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.

I’m still curious about the neighbours, personally. All good?

Yes, neighbours all older couples or widowed. Not many young families on this stretch.

Thank you! The kura hack has been one of my favourites! Much better than the higher bunks for my two.

I think it's lovely (sorry that's no help) I think you've just had really bad luck! Hoping it goes better for you this time xx

Came in to say what I notice others have gorgeous house but change the wallpaper at least in the lounge.

It’s a lovely family home. I genuinely think you’ve had bad luck with your previous buyers. Give it time - someone will come along and love it

No reason at all why that won't sell. Nice little house and well presented. In terms of making improvements that don't cost - I can only come up with putting a fresh coat of paint on the side gate. I think the bathroom is a stumbling block with no separate shower but that's not so cheap to sort out. I think anyone looking to buy will be costing in a new bathroom to be done in the near future. It's just the price I think. Things have changed a lot since you were given the survey value last October. This shouldn't really matter though - its important to remember that when prices are falling a step up the ladder becomes cheaper as the more expensive a house is then the more it has lost in cash terms. Maybe you dont need as much as you think to make that step up. Just as you are finding it hard to sell so are those on the next rung. Say for example you reduce your house by 10% to sell it - in cash terms that's minus 18k. If you are looking to buy at 300k and you offer 10% less (perfectly reasonable) then that's 30k off. Your a good 12k better off than you were if prices were selling at asking or over. So don't despair - moving up the ladder in a market like we have now is actually getting cheaper. I would be tempted to recommend you pull it off the market until next spring by which time everything will have settled at lower prices. Good chance of that imo.

Looks like a lovely house.

A few suggestions:

Could you tone down the patterns with plain duvets and cushions?

In contrast to the other photos the bathroom looks very plain and drab. Could you add some pictures and plants?

But what would stop me viewing is the proximity of the house at the rear overlooking the garden. Could you put the parasol by that fence to blur it a little? And lose that picture!

You've just had bad luck. It will sell.

It’s really nice, I think you’ve been unlucky. My only feedback would be there’s a lot of prints, not a criticism, but some buyers can’t see pas that. Could you get white or neutral bedding at least, or strip some of the wallpaper

Same situation here except 7 times now. Im about ready to give up in all honesty, i was obviously not meant to move ...

Ah okay. What happened to the house behind? If it’s been sorted then I’d get new photos taken.

It's a lovely house but I'd be concerned about how busy the road is which would probably make me look more at the estates. I know they've reduced the speed to 20 and put in the speed humps etc but its still a main road.

Sounds like a lot of people do like your house. I love the hall wallpaper in particular but theres a lot of pattern in the sitting room. Maybe just paint one of the walls plain to neutralise a bit.

i would just decide on a price and use that - dont bother with offers in excess of. What ever number you use buyers will offer a bit less with their first offer and hopefully negotiate up a bit.

good luck.

Nice house but one toilet not great in a 3 bed house, esp. since it is integrated with the bathroom.

Interest rates have gone up a lot since October, probably doubled from around 2% to 4%, so peoples purchasing power is much decreased, esp. since that is an FTB/first family house.

Maybe the better way to look at it is that you should be working to lower your sale price, and the price of your onward purchase rather than expecting to keep your purchase price high in a falling market.

It is lovely. But the market is a very different beast now and house pricing in particular is suffering.

If you need to move you need to do so quickly and I think you will have to reduce the price.

Really nice house - would be worth over 500k in the South East!
No advice but good luck & I’m sure you’ll get an offer soon.

Lovely house.

Neutralise the downstairs. By that I mean get rid of the wallpaper patterns everywhere.

It's ok to look at to start with, but then the wallpaper patterns become overwhelming when it continues upstairs, hallways and bedrooms.

I can live with changing one or two rooms, but almost every room then Becomes an expensive project.

Your home is beautiful. I especially love the bright hallway and the wallpaper.

It's a lovely house!

It's the fact that the market has turned and prices are falling that is the problem. Have you checked how the price compares to others in the area? You can try to negotiate hard on your onward purchase as it appears to be a buyer's market where you are.

It's lovely. Always stuns me how cheap houses are up north

Im south east and that would be least 475/500k +

There is no pic of shower end of bathroom

Maybe park a car on drive in one picture

I would put paddling pool /spa rather swimming pool

I hate offers over

If you ideally want 185 put up for 187/190

Beautiful decor throughout, I adore it. Specially the kids room with the bunkbed.

We've been through the mill with moving ourselves. Just today had an offer accepted on house number two - first one pulled out for no reason.