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 👍

Don’t spend any money making improvements. It’s a waste of time.

• reduce the price to £148,000
• move the plant pots in the back garden and put two near the front door
• remove the baby pink decor accents for the photos- rug, kitchen appliances etc and shove them in a cupboard for the photos
• remove the black unit from the hall
• put the side board in your living room in the bay window area, removing the tv. Turn the sofa, so the L-shape created a walk way zoning the area.
• clear the clutter in kitchen table
• take new photos

But I really wasn't being unkind!

General comments are zero kerb appeal, bland, insinuating it might smell of cat, messy etc, you didnt think anything was wrong with any of those comments but
I asked OP if it was the new estate next to the well known horrible neighbourhood and if it was then that would definitely be the reason it wouldn't sell.

Why did you decide that was so awful to say? What on earth was I rubbing in??

Please enlighten me...or have you just picked my very normal conversation comments and decided to have a go at me, having a bad day are you?

I disagree, when I see cat paraphernalia I think “good safe place for a cat to live, not near main roads, pet friendly”.

A cat climbing frame is not related to lack of storage, I’m not disputing the lack of storage, just saying I 100000000% would not consider not buying a house because of a cat climbing frame. That is ludicrous.

Are you telling me you would seriously disregard your dream house because someone had a cat? I call BS.

I like cats. I have a cat and a dog and they rule my house.
If you read what I wrote again, you'll see that I wrote this:

"Some people see cat stuff and automatically think fleas, stink etc. People who don't like cats, usually"

That doesn't say I won't buy a house where there is a cat. Nor does it say I don't like cats. I love them.

Your home (based on house plan) is a Danbury which is 2 bedroom and a study/other room upstairs NOT a 3 bedroom. The same home style is still available new with your builder for £122K. Your plot is not going to be so phenomenal people pay an extra £28K for it and as many say, it doesn’t come with the benefit of selecting your own finishing or new build incentives. I think your estate agent has priced it completely wrong…

see below the listing for the house I’m referring to

https://www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/156648539?utmcampaign=property-details&utmcontent=new-homes&utmmedium=sharing&utmsource=copytoclipboard#/&channel=RESNEW

EDIT - I can see this house above is a housing scheme home and the other one available is £174K. That is hugely over priced for the size/quality of build in that area, in that region. Many looking at your home may be eligible for the £122K house or would rather spend £150K on a more mature and invested in home in Hartlepool which has “actually” got 3 beds. (My husband had a 3 bed end of terrace home in a posh area of rural Durham with Story Homes in an estate people are desperate to get into and he made about £60K on his. There are so many factors sadly. We did clear our and set his up, as many other say. If you really want to sell it as 3 bed, clear out and setup your study as a bedroom!)

@TimeForATerf It’s laughable some people think getting rid of the cat gym will make it sell.

I already said up thread that I rightly or wrongly would assume the entire place stank, especially with having a cat toilet in the kitchen! 🤢

Some people would be put off even seeing if due to the cat scratch pole, toys and toilet! If these were removed from the photos and the place smelt clean and looked free of hair, we'd be none the wiser!

@IcyCoralMaker I don't think there is a problem.
I think you're overreacting.

Your house has been on the market for FOUR weeks.
That's nothing!

You've had almost 1 viewing a week. What do you expect?

Apart from a bit of tidying up as everyone has suggested, sit tight, reduce the price by maybe another £5K and be patient.

Are you actually trying to promote it / sell it by posting here?🤔

Buyers can use the smallest room for whatever they want. It would fit a cot or a small bed, for a child. Buyers usually do have a brain to work this one out.

I personally think the pink accents work and a common show home trick is an accent colour throughout. This is op’s home as a show house with green.
www.onthemarket.com/details/14645287/
It literally needs a few tweaks and new photos. A trip to B & M or similar for a few bits and a couple of hours.
So kitchen - move the cat toilet, move all junk, move ironing board, fix cupboard, vase of pink flowers on table, light shade.
Lounge move cat tower, move washing, tv on cabinet.
Outside - colourful mat and 2 small planters.
Downstairs loo - coloured towel, mirror and a nice hand soap.
Garden - move ladders and wheelie bin.
Landing - move rug.
Study - move cardboard box and black rubber mat.
There’s also a you tube of a show house tour for ideas.

the property is advertised by Persimmon as a TWO bedroom home with a study. https://www.persimmonhomes.com/one-and-two-bedroom-homes/articles/the-danbury

The estate agent listing this property as a three bedroom is deceptive when even the builders don’t do it. Our old house was a 2 large double with a third “study room” but that room would have fit a small double or could have been used as a young child’s bedroom. (We styled that room with a bed in it for photos and viewings!) The floor plan has been manipulated by the estate agent to read “bedroom” over where the developers have put “study”….

