House not getting much interest

[EmRose123]

So our house has been on for 4 months now. With very little interest, although all the house around this area seems to be in a similar situation.
Although it's starting to get frustrating as we would really like another baby but just do not have the space in this house.
Looking for some advice I'll add the link to our house I do understand some part are a bit cluttered (just struggling to find the time to give it a huge clear out)
I think maybe the kerb appeal is lacking?
Any suggestions (don't be too mean please 😂)

https://www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/164737892#/?channel=RES_BUY

Well, I'm going against the grain here as I don't think it looks cluttered (especially as you have a child, with toys) but the first picture of the outside is a lot different to the other one, with the drive. It's a drive but no dropped kerb? It looks a mess, plus the garden does look a bit tired, but then the grass would suffer after no rain. Also, the black tank is your house heated by oil? That may put some off.

I think it's a lovely house, OP. As others have said, it's always the price.

Oil fired heating how much does that cost? How much to fill tank and organise that? Can you add something on energy bills ?
Access to amenities shops? For older person needs good access
School access if for young family?
Who lives in the area and who is your market?
Drive way pic is awful

Agree with this. I would view it as it is. It's got a nice feel.

Frostenden 2 Bed bungalow

This bungalow is 4 miles away. It has a pretty much identical internal layout apart from the utility/store. It is a mid terrace rather than end of terrace, and it has a smaller garden. It does have off road parking and a wood burner, plus fantastic kitchen and shower room.

It's on the market for £170,000 and it's immaculately presented, both inside and out.

It's got solar panels and batteries so the house is pretty much off grid in the summer. @EmRose123

You need to say this in the listing. It mentions solar panels but to someone who's never had solar panels I have no idea what the real world benefit is.

Also the solar panels are mentioned in the last paragraph. Put it up higher because pp don't read the whole description.

@ThorsRaven that's house is also near a very busy part of the A12. Although one on the same row sold a few years back for 210.000 as we know the person who lives there.
I know 4 miles doesn't seem far but the house values really vary from village to village here. You go closer to Beccles were we are and they start going up..you go the opposite way towards a not so sort after place they go down

It's a bungalow so older demographic.

But it looks like upkeep is hard which is off putting.

Tidy up the garden and drive.

The order of shots and the pictures themselves focus on odd things. Think about what they add. The first kitchen pic is worse than the next two for example.

The hallway pic makes the bedroom look tiny while failing to entice me in any way.

It needs to look like a well maintained, easy to run property and a couple of things are letting it down is promoting that. You've done most of the big things so focus on the details now.

@cestlavielife we filled it up in COVID when it was cheap! I know it probably more expensive now but we hardly use it with the log fire that warms the house pretty well and we have an electric heating in the shed which is cheaper with the solar panels.
Someone would have the option to come and have it all fitted with electric if they like but we didn't really want to invest i. Anything major if we thinking on leaving

I don’t think it looks cluttered at all, not sure what people are talking about? Aside from the utility room perhaps. The kitchen is cute. I think pictures need to be better - many agents use good photographers who can focus on angles that make the house look great. Also less pictures, just pick the nicest 8-10.

personally if it’s not selling I think it’s probably because it is over priced. My neighbour just reduced her house by a massive 20% after it’s been on the market for 9 months. Comparing prices now to what you could have got in covid times I don’t think is realistic anymore. You may have to accept your house is worth less than you expect

I am probably your main target market (over 60, downsizing). But I would not buy your bungalow, nice as it is, because it’s a bit too small even for us.

We would want two bathrooms. And the existing bathroom would not work for us. It’s very nicely done, but we would want a walk-in shower not over-bath, so we’d have to redo it.

I am not a fan of conservatories, and am not bothered one way or the other about the solar panels. I do love the kitchen though!

So even within your limited market, there are issues which could be off-putting.

I agree with all the comments that clutter needs removing and new photos taking. That would help but you may also need to reduce the price.

I don’t think it’s outdated at all! The kitchen and bathrooms are modern and have been installed recently. The rest is just paint basically. If you look at the other listing someone has posted, you’ll see that better.

Yes, the driveway and gardens need some TLC, but that would be a fab project for me as a late 50s single downsizer. I absolutely love the log cabin which would be my art studio.
I would definitely view if I was nearer.

Very cluttered, & almost certainly overpriced.

I thought I had tidied my property ready for viewings, but the photographer/EPC surveyor asked me to walk through with her. In every room, she moved things around & gave me things to hold out of sight while she snapped.

Get the photos re-done.

I much prefer the OPs.

It's lovely bungalow, one thing that would put me off is that I can't see a dining table - where do you eat?

Your garden isn't very well maintained . The grass in the back garden looks like you have dogs that have worn it away or failing dogs , your kids . Relay new turf and tidy .
make the garden more curb appeal attractive .
Paint your fire wall in a neutral colour . When people see artex ceilings , they see major work but realise your not going to change them.
Price.

