I can’t sell my house.

[Zooforhouse]

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.

Oh it is gorgeous! Please come and make my house and garden look like that. All of it. I've been wondering what to do with our kitchen and hadn't considered a U-shape with a solid wall along the top. I'll send your link to DH.

It doesn't seem expensive to me but that's based on my understanding that even a mouldy shoebox in the south east costs a million quid.

The garden could possibly do with some grass, but I'd have thought for a family with teens perhaps, it would be ideal.

I think as you’ve sold three times you’ve just been unlucky.

I’d be tempted to take it off the market for a month or so then relist so it comes up a fresh for new buyers rather than people thinking there’s something wrong.

I think it’s lovely. The garden size wouldn’t be an issue for me, per se, but the lack of lawn would be. Could you remove some of the paving to create a small lawn/corner of artificial grass or something? I do, however, agree with the previous poster who said that it not having sold despite the price reduction in March would put me off. Having three buyers fall through explains it, but obviously you don’t know that when you look at the ad.

You can't make the garden bigger but removing some of the paving and adding a lawn would make it feel more like a garden and less like a back yard

OP that house is beautiful. I especially love the in-frame kitchen. I only know the north London market, and there are a lot of period homes (though I appreciate yours is a new-build) of this size with a patio garden of this size or smaller, so it's not like this ratio of garden to house is absolutely unacceptable or anything. Maybe the garden needs a few more potted plants/trees, and maybe some nice festoon lights to show people they can have a nice cocktail outside in the evening.

I think stick to your guns on price. You've sold three times for asking. It'll happen again. Good luck 😊

The issue with the price is 685k was a lot cheaper to borrow than it is now so that is going to have an impact.

The garden is small vs house size so I would put more grass down to make it look more like a garden & possible some greenery in the front too

always the price

I love it and it’s a great size and beautifully decorated. The issue is the garden. Having said that I have teens and hate gardening so it would suit me down to the ground but 10 years ago when I had 2 children who wanted to do nothing but play football I wouldn’t have entertained it. No idea on the price as I don’t know the area but there’s nothing wrong with the house itself it’s lovely

There are an awful lot of photos and they aren’t in any particular order. I’m busy looking at the kitchen and another living room one pops up and you have every single conceivable angle covered - maybe less is more? I don’t have to come round because I feel like I’ve seen the whole house already.

the garden also really doesn’t feel like it fits with the inside of the house which is absolutely gorgeous - the garden looks tired and is littered with plastic childrens toys. Could you move them out and maybe get some plants in pots to tart it up a bit? Make it somewhere people want to come and look

I love it though it’s beautiful

Gorgeous house needs a fancy garden landscaped to take away from the fact it's small. A pergola with fancy seating or a hot tub. Sell a lifestyle not a garden

I love it. The only thing that puts me off is the grass to paving ratio. I wouldn't mind a small garden, though that's probably on the line of too small. There's got to be tricks and tips somewhere to help give the illusion of space?
Relisting afresh might be the way to go. Give yourself a breather if it's not desperate. For what it's worth you've done a beautiful job of the house and I'd be very happy to call it home.

Lovely house! You need to declutter for photos, it's too busy. And invest in some more greenery for the garden, make the most of the space you have.

It’s lovely, I especially love the kitchen. I agree that mostly you’ve been unlucky. Garden is small and I don’t think you’re making the most of it with all the paving but not really that small for a newer property. It also looks like there is a ruined building on the boundary???

As a PP said, I would also take it off and then relist - when I was looking, if I saw anything that had been sitting on the market for an age I assumed there was something majorly wrong with it! You could then drop the price but if you’ve sold at asking price 3 times before that suggests the price is ok. Check with the agents if they’d recommend any changes given recent interest rate rises etc.

This kept happening to my sister, she had three people withdraw.

Fourth time lucky. X

Really lovely house. Disappointing garden. Obviously you can change the size of the garden but I'd want more grass and less paving I think.

Your extra bedroom is nearly £300,000 more than the 3 beds that sold on your street in 2021. How did your agent come up with the price? That's a massive difference.

It’s lovely! Love the kitchen!
Agree with pps, could you make more greenery and privacy in the garden - large potted trees, some lawn etc?

The house is beautiful. I agree with others, I’d take it off the market and then re-list, maybe consider a new agent? But so it looks new. I’d also consider a revamp of both the front and back gardens, the back garden maybe a few nice raised beds anc some bigger/ better furniture, the front some bigger pots. The size of the garden is not that bad, but it could do with some more plants and interest. I think now that the government has announced the energy package there will be more people wanting to buy to be in by Christmas so put yourself in a good position to take advantage of them!

Inside is gorgeous apart from the shutters. I really don’t like them and think they dominate the rooms and would think it would be a hassle and expensive to remove them and put something cosier (curtains). I know lots of people like them, so this probably isn’t a factor.

for me the garden is the big problem. It would be a huge headache to remove all that hard standing and put grass and borders, and that’s what I’d want from a garden.

ultimately it will come down to price though.

Thank you. It’s a heavily extended Victorian cottage-so extended it may as well be a new build, although the walls are old and the wifi won’t get though 😂. I think we need to take it off for a while and try again in winter tbh. It’s a lovely warm house.

My preschoolers love that garden. I would like more for them however.

I just wish we didn’t see one we like this week, I’d pretty much decided to stay 🤷‍♀️

Does anyone know how long a property has to be off the market before it is a new listing? 17 weeks seems to ring a bell.

(Also it’s knitted/papier-mâché animal heads, niche wedding gifts 😂)

We are energy rating c-perhaps that needs to be the leading image 😂

This is the sort of thing I’d be aiming for in the garden- a bit more difficult over winter but in September and October you could get quite a bit of greenery in, and maybe a pergola etc. Fine to keep a kiddy corner too as well.

That does look nice

Did you even look at those houses? They’re not a patch on the OPs house in terms of size. The price doesn’t matter when the houses aren’t comparable

Lovely but where is the garden?