When to change EA?

[Thislittlepiggywenttotheestateagents]

I have had my house on the market (3 bed detached in SW) since July 2023. We have had quite a few viewings with only 1 offer within that time. I have reduced the house by £25k (down to £300k) but this has neither increased the viewings / offers. I do speak with my EA semi-regularly (I call them) who never have any constructive feedback from the viewings, so it is impossible to tell what it is that people do not like. They always say that the viewing went well and they will chase up the potential buyer for feedback, but we don't ever hear anything back (I will often chase as there is pressure for us to sell).

Lots of houses near me have sold very quickly (within weeks) - these are cheaper houses (small terraces / no parking / no driveway).

Would it be best to change EA? I was recommended Nest EA so have contacted them. My house is always clean and well presented (I have children and a dog but it is always 100% pristine). It is a 10 year old new build and I am the original owner.

Thank you

I agree with @GoingDownLikeBHS that it isn’t always simply the price and that reason is used too often on Mumsnet. Sometimes it could be other factors like the house being too cluttered, the garden being unappealing compared to others or the bathroom being downstairs in an area where people expect an upstairs bathroom. Or a house being marketed as 4 bed say, when the square footage is no bigger than comparable 3 beds (actually that does make the issue the price).

I do feel this house is likely to be overpriced though as it has been on since July. But it’s not just the price as @Thislittlepiggywenttotheestateagents house has attracted quite a few viewings. The issue seems to be converting the viewings into a sale. They need honest feedback and I hope the new EA will provide that.

Maybe there is something wrong with your house in particular or maybe not.

In the vast majority of cases however, it is a question of the price being too high. As @DrySherry says, a lot of sellers and agents haven't recognised the shift. Affordability has changed dramatically and is likely to get worse rather than better. There was nothing wrong with all those houses that whizzed off the shelves in 2021 when we had government handouts, SDLT holidays and ZIRP. Why is there a problem with half of them now?

Post a link to your Rightmove OP and you'll get some good feedback here.

If you do prepare for how brutal people are often unnecessarily.

Ive seen houses that just need a bit of paint and new carpets but otherwise a perfectly liveable house and everything has been picked apart to the point I thought I was looking at a house in a shanty town.

@rainingsnoring is right. It doesn't matter if your house is the cheapest 3 bed-semi and priced the same as terraced houses. If nothing is selling it means all those properties are priced too high. It's not as if you're selling a semi for the price of a terrace, because clearly that's not the correct price for a terrace if they haven't sold.

@Twiglets1 I would argue that unless it's something small that the seller is willing to fix (like clutter) all of those things come down to price. If a garden is less appealing, whether that is due to size or condition, a buyer is going to expect to pay less for that feature. If the seller is willing to spend the money to make the garden nicer then that might result in a better sale price, but it depends on whether the seller thinks it's worth the time and effort.

As was said above, houses were selling like hot cakes during the stamp duty holiday. Buyers were willing to overlook a lot of things just to get a house. But now buyers have the time to scrutinise and really want to get the most value for their money. Sellers need to recognise that the market has changed. Maybe they weren't (or weren't able to be) as picky when they have purchased in the past, but that's not the reality now. Anyone serious about selling needs to look carefully at the competition as well as comparable properties that have sold recently (and be very careful not to assume that the ones that have sold have sold for the asking price), take a critical look at their own house, and price accordingly.

I agree - people can be very harsh on Mumsnet & I would never dare put my own property on here!

I don't agree @BraveToaster as clutter can be fixed and unappealing gardens can be fixed by the Seller if they get honest feedback explaining the problem.

A bathroom being downstairs can't be fixed but it doesn't mean the problem is necessarily that the property is overpriced. Some people don't mind downstairs bathrooms as we have seen many times on Mumsnet threads so it may just mean the property takes longer to sell. So it isn't always simply the price, though I feel like in this case it probably does need to be reduced.

I'm not posting a link as I live in the real world and even if putting a throw on the bed or buying some flowers, or repainting and putting all the furniture in storage would help, I can't afford that. I'm going through a logical list of things that might be wrong, and asking if I can physically change them/can afford to change them.

Long before my house was on the market I used to see posters here putting completely mad comments on others' listings just so as to have their say. And then of course there are the frequent posters on the property/DIY topic who openly relish the dilemma of posters whose house is priced quite normally, and who have nothing to say except your house is over-priced, without seeing it or knowing anything about the area, but deliver verdict that as some sort of superior knowledge. I've taken £50k off the house, that's a 10% reduction. It's now priced less than most 3 beds in the area, but apparently that just shows I need to reduce more, and then no doubt even more. Just because.

Anyway, as ever, the OP of the thread in this case is long gone and I hope they got another agent sorted out.

I understand that you are angry/ frustrated that your house isn't selling. I also agree that some people make unpleasant and unhelpful comments about other people's perfectly nice houses. However, it is a fact, albeit an unwelcome one for people like you who are struggling to sell, that many properties are over priced for current market conditions. Affordability has changed dramatically. Yes, some sellers will be lucky or may live in a region where homes are still selling well, but many will not be in these situations and still don't understand that the market has changed.