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

agree with decluttering gone too far

lostall warmth-not a family home looks a show home

@gibletjane

Could you put more trees in the garden? caveat I have no idea if this a thing

It is a thing! Since the photos were taken - and based on feedback we had about the house to the side (not the houses at the bottom of the garden) we had 2 10ft acer trees planted.

It's very nice but for that price I was expecting a more modern kitchen to go with the rest of the house. It would put me off spending that amount of money knowing I would have to fork out loads more money to update the kitchen.

My thought process is as follows:

How many people want a five bed house in that area who want to spend £1.3m?

From that (prob quite small) group of people how many would want to pay that amount and then spend a lot updating the interior?

If I was in the market for a £1.3m house I wouldn't want to have to start ripping out kitchens and re-tiling the bathrooms. The things that need doing are the most expensive.

Finally I would find the garden a bit of an issue. It's the same with so many of these newer build developments. The gardens are sacrificed for a bigger hours and so it feels overlooked. For that amount of money I would want more space from neighbouring properties.

You obviously know the market and similar properties nearby so I hope it works out for you.

I don't dislike it but all I saw in most photos was yellow!

I think you’re in the awkward position where your house doesn’t need so much doing that it’s a doer upper and is priced accordingly, but it does need a lot doing to bring it up to date and that’s going to be costly.

The kitchen (including the floor), utility, bathrooms and fitted wardrobes all need replacing. It looks like your floor might be laminate so that would want doing to. You’re looking at north of £100k plus the disruption.

People prepared to pay/do that will be also looking at the houses where they really have options.

I must be the only person who doesn’t find the plot or garden size a problem- easy to maintain, but still plenty of room for entertaining, kids play crap etc. I really like the outside.

You mentioned you’re looking at Four Oaks OP- would you honestly spend £2 mill plus on a modern build there with 17 year old bathrooms and kitchen? I think that’s the nuts and bolts of it really.

Also you’ve taken the feedback here in good spirits- I hope you can work something out which you’re happy with!

@RolloTomassi

It's a gorgeous house, OP! Tons of kerb appeal, I love the silver birch in the front. Kitchen is a bit dated but perfectly neutral, and presumably been priced with that in mind.

I agree there are too many pics, get rid of some (I.e 10/11 and 31/32 are too similar. Dining room pics are both a bit soulless, try to get one better one if possible. Lose the office pic completely and just keep a couple of the back garden).

I've no idea if the price is right but in that bracket your "pool" is probably smaller, and those in it will have more options than most! So you might just have to to wait a bit for the right buyer to come along. House is fab, I'm sure they will!

Thank you so much. That's a lovely post x

I don’t think there is a need to extend. A luxury kitchen could easily be put in for £30k (or less) so I think that is well worth doing. I would probably overlook the bathrooms of the kitchen had the wow factor.

Too bland.
Dull garden.
Overlooked.
No wow factor for the price. It’s just a modern new house on an estate.

I don’t know if this is the done thing in the £1m+ world but could you get the kitchen sprayed and update the worktop? It’s a perfectly acceptable kitchen it’s just bland. You could easily make it much more appealing without completely replacing it. New cabinet handles too.

Oh my it’s lovely! I do agree that if you have added trees then that photo needs to change.

A few more plants in the garden ( maybe just a few pots with some colour in some key spots?)

I thought your house looks very modern outside and downstairs so I thought the bathroom looked a bit dated. Maybe needs a square modern sink and some funky art or pot to divert the eye.

Could you think about some kind of extension / garage conversion / outside office idea and get a architect to draw up some ideas to leave out for viewings as it shows it could still have lots more potential. Mind you that won’t help get people through the door

I love it.

It's the sex pond in the garden. I one wants to stew in someone else's juices .

Seriously other posters have already nailed it. It's overpriced because the big ticket rooms (kitchen and bathrooms) are very underwhelming for a £1.3m home.

At that price buyers are going to want high end design with a wow factor and high end brands like Wolf/SubZero in the kitchen and premium sauna/steam showers, statement baths etc in the bathrooms.

