Are buyers expecting pristine houses?

[Lofu]

Our house has been on the market since Dec at £280k. 3 bed extended detached in a desirable area. Garden, drive for two cars, garage.

It's a 1970s house so not attractive from the outside, we know this. Neighbours houses which are smaller but older and more attractive have sold recently for £325k. So I think we are priced accordingly.

We've had 7 viewings so far and each one has said the same thing- the house needs a bit more work than we anticipated.

The only thing I think needs doing is the bathroom which is serviceable but about 10 years old and not on trend. Again estate agent said this is reflected in the price. Everything else in the house is done.

I can't think what people mean. Our house isn't show home standard but I would say appropriately done up for a house of its age.

I thought it was normal to expect to do a few bits in an older house. Is anyone else finding that viewers are being very fussy about how houses are decorated?

Looking at sold prices in the last year within 1/4 mile

www.rightmove.co.uk/house-prices/ng3-6bd.html?soldIn=1&radius=0.25&page=1

I'd say it's way overpriced for the size it is to be honest, and I'd also be looking at it having been bought less than 5 years ago (and it looks fine in the photos then) and somehow having gone up £100k when that's a lot over the % increase in the area. For me the pictures look great apart from the garden and drive, but the price just doesn't seem close to what I'd expect.

Jet wash front of house

The front and garden need smartening up but for me the big problem would be the long narrow room. I much preferred it before you took the wall out TBH. It may be just the pictures but the carpets look really grubby.

As a buyer I look past furniture/paint/gardens etc.
I'd say it's possibly slightly over priced, but I can't see any big red flags.

This thread is making me a little bit worried about my photos! definitely need to pull up the weeds that have sprouted in the sunshine before we get viewings...

I really appreciate everyone's input. It can be so frustrating when the only feedback you get is 'they liked the house but said it needs a bit more work than they thought' so it's helpful to get outside perspective. As some have said you become a bit blind to things when you are used to them.

And I hope anyone looking to put their house on the market soon finds it helpful! Weed your fronts and make your beds people!

I genuinely think your house is lovely!

I often refrain from posting on threads like these as the houses often need sooo much work and people pile in but I genuinely love yours!

I'm not familiar with the area so as pp have said it could be price but honestly I think the layout and the way its furnished is great.

For me, I would want to:

• Strip all the wallpaper and paint the walls
• Replace the kitchen countertop
• Replace the mirrored closet doors in the master
• Replace either the wall tile or floor tile in the bathroom to something that matches
• Replace the interior (knotty pine?) doors

Those are all based on my personal taste, of course, but I do understand the comments that the house needs more work than expected; these things would need to be done to make the house feel like "mine."

The master looks small - it appears there's barely enough room to walk between the end of the bed and the closet. That may just be the angle of the photo, but if not, could you rearrange the furniture in there?

Looks fine to me bar kerb appearance, nothing wrong with your bathroom either ive seen MUCH worse.
Think id get a power washer over all the moss on the front and drive, few pots planted up, tidy up rear garden, re take photos.
Then id send a mystery shopper (friend) in to see what agents are saying/doing.
Still not happy, id change agents. I sold houses for 30+ years. Good luck.

@SavannahLands you seem to have been possessed by the ghost of an estate agent who is fixated on Capital Letters?

Can’t help you much OP beyond reiterating that you’re clearly overpriced and the pix of the place when you bought it are far better and I really wonder how much more you’ve done to it to justify that price hike. Even in London it would be extreme in that period of time. What exactly has changed to make the area more up and coming? Usually it means some kind of major transport infrastructure.

It's lovely, and there is nothing at all wrong with the bathroom.

Crisp, white bedding is a must. As is curtains.

Inside in my opinion is fine but for outside I’d go on some gardening sites and ask for some cheap/reasonable ideas to improve the look. You’ll get loads of advice. It’s easy to add curb appeal but I think especially due to lockdowns people are looking more at wanting a beautiful private outdoor space. You have that at the back but it doesn’t look appealing. I think with very little effort the garden will sell your home. It’s sad that buyers can’t see the potential but in my experience they don’t.

