Handhold? our buyers just pulled out on exchange day :-(

[MissCherryCakeyBun]

just had a call from the agents and our buyers have pulled out.... I feel sick 😥
we were due to exchange today and we have already moved into our new house so have been playing a juggling act to cover everything and now this.
7 months since we went on the market and everything was fine and this just out of the blue. The female buyer (Married couple) has decided she isn't sure about the neighbors.

if I put up a link could you have a look and see what we could do to make it more appealing?

Worth noting its now totally empty of furniture in the house so those photos are a bit different and we have asked for new Garden photos to be taken showing it in the summer

We don't have the funds to dress the house with furniture and we had all the walls repainted and the carpets cleaned after we moved so its all fresh....Its also more expensive than others locally due to new wiring/heating floors etc. in the last 5 years and the very large home office/studio in the garden

I have some nice pots with plants and flowers to go by the front door for more curb appeal too.

sorry for the rambling post just needed to vent
Original Listing.... check notes above about changes :-)

The third bedroom in that earlier house was more like a cupboard than a bedroom, though. A garden with room to extend plus a separate studio, plus an upstairs bathroom, could easily be more marketable than a tiny third bedroom. It would probably depend on the grounds and extension/expansion options in the three bedroom house.

When you build an extension you get what you want. That house could, I suspect, be turned into a 4 bed 2 bath or 3 bed, 2 bath, integral garage, bigger kitchen. It even has potential for a 1 bed annex. A lot more potential than a house with a tiny 3rd bedroom.

Op never came back, did she just want the free advertising.

I think its probably overpriced as it needs new kitchen, bathroom, removal of artex ceilings etc - it's a project. That said it's so bad for the buyer to pull out so late on. What about renting it out?

It's quite simple. If you want a quick sale... Drop the price.

The 3D walk around makes your house look so much better. Is there any way you could set aside a modest budget of £200 on some B&M home furnishings and bits from Facebook market place to dress a few of the rooms? Doesn't have to be large items but modern soft furnishings to jazz up the photos. Then with a good camera take some photos of that room and then move the 'flare' to the next room.

Maybe even buy a decent tall air bed from Amazon (that you can return) and with nice pillows, duvets and throws and a £10 headboard from Facebook local and disguise it as a normal bed and move it between bedrooms? With some creative positioning you can at least make each room have a bit more life in photos and draw attention away from worn fixtures and fittings which are amplified as it's empty.

I hope it all goes well. We had the exact same thing happen to us. Learnt a lot and sold in a matter of days later with some creativity!

There were arguments against the Scottish system - used to be sealed bids, and any bid was a commitment to purchase. We had friends who offered for a house and then couldn’t finance it. The house had to be sold (for less) at auction. The process used to be done by solicitors. Now we have Estate agents, the English system has crept in, and we have gazumping and also people pulling out at the last minute. I heard of a couple last week who have offered for a large house in Glasgow. They actually said “It’s good that we can pull out in the Scottish system now”. I just feel sorry for the old lady who thinks she has sold her house, while thy feel free to change their minds.

I'm so sorry OP! I'm in your area and I've also recently lost a sale on the cusp of exchange. I ended up having to drop the price by 15% to get another offer. It's been so stressful and I really do feel for you.

I'm looking for a 2 or 3 bed in the area. (I thought your link was broken for a moment because it took me to my search list!). However, tbh I scrolled straight past yours when it popped up yesterday because that price for a 2 bed in that location is very high. There are arguably 'nicer' areas of Yeovil where you still wouldn't pay that for a 2 bed. Having now looked at it, I can see it's a really good size and has the benefit of the garden room as well but I still won't be viewing at that price. Is there anyway they can change the title to say + studio or something so people don't just scroll past like I did? I'm sorry I don't have better news and I really hope you do get the price you need.

Yeah, the front is very unappealing. Definitely some big pot plants or even potted trees needed. And a really good tidy of the garden and all the bits lying around by the shed/office/garage.

When did it change? 😬 We bought 5 years ago and I hadn’t realised it had changed since then.

@Maysurvive I will be selling a three bed in a different area in Yeovil. Purported to be in a nice area (according to the estate agent). However we are about to apply for probate so I have no idea how long it will take. It's a three bedroom semi detached . Garage and greenhouse. Long drive plenty of parking in a cul de sac. For £250k.

I’ve had a quick skim read of the comments and don’t think anyone has mentioned this but is it really a council tax band D? That seems really high for a 2 bed with garage conversion. Other properties in the area, that have a higher asking price, are predominantly council tax band C.

I personally view it as "overpriced" based on the overall condition and aesthetic of both the exterior and interior, I know I'd have to put alot of money into it to bring it up to what I'd expect at that price for a 2 bed. However I have no idea of the housing prices and market it your area, I know where I am in the UK (coastal town) I'd get a better presented property.

