Help! House on market, little progress, feedback needed!

[IcyCoralMaker]

So, my house by the sea has been on market for 4 weeks, had 3 viewings, no offers.
The house was built December 2024 and I'm selling to move into a detached house, closer to my family.
House has been reduced by £5k to bring it down to the search point on Rightmove and to attract first time buyers.
I think the photos are good and agent says they'll continue to push it but when asked how they were doing that, they didn't answer my question.
Any suggestions on what I can do to attract more views?
Thanks 👍

Op your mother had dementia
she is going to properly “settle” ever again
and moving her again 4 months after the move is going to de stabilise her severely

The cat - aka someone else pet - will give some people the ick and they will rule it out.

Been said before: ironing board, clutter on dining table and an open cupboard door in the kitchen.

I actually don't think the photos are that great. Bathroom - in the foreground a try with mixed bottles, doesn't look great.

Perhaps some plants/fake plants in some of the other rooms including WC (as that looks really plain) - look to perhaps pick up cheap, small rugs and pictures that will 'pop'.

I also think the photo of the front with the drive using wide lens is really odd. I'd have that zoomed in/cropped.

Yes, agree with this.

I don't know your area but it's a nice little house OP that could appeal to a variety of buyers, but as everyone points out the increase price in just 6 months and it no longer being a new house, is likely the main issue to potential buyers.

The side access, is that shared with other houses or just your access? That could put me off, wondering if kids might be running up and down or lots of bins rumbling by.

The oven cupboard - I assume it's been designed like that, but I'd really consider sticking a door on it, otherwise it looks like shoddy workmanship and who wants a house with kitchen doors already falling off? Or empty it out completely.

The cat tree wouldn't put me off at all, or the presence of a cat, unless a place smells of cat wee when viewing (in fact when I had cats and looking at house listings, I'd always think about considering where I'd stick the cat tree!).

Good luck.

@IcyCoralMaker sorry to read about your Mother’s diagnosis. That is tough. I haven’t read all of the comments, but bear in mind a lot of lenders will not mortgage a property that has been sold twice in under 9 months so that will reduce your buyers pool. The EA contract is very long - standard is around 12 weeks so he needs to be working hard for you. Personally I’d list the likely rental for the property because you might find a cash buyer who will use it as a BTL. It’s a terrific house which is well presented and has the benefit of the NHBC plus builder’s warranty. I can’t comment on the valuation as I don’t know the area but I do wish you luck selling.

That’s REALLY helped this poor woman feel better about selling her house!
Perhaps if you can’t say anything nice, it’s better to say nothing at all. Just saying!

I don’t think commenting on the realities of a situation is being ‘not nice’.

There's clearly a little hallway with a door to the WC and another door to the lounge.

It's very badly designed.

As a buyer it wouldn't put me off too much that you were selling it so quickly. Life happens. People get new jobs, divorce, etc.

BUT....you need new photos.

Flowers in pots out front, a wreath on the door, some fresh flowers or herbs in colorful pots in the kitchen to make it feel cheerful and inviting.

Stow away absolutely everything related to the cat.

You need some color in the bathrooms, which can be done with some fresh hand towels and candles. Also, no one wants to see the owners' toiletries, especially in photos!

All clutter must also go. There shouldn't be one item of the owners' clothing visible other than in the closets. The only thing you want on that kitchen table is a bouquet of fresh flowers or a colorful tablecloth. I'd clear everything out of that bottom open cupboard too. Same goes for the pile next to the sofa.

I'd pull the duvets all the way up on the beds and add decorative pillows. No one wants to see the actual pillows the owners are sleeping on.

I'd move that black chest from the entrance to make that space feel bigger, too.

I'd do all this and then have the photos redone, refresh the listing and lower the price by a bit at the same time to reach new buyers.

I wouldn’t be surprised by it. But neither would I consider it a proper 3 bed but rather a 2 bed with study/nursery.

I think everything has been said now, OP. (I think you've got the message about the cat!) I hope you've been given some ideas and are feeling positive. It's so hard with dementia. Good luck.

This has the potential to be a lovely house. Unfortunately, your agent’s photographer is absolute rubbish (he probably doubles as the office cleaner!)
Rightmove is equally to blame by not advising you on the best way to present your house. This is why there is washing, cat stuff and other paraphernalia still hanging about. A reputable agent who knows what they are doing would have spotted that and guided you about hiding it. I think you should bin him and if he tries to charge you for breaking the contract, tell him that the reason is that he hasn’t done his job properly, therefore he has not honoured the contract. Then get a better agent.

