House critique

[sellingsunset]

www.zoopla.co.uk/for-sale/details/65801853/?search_identifier=bb1e23fba17e72114a5f89aa58a3e1cf8b42f30be9b34229d8986b5094a8d66b

Can I ask for some advice re my listing?
Please be considerate in your wording, happy to take the feedback, but don't want to feel like I should just burn my house down after reading it!

I'm looking after a toddler on my own, it was challenging to get the house ready for the photos - I think the photos are dreadful - but I would like some neutral opinions too. Really annoying I paid for the photos and a few other upfront costs and I'm locked in with an agent until next spring. I don't think they are doing a great job, but of course I don't know how many buyers are out there and there are lots for sale in my area/price, so I'm stuck with them.

Virtually no viewings, I'm really keen to move but had to stop viewing places myself because I'm not in a position to offer unless I can sell. I'm trying to move up the chain and this seems more competitive - things seem to be sold as I've seen a couple of places I'd happily offer on and they are now STC. I dropped my asking price within a couple of weeks to see if that generated any interest, but no.
Viewing feedback has been 'too small' (I know! That's why I'm trying to move!) I have PP for extension, but I can't bare the idea of building going on with a small child & work etc.

It's a decent house in a decent area, my mortgage company tell me it's worth £475-£485k based on their valuation when I last re-mortgaged (they sent a valuer round and I had the house on the market as I was thinking of moving so had offers on the house at that time)

Any feedback? Thinking of a re-launch in the spring with new photos.
It's going to be annoying to change the 3rd bedroom back to a bedroom, as I need a home office more than an empty bedroom, but possible if everyone thinks it's worth it.

I’m not keen on Zoopla

No one will be buying at the moment , the market always dies off when people realise they can’t complete in time for Christmas and picks up again in the spring

Don’t reduce price any further

Personally I’d take it off market til March and use a conventional estate agent

I think it looks absolutely beautiful op I don't think you could improve on the photos , maybe remove one of the fireplace? Maybe it's just a bad time of year to sell ? I wish you all the best I hope it sells soon for you

Two quite minor points if it helps.

If the agent can swap the kitchen Photos around. Far out one with eating area first. My first flick through photos was 'wow small kitchen' if nothing else was grabbing me and i got to that kitchen photo i'd move on.

Second if the double bed is the main bedroom i'd try and make the bed look a bit more luxury maybe. Some cheap cushions and made up a bit hotely. But not major or worth stressi g over. Just the one room that looked a bit unloved.

The price is largely to do with location, that's always the case.

I need to partly work from home, & have a studio/workshop/hobby area ideally as I pay rent in one locally I can never get to, plus I'd like room for overnight guests or two etc and not to be tripping over the dog every time I want to make a cup of tea.
Lots of larger families than mine manage in smaller places, and I could too, but space is a priority for me and I'd like to get more space if I can afford it rather than any other luxury.
When I first bought this place I was working away from home lots and travelling lots etc, space wasn't as important to me.

Don't worry, I totally get it and these kinds of EAs can be massively pressuring/hard sell about it. It makes me so cross. I'm a single mother too and recently felt very bamboozled in my own home when dealing with the local EAs trying to get me to sign up. I hated it. If you're not in a major rush I'd go back on when you can in spring and with a new EA - can't imagine you'd enjoy the process with M&B at this rate.

@Antsinmypantsneedtodance thanks for the advice.

The green pantry cupboards are F&B Yeabridge green and I don't think as bold in real life....plus I've been tinkering and I've wallpapered the centre as I was thinking I may be that and I've changed the hanging print so it's a little less dominant against the quieter kitchen area

I wouldn't bother turning the small room into a bedroom for the photos - buyers aren't stupid, they can see from the floorplan how small it is - personally I LIKE it that you've indicated it as a bedroom/office on the floorplan. It's too small to really be anything other than a nursery, there's no point cramming a bed in there - if anything it will highlight how small a space it is, whereas the way you have it now is a space that works as it is.

I think it looks great, and a normal size for a small family.

And it would be easy to put one big or two small bedrooms and a small shower room / wc as a loft conversion, so an attractive proposition for someone who wants to do their own extension. There is room to extend across the back, too.

All my friends live in houses like this, two kids, then when the youngest gets a bit older they do the loft and the kitchen.

The market is slow.

Hello! I live just around the corner from your house and walk by it at least once a day. I've always thought how lovely and welcoming it looks from the outside. It is certainly not over-priced but there are currently several houses on the market in the immediate area and it seems the market is really quiet now. It is a very friendly, safe and convenient neighbourhood and I have no doubt you will sell your beautiful house at a decent price. Best of luck!

@ibelieveinmirrorballs thanks! I'm not usually (I hope!) taken advantage of, but there is something about having a small person hanging off you which makes it very hard to think straight! I did want to see if they lived up to the sales pitch and give them time to do that, but it's not looking like a sale is going to happen.

I've relatives who have just sold last week (another part of the country) but I think we are now getting too close to Christmas.

I'd ditch the picture of the back of your house with what looks like a big crack and the one of the photo of the fireplace which appears to have bubble wrap stuffed up it. Other than that, I can't see a problem. It's usually price or,in this case, time of year

The photographer liked the fireplace!

I think it looks lovely. The bathroom is very small - I assumed there was a separate toilet till I checked the floor plan. And if I was viewing I would lift the rug in the kitchen to check there was no damage underneath.

But it's a lovely property.

