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?

It looks fine, though if I was being picky then the paving at the front could do with a bit of a clean and the back garden could do with a bit of tlc.
Around here demand is far outstripping supply and things don't hang around long at all.
This would suggest to me that yours might be overpriced.
Are you getting plenty of viewings?

Looks fine to me so I suspect its over priced.

It looks lovely to me. So there’s something happening when people see it as opposed to the listing. Are the rooms quite small? The floor plan abs layout is good, and it doesn’t look like it’s “work needed” putting people off so it’s not that. Prospective buyers aren’t always terrifically useful with feedback anyway.

Are there equivalent 1970s houses priced for sale nearby - not your neighbours with lovely more character-ful properties?

What’s the street like?

In your opinion, what would put you off the house?

All downstairs floors and skirting boards are new and put in by professionals last year. We don't really do DIY we pay people who will do a far superior job!

The walls and ceilings are not pristine but are in good nick/ as one would expect for a house of its age.

Will certainly tart the garden up now it's dry enough to do so, and good shout on putting some plants outside. I've never bothered because they don't stay alive for me but it would make a difference.

Looks fine. But could you tidy up the toys for viewings? Understand it will be hard with a toddler but people need to know there is storage for an toys.

It looks like a nice house.
But (be honest) is it spotless when you have a viewing?
Is there a "smell" from a pet / doggy or cats litter tray?
The outside space really lets it down.
Give the back garden a really good tidy, invest in some colourful tubs for the front.
First impressions really count so good to hear you are tackling that weedy and mossy front garden!

@StrongerOrWeaker

It looks lovely to me (aside the garden, as you said). Are there parts of the house that the EA deliberately not photograph? Or did they go a bit heavy handed on photoshop?

I'd agree with this. It looks pristine and in move-in condition. So if it isn't viewers will get a shock.

Our very first house, looked similar to yours OP on rightmove, like it was ready to walk in to - we didn't want that, we wanted a fixer-upper. We put off viewing it until we'd exhausted every other property and as it was still on the market, 5 months later, we viewed it. When we did, we realised it needed loads of work and photos had just been taken at specific angles, it was very misleading - for us this was a good thing, but for the x number of viewers before us, it clearly wasn't.

Curb appeal required. Get a pair of matching pot plants for either side of the front door.

It's a very nice house OP. Apart from a better picture of the garden I can't see that you can do much more (as people are viewing, it's not the photos that are the issue). No idea re pricing as I live in Central London so it looks cheap to me. But it's a very tricky time for buying and selling ... In some areas houses are flying off the shelves, in others it's much more difficult to get things moving. I think many people expect much more than they can really afford ... I'm pretty old and our first house needed loads of work, which we did as we could afford it and made do with second hand almost everything for years (old codgers always say this sort of thing but it's true!). Yours would have been totally out of our league then! If people want a show home then they will have to pay the premium that comes with brand new (and the other kinds of price that come with new builds).

Looks nice to me. Small details may matter to some and my eye was caught to the dining room curtains- perhaps they need another hook or two to even them out at the top? They look uneven.

The house itself is in move in condition. Yes, the bathroom could do with an update, but you've acknowledged that. Would tile painting be an option for you meanwhile?

I liked the outdoor space and agree a summer pic may bring it to life.

Good luck!

Neighbours house which is identical from the front, not had the extension we've had, but a longer albeit skinnier garden was bought 4 years ago for £225.

Ours is currently the cheapest 3 bed detached in the area.

We were put off by the curb appeal when we bought it but couldn't find any that matched in terms of being detached, driveway parking, garage, extended, fair sized garden (for people who don't do gardening) so the ugly frontage was our compromise.

Looks nice to me but a bit expensive for what it is. However I live in the NE and property is much cheaper here

Aside from what others have said, I would look at doing something with the wall paper behind the radiator in the dining area and take up the curtains in that room too. Also it looks like you have massive radiators downstairs, is it hard to heat?

Get some privacy film for the bottom half of the porch. That's the only thing that strikes me as being a bit off. I wouldn't be able to put my shoes or bags there because people could see it and it would look messy so seems a wasted space at the minute

Or you could get something like frenchic paint, do the bathroom tiles and paint the glass on the porch. Two birds one stone n all that

I dont see anything wrong with it tbh. I dont think its overpriced or messy or needs tonnes doing to it.
Maybe the market is just slow right now. Its not as if its been on there for years either

I think your home looks lovely and inviting- the decor is up-to-date and the bathroom would only need new tiles to make it look more on trend. I wonder if people are looking to knock down walls, rip out the mirrored wardrobes or even extend? I can't see why they would other than to have it open plan downstairs but it doesn't look like it needs work doing at all.

In the corner of the garden- is that part of the house or an outhouse type of thing with the pebbledashed exterior?

Yes definitely the front needs more love, even just a jetwash, some hanging baskets or the hanging fake hedge ball things. It's mad how much different just a couple of plants make. Maybe some grey curtains in the porch so it's not just a white transparent box. The rest of the house is lovely!

Only thing id be put off by is the garden seems really dark, but its not that bad either

I think it looks lovely!

Lovely house and nicely presented. Looks pristine enough to me!

God, I wish my house had been in that state when we moved in!

Unless there's something the photos are not showing, it's hard to gauge what the issue is. You may have just been unlucky with fussy buyers.

What sort of state are the roof/windows/gutters etc in?

As you say, the front has very little kerb appeal. Could you borrow a pressure washer to clean the front drive perhaps?

House is ok, garden is a mess.
Maybe it's overpriced. look at Rightmove's most recent sold prices in your road ,

Number 51 sold for only 242 K last September. Its a 3 bed semi , older but well modernised, big rooms, lots of character, cared for garden.

We bought a 3 bed house, that doesn't need work doing, in a nicer area only a mile away, for £235k last year.

100% you are over priced.

You've priced for the older properties or for the nicer areas such as down towards Woodthorpe.

It is lovely inside and I wouldn't say it needs work doing, but I can't see how you would get that money for it knowing the area - I would want it to be extended, brand new kitchen, very high spec etc etc to spend that on your property.

We had a very similar position OP. House on the market since December, we discussed price with the agent and very deliberately priced it to sell, we weren't being greedy at all.

All the feedback was that it was too expensive for what it was, we got a couple of incredibly low offers.

Eventually we dropped the price 2 weeks ago and it sold instantly. I still think we've not been greedy with the original asking price. We've lived here a decade and the price we've agreed is less than a 20% increase. Maybe we overpaid in the first place, a house is only worth what someone is willing to pay for it