vendor want to rule out people who might well buy their house just because they hadn’t sold their own yet? Any why would someone accept an offer on their house when they hadn’t started even looking at ones to move to? If they can’t find one to move to then that completely wastes the buyer’s time. Sounds to me like the agents are just lazy.

OP, are you only allowing viewings by people who have already sold their own houses?

Is a kitchen that was only put in 6 years ago really considered dated? I think it’s a matter of personal taste, I hate some of the modern grey/shiny type kitchens but other people love them.

They used to paint kitchens on the House Doctor but the kitchen were usually 20+ Years old, not 6.

This must be a new thing. I’ve just remembered that back in 2005 I viewed a load of houses because I wanted to decide if it was worth putting my flat on the market. That was in London.

[quote slithytoveisascientist]Do we like this rug www.landofrugs.com/rugs/ariana-ar10-ripple-soft-fringed-rug.html[/quote]
I do like this rug. It adds a bit of depth imo, more so than the other pic. But it depends on what you are going to do colour wise with the footstool - as per Handsoff’s suggestion as the other one could be better iyswim.

Accessories are never wasted. Anything that you can take with you, that you love. I know it seems really overwhelming.

The house looks nice and if it would have been in our area we would have booked a viewing when we were looking for houses last year.
The price is more than the first time buyers would pay and maybe people further on the ladder can afford bigger one.

*Why would a vendor want to rule out people who might well buy their house just because they hadn’t sold their own yet?

Because a house can takes months to sell

Any why would someone accept an offer on their house when they hadn’t started even looking at ones to move to?

Because that’s the only way anyone can view anything. Most people do their research and have a shortlist of properties they want to view ready for once they’re under offer

It works perfectly well and it’s not just agents who prefer it this way. Vendors do too, this way you don’t get people viewing for an afternoon out.