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House has been on for sale for nearly a year with no offers. Would love some feedback and advice!

912 replies

Veebie86 · 27/04/2024 20:49

We bought our 1850s 3 bed cottage in 2021 and although we absolutely love it, we got pregnant last year trying for our second and ended up having babies 2&3 in January! We have no family too close by (my parents are an hour away) so we sadly put our house on the market in early August last year to move closer to my family for support and to have more space than what we have currently for 3 under 3. In 9 months we’ve literally had just a handful of viewings with no offers. People constantly tell us how beautiful our home is (and we honestly love it, just wish it was bigger and closer to family)! We’ve tried two EAs who have both said it’s priced right for the area and the market and we can’t afford to drop any lower anyway to avoid making a loss (we’ve done work since moving including adding a downstairs toilet). We’re honestly getting so down about it now as our babies are just getting bigger so quickly and starting to feel like we’ll be stuck here forever. Link below and if anyone has any tips or feedback I won’t take anything personally and would just appreciate the help!
https://www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/146014529#/?channel=RES_BUY

Check out this 3 bedroom detached house for sale on Rightmove

3 bedroom detached house for sale in Higham Street, Cheadle Hulme, Cheadle, SK8 for £600,000. Marketed by Express Estate Agency, Nationwide

https://www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/146014529#/?channel=RES_BUY

OP posts:
Thread gallery
17
Flyhigher · 30/04/2024 22:09

I think for the price I'd want three or four double bedrooms.
The buyers market tactic isn't really working if you have no offers. It may mean that other £600k's are larger than yours. And so they aren't going for it.

MadameameBeans · 30/04/2024 22:10

Another2Cats · 30/04/2024 22:06

"There is no way I would be paying £600,000 for a 3 bed in greater Manchester. Even if it is a village."

Really? You do realise that some four bed (yes, I know, not three bed) places in Manchester "villages" are going for upwards of £3 million and loads that are upwards of £2 million? eg:

https://www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/144736460#/?channel=RES_BUY

But talking specifically about three bed houses, here is one that is literally less than a mile away from the OP's property and, while a bit bigger, needs quite a bit of work doing internally for £725,000

https://www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/147092681#/?channel=RES_BUY

or this three bed bungalow about half a mile away for £795,000

https://www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/140615591#/?channel=RES_BUY

or have a look in Hale Barns. There are no end of three bed homes there for between £700k-£900k

https://www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/146096852#/?channel=RES_BUY

Even typical 3 bed 1970s/90s detached homes are £700k+

https://www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/146329172#/?channel=RES_BUY

Just goes to show some people have more money than sense.

Flyhigher · 30/04/2024 22:21

Had a look at the 600k and 550k that have sold and lots have. It's the ones that have much more land around them. Much larger too.
Big gardens, side gardens and lots of parking and space.

Yalta · 30/04/2024 22:29

Also is there any way to take a new first photo in the sunshine rather than a rainy day

😂😂😂

Its Manchester, it’s either just rained, about to rain or raining. It’s always damp

mitogoshi · 30/04/2024 22:37

Took me a year to sell but got the full asking price, sometimes it's a case of waiting for the right buyer

Mirabai · 30/04/2024 22:41

MadameameBeans · 30/04/2024 21:55

It's not a case of buyers shouldn't assume. It's that buyers shouldn't have to work out what you mean. They shouldn't have to guess whether 600-630 means you won't accept under that or you will entertain offers or whatever.

As you say, it's a buyers market, buyers have their pick of the houses, if I'm to spend my whole weekend looking around maybe 4 or 6 properties, each weekend for probably several weeks, I'm going to prioritise the ones where I think there is room for negotiation, or ones that have been recently reduced, or new to the market ones. I'm not going to look at one 30 or 40k over my price bracket in the hope I can guess what the sellers will take for it, ain't got time for that! The most I would do is check how long it's been on right move with out a reduction and then put it in the "well they haven't reduced it much, so they obviously aren't that bothered about selling it, so there's probably not much room for negotiation and to view would be wasting everyone's time" category (a category that could use a catchier name!)

