No viewings at all?

[ThatUniqueCat]

We've been on the market for just over 2 weeks, and have had absolutely nothing - no viewings, no requests to view, apparently no interest whatsoever. I'm pretty sure the EA hates us now, as I've followed up repeatedly and asked to make some changes to the listing. EA keeps saying it's a difficult market, which we could understand, but we expected at least a little bit of interest!

We told the EA we wanted to sell quickly as we've found a property we would like, and we've priced at the lowest valuation we were given (£265k) and £15k under the exact same house, which is for sale next door. The last one for sale on our street, an end terrace (ours is mid), was up for £315k and we think sold (they changed the sign, nothing on RM yet) about a month ago.

Is the market just atrocious, or should we be expecting our EA to do more? I'm becoming unglued, I just want to be able to proceed with the property we've found! I know the photos aren't ideal - it was a drab day, and I've since touched up the paint throughout so there aren't any more swatches/patches - but the EA says they feel the photos represent the property well and wouldn't advise changing anything else for now.

The listing in question:
www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/157713758#/?channel=RES_BUY

People commenting on the house layout, it's a very popular new build design, so it's not that so much.

OP, people have no imagination. Make the bit behind the kitchen a sitting/dining area and your "library" room more of an obvious relaxing space.

It all just looks a bit confused and people won't imagine themselves living there, hence no views. FWIW I prefer yours to next door, but they have furnished/dressed it better.

I am going to be a bit rude here.

You need something to split the living room from the kitchen, perhaps a shelving unit to keep some light in but with ornaments and plants. I agree with having more furniture in the lounge.

Personally not a fan of seeing clothes hung up in the open, I would want that boxed in. There are lot of pictures on the one wall in the bedroom, I would reduce these, it's a bit distracting.

Plants outside the front door/hanging basket. The back garden is not very appealing, I know it's that time of year but hellebores are in flower at the moment, crocus and daffodils are coming through. Can you give the table bit of a scrub.

I think the walls are okay, not my choice but does kind of fit in with your furniture

.I'm sorry for being very harsh

Where is the sitting room ?

Perhaps get some white paint and decorate to hide all the dark colours.

Well then use the original floorplan, because the one on your listing shows 4 beds and no living space and people will take that at face value and discount it. Or change the floorplan that's on there to represent the rooms as they're used, with a proper lounge indicated on the first floor and the downstairs as a kitchen diner. You can't expect people to do all the working out when the plan is wrong.

I like the house. I hate the environment. It's a 4 bedroom - so a family home. Straight from a public pavement into the front door. A small private garden at the rear. A nightmare parking! 4 bedrooms can equate to 3+ cars these days.

This is a 4 bed house, so firmly in family home territory but it can't really deliver on that front for the following reasons:

1. There is nowhere to eat except 2 stools facing the wall
2. There is no sofa in the lounge next to the kitchen
3. The kitchen cupboards and space for the fridge are too small for a family's stuff
4. The lounge is upstairs therefore not child friendly
5. There's no storage to hide stuff (kids have a lot of crap to hide)
6. every room is very narrow (nothing to be done about that, I know)

I would re-market as a 2-3 bed house, aiming it more at young professional. I would get a proper dining table downstairs from Ebay . Make one of the Floor 1 bedrooms a proper lounge, bring the sofa down and style the small 4th bedroom as a bedroom/study. This way you can go for more of a WFH professional couple who will not be looking for a 4 bed house. I don't know what that does to your price tbh.

Buy a mature tree for the garden and stick something jolly in the planters

OP have you contacted your council / local housing associations to see if they ever consider buying these?

You need some photos of the lounge.
Put a table and chairs by the back door.
I like the colours, it's very personal but easily changed , however buyers may factor the cost in.

It's a lovely house, maybe when the weather warms up and people are getting out and about you will get plenty of viewings. It is way beyond my price range but it is the sort of house I dream of living in. Good luck

I’d want to see how the space is used. Where do you sit to eat as a family? Where do you sit to watch TV or have a cup of tea with guests? Why is there an 80’s style monk’s bench in the lounge (?) area?