A freshly cut lawn can transform a garden, that photo needs to go!

Hi OP, I appreciate the comments you receive are from people viewing in person, but I honestly think all pics need to be retaken. There's no eye-level perspective to give a proper sense of the space. They're all shot from low down, so that ceilings and furniture are the focus - we shouldn't be able to see bits peeking out from under the bed.

Same goes for the main pic. Retake at a normal angle. Did the agent sit on the floor?! 😆

Pic 9 of hall looks like it was taken on a phone or something? Needs to go.

My standout impression is house gets no sun at the back? You really ought to mow the lawn and retake when it's getting some sun as it looks SO cold and unloved atm.

I agree with PPs that it would be an idea to present second and/or third bedrooms as proper bedrooms, people have no imagination unfortunately. Do get more neutral bedding - Dunelm has a lovely quality white range called Mandalay.

Otherwise I think you have it very nicely presented. Your kitchen is lovely, and I see nothing wrong with bathroom! Good luck!

I’m also curious why the video tour isn’t available unless requested

In my experience video tours reveal the truth and pics can be made to make a house look pristine. Not making it immediately available makes me wonder if the pics are doctored and you don’t want folks to see the video tour? You’re also not posting it on here.

So something is adrift. The pricing is clearly off, it needs to be marketed at about 250, based on recent sale prices, but if folks are saying it needs more work than they thought that indicates the condition is. It visible in the pics.

I wouldn’t have realised from looking at the photos that the house has a garage. Can you add a photo of the garage?

Or even better, turn the garage into an office and don’t bother moving!

@GinaJaffacake

Crisp, white bedding is a must. As is curtains.

Why? I am not buying the bed or curtains. I am not staying for a holiday.

Unless there are build-in furniture I don’t care about taste in bedding or cupboards.

I am interested in knowing the condition of the walls and floors, not the interior design of other people.

Buy all the crisp white duvets you like, it's not going to make people pay £50k over the odds.

@Ihatemyseleffordoingthis

Buy all the crisp white duvets you like, it's not going to make people pay £50k over the odds.

I’d have to agree, the issue here isn’t bedding, no amount of white sheets is going to make someone pay substantially over the value.

I think it looks genuinely lovely. You mentioned toys lying around though - I'd definitely have it as clutter-free as possible for viewings. We shoved everything into the shed and car so our home looked the same as it did in the photos.

The problem is we are all judging on the photos, which are clearly fine as you’re getting viewings. It’s in the video that the issues would present themselves. That needs to be posted, for fair comment and for future viewers.

@Onjnmoeiejducwoapy

The problem is we are all judging on the photos, which are clearly fine as you’re getting viewings. It’s in the video that the issues would present themselves. That needs to be posted, for fair comment and for future viewers.

I completely agree. All the comments saying about the photos aren’t that helpful in that you’re getting people to view it from them so they must be good enough.

So either the photos are too good and make it look bigger and brighter than it is or it is over priced. I agree with getting as much out for viewings as you can too.

I’m not saying the edging would make people layover the odds. What I’m saying it that at the lower end of the market, house buying is aspirational. Viewers are more than likely young couple wanting to start a family. They want/need to believe that they are buying into ‘a cut above’ where they are now. The badly made bed with busy duvet set and lack of curtains just makes it look like student digs rather than somewhere sexy and relaxing.
So the bedroom isn’t sexy and the garden doesn’t make then want to have friends round to visit or help them see any future children playing out there happily. You need to sell them a vision. You really need new photos.

I think a £100k increase in 5 years would make me think it had been entirely renovated and was now perfect. That's HUGE. I'm about 10 miles from you and don't know your specific area but it really is a vast increase. It's gone up by about 60%!

The kitchen is nice but not "superb"

House looks lovely, only slightly negative things I noticed are that toilet is in front of window and possibly shower can be viewed from window, though of course it may just look out onto your own garden, the garden is a bit tatty but looks easily rectified as not overgrown.