Page 13 | I can’t sell my house.

Zooforhouse · 2022-09-12T18:57:24+00:00

Been trying to sell my house since January. Have sold it three times. First buyer pulled out as change in financial circumstances, lost us our dream house. Sold again in 4 weeks, but didn’t find an onward, buyer pulled out as found something cheaper. Third time neighbour offered then withdrew quickly as decided the garden was too small (it must have got smaller). i don’t know what to do really. The garden is too small. That’s why I want to move. Desirable location. The house is done to a high standard. It’s just on a small plot (is in town). Do we reduce it? Forget about it for a bit? It sold at asking all 3 times. Reducing it won’t make the garden bigger. Change of agent? Was kind of ignoring the issue but something we want has come up and it’s getting really frustrating now.

nellytheelephant1980 · 13/09/2022 13:50

I’ve PMed you

girlmom21 · 13/09/2022 13:58

Ticksallboxes · 13/09/2022 13:31

@IrisVersicolor

This less expensive house nearby comes up when I click on Market Information - there were two like that earlier:

www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/125220158

Only has one bathroom though.

JinglingHellsBells · 13/09/2022 15:10

@Zooforhouse One point to consider. You house on RM is showing as on the market from the beginning of March. Buyers don't know sales have fallen through but they will wonder what is wrong with it, as it's been around for 6 months.

By choosing a new agent, getting new photos done and changing the listing date, when it's relisted, it might help.

And don't have so many photos- who needs your kitchen from every single angle?

Lcb123 · 13/09/2022 15:15

Already posted - but we reduced our flat today. It bumps it to the top of Right Move and also hides the date when it was originally listed. Might be worth it. Agent advise it has to be reduced by at least 2% in order to count as reduced on Right Move.

Mildura · 13/09/2022 15:23

As previously mentioned - get the agent to email [email protected], explaining there has been a sale which has fallen through, attaching a copy of the sales memo for the recent sale to prove it was genuine, Rightmove will then kindly re-set the listed form date.

IrisVersicolor · 13/09/2022 15:31

Ticksallboxes · 13/09/2022 13:31

@IrisVersicolor

This less expensive house nearby comes up when I click on Market Information - there were two like that earlier:

www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/125220158

Yes it’s not very nice I commented above.

Lcb123 · 13/09/2022 16:59

Lcb123 · 13/09/2022 15:15

Already posted - but we reduced our flat today. It bumps it to the top of Right Move and also hides the date when it was originally listed. Might be worth it. Agent advise it has to be reduced by at least 2% in order to count as reduced on Right Move.

And we've had 3 viewings scheduled since reducing ours by 2%, about 5 hours ago!

Heresthelinkthen · 13/09/2022 17:35

The less expensive house was sold at auction 6 years ago, developed quickly and badly IMO and has been on the market for 4 years!

Heresthelinkthen · 13/09/2022 17:37

I think reducing is first step, sadly husband and also agent don’t agree

IrisVersicolor · 13/09/2022 17:48

Heresthelinkthen · 13/09/2022 17:37

I think reducing is first step, sadly husband and also agent don’t agree

In this particular circumstance they may be right. I don’t know the market in Colchester but you’ve had 3 sales at this price indicating it’s fair. I’d only reduce if you’d had no offers.

emmyren4 · 13/09/2022 17:53

It's a lovely house. Much nicer than the others that have come up in this thread. At this point, are you not getting viewings, or getting viewings and no new offers?

I bumped into the estate agent who sold us our house the other day and she mentioned that for the first time in her memory, fully done houses are commanding a premium over fixer-uppers due to rising construction costs and labour shortages making people reluctant to take on projects, so I'd think that should give you a bit of an advantage.

I'm in London, so I don't think your garden looks all that small, and also believe that people looking for something close to town, in walking distance, are generally more willing to sacrifice garden space as part of that trade off. With that in mind, I might consider doing a garden re-vamp. Although I suspect if you do, you might not end up wanting to move.

In your shoes, I'd probably get a new agent and new photos (fewer) and get it re-listed as a new listing. I hate very sterile looking houses, but I agree with some of the pps that you could de-clutter a bit because the current photos do create the feeling that you've outgrown your storage. Every surface in every photo has either toys or clutter. I'd aim to reduce it by half to 2/3. But leave one le creuset and that fantastic orange moccamaster!! Also leave the books and the funky animal head art- enough to give personality and make it feel like a family home rather than a soulless set of walls.

Three picky things - I might close all the shutters, but leave the slats open as you've done on the bottom, I think having the top ones open on the wall creates the impression the rooms are smaller than they are. What is that weird pattern on the tv? It creates extra visual clutter. And possibly weird question, but why is there no front step (not that it would be a dealbreaker for me)?

You just need to get enough people through to get the right one.

whynotwhatknot · 13/09/2022 17:58

sorry havent rft do you get viewings its lovely garden wo0uldnt bother me but i dont have kids

i think youve just been unlucky with your buyers

BigSandyBalls2015 · 13/09/2022 18:03

Why are you moving OP?

Fullupdowntown1a1 · 13/09/2022 18:20

@Zooforhouse I would just be a bit wary, things can change very suddenly, I’ve heard a lot of talk about interest rates rising again and there’s a lot of political upheaval and a bad winter we’ve yet to get through. Dropping the price may well be the way to go- the market’s hot, but if it was really really hot this house would have been snapped up. At this stage faster is better than most profitable potentially.

sevenbyseven · 13/09/2022 18:35

emmyren4 · 13/09/2022 17:53

It's a lovely house. Much nicer than the others that have come up in this thread. At this point, are you not getting viewings, or getting viewings and no new offers?