@usertaken
Thanks I totally take your points.
There aren't any cheaper places in my postcode - just one, but doesn't have the dining room/kitchen knock through which would probably cost £20k-25k with a steel beam/replastering/kitchen unless you knew builders and they could give you a good these days?
There are cheaper places outside of the postcode, but then you have issues about parking, being on a busier road etc

For a bit more £25-£50-£75k you can get a lot more house, but not everyone has that extra (especially as credit is not so cheap) or wants the extra room enough to whack it on the end of their mortgage & extra council tax etc.
When I bought this place I really was happy with the size. I bought it from a couple with 2 children and they all fitted in!

I think the house looks lovely and the photos are fine, but the crack under the bedroom window in the last photo screamed red flag to me - have you had it assessed by someone qualified? If you have and it's not a problem, I'd lose that last photo, it'd put me off viewing.

Yeah. Thing is there is this:
https://www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/140815385#/floorplan?activePlan=2&channel=RES_BUY

I don't know the area well but this is just off the same main road. Maybe technically not in the same postcode (which restricts to houses on your street) but it's close enough. I was using the broader CT2, I know that's a fairly large area.

Decor to me is neither here nor there, and I believe most people would want to personalise to their own taste rather than take on someone elses.

It's £25k more but it is a lot larger and comes with a garage, downstairs toilet, and bath and separate shower, I think that's highly desirable for a family. £25k on a £100k house is a substantial amount of money, but at the £500k range is not as much, and 1200 sqft total is 50% bigger than 800sqft.

Value for money, I just think this is much better unless there is some kind of bad point about it I missed.

This hasn't sold either and has had a reduction, so it could be this is overpriced as well. When people think their property is competitively priced it could be just relative to other properties that aren't selling either.

I think it’s really nice. If I was totally nitpicking I’d lose the rug in the kitchen area, paint the green area around the fireplace a more neutral colour as I think that green is really marmite, and get a new pic of the bathroom as the bath doesn’t look full size.

@maximist quite right about the crack, it's fine, been sorted way before I moved in and had my survey done, but I agree the back of the house is so ugly.
I've been meaning to extend or put a pergola up for years so I've never addressed it

@MintyCedric it's not so marmite in real life, much less yellow/green and I've since wallpapered a neutralish wallpaper in between the cupboards and it looks better.

@usertaken - I hadn't seen that place as I personally would consider that road a different area in that it has a different vibe/atmosphere but I can completely see your point. I just would have thought this place would have gone pretty quick and then my place would be next in line. There does seem a lot of places which I would have thought would get snapped up & they are just sitting there, which does mean prices have fallen and maybe sellers (like myself) aren't ready to re-adjust yet.
I am as long as I can still get my next place up the ladder with the price adjustment following me, but maybe that's unrealistic as there are more buyers for the larger more expensive places?

Thanks @WehIstMir and hello 👋

@sellingsunset

its a lovely house & you've done a great job of getting it ready to sell, especially with a little 'helper'!!

I would hold the price, it's just a crap market! If people like it but think it's over priced, they'll offer less. Reducing too much, too soon, just looks desperate.

its a nice house from the outside, but I would put a couple of pots out there with some colour in them. Something like a couple of acers.

your DC's room isn't cluttered, it's cute.

id leave the office as an office.

Are there other reasons you want to move?

Theres only you & one small child & I know you've tided/hidden stuff for selling, but what is it about it that is 'too small' - which specific areas?

you say the back wall has been sorted, why does it still look like that? Maybe the EA needs to add something about that into the blurb.

can you link to the type of house you're interested in buying?

I'm just wondering if you wouldn't be better to hold off for a couple of years & invest the extra money in your pension or something?

I think your house is much nicer than the one
User taken linked to.

id leave it for sale until your contract runs out, do a few tweaks (really minor ones for the photos like a couple of rose bushes in pots out the front, remove the kitchen mat, add some love into your room & brighten up your desk type things) & relist with a new Agent.

depending on the cost, id look at getting the back of the house tidied up & painted.

I think your house is lovely and beautifully presented, no problem with the photos. But why isn't it on Rightmove? That is the property site most buyers look on, not Zoopla?

Also bedroom 3 is very small (more of an office as the EA acknowledges). But I expect that is reflected in the price. Nevertheless, it will be putting some buyers off.

I advise you to get it on Rightmove if it isn't on there already, even if you have to pay extra for that.

Lovely house!
My thoughts are garden photos have lots of shade near the house.
Bath looks like a little tub not full size
I love the way you've done the kitchen but the picture above the hob makes it look like a kitchen to look at not use. I think the whole house kind of gives this impression to me. It looks like no one lives here to me.
Love your style though and I did think can I put a picture above my cooker as I want a new splash back.

The photos are horrible. They show items in the rooms rather than the dimensions of the rooms.

Nobody wants to buy your furniture (nice though it is).

I think if you're hiring someone to take new photos, ask to see their portfolio before signing up.

Look at lots of house photos online and note examples where you can really see the room and not the armchairs or the bed or chest of drawers centre stage.

I'm guessing you are not familiar with selling a property?

You instruct an EA and they instruct a photographer. You do not ask to see the photographer's portfolio because you don't directly pay them in the majority of cases. Employ a good EA and they will have a good photographer.

I love it! Disappointed to hear you’ve wallpapered that incredible green fireplace/cupboards wall – I was ready to move in!

It’s gorgeous with good bones, and enough neutral elements to allow someone to tweak it. But it’s too small for you so it’s likely to be too small for other people, and it’s not a fixer-upper so hard to justify buying it to extend. The dealbreakers for me would be no downstairs loo, and mismatched bedroom sizes as is often the case in this style of house – two decent bedrooms and a box.