I really don't think you are giving this enough time for your mother to settle.
Dementia is going to be a difficult thing to navigate wherever you live and you haven't given this house enough time yet.

You are also being unrealistic regarding the price given that you are trying to secure a profit a mere matter of months since purchasing. New Builds appeal to people who want the brand newness of them, but once they are literally not brand new with the owners benefiting from everything being sparkly and new they drop in value a bit. It's rather like buying a brand new car. Drive it off the forecourt and own it for a few months and you would not get the price you paid for it on the day of purchase.

Views but no offer - its the house.
No views means it’s the price.

You haven’t enhanced the house is any way since you bought it. It’s a lovely home but unless you have added an extra room or some other amazing home improvement, you shouldn’t be asking for more money than you paid for it just a few months ago.

Ehhhh, I wasnt being nasty at all. I just know that if this is the housing estate that I have heard of then that will be the overwhelming reason for it not selling.

Many people have helpfully advised on the look of the house etc but as they don't live here they wouldn't know about this huge issue. I literally live 25 mins down the road and I even know about it.

It's no disrespect to OP or her lovely house but she was asking for reasons why it wasn't selling and if this is the estate in question that is absolutely the reason.

No need to make an argument over nothing.

We viewed a 6 month old house not long ago, reason for sale was sellers divorce so nothing wrong with it. Naturally they were trying to get back what they paid but our issue was that they hadn’t lived there long enough to discover and resolve all the snags, so why would we pay the same price the developer was selling for. You need to be beating the developer on something - whether that’s price, upgrades, being there long enough to resolve any issues, maybe making it a bit different to others on the estate as they’re all identical to begin with?

My first thoughts are that the front garden is very grey and uninviting. When people come to view your home, they will make a judgement in their minds on it within the first 30 seconds. A bland space of Tarmac and dark brick doesn't seem welcoming or appealing. Flower beds would add some great colour and framing to the front of your property. A wreath around the front door will make it stand out against the neighbouring properties.

The layout of the interior space could also be improved. Having the dining table so close to the patio doors makes the room seem small and cramped and also blocks light. Moving the table and chairs further back from the patio doors would give a greater sense of space. I also notice that you have a lightbulb in the kitchen but it looks sparse and out of place in a kitchen. Investing in some proper kitchen lights would give the room some more character. Everything is very monotonal. The colours are all very neutral and unremarkable. You have a good sized kitchen area, which means you could inject some colour in to the room. This could be done by things such as having brightly coloured breadbins & a matching kettle, it doesn't and shouldn't be pure garishness but adding different colours does give a room character. Your shelving also looks very untidy and I do think it looks as though there should be doors on the shelves where you keep your odds and ends. There is a feeling of in-completeness about the house. Your house looks to be a fairly new build. People pursue new builds because they want a complete house that is ready to move in to with little or no work, it's the upside of having a samey, uniform house built by a large investment company.

When you show potential purchasers around the house, greet them with a warm welcome. Dress smartly and to impress, you are representing the property. Walk them to the different rooms but allow them to enter first. This psychologically will help them to dis-associate the property with yourself and imagine them living their and having it as their own. Adjectives are a great way to make a property seem more attractive. For example, instead of just saying "this is the kitchen", say "this is the delightfully spacious kitchen, equipped with all of the amenities you may need". SELL the property to them. Offer ideas for ways they could use each room. For example, you could suggest that the reception room would make a great play space, if you know the purchaser has or is expecting to have children.

You should also add a picture of the rear garden to the property page. Viewers will want to see what it is like. Be creative - invite friends over to replicate what a garden party may look like, but be sure to give a sense of the space available.

2040? That’s fifteen years in the future, and it’s all alarmist supposition anyway. For all we know, there might be a terrible drought by then.

@BigFatBully why on earth would she invite friends over to "replicate what a garden party may look like"?

Does 2010 seem a long time ago to you? These projections are not alarmist, they are well monitored and calculated.

It puts the idea in to the buyers' mind. They could see it and think "ahh, I could imagine our family enjoying this garden in the summer".

I've actually found the listing on Rightmove's website and the garden looks rather sparse and square. It needs "warming up" a bit.

Right. So, would she invite the same friends round for every viewing? Ask the viewers to join in?
It's not something I've come across before.

Yep, 2010 seems like a different world. And it was. For a start, there were five million fewer people in the UK, so quite a lot more green space, and fewer new housing estates. Food prices were much lower, you could see a GP within a few days in many areas, ‘quality of life’ was rather higher. I didn’t see any ‘projections’ about our current situation.

But I don’t expect to be here in fifteen years time, so crack on with the doom watch.