Im on oil fired heating and it costs about £500 a year to fill up at the moment. That’s for around 1300 litres. Prices can vary a lot though from 30p to a whopping £1 a litre.
However the OPs house has solar and battery storage so the oil heating wouldn’t be needed in summer (presumably there is an immersion for hot water).

The areas are not comparable. This one will be blighted by the A12 (the main road through Suffolk) and while the surrounding countryside is lovely, Gipsy Lane itself really isn’t.

advice on here is spot on about de-cluttering and getting better photos done. I think you’ve been badly let down by the agent with these photos.

I know others have asked, but where do you eat? No table suggests you eat off your laps, which probably isn’t going to work for most elderly people who are your target market. Rearrange and put in a small table and a couple of chairs.

do you have a dropped kerb for the drive way? If not, don’t advertise it as having a driveway and parking because people will expect it and will immediately be put off. It would also make me wonder if you’d applied to the council to have a dropped kerb but it had been turned down. So, if you haven’t applied, I would go ahead and get that work done. I imagine it’ll be pricey but then you’ll genuinely have parking which makes a property more desirable. The alternative is just don’t mention parking in the details.

I don't get posts like this - 4 miles is massive in house price terms, so it's never going to be relevant.

In fact OP, I would argue that a lack of similar properties nearby probably isn't helping you - it's quite hard to see if your bungalow is good value or no as there is little to compare to currently for sale.

Parts of it are really nice.

What is picture 17? Is that the driveway people keep mentioning? It hasn’t got a dropped kerb and would be a mud bath in autumn/winter.

The photo with the 70s rainbow door curtain and the stacked washing machine/tumble dryer needs removing and that area completely tidying up.

Old people looking for bungalows might be a bit put off by the hassle/technicalities of solar panels, wood burner and oil tank. I know my mum wouldn’t want to be bothered with it all or learning how to do it all.

You’ve done it to your taste, so other opinions are hard to hear, but it probably needs a complete declutter and a coat of magnolia/white to make it look fresh and appealing.

very expensive compared to other properties near by and the photos are terrible.
Could you re-shoot the photos after declutterring and sorting the garden? Also, it looks as if your ceilings might contain Aspestos. Did you carry out an Aspestos survey before you bought the house?

Ok sweet little house - my thoughts that have gone through my head

1. grass looks dodge appreciate summer but then I’d be working out south / north side garden for sun etc (I rejected a house as it wasnt south facing garden)
2. can you cut the trees so they look near
3. the dead cat in the cage needs to go - as that freaks me out slightly
4. why have you got a brown gate that doesn’t match the other fencing
5. don’t like black netting curtains
6. hampers just need to go in the hall make it feel smaller
7. wash room - needs a curtain over looks cluttered
8. need to move all stuff that you don’t use - including stuff on top of kitchen cupboards - even box and put in the loft
9. think could be a dropped curb issue? Can you get your car by your house? Or can you apply for one sorry if you do
10. fencing needs to be one uniform colour as that would just annoy me and that would be costly to paint / get someone in to paint
11. the garden room - all that stuff out maybe put a desk in.
12. defo remove the skeletons?!?!? They would freak me out

sorry put the dead cat and the skeletons would put me right off your house!!! (Had something very similar this woman kept dolls everywhere and I couldn’t live there either)

I know that’s me - but I wanted to live where you are those things would need to change before I’d consider it - as my eye is picking out things rather than looking at the size of the house / whether I wanted to live there

but it’s really sweet but those things I noticed

unfortunately for you those do not add value that you can recover in a sales price. bathrooms and kitchens are matters of personal taste, they either appeal to buyers until they can make their own mark, or they put them off, but they do not add value. Log burners may add character but also suggest the house is cold and the heating system inadequate.
I accept that solar panels can be valued on the basis of annual income v purchase price, so have a "value" before the purchase has been paid off, but they do not increase the profit on a property.

As ever, location and price are the real factors. There are only 3 properties for sale in your entire village. What is the appeal of that village compared to others?

I agree that your 2 bed end of terrace bungalow at 210k compares favourably with your direct competitor, the 3 bed end of terrace at the other end of your road (complete with disabled person adaptions) at offers over 195k, but the market is poor at the moment. I note the 4 bed semi detached house is now being sold at auction suggesting they have found it impossible to sell conventionally.

put yourself in the frame of mind you were in when you purchased. What appealed then?

Who is your target market???
Your street is characterised by bungalows and a few (ex council?) houses at its end. It looks to be an area for old people to live out their end in, not those starting families? Even then with no shops and only a village hall, there does not seem much to do there except travel out to somewhere else.

Location and price !!!!

Another thing… the photo showing the car parked is really poor because it looks like not only is there no dropped kerb but you also have to squeeze in next to what I assume is the neighbour’s vehicle? So it all screams ‘this isn’t a proper driveway, we’re having to make do’.

Also, it’s good practice for car registrations to be blurred for security reasons when photos are posted online, so I’d be unimpressed with the agent showing the personal details of you and your neighbour.