Frankly the fitting in the kitchen/bathroom look pretty big standard for what you'd expect on a house half the price.

In your position I'd take it off the market and re-do the kitchen and bathrooms a high standard.

I think this would be cheaper than lowering the price to a level that would make it attractive.

My guess is that you probably would have to drop the price to nearer £1m to make it attractive based on what else is available in the area in that price band, but by spending £160k for really high end bathrooms and kitchens you could get pretty close to your asking price.

Yes that's a lot of money but frankly if you want to sell it as a premium house you'll need to put in premium fittings and frankly £50k for a kitchen is optimistic if you want that super luxury vibe.

You've got 4 bathrooms and a W.C. and I'd budget £80k for those and another £80k on the kitchen.

The worst thing you could do is just replace the kitchen with something "just a bit better" than what you've got - you won't get a return on it and same with just doing the kitchen but ignoring bathrooms you can find in any standard development of houses £400k upwards.

Basically splash the cash or reduce the price but don't get sucked into a middle ground compromise.

Haven't read others comments, but as an ex EA I would say its the kitchen thats the issue. For that price tag people would be expecting a large range/Aga, different colour palette etc etc. Dont know if you can get some Farrow and Ball and paint the units and the walls a complementary colour. Good luck

Don't know about price but I am looking at loads of houses in loads of places at the mo (long story) and the ones that draw me in look welcoming....I think you may have staged the soul out of it? Could you add some cosiness? more flowers and plants, maybe fluffy towels in the bathrooms. Its probably totally irrational and me being sluttish but i look at it and think that the neighbours would probably HATE my birdfeeders and my wildflowers. And yes a builder's finish rather than a homeowners. Oh and i agree halve the number of photos.

I’m going to be honest—I think it’s really overpriced, and I’m based London. Yes it’s a lot of space for your money but in style and interiors it’s a bit like…an oversize suburban semi? Rather than a house that screams luxury, or a special unique house, or a high end modern home, or a period gem. It’s a bit soulless and lacks either a sense of family warmth or wow, so while it would appeal to people looking for that size of home I can’t imagine it screaming “have me, highest end, dream home.”

My tiny two bed rental is feeling very sad right about now 😂 absolutely stunning home op.

It's a very dreary house for that price, I think post Covid people have a lot more options for that budget, just no appeal or spark.

@Justyouwaitandseeagain

Hi again OP

Re. My comment about the kitchen lacking appliances, I was judging by the photos only originally. I only looked at the 3D tour after I messaged - I only noticed the nice tall units along the back wall once I explored the tour.

I agree with others about the bathrooms also lacking in luxury finish. The plain white wall tiles look very basic and the coloured border tiles are very 90s. I would be looking for something more spa like. As others say, they look liveable and serviceable at a much cheaper price but not at the price you are asking.

While the 3D tour improved my opinion of the inside of the house, personally the outside would put me off. It doesn’t feel like a ‘private’ development - the house immediately off to the side of the garage (and the view of their? Wheelie bins?), the house opposite, houses all around the back. Personally I would much prefer a house in its own defined grounds. The driveway also looks like it could do with a clean (have you had an oil or water spill? I can see where the two cars have been parked) if you had two cars parked on the drive, where do visitors park?

I agree the back garden is also lacking in personality/landscaping and is a little on the small (shallow) size.

Would it be worth considering paying for the services of a professional house dresser? Even some big showy fresh lilies or orchids etc might bring a little bit more luxury. The bedrooms all look very nice and well dressed to me.

The house off to the right side of the garage is also ours! We'd sell that too if the buyer wanted to own 2 of the 5 properties on the road .

When we've done viewings, we've always had lots of fresh flowers, candles lit and coffee lounge jazz playing. I'm trying honestly!

Garden is definitely shallow. Can't change it or add to it so kinda stuck on that one. That's why we did the decking - to really make the most out of the limited space.

