RM link... help me sell my house for the 5th time!

[ThisMustBeMyDream]

https://www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/132973085#/?channel=RES_BUY

This is my house. My poor house has been through the mill with buyers. Originally went on the market March 22. Got 2 offers above asking within days of being on the market.
Buyer then pulled out 2 weeks later due to school and childcare issues that she hadn't forseen.
Second buyer agreed, again had multiple offers. 8 weeks later they pulled out after taking 5 weeks to sell their own house. One of the couple became seriously ill and couldn't return to work.
So off we go back on the market. Another sale agreed with 2 offers within days. This time the buyers started messing me around trying to renegotiate and I called their bluff. The agents then went back to the other offer and he met their offer (13k over asking).
So that is where we were at by October. Long story short, the chain (of 3) collapsed when my seller refused to move out after an issue with probate in their purchase (they had agreed to break chain and move out, then changed their minds). This then caused my buyer to pull out. Me and my buyer were all packed up and exchange was about to happen when all this came to light. So it has been a torrid time as you can imagine.

After a few weeks of unpacking and titivating/doing little jobs, I decided to go back on the market and try once again.

This time the market is very obviously different. Been on for 3 weeks. 8 viewing requests in that time. 1 was a no show (which is not a surprise as lots of this in previous rounds too), 1 cancelled last min and didn't rearrange, 1 I cancelled as it was obvious from their messaging that they were a timewaster. 5 viewings have gone ahead, and of those 5 only 2 have given feedback. One to say they loved it, price was great, location great, but downstairs space didn't work for them. The other said similar about price, location and the house, but said they had other properties to view before making a decision.

I did two of the viewings on Friday and today asked the EA to ring for feedback as none yet received. They got hold of one who again said the same, they are considering an offer but viewing other houses.

The house is priced as offers over £180,000. It was achieving £193/195 last year so I feel that it is priced well and have compared it to other similar properties in the area. It was valued in October at £185k by my buyers mortgage company (well, the chartered surveyor did!).

Any advice other than lowering price? A lower price means we can't move, so no point in doing that. We need £185k to get to the next rung on the ladder for us which means we stay put until an unknown time.

Sorry no advice, I think you have just had bad luck with buyers and sellers. Your home is lovely

Your home is lovely. I'm not an expert bit didn't want to read and run so I'll suggest the only things I can think of. If you hadn't been through such a tough time of it these wouldn't be worth mentioning. But here we go:

Change the angle of the garden pics so the photographer is standing with his back to the house but in the other corner IYSWIM. So the focus of the shot is the grass. And remove the slide for that pic. Consider moving a couple of your planters into the far corner to draw the eye to the furthest part of the garden for that shot.

Better kitchen photos. It's immaculate, but a nice estate agent-y wide angle pic would show it off. The close ups make it seem like it's so tiny that the only angle they can get is a close up of the sink.

Consider removing stripes from DC's room.

I'm really clutching at straws but when we sold 3 years ago (totally different market, I very much appreciate) we saw a big uptake in interest once we changed some pics.

The only thing I dislike about it is the patterned wallpapers. I don't know if it is possible to make it too neutral for selling.

It’s really nicely presented all round and I LOVE your mid-century modern vibe.

I think either it’s a problem with the area, or you have been monumentally unlucky so far and your buyer is just round the corner.

It looks lovely but I do think neutralising it might be a good idea. The wallpaper is 'busy' my guess is it will attract first time buyers svd it might seem daunting that a lot needs to be changed. It doesn't but some people do not have any imagination. Good luck

It needs a new bathroom and redecorating but other than that a nice house.so factor I say 7k to do those jobs does it still fare well against other properties in the area? Looks nice to me think you have just had a rough ride.

It’s a lovely home OP. Best of luck this time!

It's nice. Do you know if the wall between the dining room and the kitchen is structural?

If not it might be good to say it can be knocked down and made into one room?

It's a lovely, clean and tidy home and I flipping LOVE your wallpaper. A serious buyer isn't going to be put off by a bit of wallpaper even if they don't like it.

