No viewings in two weeks

[Boleynforsoup]

My house has been on the market for two weeks and I've not had a single viewing- one was booked but he cancelled 10 minutes before he was supposed to come.

It's on at 20k less than I had it on for 15 months ago and I had loads of viewings then but ultimately it wasn't the right time for me to move so I took it off market.

I've added a rightmove link:

www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/150332717#/?channel=RES_BUY

I thought it was a flat when I first looked with open plan kitchen and living room which immediately put me off.
I am looking for a property at the moment and I think I would have immediately discounted this one based on the first couple of pictures.
The reason it looks like a flat imo is the single colour scheme and the fact the first picture isn't of the outside of the house.

Also the garden taken in shade would completely put me off, if it is a sun trap make sure people know.

The photos are dreadful, why would anyone want a close up of flagstones instead of a full shot of the garden?
Id be seriously annoyed with the estate agent, looks like such low effort iPhone shots.

I'd redo the garden photo dressed for summer. I have a similar sized garden and guests always seem a bit surprised that we can actually fit a rattan sofa, 6 seater table & chairs and a bbq in it without it looking too cramped.

Also to be really picky, I think the front door really let's down your house. Inside is lovely but the front door looks like a very dated upvc.

In addition to the comments above - why is it marketed as offers in excess of? This may put people off who like it but think you won't negotiate on price.

I think you need to focus less on that a house nearby sold for £235k. That was then and this is now, use it as a guide. The person who bought that may have been very keen for that particular house for some reason and overpaid. That was an end of terrace which would always be more sought after.

Being picky I would say get photos redone. Remove coffee table from living room and that tall white cupboard next to the lounge and put a side table there. Also be better with a wardrobe with doors in bedroom. Maybe just have one room, the lounge, in a dark colour, and repaint the kitchen. Get the description to
say suntrap garden and immaculate bathroom. Good luck. It’s a lovely house. I agree it looks lazy with no EPC.

I also hate offers over!!

I echo this. I think tinkering around the edges- photos, dressing a property etc only goes so far. Eventually prospective buyers will come and view and make up their own minds. Some people are incredibly picky about things I would never consider an issue yet are happy to live with things I would see as deal breakers- properties on large new build estates etc.
I think at the moment, unless you're happy to sit it out in the hope someone falls for your property, you need to price keenly to attract a buyer. I've lived through a few downturns in the property market and unless you're really motivated, now is not a good time to sell.

The 'in excess of' is the way this particular agent markets. They are the best agents locally to be fair, and it generally works. They sold my last place this way and I got several offers over asking price. They have a bit of a cult/hipster following locally due to the style of property they generally sell which is very popular with the large DFL community. I'm not a DFL but even so, if I was looking to buy locally I'd always look at what they had on first.

What's DFL?

Down from London

I think it will just be a tricky sell, it is a starter house without the starter price. There are loads of undesirables that you just can’t do anything about such as the downstairs bathroom, no parking and from the looks of your pictures no where for a decent view of the TV. You are in this for the long haul.

This may have been a good idea in a rising market. I think your estate agent is being pretty stupid in a falling or stagnant one.

Right. So a certain type? I'm not sure what you'd categorise as that, or hipster, but it's obviously wise to open it up to as many buyers as possible. I think it's a nice house and ideal for first time buyers, or a couple starting out.
I would agree that better photos would help.

Why are all the photos taken from the height of a child's eye level? You say that the house is spacious you have very large furniture etc but the photos make it seem cramped. Try new photos and the agent needs to add the missing info to the listing 'ask agent' makes it sound like they can't be bothered or there's something to hide.
Both easy fixes.

Summer holidays people have other things to do. Garden pics look as though you are hiding something because they are all angled down, if I was looking I would assume a huge warehouse in the background or something. Where is the garden furniture and BBQ? OK re-read it 'space for' so they have to envisage that there is space. Pretty lousy pictures all round and if you have also changed the lounge I would ask for a new, better set of pictures and ask to vet them before they use them. The house is what it is a smallish terraced house that looks in good condition, if that is the going rate I would be blaming the EA.

All the TBC and ask the agent look as though you are not ready to sell and don't allow potential buyers to compare with other properties, surely there is or isn't parking and it has or has not been flooded, etc?

Lovely house but terrible photos, particularly the garden.

Open clothes rails never look good - no one wants to see all your clothes hanging there, and it makes it look as though there is no room for a proper cupboard/wardrobe.

Agree with the comments about the odd photos - trendy agent or not, they don't show the house off well.

What's the room off the kitchen (the other side to the bathroom? It isn't labelled so if it's a utility room or pantry, I'd label jt.

The dark paint in the kitchen in particular feels quite overpowering. In my experience, an agent will never tell you to change something as they don't want the property off the market. Can you tone that colour down?

Could you get a better photo of the bathroom? The way it’s been photographed it looks like there is no sink. Other than that I think your house is lovely.

I read the replies before looking at the house photos and I must say was pleasantly surprised by your house. I think it’s lovely and the decor very tasteful.

I think the wardrobe without doors looks messy but that’s being petty, no one would not buy a house because of that & the room dimensions are decent.

Agree with others that better photos are needed of the bathroom & garden. I think the bathroom is probably the weakest part of the property but still, the photo is awful. And the garden photos don’t show it in its best light. You should present it as an attractive area to sit outdoors for a meal or drink which it sounds like it is, but that doesn’t come across in the photos.

I don’t think anyone isn’t buying due to the ops taste in cofeee tables or the fact she doesn’t have wardrobes. It’s clearly the price. No viewers means it’s over priced. Every time.

howver on saying that the garden photos are very odd indeed, I’ve never seen anyone present the ground instead of the garden. So I would assume a problem they are hiding there. I also agree the disordered photos are terrible, you can’t see the front of the house till quite far in, and it’s the most important shot.

id also paint the front door, there is no kerb appeal and there is even a car in front of it so you cant see the front garden area.

id paint it a nice pale sage green and add some flowering plants and retake it. Its an easy quick and cheap job, and will make a huge difference.

You're right, no-one is going to pass up on a good house because of the coffee table or stuff that will go with the owners. I do think that dark grey walls are problematic, though - I know a few people who bought houses with that gloomy grey and it's quite a task to paint over for something brighter, so people may factor that in.
Anyway, it's a nice house, it'll sell at the right price, but may take a while.

I think it looks lovely, there is nothing much I would change in the house itself.

The lack of viewings may be time of year, people are on holiday in August so things may pick up in September. (However a downstairs bathroom will always limit the market.)

While you’re waiting, I would definitely get better photos taken of the garden. These are really crap. Normally they will take a pic from an upstairs window so you get a proper idea of what is there. Also set it up with the things you say there is room for - loungers, bbq.

New photos and in a sensible order and proper ones not arty fatty. Decor is fine and property is clean. Price and photos is the problem

The photos are awful. The very dark paint in 3 of the rooms makes them look very small. If the garden is big enough for garden furniture then put some out there to show that - it looks very very small -maybe it's the inexplicable photo of the ground that doesn't help. Bathroom photo is rubbish too. Basically - the house looks miniscule from the photos and your agent has done a bad job!