Driveway has been cleaned (jetwashed and sanded) recently. It's a 2 car drive realistically at the moment. 3 if you don't have a huge motor like one of ours. More of the front garden could be given over to block paving by a purchaser but I wasn't willing to take that step as we enjoy the front garden with it's planting.

NGL OP your house is 5 bed, but near where I am you can buy a whole freaking 10 bed castle for just under 3m with 2.28 acers. I'm also in the south.

-Sighs- I can only dream...

www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/112841330?utm_campaign=property-details&utm_content=buying&utm_medium=sharing&utm_source=copytoclipboard#/&channel=RES_BUY

My only comments are:

I'd hate a fridge in a utility room, prefer it in the kitchen and I'd expect an island at that price. My kitchen is bigger.

But overall it's gorgeous. Price is eye watering. I expected a pool.

@Wishingwell75

It's a lovely house but I was expecting you to say it had been staged for the photos and viewings. There's something missing and after reading the thread I imagine that you have decluttered X 1 million 😁. But some areas look too stark compared with rooms such as your child's bedroom that looks great with the books and lights on the bed etc. I can't imagine how hard you must be working to keep it looking like a show home whilst actually living in it as a family with small children. Do you get much notice before viewings - I hope so! So, I think it could do with some art on the walls, the kitchen although spacious and obviously spotless does look dated and a bit stark. Can't remember if there's space above the cupboards but if so, some plants (even faux foliage will work - string of pearls and other trailing greenery would look good. Maybe a cook book or two or small areas of interest such as a decorative or wooden tray with a candle etc. The photos are great for once - I love that you have included both day and evening time. Maybe some could be taken out altogether or just a reshuffle. I think it's likely that the people who buy your house will be a similar family set up to yours so include the type of info in the ad that you'd want to know - local amenities, beauty spots, etc. You mentioned a few things in this thread that I must have missed in the listing that would sway me, such as the local park etc. I know the responsibility is on me as a potential buyer to research the area but you made it sound much more attractive than the estate agents blurb. I think it just needs tweaking, Mel Robeson on YouTube has similar style to you OP and has lots of tips that may add to all the hard work you've already put in. Are you getting feedback from the people viewing the house as to why they're not going forward? If it's the price and you're not prepared to reduce it then all you can do is wait and in the meantime add more warmth to what is already a lovely home. Good luck!

Thank you. That's a lot of useful advice I can take on board. I am making notes now but can already feel tomorrow is going to be a busy day.

Your house is absolutely beautiful! I’m no expert on house prices in your area, but in my area (South Bucks), prices are extortionate anyway. And your place would probably be £3-4M easily.

Agree with PP re a few things though.

It doesn’t look lived in - it looks part furnished. Bring some warmth / personal touches back.

The garden - I would add lots of pots / hanging baskets to bring some colour back in. Good move to plant trees in to give more privacy. For this price, you don’t want to be overlooked.

The kitchen is the heart of the home - and it feels like some love needs to be injected into it. You dont have to change the kitchen, but style / accessorise it.

Best of luck with whatever you decide to do!! 💐

It’s lovely, albeit we live in a leafy part of Bucks & I had no idea Birmingham was that expensive.

Having recently bought in a similar price bracket, I would want to completely redecorate on top of new bathrooms & kitchen. Your furnishings/colour schemes in the main living areas are dated & this doesn’t help cover the early-2000s vibe. Potentially getting someone in to dress the property might help.

For me it would fall into “the not quite a doer upper, but overpriced relative to necessary cosmetic work” bracket. Where we are, these are the houses that are sitting on the market because labour & materials have risen so much & what you thought was a £100k job is now £150k and a 6 month wait for a builder.

@Blueskythinking123

In the schools check the state secondary Streetly Academy Requires Improvement. That will put put people off if they want a state secondary school. Do children get into Arthur Terry from you'd house?

Yes, some get into Streetly and some into Arthur Terry. Many locals go to Highclare (an independent). A neighbour's daughter got all A*s and A's at Streetly despite it's "RI" status.