Why can't we sell our house?

[Pentiumgold]

Please see attached link, reduced by £20 last week but still no interest. What puts you off our house? I found this property on the Rightmove Android app and wanted you to see it: www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/121091351

@notangelinajolie

I see there is an A road close by - is there traffic noise?

Yes, like the other one locally, location is the issue. The A road is busy and noisy I can't see how you wouldn't hear it from the garden.

That said I like a lot of it but what would put me off is the no doors to the conservatory. With heating bills rising I would just think all the warm air will be lost through the conservatory roof.

@GrannyAchingsShepherdsHut

This.

Makes it sound like there's something weird, complicated, and will probably be a stressful nightmare to buy.

I wouldn't even view, it would go straight on the reject pile.

@GrannyAchingsShepherdsHut

As I said in my previous post, that's standard for right move. I'm looking to buy & I've not seen one listed that doesn't say that. The first time I saw it, it put me off, but then I realised, as will any buyer.

It's not just one Agent either, so it's possibly something they can't change or legally it's not a good idea, not sure, but it's certainly not specific to this listing!

Bedrooms are tiny and ceilings are low. I wouldn't view it.

From the street view it looks like you’re offset in a little cul de sac? It would be good to have a photo of the view from the main road to highlight this as I’d imagined a long street of these houses and the little side road is much nicer.

@leccybill

Why can't Vivien Horder find out if it's leasehold or freehold? Do you know?

@leccybill. As above.

The photos are terrible. When my OH sold his terrace I was absolutely gobsmacked at how good the photos made it look. Sadly yours look to be doing the opposite. Usually though before choosing an agent you can look at their other ads and see how well that present things. I wouldn't pick one that didn't.
The house we ended up buying ironically we only looked at because i nagged and nagged to do so and we'd run out of others to see. Because actually they had used a rubbish agent with rubbish photos and he refused to look at it because the kitchen was pokey. It really isn't.......
Agree on the freehold sentence too.

Oh I have seen your house on our search for a 4 bed detached house!
For us it was the garden, I closed the add after seeing the patio thinking that was all there was. Even with the additional photo I can see it is smaller than we would have wanted (not helpful I know) but I think improving the garden photos would certainly help to get people to view. And the other photos also make it seem dark.

@flirtygirl

Bedrooms are tiny and ceilings are low. I wouldn't view it.

Ceilings not low!! What an odd comment. We are are a super tall family

Remove the washing line and any empty pots the blue tarp and agree with jet washing the stones, I like the different areas in the garden but the photos don't do it justice.

I'd drop the price to £449,000 as you're missing out those filtering to 450k. The garden looks tiny and overlooked. The photos are really bad and make it look dark. I'd start again with a different agency with a proper photographer. Those look like they were taken with an iPhone. There's been no thought into the angles or lighting.

Gorgeous! no way would I call that cluttered either 😶 it's not in my area but maybe there's lots of lovely houses in that area so that's why you've not sold yet. best wishes

It's very dark. Get photographer back at a different time of day

The uncertainty of leasehold or freehold is a definite no for me. Also there’s no garage. It says the drive can fit two cars but the picture looks like it could fit five. It has too much concrete in the picture so doesn’t look appealing

Ceilings not low!! What an odd comment. We are are a super tall family

The odd comment is you disregarding what someone said, if the pictures make it look low to that pp then that is something you can change. You did, after all, ask for help

that freehold/lease hold thing is standard now I think. Or it is round my neck of the woods.

Where are the pictures of the office and store? Both selling points.

All the rooms look very dark. Can you find a way to make them look brighter?

At first glance it looks unloved and uncared for and given there's a lot on the market even though they're selling fast there's a lot that could be off putting. Simple things that just take a little bit care and attention.

Powerwash the front of the house - the first thing I noticed was the big back streak underneath the alarm box. Paint the pots/buy new brighter pots for the plants at the front door and arrange them a bit nicer.

Kitchen table and chairs look out of place. If you can't change them consider setting the table?

Living room - take the plastic off the TV and move the dog toy. Declutter the fireplace (esp moving the plant from in front of the fire as it makes it look like the fire doesn't work). Put a large mirror above the fireplace, and buy a new lightshade. Straighten up the phone and the cushions - try just one at each end instead of three. Take the curtains off or buy ones that are bigger so they sit better. Remove / replace rug with a circular one.
Hall - Remove the baby gate from the hall radiator and the dog leads from next to the front door. Buy two black knobs for the drawer of the unit so it matches the other ones.
Conservatory. Sort the blinds out, take out the lamp and put a larger one in. Add a splash of colour (perhaps with the mustard cusions from the living room. Remove the chest of drawers.

First bedroom - tidy the curtains and match the quilt cover and pillowcase (add an extra pillow to make it look nicer). Replace the lightshade.
Bathroom - remove all that junk from the window ledge, the cleaning materials beside the toilet and the stuff on the sink. Put something beside the toilet to hide the pipes from the pics.
Bedroom with coved ceiling. Make the bed properly, tidy up the unit to the side and the tv wires. Whatever the junk is in the corner - move that too. Take the Moon thing off the ceiling.
Bedroom with dinasour. Make the bed and tidy those shelves up and tidy between the bed and the wall.
Bathroom - remove toiletries and cleaning materials.
Back garden - tidy it up and weed between the paving stones. Trim the hedge so it's even. Decking area - either put the gazebo roof and curtains on or take the frame down. Wash down the plant pots and get rid of the blue tarp in the corner. Grass area - sort the broken fencing on the top.

The biggest impact to me would be making the garden more aspirational (as suggested by a previous poster). To be fair it would have been tricky to do this in winter. Now the weather is improving the garden can be made to look nice. At the moment the slabs and decking look slimy so both need jetwashing. The decking could have a new stain. Nice furniture, cushions/ a chimenea or whatever - even if borrowed just for the pictures. Also getting pictures on a sunny day without the garden in shade.

I would also not be keen on no door on the conservatory. I would have wanted an external grade door even before the energy price rises but it will be at the fore of most people's minds now how much a house will cost to heat.

Isn't this really similar to a post last night, someone else wondering why her house wouldn't sell? Both in Dorset if i remember correctly!

For me the offputting things are exactly the same with both houses - massive expanse of tarmac instead of a front garden, Hinch-style grey kitchen, narrow reception rooms, small paved courtyard garden at the back. However I think the biggest problem is the photos aren't very flattering, and could make the rooms look a lot larger. Maybe on with the same agent who needs a new photographer?!

I think your house is lovely OP and the poster who said people may be filtering to £450k and so not seeing yours is likely right. Hope you find a buyer soon.

It is cluttered for EA photos. There’s far too much crap on display in the bathrooms and bedrooms.

Sorry OP but the pictures aren't very enticing. As PP have said, all of the upstairs rooms need new photos without the clutter - I could probably look past it for the kids rooms but the bathroom photos are awful. Make more of the lawned area of the garden and again get new photos of the patio but clean and tidy. The decking area is lovely but in the photo it looks neglected - can you get the cushions out for the furniture and dress it so it looks like a nice place to sit?

@Waveifyouknowme

Ceilings not low!! What an odd comment. We are are a super tall family

The odd comment is you disregarding what someone said, if the pictures make it look low to that pp then that is something you can change. You did, after all, ask for help

In what universe are the ceilings low?

OP, you're getting crap advice on this thread, eg the leasehold/freehold comments. I hate it when people comment on things they have no knowledge about

House looks dark inside and photos are awful.