I wouldn’t want to pay that as it needs a new kitchen and new bathroom. I wouldn’t expect to pay more for new wiring. That is something that should be safe.

I don’t know what the prices are like in your area, but for that size house seems like a bargain, if I’m truly honest the decor is a bit dated, but it’s obvs super clean so as a buyer I’d see beyond that! I say that as someone who’s been living in a house for 3 years with the most 90’s kitchen you could ever imagine and will be for the foreseeable because we can’t afford to replace it! Really hope you get that sale soon xx

@Isthiscorrect Thank you but probate could take ages and I'm scared to wait too long in case I lose my new buyer.

I feel for you, exactly the same thing happened to me, was due to move end of May, my buyers buyers pulled out, had removals organised, energy, broadband etc all organised, it’s cost me hundreds of pounds, they found another buyer and then two weeks ago they pulled out as well!!! I’m now back on the market doing viewings but sadly have lost the property I was buying as the vendors have sold to someone else, through no fault of my own I ve spent hundreds of pounds and have nothing to show for it, removals company charged me a cancellation fee as well of £440!!! I’m feeling your pain

I don't like the pictures OP. Whoever did them has done a rubbish job. You need to make it look abit frsher and less oldy.

Get rid of the curtains in every room. They make it look smaller and basically curtain design is a personal choice. Just get rid. You need less stuff in your rooms. If it's empty now and your moved out there's no reason why it still has stuff everywhere. Desks out. Chairs out. Bare minimum in all rooms to open them up.
Kitchen looks dated. The cat flap duct tape look isn't a good one, take it off for the picture at least.
Some fresh flowers in vases on countertype strategically placed.
Mop bucket gone. Simple stuff all makes a world of difference to someone taking a second look on the picture or scrolling by.

I wouldn't touch it with a bargepole. The layout is awful, the kitchen needs replacing, the bathroom needs modernising, every room needs redecorating, the lounge needs ⁶modernising, the outside is a mess and overlooked, and only two bedrooms. The price, you are joking surely.

I’d say make sure the lawn is cut and the patio weeded in the new photos.
Sort out the bottom panel of the door in the utility room.
Paint the unit in the lounge a neutral colour.
Im sure it isn’t the case but the carpet looks damp/ mouldy by the window in picture 2. I expect it’s the lay of the carpet after hoovering but perhaps get a better photo.

I was under the impression you couldn’t pull out once an offer had been accepted. My purchase took six months (Croft in highlands) and the day we completed I asked my solicitor (out of curiosity) when me and the seller had actually been legally tied into the purchase/sale. Solicitor said that very day! (We completed missives and completed purchase on the same day).
I sold my English house to completion before offering on the croft I wanted because I thought that’s what had to be done (ie I couldn’t risk losing an English buyer whilst committing to a Scottish purchase on the strength of the English sale).
Croft went to under offer twice while I was selling my place but I was ready when it came back on the market again!

@MissCherryCakeyBun This house might be of interest for comparison as it also has a garden room.

https://www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/150218252

Overall the accommodation is smaller but it's in a desirable area and still has it's 3 bedrooms intact. It's band C council tax, the kitchen looks modern and it's £15k less.

Scotland and England have different policies.

I’m really sorry OP about everything that’s happened that’s led you to this point.

Whilst I totally appreciate the comments you’ve made, as an agent myself, I also very much agree with others constructive feedback.

The cut appeal is nice and some nice pots will help. But the pictures and listing do nothing for the house, get these redone and the drone shot is a great idea.

Whilst I appreciate the price is for what you have done, that work is sight unseen and as such will do little to add to the value. People will view everything in their budget in the area they are looking so your argument about 2/3 bed doesn’t hold water. If they have any sense they will think ‘oh, a three bed for the same money and it would figure proof is having a family a little longer’. So you do need to be mindful of what you are pricing against.

I also agree that the house needs updating and, as such, you need to factor that into pricing. Others have made some fantastic points about things to consider doing for better presentation for the photos.

hopefully you will find another buyer soon, but that will happen quicker if you are priced right.

Having sold many homes, I don't think your agent is particularly good, in fact they're useless!

For instance... who takes photos of the undersides of utility room wall cupboards for goodness sake?

And omit listing the extra outside living space is neglectful. Many people would kill for that assuming of course it has Building Regs approval. A huge office/Granny Flat adds value to a property.

The metal side gates would signal a security problem to me for sure.

Could you consult a home staging company to dress it? They'd put in rented furniture.

And remove all the patterned curtains.

See if you can multiagency the sale of the property but negotiate hard on the terms ....because having an outside room is definitely a selling bonus.
Useless agent!