They don’t have to guess they ask the EA.

You look over your ceiling price as EAs price aggressively, surely everyone knows that.

Honestly MN seems to be full of people who aren’t used to buying properties.

augustusglupe · 30/04/2024 23:02

MadameameBeans · 30/04/2024 17:42

It's the price. It's always the price.
yes the lack of floor plan isn't helping but all that sort of thing is tinkering around the edges of the main issue which is the price.

It doesn't matter how many EAs have said it's priced right for the area. They are wrong. If it were priced right for the area then it would be sold by now. The right price is the one that attracts a buyer.

Also if it has been on that long you can't assume it will get lots of viewings and cheeky low offers. If I saw a lovely house on rightmove, out of my price range, and saw it had been on for 9 months, I probably wouldn't go to look, because those people clearly aren't open to low offers, else it would have sold by now.

PS It's the price.

Edited

Yes, this is us. Not that far from OP
There is so much overpriced, I expect sellers to drop first, then we can maybe reach a middle ground.
If a house is just sat on the market for months at the same price then we presume there isn’t much leeway, so don’t bother viewing.

MadameameBeans · 30/04/2024 23:42

Regarding people on here not knowing how to buy houses (already have a three bed one, paid in cash, thanks). but theirs isn't the only house buyers are looking at though. There is a massive glut of houses on the market, many of them better value, many of them haven't been languishing for nearly a year. So if I have 30 houses on a shortlist, I'm going to view them by the ones around my budget first (oh this one is a bit above it, so that can be in the long list) nicest looking (the listing falls down here), then by how long they've been on the market, freshest first (uh oh) then maybe, just maybe if I've not found what I'm looking at in that first 20 or so, I might consider looking at the ones where they've been on for a year with seemingly no interest, and then I might ring the agent to ask if they want to sell the house or are just kite flying.

But its a buyers market, so I'm not playing games with buyers or agents who say they want to sell a house but have it on for the best part of a year saying it's 600-630k. Why should I have to ring around to find out if a house I'm not sure I even want yet is open to offers or just kite flying. Why not make it easier for the buyer by having the agent putting it on for a price that the seller would be willing to accept for it? not "oh it's on for X but they'd maybe accept a cheeky 5% off, or 6% or maybe even 10% or maybe its on for offers over X and they aren't entertaining anything less because "then we wouldn't make a profit on it (because remember every house owes the owner a profit when they sell it, even if they buy it during the peak of the covid detached property boom when interest rates are near zero and then want to sell it after that boom unwinds and rates are over 5% massively reducing the amount people can borrow)

Whatever your view on it, they obviously aren't bothered about selling it, else they would have reduced the price already.

MadameameBeans · 30/04/2024 23:49

Yalta · 30/04/2024 22:29

Also is there any way to take a new first photo in the sunshine rather than a rainy day

😂😂😂

Its Manchester, it’s either just rained, about to rain or raining. It’s always damp

Haha, very true!

Pineapplecolada1 · 01/05/2024 00:38

I live very close to you. I’d say although the house looks fabulous inside , the frontage picture looks like it’s straight on to the pavement.
knowing the area, there are more attractive houses in this price range. A major positive is that it’s in the catchment area for an excellent secondary school . I go for “offers over £550000”

piscofrisco · 01/05/2024 06:33

Looks lovely to me. What's the road like? Busy?

rainingsnoring · 01/05/2024 06:49

'You look over your ceiling price as EAs price aggressively, surely everyone knows that.

Honestly MN seems to be full of people who aren’t used to buying properties.'

Sure. Everyone on MN is ignorant and inexperienced. Apparently all the potential buyers in Cheadle Hulme and the surrounding area are too. Amazing!
Or maybe, just maybe you are wrong and other posters are correct.

Mirabai · 01/05/2024 09:07

rainingsnoring · 01/05/2024 06:49

'You look over your ceiling price as EAs price aggressively, surely everyone knows that.

Honestly MN seems to be full of people who aren’t used to buying properties.'

