No viewings on our house - would these things put you off?

[Wallawallawallaby1]

We've had no interest at all...is it the market or is our house just priced too high? We're in the South West (Salisbury), and I'm told by the EA the house is a tricky one to value. It's a 5 bed detached Edwardian house over 3 floors. We bought it for £675k just over three years ago, and it's on for £720k. Interestingly next door is on for £750k, and they've had little interest as well. Identical houses in build, but they have an added bathroom and a much larger garden (although their house does require a fair bit of modernisation).

I'll list a couple of the negatives - could you tell me if the following would put you off viewing?

1. 5 beds but only one bathroom (and a downstairs cloakroom). The rooms are large so there's plenty of space for an ensuite (or two), but my DH doesn't want to do it. I was hoping though that potential buyers would realise this opportunity. Would the 1 main bathroom put you off?

1. Very small garden. Large-ish patio that extends round the house, but grass space quite small. We have a sofa set and a small climbing frame on the grass, with a massive trampoline on the patio, so it's perfectly functional...just small.

1. No garage, and on-street parking (but very quiet road, so no issues with parking)

The positives though: very grand house, massive amounts of curb-appeal, large rooms with high ceilings, close to good schools, 10 minute walk into town.

I desperately want to move as I need more downstairs living space. I could also really do with another bathroom (DH just hates the idea of any work being done in the house).

Please help!

Thank you

Bloody hell yes they would all put me off

BUT if the price is right…. It will sell

So one thing for it op… lower price. And given zilch interest, make it a decent reduction

Wouldn't even consider a no garage especially with a small garden so couldn't have a big shed.

It'll be the price because otherwise it sounds gorgeous.

A singular bathroom with 5 bedrooms sounds like an absolute nightmare and would be very off putting for me, especially for £720k! You really do need an en-suite (preferably two to be honest) OP. Either that or you’ll have to drop the price to reflect the fact that it requires renovation by the new owners.

The one bathroom for 5 bedrooms would really put me off. If it's a small garden, you should put the trampoline and climbing frame into storage.

The one bathroom would put me off and I think is something which will put off a lot of people sadly. The on road parking wouldn’t bother me as long as I could always park near my house ((which you say is fine).

That said, price is a factor but also just some buyers have different priorities. My new house is a 5 bed with hardly any garden. I had a finite budget and I prioritised having a nice house. I couldn’t have got a detached 5 bed with a big garden in my budget so it was just right for me. Certain house suit certain people better, and I’m sure the right buyer will come along for you.

I would be put off by there only being one bathroom, and would find it disappointing to have to carve up the large Edwardian bedrooms (which would appeal to me) to put one in. If there was another obvious place to put one I might consider it, but I also wouldn't want the hassle or expense, so would expect the price to reflect this. I'd also be put off by the small garden - why is it so small compared to the neighbour? But if the trampoline etc. are still in there, get them out so it feels more spacious.

The parking thing wouldn't bother me at all, but I'm coming from a village where none of the nice houses have decent parking so that's normal to me. If people in your area can expect a garage or driveway with an equivalent house I guess that makes yours less appealing.

Yes massively - particularly the garden, as I could put in an en suite (but wouldn't want the fuss tbh), but the lack of land is obviously permanent! Parking I wouldn't be happy about but could just about deal with it if it was cheap enough to overlook.

We are a family of 5, coming back to the U.K. in the near future. We are looking for a minimum 4-bed house, ideally 5-bed…….and honestly?
The one bathroom would be enough for me to not even consider it. I’ve completely disregarded plenty of houses during our search for that reason alone.

Local to me, the larger houses take more selling than a more reasonable size.

When we were looking large 5+ bed, high ceilings and very spacious were better value than a smaller 3-4 bed but still didn’t sell.

Although I loved the grandeur and space, we were worried about maintenance costs, costs of things like carpets and curtains and especially heating. This includes heating large hallways and staircase. I felt we would probably heat and live in two or three rooms with the rest shut up around us until family came to visit.

We also wanted a large kitchen open to the garden and this wasn’t possible in what we viewed either.

In your case, yes I would want/put in a dressing room come en-suite, just to use up some of the space.

I wouldn't actually want an en suite, as that would make the bedroom that had it smaller and less attractive, but you'd end up using it as the master bedroom just for the bathroom. And that would still leave one bathroom between the other four bedrooms.

Having just moved to a house very much like yours, I would definitely be put off by the bathroom number. We added £20k to our mortgage to add a third bathroom in ours as we didn't like not having a bathroom on the top floor (3 beds there). Having the space to put an ensuite is not really the point, it's the cost/pain of building works and the costs of refurbs etc are high at the moment. I would say that if you've had no viewings at all, you need to reconsider changing some of the negs to positives. You can't change the parking situation (which I would hate and it was in one of my filters for off street/garage parking), you can't change the garden situation (ours is also small but we love it as our previous was far too big) so the only obvious thing left is the bathroom issue. Either that, or you drop the price to reflect that someone will quickly have to add one or two bathrooms. Five beds is great, but if a family who want to share as adults, 1 bathroom is a complete deal breaker for many.
If it makes it clearer, we also looked at a house that was OK, but all of the bathrooms were definitely past their best and hence we'd have to allocate to replace all 3. This meant that the lower price was no longer worth it.

The one bathroom would put me off. The other two points, not so much but I know they can be dealbreakers for some.

No garage, one bathroom and small garden. Any one of those three things would put me off a house at that price.

I've added the floorplan for the house, and bedroom 1 (main bedroom) is certainly large enough for a decent ensuite. Bedroom 3 could also have one where the airing cupboard is. I'm not sure of any other options?

We're quite happy with no garage, as there is space for small sheds on the patio. But I appreciate that just suits us and probably wouldn't other families!

I also don't really mind the small garden, but I do regret the trampoline! I just saw the patio as kind of dead space, and I wanted the kids to have something.

I think we're stuck here forever

on street parking is a deal breaker for me.

I’d be ok with 1 bathroom so long as there’s potential to build another and providing there’s a downstairs loo until we get round to it.

Small garden, no off street parking, no garage - to be expected in our part of London. If I was moving out of London I’d want them though! I guess it depends what the norm is for your market.

Link?

Yes I think a family house with a small garden and only one bathroom will put people off. Especially when combined with no off street parking. Those are probably three of the key things that people who want a 5 bedroom home are looking for.

ETA - but everything will sell at the right price.

You say you’re desperate to move because you want more downstairs living space, but isn’t anyone viewing your house, presumably with a family if they’re considering five bedrooms, likely to think the same thing?

Please can we see some pictures?
The small garden would put me off a bit but I'd still view I think. Can you take out the trampoline/ climbing frame and make space greener?
I'd be prepared to create one more bathroom.
Ultimately its always price...

What have you done to increase value since you've owned it?

Only one bathroom? Shocking.

Could you have answered your own question by your last paragraph? Needs more downstairs living space and bathrooms.

I think an en suite would be ideal, although two toilets is acceptable. The small garden is going to be personal taste. I would definitely want off road parking and a garage though. Might it be that for that price range people expect to have those things.