I bumped into the estate agent who sold us our house the other day and she mentioned that for the first time in her memory, fully done houses are commanding a premium over fixer-uppers due to rising construction costs and labour shortages making people reluctant to take on projects, so I'd think that should give you a bit of an advantage.

I'm in London, so I don't think your garden looks all that small, and also believe that people looking for something close to town, in walking distance, are generally more willing to sacrifice garden space as part of that trade off. With that in mind, I might consider doing a garden re-vamp. Although I suspect if you do, you might not end up wanting to move.

In your shoes, I'd probably get a new agent and new photos (fewer) and get it re-listed as a new listing. I hate very sterile looking houses, but I agree with some of the pps that you could de-clutter a bit because the current photos do create the feeling that you've outgrown your storage. Every surface in every photo has either toys or clutter. I'd aim to reduce it by half to 2/3. But leave one le creuset and that fantastic orange moccamaster!! Also leave the books and the funky animal head art- enough to give personality and make it feel like a family home rather than a soulless set of walls.

Three picky things - I might close all the shutters, but leave the slats open as you've done on the bottom, I think having the top ones open on the wall creates the impression the rooms are smaller than they are. What is that weird pattern on the tv? It creates extra visual clutter. And possibly weird question, but why is there no front step (not that it would be a dealbreaker for me)?

You just need to get enough people through to get the right one.

That doesn't sound quite right - surely fully done houses almost always command a premium over doer-uppers!

sevenbyseven · 13/09/2022 18:35

emmyren4 · 13/09/2022 17:53

It's a lovely house. Much nicer than the others that have come up in this thread. At this point, are you not getting viewings, or getting viewings and no new offers?

I bumped into the estate agent who sold us our house the other day and she mentioned that for the first time in her memory, fully done houses are commanding a premium over fixer-uppers due to rising construction costs and labour shortages making people reluctant to take on projects, so I'd think that should give you a bit of an advantage.

I'm in London, so I don't think your garden looks all that small, and also believe that people looking for something close to town, in walking distance, are generally more willing to sacrifice garden space as part of that trade off. With that in mind, I might consider doing a garden re-vamp. Although I suspect if you do, you might not end up wanting to move.

In your shoes, I'd probably get a new agent and new photos (fewer) and get it re-listed as a new listing. I hate very sterile looking houses, but I agree with some of the pps that you could de-clutter a bit because the current photos do create the feeling that you've outgrown your storage. Every surface in every photo has either toys or clutter. I'd aim to reduce it by half to 2/3. But leave one le creuset and that fantastic orange moccamaster!! Also leave the books and the funky animal head art- enough to give personality and make it feel like a family home rather than a soulless set of walls.

Three picky things - I might close all the shutters, but leave the slats open as you've done on the bottom, I think having the top ones open on the wall creates the impression the rooms are smaller than they are. What is that weird pattern on the tv? It creates extra visual clutter. And possibly weird question, but why is there no front step (not that it would be a dealbreaker for me)?

You just need to get enough people through to get the right one.

That doesn't sound quite right - surely fully done houses almost always command a premium over doer-uppers!

Heresthelinkthen · 13/09/2022 18:40

I don’t think done houses necessarily do-what’s happened with building materials and general cost may change that tho. I was put off after some research

Maranello · 13/09/2022 18:49

@Heresthelinkthen you've had lots of advice about your lovely house, and I agree with the posters who say the garden isn't that small, but what I really want to know is where did you get that fabulous chair on the landing in picture 17 please?

Violinist64 · 13/09/2022 18:50

And I’d like to know where you bought the giraffe in the garden.

emmyren4 · 13/09/2022 19:12

sevenbyseven · 13/09/2022 18:35

That doesn't sound quite right - surely fully done houses almost always command a premium over doer-uppers!

Show quote history

No, at least where we are, people have traditionally seemed to buy with the idea that they will want to put their own stamp on a house, i.e. new kitchen and bathrooms, so the advice has generally been to tidy things up but not spend money on doing things that a buyer would want to redo anyway--i.e. you don't want to pay for someone else's taste and/or sub-standard renovation. Plus, people have always thought they could get a bargain by buying a fixer-upper. Now, with construction/renovation costs going up (around 30% here) and labour/material shortages, people are wanting houses that don't need anything done. At least according to her and she's an agent who sells a lot of houses around here (Notting Hill), so I'm assuming she know the market better than I do.

IMustMakeAmends · 13/09/2022 19:35

Well I don't have any answers for you OP but the loveliness of your house inspired me today to hang all the pictures I had in a pile, move a few things around and sort a few other pretty bits and bobs I've never got round to (plants etc). Nowhere near your scale of finish but I'm pleased 😄

Heresthelinkthen · 13/09/2022 19:38

The chair was made by my brother in law out of card and presumably a lot of glue! Giraffe was a wedding gift, I love him but he’s a bit rusty.

LOL imustmakeamends, sure it looks lovely. I’ve got more pictures to put up but…. 🤦‍♀️

oakleaffy · 13/09/2022 21:48

@Zooforhouse
Male relation really likes your house as well-
in fact he took a screenshot of your bedroom as he has just bought a house and likes the sage colour and loves the kitchen, too.

Maranello · 13/09/2022 22:00

@Heresthelinkthen applause for your brother-in-law, that chair is a work of art!

Twiglets1 · 14/09/2022 05:30

Let’s be honest the whole house is totally gorgeous. Looking at the street view however it seems likely that it is one of the best houses on the street which may mean that you are close to the ceiling price for the street. I think people could get cold feet about paying top dollar for that street rather than anything wrong with the house as people see the photos of the garden before they view. That house on a better road would fly off the shelves in my opinion.