Sure. Everyone on MN is ignorant and inexperienced. Apparently all the potential buyers in Cheadle Hulme and the surrounding area are too. Amazing!
Or maybe, just maybe you are wrong and other posters are correct.

Wrong about what precisely? 😂

Mirabai · 01/05/2024 09:24

@MadameameBeans

Thanks for proving my point.

It’s the ones that have been languishing on the market for a year that will be more likely to open to offers/negotiation.

It’s not playing games to ring an EA and say: property on at x price would they be interested in an offer of y. That’s just house buying 101.

The agent is working for the seller not the buyer it’s not their job to make it easier for buyers! If you market at the price the seller would accept the offers will come in under that. If you want to sell it for a certain price you market it above that.

Higglings · 01/05/2024 09:27

If a house doesn't sell after all that time, it's overpriced. Simple.

ftp · 01/05/2024 09:32

Pineapplecolada1 · 01/05/2024 00:38

I live very close to you. I’d say although the house looks fabulous inside , the frontage picture looks like it’s straight on to the pavement.
knowing the area, there are more attractive houses in this price range. A major positive is that it’s in the catchment area for an excellent secondary school . I go for “offers over £550000”

I usually look at Google street view to see what places actually look like, but this street is not showing, so yes, it looks like a town house, which is why I suggested adding an image of the street on to Google, and prettying up the doorstep with some plants. Someone suggested that people might stop to chat outside, but there are perhaps only half a dozen homes. It looks like no facing neighbours, but how many people will bother to look this up if they are searching for a commuter space all around Manchester?

House has been on for sale for nearly a year with no offers. Would love some feedback and advice!
ftp · 01/05/2024 09:45

Flyhigher · 30/04/2024 22:09

I think for the price I'd want three or four double bedrooms.
The buyers market tactic isn't really working if you have no offers. It may mean that other £600k's are larger than yours. And so they aren't going for it.

It is 3 doubles, but I agree the previous absence of the floor plan could make people think it was 2 and a mezzanine.

Veebie86 · 01/05/2024 09:52

I’m going to take myself away from the thread now. I’ve said it before but honestly overwhelmed from the number of replies from, for the majority, what is such a lovely community. I think from the vast number of replies, everything is pretty much covered and then some.

We’re making some immediate changes that are easy and cheap to fix from the consistent, helpful comments whilst we’re stuck with the current EA for a few more weeks. In the meantime, we’ll investigate further on what’s right for our local market if we are to resist and whether we’re better to just come off and try again after summer or even next year.

For anyone still invested in the house price debate; I’m not saying what we’ll drop to - genuinely don’t know yet and wouldn’t dare say even if I did for fear of response)! However from some quick research Cheadle Hulme is a higher price area vs U.K. average but sadly the listings (probably in part as a result) are on Rightmove for far longer than the U.K. average…I’m off for a stiff drink after reading 149 weeks 🙃

House has been on for sale for nearly a year with no offers. Would love some feedback and advice!
OP posts:
angela1952 · 01/05/2024 10:58

The very best of luck to you @Veebie86
The listing time does suggest that high prices mean that the house will be listed until buyers prices have caught up with sellers expectations, but your house is so attractive that you might be lucky!

UniversalAunt · 01/05/2024 11:12

From a downsizer with deep pockets, I would add…

@FTP aerial view is helpful. I suggest that you add that image to the photo pack…it shows that you face onto a lane rather than a street & the good sized garden.

kerb appeal - it does count. When I walk towards the street towards my front door, I feel better if the area around my home looks good & feels safe (e.g. no slippery pavements etc). Do you really have two active house alarm systems? This suggests that the area is high crime & possibly not safe. Remove the redundant ‘biscuit tin’ in time for the next photoshoot. As much as possible crop the photo images to minimise the tatty exterior wall next door & obviously the garage on the other side. A couple of plant pots by the very attractive doorway will draw the eye away from the dark passage way at the side. BTW the passage way is an asset, but the poor condition of the paint on next door’s external wall suggests disrepair, not an issue per se as the houses are detached but it may seem a red flag.

