No offers on our house

[housetales]

Our house has been on the market for 2 months - launching as the school holidays started which I think was a huge mistake - with what I'd describe as a handful of viewings (mostly right as it went live).

The price it's been listed at was the agent's price, not ours, and when compared with others locally, doesn't seem OTT. All the agents who came round gave similar valuations too. No viewers have said upon viewing it that it is overpriced either.

We had only one bit of negative feedback and it was only from a couple of viewers, not all - that we are overlooked from the side of our property - so we purchased some 10ft trees to allay that concern.

I'm putting myself out there with a link to see what you guys think so be gentle! Should we stay on the market or take it off for now? I should say we only went on the market as we fancied a project for our forever home and were told there was a massive opportunity in our price range as there is such limited supply.

www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/110082437#/?channel=RES_BUY

It looks yellow. Maybe it’s the photography, but it looks yellow.

You only have 2 pictures in the whole house, and one of them I only know about because you’ve mentioned it. You may be better putting those 2 together somewhere and investing in some appropriately sized “art” to introduce ….something. It’s not about littering the place with personal trinkets and junk, it’s about selling a lifestyle that isn’t magnolia and 3 dunelm mirrors and a big clock. Luxury boutique hotel rather than premier inn. Not luxury boutique hotel circa 2003. It reminds me of those big American houses you see on reality tv shows about naughty toddlers out in the mid west. They are like the weather in those places that have no seasons. Perfectly lovely but dull. There isn’t a rug or a decent plant or a nice picture or a book in the place (I know you love your 2 pictures but they may be better as part of your fun, colourful, family kitchen diner (or your ubiquitous grey kitchen diner depending on which way you go) than your elegant hallway. The Christmas tree room has so much potential as a cozy, indulgent, library, the kitchen as a fun family space (you will be selling to a family with children still at home - probably teens), the piano room for “entertaining” etc. (There’s nowhere to even set a drink down, let alone mix one) . Other posters are right, it falls into the crack between “wow, I want to live there now!” And “look at this fabulous fixer-upper! We can get it for a knock down price and make it exactly how we want it (and make a fortune)!”
You can take “neutral colour palette” too far.

Somebody linked a fabulous house a few days ago which was both neutral and colourful. It was “period” so not 100% relevant but I’ll see if I can find it.

Removed by the agent ??

@TroublesomeTownHouse

I went through this and I would like to say you are taking the comments very well. I kike to think I am not easily upset or offended but I took some people's posts / comments very personally.

In that bracket there are fewer buyers. Of those fewer buyers some will absolutely want a period house. Of the remaining ones some will want brand new swanky kitchen so I think if you are happy with the price it is just going to take some time to sell.

Thank you. Yep there are a few barbed comments that are stinging. Not because there are things we need to change - I asked the question and am listening to all the feedback - but because some like to deliver it with a dig or a snipe.

It's really sad to me that some people get their validation from putting people down. I would like to be here to learn, listen and help others UP!

@Georgyporky

Removed by the agent ??

Yep, so we can start actioning some of the very useful feedback here!

Sadly, it's about finding the right buyer at the right time.

We tried to sell our hold house when DD was little, after five months we'd only had one interested party and they couldn't sell their own. The second time around, we had four offers in the first month - two wouldn't increase, one pulled out within a week - funnily enough we ended up selling it to the highest bidder out of the lot - we knew she was serious right from the start as the estate agents were on the phone with feedback within an hour and asking for another viewing next day so her DD and exDH would look/advise.

@HarrisonStickle

there's NO YELLOW. The pictures may make it so but the living room stripes are a muted lime green and blue.

Gosh! What colour is your table runner? The bedthrow, cushions, wallpaper and blind in one of the bedrooms? The wallpaper in another bedroom? The living room stripes definitely look yellow!

no idea why but I am seeing lots of yellow and cream yellow too. I thought hard about saying this but i will say it anyway.....i mean it to be helpful.....to me looking at it, it feels like a REALLY expensive fixer upper because there is so much i look at and go...well yes I could move in and live there but that would have to go, that would have to be changed...yadda yadda. ooo ooo I just looked at the house tour and it looks MUCH less yellow

Frankly I think you’re absolutely hilarious and the more I read of your posts the more I want to hang out with you 😂 you sound like a lot of fun and I don’t think you should be afraid to let that show in the house and pictures—there’s nothing wrong with being a person who likes champagne in a hot tub, and I think your target market is much more couple with thriving sex lives who’d jump at a sex pool, than the opposite vibe that some people want to style this as! It’s not a period house, it never will be and there’s no point trying to get that target market. Take the vibe that you are and make this point strongly to potential buyers—which is why I said shag hotel the bedroom and master bathroom, macho up the study, make your entrance hall a bit more WAG, imagine there are 2 black range rovers outside the front door—what do you imagine you see behind them?— plant that, and just up the dining room drama.

The people that go “eww” at the champagne staging will never consider your house. It’s probably a good filter actually! But the champagne people probably won’t like your sitting room—sorry when I was mean about it I thought it was the stagers 😅 the colour scheme suggests inspo from a normal house, for your house you should be looking at fancy bars and Instagram to make it a bit more aspirational.

I think you probably just pared it back a bit too much in staging and ended up removing your fab personality a bit too much, when actually your personality very much is the lifestyle you’re selling.

Posh plastic plants are fine - those trailing mother of pearl in bathroom etc.

I see yellow (I like yellow) but it’s not an on trend colour - runner, blind in one bedroom, hexagons wallpaper in one bedroom, master bed wallpaper.

With not much expenditure it could be a lot more wow. The dining room is 90% there but then let down on final flourish - big centrepiece needed.

Tk maxx and Homesense are good for that type of thing. So 2 big lamps to go next to each bed, big artwork, modern rug etc.