I'm a bit baffled by all the mentions of sofas. Surely people are capable of imagining furniture of their choice in a potential new home, aren't they? After all, completely empty houses sell. You are not buying the furniture. As long as there is room for the furniture you want, that's all that matters I would've thought. 😕

I think modern townhouses take a long time to sell in Beverley. Also, now that Wilko’s has gone, having such a big empty shop so close may put people off. I think perhaps you have underpriced it (which is strange to then have no viewings) but also the written blurb isn’t maximising the versatility of layout. I also think the cover photo isn’t doing you any favours. The house looks damp. Jayne Morgan is who you want for a well written blurb and brilliant photos in that area of East Yorkshire. I get no commission, just a happy former vendor.

It's a lovely house.

For me, the 'dressing' and decoration do not mean anything, and would not add to, nor devalue the bricks and mortar and property footprint. Everyone wants to put their own stamp on a new home, and a quick lick of paint is easy to do and the new owners will bring their own furniture.

A property is only worth what somebody is willing to pay and what fits personal preference. For me, the negatives and the questions I would ask are 1) lack of on street car parking, not only for the family, but for visitors too. 2) where could you plug in a battery car? 3) the lack of a walk-in shower. 4) the tiny footprint ... the overall price is expensive per square metre of footprint. 5)the local area seems very built up. 6) I do not like the modern way of 'building upwards', ie more than a ground and first floor - all that lugging of a vacuum cleaner and cleaning equipment up and down two flights of stairs, is not for me. 7) How much noise is made by the very, very close neighbours? 8) Tiny garden - and what amount of sunlight does it get and for how long?

I think you are aiming at a limited market which seems fairly saturated and the bottom line is, what is the least you are prepared to accept to ensure a quick sale? Or are you happy to play the long waiting game?

It looks damp and dark. Yes that’s the weather and it won’t always be like that, but a lot of people have no imagination. Could you have new photos on a dry, sunny day?

Where do you actually 'live' in this house?

There is no living room. It says kitchen family room but theres just an empty space with a pew? definitely not a 'family room'

Then it says 4 bedroom but shows a library/office? where is that? It still doesn't look like you could sit/hang out there, looks cold.

Theres a mock cinema room in the loft by the looks of it but thats such an odd place for a living room.

Overall it just looks very uninviting, the bedroom is ok but the rest just looks like theres no place to relax and live as a family.

We take our own pictures. So if the estate agents won’t retake pictures then send them you own.
Theyll need to be landscape, or two portraits side by side.

This

Yes the market is slow atm.
Many looking to buy have made their offers and are trying to beat the stamp duty hike in April.

Also just realised it has no parking at the front. Where do you park! Do you have to walk through the garden with your shopping and come in through the back door?

OP are you me??
we also went on the market two weeks ago and have had absolutely no interest…
Meantime a house down the road for £40k less (smaller) has gone within a week…

I keep telling myself that it’s just a strange market, but the anxiety is a lot to cope with
(we also have a time crunch!!)

Not to hijack the thread but I’ve popped a link here as the comments have been so helpful and if anyone’s on a roll!! And before anyone tells me to start my own thread, I’m far too scared to and quite happy to bury it here for anyone who’s just perusing! 🥹

The cold weather doesn't help, giving people inertia and not wanting to go out anywhere!
It is a lovely house, and some of the tips on here are excellent. Definitely agree with the kerb appeal ideas, go to your lovely market and buy some pansies and primulas and pot them up.
As an aside Beverley is one of my favourite market towns, you are so lucky to live there!

Could you not post it on your local FB group? I think that could widen the audience!

I think the listing looks fine. I notice that there seem to be a lot of very similar houses for sale in the area, though. If the market is fast moving this may not be an issue, and ideas like a premium listing might really help get viewings. But if the market is saturated you may want to try and find out how others are doing trying to sell before you put too much effort into one thing or another.

I think it looks lovely and seems great value to me but don't know anything about the area. Who is the target buyer and is it priced competitively for them.

I prefer your house to the other place, it looks drab and bland. I would fill the garden boxes with bedding plants. And tidy the grass a bit.