You've just had rotten luck.

It's either price or location that's the problem as the house looks like a great family home.

All the f2f feedback from viewers and from what has been given to EAs previously have been they loved the decor and it was what attracted them to view. So I don't think the wallpaper would be too off putting. It is only in 3 rooms also, so not a big job if someone wanted to change it. The walls are all in good condition, and won't need any skimming etc. It would be a strip and paint job if someone wanted to.
Yes, it needs a new bathroom if you wanted to get something "up to date" in, but the bathroom itself is in perfect condition (but not to my taste, I'd have done something more in keeping with the 1930s house!). I had to work with what was there really 🙈. But if you factored those jobs in, it is still priced well IMO. There is very little with character in the area. All new built or 1960s houses.
The pictures I can easily do - I took them, so I can add and take away as desired. The pictures are the originals from last year, but I have made some small changes in that time so I could try and show those (they aren't anything major though, just a bit of "staging", new pics on wall, spring wreath on the door, new fireplace centrepiece etc).

I love your wallpaper! I’d probably put a non patterned duvet cover on the double bed. But that’s all I’d change.

It’s obviously not the house as you have sold before, but I think in a difficult market like this, offers over is a mistake. It’s not a bidding war situation any more. I’d be more inclined to do £189,950 and say open to offers or £187,500. I don’t think you are going to find buyers happily offering over £180,000 - people like to feel they have got a good deal.

The other thing is that, if they’ve been watching the market, people have seen this go on and off multiple times now. If that was me I would assume there was a problem and I wouldn’t even view it so it didn’t get to the point where I had to pull out later…

if you don’t need to sell I would wait for a few years and try again.

It's a lovely house and I think you just need to wait for the market to pick up again. I work for a solicitors in the South East and new matters are definitely picking up after a bit of a slump.

(I have the same bathroom floor and my bathroom tiles are the same as your kitchen tiles 😁)

I think your house is lovely and would definitely be interested. It looks clean, bright and airy and the garden is nicely done.

It's very well presented, no clutter, furniture in the right places, shows off the floor space in the kids bedrooms. Much better than a lot of listings!

Now. Buyers will likely want a new bathroom but not the hassle of doing it. Ditto the decor if it isn't to their taste. It's not a renovation house, but equally it's not a blank slate so you could be losing potential buyers there. But I'm being very picky really. Good luck.

It would be able to be knocked through, others on the road have done this. It feels like plasterboard, but as I'm not a builder I'm unsure whether it would need a RSJ. I have mentioned this to viewers as I know the kitchen is small and may be off-putting. It was my one compromise when I bought this house.
When I bought (15 years ago!) I knew as soon as I walked in that this was "the one". I'd been looking for ages, and had widened my search area. This was the first I viewed in that area and I fell in love with it straight away. The amount of light throughout the house was a clincher for me!

I love it! I'd buy it - but I'm not looking to move north.

It looks beautiful, no idea why it's not been snapped up.

It’s lovely 🥰 looks absolutely move in ready. It could possibly be that lots of people are struggling with the cost of living and that has affected the amount of buyers right now, which is why you haven’t had an offer.

The only thing that would put me off is the online estate agents you’ve used.

Wow 2007 to 2008 was crazy!

Your house is really nice. Clean and well kept and not cluttered. Outside looks neat too. You can see from the garden pictures how a family might use it and that will attract buyers.

I just think you've been unlucky.

I think people generally hate "offers over" [and "offers in excess of" just sounds horrendously naff] in England. I know this is how the Scottish system works but it doesn't in England. That's got you off on the wrong foot for a start.

But if you've had loads of viewings and offers throughout, there's clearly nothing wrong with your house. Are your agents hopeless at keeping the chain together?

Gosh it's lovely op!

Nothing helpful to add I'm afraid, other than it sounds like a run of bad luck rather than something to change.

Can I please ask where the bedding on the bunk beds is from??

I don’t get what you mean that you need £185k? Surely it just depends on what you end up buying?