Struggling to sell house

[jol890]

Hi all, I've seen similar posts here and am after any views/ opinions. Trying to sell the house via an estate agent and struggling to get any viewings etc.

The advert is here: https://edwardashdale.com/property/4-bed-semi-detached-house-for-sale-in-farnaby-road-bromley/594825

Is there anything that looks wrong with it or any suggestions as to where we could post it online to get additional views?

Thanks

Terrible website, if people click and then have to download to scroll they won’t bother

I looked via Zoopla. Lots of odd shaped and small rooms. Looks like a 4 bed detached from the ftont. It’s been made bigger, but I’m not sure what’s the over the million draw

It's a nice enough house but has no kerb appeal at all and it's considerably too expensive.
If I was spending that much, I would be looking for a detached house with more va va voom.

It's a lovely house you could move straight into. The only things I'd change are cosmetic and down to personal taste rather than need.

I'm going to say that, at that price point, I would probably choose to go for fully detached with more garden, less close neighbours all round.

I don't know the area so can't comment on price but is it on Rightmove? If it's not on Rightmove it needs to be. Ask your estate agent to list it on Rightmove - they should include that in the commission they hope to earn when it sells.

Agree it’s the price. The house isn’t very coherent - lots of colours etc, it’s not breathing immaculate sophistication/elegance which I would expect at that price. Plus the garden is scruffy - random thing on the stairs, needs a good clean.

It'll be the price. It's very high for the road and type of house.

I can't pull up all the photos, maybe it's the same for some buyers. Is your garden just the patio or do you have garden beyond that? If the latter, it might help if it's made clearer on the particulars that there's a grassed area/or area laid with shrubs/trees, so people know there's extra space and some greenery.

Someone mentioned your front garden, it's not that bad, but maybe if you spray wash the paving - if you haven't got a washed there are chemicals (not ideal) you want mix in water and put in a watering can, you could then brush it over and rinse. One real plus, is you can see it's had a new roof so someone looking at a house of that age, knows they haven't got to deal with leaks and an expensive new roof in the next few years.

Hi - thanks for the comments. The estate agent keeps on pulling out all the excuses, firstly it was a slow market because of the election, now it's the summer etc. I guess there could be some merit in those but it just seems slightly frustrating and other houses seem to come an go....

Ha no, that's an error on their part. I'll get that changed - the garden is actually huge. There's a patio area (that's the 10x4m bit) but then a huge grassed garden behind that. See, it helps to have some independent eyes look over these things, I'd completely missed it.

Hi, I assume you mean the wine glass chandelier? It came from a shop that's now gone bust, Dwell I think it was. But there are similar online:

https://www.homelava.com/en-wine-glass-holder-light-fixture-farmhouse-dining-table-lighting-with-6-lights-wine-glass-not-include-p3219.htm?source=ProductListAds&id=915741092359&currency=gbp&gad_source=1&gclid=CjwKCAjw2Je1BhAgEiwAp3KY72XulncG1fX29Gv9dHpkghMEIXpmE4uf7OFYaAynD1p8puvAwNRK_BoCefYQAvD_BwE

You just buy mixed coloured wine glasses and put them in.

Too expensive….people can get more for their money

The price will be the factor.

Whilst your home is lively I do think in the photos some rooms downstairs look a bit busy and distract from the space.

I couldn't get your link to work but found the property on Prime Location. Picture 5, the patterned chair needs to be removed so that you can see the flow of the space. I would remove a few more decorative items as well so that people can see the space and not your belongings.

The green tiles bathroom is lovely. I very much like neutral colours but the green tiles are lovely.

It's not immediately clear that the garden extends to the lawned area and a quick look through the photos may mean people think there is only a courtyard garden.

I know you've got an awkward garden OP, but I would be totally put off by the enclosed concrete yard being the only view from the dining room. I wouldn't come to view.

I live near Bromley and always understood it to be cheaper for property as it's on the outskirts of London and has a commuter town vibe. So I was quite surprised by the price especially when comparing it to this https://www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/148540352#/?channel=RES_BUY in very chi-chi East Dulwich.

Knowing the area, combo of price & summer holidays. You can get a 4 standard bed semi for £600-700 in decent areas of Bromley. Yours is very nice & in a good location etc, but I think double the price is optimistic. I think £1.2 can buy detached proper 4 bed (rather than loft conversion) in a really nice area of Bromley. From a quick look £1m is nearer the right price but I'm not an expert x

Have you had any viewings at all? If not then it's 100% the price. How long has the agent tied you in for? Have they done the classic over price and lock you into a 16 week contract? Then you get no viewings and barely hear from them and you slowly have to reduce your price until it sells for less than it would have if you'd have been given a realistic competitive price to begin with. So bloody frustrating.

To add to the above the master bedroom looks very empty and like a space that might difficult to utilise (the bed placement looks very odd).

Also not all families like a master bedroom on a different floor, especially with young children and the house bathroom is small and lacks a bath - again not great for families with smaller children.

Also the split garden. Looking at the pictures, where next door have terraced steps up to the next level it is much more attractive and connects the spaces better.

Whilst the garden is big, realistically it feels like you have a small backyard that's pretty soulless.

The mix of black and white windows is jarring and the front doesn't say "this is the best house on the street".

The reality is that you are busting the ceiling price for the road by a very significant margin and to do that the house needs to be flawless and offer something really special.

It's a lovely property but not without some significant compromises and the price simply doesn't reflect that.

No way you can expect to sell >1M properties in Bromley in this climate.... We are not in 2022 anymore.

I think it is too expensive. Lots of families will be looking to be in a detached house near a high performing non-selective, with the option of a selective, so could look at Bickley / Bullers Wood. Otherwise, families would look to be nearer Langley Park or get a smaller house in Dulwich. Why are you selling?

No, no viewings as yet - hence my post here really. There's some good advice from various people, unfortunately also somethings that we just can't change - like the garden (all the houses on the same side of the street suffer from the same due to being on a hill). We're in a non tied in contract with the agent, on the positive side, so maybe the answer is a combination of price drop and new agent!! Plus changing some of the bits we can - and taking new photos etc.

The usual reasons that anyone sells I suspect (all the D's - death or divorce)!

@jol890 lovely house. We have the same stair carpet 😁.

Over a million pounds for a semi? The world has gone mad.

That aside, as others have said, the problem is the price. That is the one and only reason houses don’t sell - there are similar houses available for a lower price in the area.

Thanks - we certainly think so. And the carpet was a bold practical choice but we certainly like that as well! 😁

What was the agents logic on the price?

As others have mentioned - it seems too high. Some bigger detached properties locally at a similar price.

There is another semi on your road, needs work, on at £1.1m… is that the agents logic? That’s been on since April so isn’t a good benchmark.

Mad that to buy a house like this (nice but ordinary and ok location) you are looking at a £3-4k a month mortgage even with a massive deposit. I’m sure that limits your pool of buyers too.