I know it’s not your taste (or mine) but your price point and fact you’ve had interest from footballers styling in that way would help.

ukhomesearch.co.uk/michelle-keegan-and-mark-wright-put-their-essex-home-on-the-market/

Well worth a look around some show homes or at least look online. You’ll see how they stage the beds with cushions, cut to size full wall mirrors in bathrooms etc

@Flowers500

Frankly I think you’re absolutely hilarious and the more I read of your posts the more I want to hang out with you 😂 you sound like a lot of fun and I don’t think you should be afraid to let that show in the house and pictures—there’s nothing wrong with being a person who likes champagne in a hot tub, and I think your target market is much more couple with thriving sex lives who’d jump at a sex pool, than the opposite vibe that some people want to style this as! It’s not a period house, it never will be and there’s no point trying to get that target market. Take the vibe that you are and make this point strongly to potential buyers—which is why I said shag hotel the bedroom and master bathroom, macho up the study, make your entrance hall a bit more WAG, imagine there are 2 black range rovers outside the front door—what do you imagine you see behind them?— plant that, and just up the dining room drama.

The people that go “eww” at the champagne staging will never consider your house. It’s probably a good filter actually! But the champagne people probably won’t like your sitting room—sorry when I was mean about it I thought it was the stagers 😅 the colour scheme suggests inspo from a normal house, for your house you should be looking at fancy bars and Instagram to make it a bit more aspirational.

I think you probably just pared it back a bit too much in staging and ended up removing your fab personality a bit too much, when actually your personality very much is the lifestyle you’re selling.

I think I'd like to hang out with you too! I'm starting to plan the shag palace as we speak!

We did have black Range Rovers. We now have white Audis. We are all the cliches.

Are you number 4? If so Zoopla is estimating a price between £994k and £1.21k. All the other houses on the road have lower estimates.
www.zoopla.co.uk/house-prices/streetly/elford-close/

It also says prices in the area have fallen by 6% over the last 6 months so maybe the market is not that strong at the moment?

Tooembarrassingtomention - yep- they're (sorry OP) weird....

@Pokhora

Are you number 4? If so Zoopla is estimating a price between £994k and £1.21k. All the other houses on the road have lower estimates. www.zoopla.co.uk/house-prices/streetly/elford-close/

It also says prices in the area have fallen by 6% over the last 6 months so maybe the market is not that strong at the moment?

That's not what any of the agents are saying! The market has risen dramatically.

As for Zoopla. I don't think many people trust the algorithm that much. For example, one we looked at had a 6 figure valuation on Zoopla and went for over £1.3m and that's in the last month.

Fake plants are fine if you buy well. I got a beautiful fake orchid in a pot from John Lewis I think.

I'v found zoopla is only accurate just after a property has sold as they obviously use the land registry.

Had another look & I think it still comes down to price.
For less than £50k more you could be in this 6000sqft Georgian pile, 10 miles away: www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/106531097#/?channel=RES_BUY

& the few comparable houses that are closer are upwards of 3000sqft.

Oh one last thing about the bedroom! I can see you have huge wardrobes, the colour on those could probably do with updating—have you got them with lights, shoe racks, full walk in wardrobe style? If not is there a way of upgrading and getting that photographed too, a great closet would make a good wow photo. It looks like the bedroom has space for seperate his and hers closets that could be glammed?

www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/110918093#/?channel=RES_BUY

This is the house I mentioned linked a few days ago OP, it’s obviously massive and gorgeous and period but I think it’s a really good example of being neutral and uncluttered but still having something about it. It’s luxurious without being overbearing. Minimal without looking unloved.

I’m really sorry you are finding this hard and if my comments have upset you. Inviting strangers into your home so you can look at it through their eyes is brave of you. Most people would have waited through 3 pages of “link please, OP” and “if you share the link we can help” before putting it right out there. It’s almost as outing as a hobby.

And his and hers the master bathroom sinks, that’ll be in all the curent new builds

Different price point as I’m up north but this is a high end exclusive development like yours.

www.pringlehomes.co.uk/gallery/

If you scroll down you can see some of the styling. Yours could easily be that with a few tweaks.

Eg The fully or mostly grey painted bannisters look a lot more modern.

I personally don’t think garden an issue - people who like new builds generally like composite decking and hot tubs.

No way would I pay 1.3m for that! No offence OP. Nice garden and that is a selling point but everything else just seems so meh.

@FurierTransform

Had another look & I think it still comes down to price. For less than £50k more you could be in this 6000sqft Georgian pile, 10 miles away: www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/106531097#/?channel=RES_BUY

& the few comparable houses that are closer are upwards of 3000sqft.

These are completely different target markets!

@Shadedog oh my, that house is a beauty.

I see exactly what you mean, even leaving aside the period detail it has a real luxury feel with the styling, colours and everything. It all feels hugely expensive (which of course it is!)

@Dixiechickonhols

Different price point as I’m up north but this is a high end exclusive development like yours.

www.pringlehomes.co.uk/gallery/

If you scroll down you can see some of the styling. Yours could easily be that with a few tweaks.

Eg The fully or mostly grey painted bannisters look a lot more modern.

I personally don’t think garden an issue - people who like new builds generally like composite decking and hot tubs.

😍 the white marble bathrooms here are EXACTLY what the master room needs

That price for Birmingham seems INSANE. Sorry.

@JustSayingItHowItIs

No way would I pay 1.3m for that! No offence OP. Nice garden and that is a selling point but everything else just seems so meh.

So I've said the comments are getting a bit on the spiteful side and that was how you chose to phrase it? Just adding "no offence" doesn't mean you're excused of all manners. It's not right for you, fine. Making me feel like my family home is shit on your shoe? Not so much.

(It is beautiful though)