The suggestion the the mezzanine room would appeal to a teen is a good one. For now, I would ‘show’ that with a generous single bed with easy flat access to the bathroom & the upper level decked out as a generously fitted study/home office. Yes, the key word is ‘generous’, plenty of space that can be flexibly used by child/teen/guest. For photoshoot, remove the child gate at bottom of stairs.

The Orangery is lost as a seating area. As you have a formal sitting room, the open plan area is too functional & somehow not capturing the flow into the lovely garden. I suggest that you bring the sofas into what is the dining area to become a ‘snug’ with telly AND position the seating so that the open door from the good sized hallway has a clear view/pathway through to the garden (i.e. not blocked by the dining table) - again with the open spacious feel. Then put the dining table into the Orangery as there is plenty of room for a good sized table & chairs with great views of the garden - you may need to play with some awning or shading for the fiercest of summer days but you gain a greater sense of space & natural light.

Kitchen - a few things that niggled. Where is the task lighting ? The natural daylight & windows are very appealing but how can I see to chop etc in low light/evenings? Yes, great to have room for a good sized range, but how can I see what’s cooking at the back? How can I safely reach there? How can I keep the brick clean, where is the wipeable splash back?

Were I a buyer, unless that is period listed detail, I would be planning to render over the brick & wire up for light task lighting or remove the brickwork . As a compromise to sell, maybe considered tiling the inside/around around the hob to reflect some light & for easy maintenance.

It is a lovely house, enjoy it whilst you are there.

House has been on for sale for nearly a year with no offers. Would love some feedback and advice!
MadameameBeans · 01/05/2024 20:47

Mirabai · 01/05/2024 09:24

@MadameameBeans

Thanks for proving my point.

It’s the ones that have been languishing on the market for a year that will be more likely to open to offers/negotiation.

It’s not playing games to ring an EA and say: property on at x price would they be interested in an offer of y. That’s just house buying 101.

The agent is working for the seller not the buyer it’s not their job to make it easier for buyers! If you market at the price the seller would accept the offers will come in under that. If you want to sell it for a certain price you market it above that.

If its been languishing for a year and not had several price reductions, then no, it's not clear that they are open to negotiation, because it makes it look like they haven't even tried. A motivated seller will adjust the price to match the local market, a kite flier will put it up at a fixed price "because we deserve a profit, and we aren't giving it away". and if it doesn't sell after a year or two they either take it off the market and carry on living there, or they realise that everything else has dropped around them and they have the rug pulled from under them. I think lots of people around here are too young to remember last time. In a downward market the unmotivated sellers get really badly burned.

In a buyers market it absolutely is the agents job to make things easy for the buyers. Why would they want to put obstacles in the way to finding out how much the house will sell for? They aren't doing much to help the seller if they aren't clearing a nice easy path for the buyer.

If they made it easier for buyers it wouldn't still be languishing on the market after nearly a year.

People and agents seem to have this idea that they can do the bare minimum to sell just like they did in the zero percent interest days. But those days are gone now. They actually have to make some kind of effort. That includes being transparent about the price and not just sitting there wondering why the phone isn't ringing.

Because there are so many houses on the market people aren't going to ring ten agents about 20 houses. Everyone thinks their house is special and if they just find that magical thing it will sell.

spoiler alert - that magical thing is the price.

Mirabai · 01/05/2024 22:17

As I said: Thanks for proving my point

Nothing stopping a motivated buyer putting in an offer.

Mirabai · 01/05/2024 22:18

Good luck OP! This thread has been welcome diversion from spreadsheets.

UniversalAunt · 01/05/2024 22:27

Oh, one last thing.

The garden is lovely but featureless.

For the photoshoot etc, it may be worth hiring a garden table & chairs set out for dining alfresco etc. More spacious gracious living!

UniversalAunt · 01/05/2024 22:37

Were I a cash buyer ready to close the deal, I’d be sounding your agent out for a 10% reduction with a full survey.

The market has changed & will harden more.
Money is less cheap to borrow etc.

If you cannot take the loss/reduced profit, then prepare to stay put & enjoy the house until you have more equity & there is a buoyant sellers market.

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