So yes, buyers can use their own judgement. As £150K for an actual 3 bedroom end of terrace isn’t totally “out there” for Hartlepool, I think buyers will go to view it thinking it’s genuinely a 3 bed for that price and are disappointed to find it a 2.5. Especially when the same 2.5 bedroom is available in both shared ownership and full ownership, both brand new still on Permissions website on the same development.

That’s a different design to OP’s. It looks as though there’s a 2 bed and 3 bed version both called Danbury. OP’s has open stairs and downstairs loo by front door.

Also, why is your drive not topped?

Yes I thought that. Are you waiting for final surfacing Op.

i see what you’re saying but our house layout also changed from its original to what we eventually bought (ours is totally open plan, but it was originally closed off at the back by a wall) but the upstairs size and layout is the exact same in both of these which is why I think there’s an issue.

The “plain” plan that Persimmon do for their Danbury has the same exact outline floor plan for upstairs, they’ve just re-labelled it as another bedroom. While it of course could be used for one, the builder doesn’t even list it as a three bed!

From the garage to left I’m guessing it’s this one plot 270 which is a 3 bed Danbury in builders key.

Ok, so the builders have now labelled it a 3 bed.

as you said. Buyers parents stupid

https://www.persimmonhomes.com/one-and-two-bedroom-homes/articles/the-danbury

The house type in general is noted as a 2 bed and this is easily found online.

My key point is 1) I don’t think it’s a true 3 bed, 2) the setup of the house doesn’t lend itself to being called a 3 bed at the moment and 3) as a regional local - you can get ACTUAL 3 beds for £150K in Hartlepool.

£160K three bed town house, 2 bathrooms same estate…

https://www.zoopla.co.uk/for-sale/details/69251599/

Reduced in April from £180K it was listed for in Jan 2025 - the estate agent shouldn’t have listen her house for £155K four weeks ago!

https://www.zoopla.co.uk/for-sale/details/68272291/

this also seems similar sized (different estate) was listed for £180K in Sept 2024 and reduced to £160K recently.

https://www.zoopla.co.uk/for-sale/details/69906950/

another very similar house (similar to her size) which has gone from £128K to £125K

https://www.zoopla.co.uk/for-sale/details/70051193/

again, not same estate but nearby and is listed for a similar price but a much better presented home with a more premium finish

I truly think your estate agent has really misled you on price…. If you can’t stay where you are for longer to ride out the initial drop with a new build, you may need to reduce your pricing. If not, seek support with your mum and try to make it work as best you can. Maybe if she thinks it’s easy to move she’s seen an “easy” escape and is choosing to see it for not a good fit? I know dementia isn’t as simple as that but maybe manage her feelings by saying “in a year or two” or you’ll really be financially up a creek.

No, as I've not sold, only bought but I do have a Business Diploma with a strong focus on marketing, so I know what I'm talking about. 😀

I’m a chartered marketeer and I don’t recommend taking photos for a house listing with a pretend party going on in the garden.

@brunettenorthern91 It really doesn't matter what the builders called each room. A buyer and then seller can use them for whatever they want!
The diagram shows the smallest room as a study but -seriously- you aren't suggesting it can't be used for something else?
It's a marketing tactic to show it as a study as many people now WFH.

We all have different opinions and I'm sure that the OP can choose what ideas they think would work best for them. :)

Imo, it's the price. The house looks lovely inside but could you do something to make the front more appealing? Maybe some plants in pots etc? Make the curb appeal a bit nicer.

Everyone knows that new builds are crap for storage (we've been in ours 10 years now and I still miss our old house for storage). I don't think this would stop someone interested in new builds viewing.

I'm not a cat person, but the car stuff wouldn't stop me viewing.

New builds aren't for everyone and often come with extra fees like land maintenance.

Good luck OP.

Am I missing something here? The price seems ok for the size of the house.

I’ve put a comment listing houses you can currently get within 3 miles of this home. it is on the higher end of the price spectrum for similar houses in Hartlepool. If you’re not from the north east or even the north then yes this is a lovely home and cheap as chips if it were in Brentwood!

where I’ve listed houses and they’re the same price, they’re bigger with three full size bedrooms and a more simple/plain decor. They’re also all very setup like a show home (this can be changed for OPs!) and for similar sized 2.5 bedroom homes they’re more like £125K.

Many of these homes started out being listed as £20-30K more within 6 months and have been reduced since Jan 2025. It suggests to me that her agent has over valued the home unless a neighbouring second hand house has managed to go for that much and is a lower standard?

if OP doesn’t want to make a loss and would like to take her time it might be worth waiting it out and moving next year if she can.