Any tips to get more interest please?

[Whitelight25]

It's early days for this house, but a bit surprising to have had almost no interest when the position and layout are suitable for a young family (safe, quiet, close to the primary school), and there is very little similar in the area either to buy or to rent... Is there something wrong with the house itself or the listing, or is it just cost of living and general slowness of the market? Thanks for any thoughts at all. https://www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/158970503#/?channel=RES_BUY

Sorry OP it looks totally joyless.

Thanks, do you mean that the decor is dull (all that white), or the structure of the house itself is boring? Would it benefit from a few pictures on the walls for example?

The interior is dated - kitchen, bathroom, dark wood stained doors and skirting etc. with grey carpets that would all need changing. Brown windows unappealing. But the completely paved garden would be the main thing. That would be a lot of money to turn into a nice garden.

Thanks, this is so helpful. True about the kitchen and bathroom being dated but we can't afford to replace them. The brown windows are ghastly and also not in great shape so perhaps we need to bite the bullet and replace them. Some colourful tubs and plants in the garden would help by the sound of it, perhaps even a table and chairs to break up the patio.

It's quite dated - sorry - and sparse. All that white and grey plus the orange wood would put me off. The back garden is a sea of concrete too.

It's very pretty from the front though and I like the sea views very much.

Thank you. I don't like the 'orange' wood either, but it is much less bad in real life! But nobody will know that unless they view it.

The kitchen and bathroom are fine. It could be a lovely home with a fresh coat of bright paint. I wouldn’t want a house on such a steep hill though and I don’t like all the paving so I’d need to spend money on the garden

I think it's fine - it will be the price. Sure, there are parts that are a bit dated but it has the makings of a nice house. Please take the 'man cave' sign off the door of the downstairs loo though!!

All the photos appear to be of corners. Can you get the estate agent to get some better room shots? And stage it with some furniture, I can't get any feel for the size.
What's the green stain on the roof? If you can wash it off that would be more reassuring.

The lack of garden green space would put me off tbh sorry, it may be helpful to add some pots & stage it as a patio, but I’d be costing up how much to remove the paving & add a lawn.

Just being honest OP. Clearly you loved the house the house and bought a family up there, but it could use some TLC.

The first pic shows a messy, dirty looking 'fence' made of uneven rocks! Could you pressure wash it to clean it up, clean the number 20 and get newer pics done now. There will likely spring bulbs coming up and the shrubs starting to green up, which looks far more appealing that the current pic. If you could afford it, a few trailing plants like the pics, which hang over and cover some of the rockery thing might help.

The front footpath looks broken, uneven and different colours. I'd pressure wash this and fix any uneven parts.

Pic 8 is a toilet, with ugly pipework on show. I'd remove the pic, as it really adds nothing at all.

Pic 11- the view outside looks messy. I realise that isn't even your own garden, but I'd have the photo re-done, so the focus isn't the outside view.

Pic 20- Really doesn't look good. The green algae on the roof tiles, the clothes line and rusty pole, and visible plumbing pipes in different colours. I'd be wondering why the roof tiles have that green line, when it's not under the chimney? I'd be worried about sitting water or a leak up there.

A completely concrete/paved back garden on 2 levels doesn't look child friendly at all IMO.

It's a grand property - but, it looks a bit cold, if you know what I mean. Having bought and sold various properties over the years here's my advice, bearing in mind that you don't want to spend a lot:
Rephotograph when done.
Paint the brown doors, choose a warm neutral colour.
Remove the photo of the loo with the boiler.
Get rid of the shower curtain - get a nice one from Dunelm.
If you have a couple of nice rugs, put them down in the rooms.
A few decorative items on the mantelpieces and shelves.
Some nice pictures on the wall (borrow?).
Outside - anything which breaks the monotony of the paving - a set of garden furniture (can you borrow?).
Imo - to sell a house you need to give the buyers a sense of how it can be lived in, hence decorative and attractive bits and bobs around the place.
You just need to warm the place up a bit.
If you're able - desaturate your photos a bit, all the colours are way too strong and the brown wood looks even more intense.
Best of luck with the sale.

I would say overpriced. From what I can tell it beats the ceiling price for the road which was set back before mortgage rates rose in 22.

That ceiling price was set on a nicer house IMO as well.

I agree with this. For me, the only obvious 'flaw' is the lack of a proper garden.
People will be prepared to over look this and the dated kitchen/bathroom if the price is right.
You have chosen to list it above the ceiling price for the road at a time when the market has slowed in most areas since 2022/23. If anything, the market is slowing more and likely to worsen as the economy deteriorates. Give it another couple of weeks or so and then consider reducing the asking price to 205-210k or offers over 200k and you are likely to get some interest.

Someone buying that will redo the kitchen and the bathroom is liveable with.

Whats the Man Cave? Is that the boiler in there? Could it be boxed in?

The photos are not showing it to advantage.

Those are terrible pics! Why is there one of a van outside? Can you get them taken on a bright day and turn off the overhead lamps?

id change carpets for cream (ok not cheap but you’ll get the money back) and get the kitchen worktop changed to something white and add some colourful accessories.

pots and smart garden table?

Some colourful tubs and plants in the garden would help by the sound of it, perhaps even a table and chairs to break up the patio.

It needs a full renovation, new windows, new bathroom, new kitchen and a total redecoration. A few coloured plastic plant pots would not help, no.
Make sure it’s priced accordingly considering it’s in need of modernisation. It will still be slow to sell because well presented properties will usually always go first.

The photos aren't great. I agree with the first poster that it's a really joyless looking house!
People find it hard to imagine how to use rooms or appreciate the size of rooms when there's no furniture in them.
There's no off road parking and it seems to up a fairly steep hill which might put some people off.
The garden is bloody awful and not appealing to a family market.
I'm also surprised by the price for Grange-over-Sands but there's not much else to compare it with.

You need better photos. That’s a big issue. But as others have said the paved garden is a big cost to factor in for all those buyers that will want green space. We nearly put an offer in on a house about 6 months ago that had a paved back yard and although it was a little bigger we were quoted £30k for it all in. For the work, removal of rubble, laying of lawn. No landscaping/ anything else, just to lay a lawn. Other houses on the street were up for £10k more with a lawn..

Don't spend a load of money doing stuff to it, no guarantee of ever getting it back. Just drop the price.

For me it needs some personality- could you dress it and have new photos? Also the ‘garden’ being a concert jungle is so soul destroying o wouldn’t come and see it based on that along - can you get some planters out there and some garden furniture? Again dress it.

Ha yes, you could be right about Man Cave.
Maybe the price is too high but it is far cheaper than other 3 bed properties in the town. Rightly, being ex council.

I would probably paint the doors, along with the blue and green ones.
Add some plants to the garden to brighten it up.

You don't want to be spending a lot really but some little changes can help.

Gosh, thanks, that is very helpful.
These photos were taken by the estate agent on a dull day and I'm realising that they do the place no favours, especially by making the wood look so garish. I'll take some more in better lighting, bearing in mind more flattering angles.
And put a garden table there and some pictures and rugs.
Off to do it now - thanks again.

Thanks, do you mean it's too high or too low for the area? It's on the cheap side for Grange.