Embarrassment of home not selling

[quadly]

First time seller. Absolutely mortified by the little interest my home has had over the first few weeks it’s been on the market. Really struggling with the public nature of your house being for sale - your neighbours all know because of the sign, I’ve had three friends message me because they stalk Rightmove and have seen the house. We’ve had VERY little interest despite seemingly ticking all the right boxes - estate agent has said they’re “scratching their heads”.

I’m just really struggling with how everyone can see it hasn’t sold. It’s such a public experience and will be such a public failure if we have to reduce the price. I’m mortified by the whole thing and I feel like my reaction is completely emotionally unregulated. I feel devastated in such an over the top way. Does anyone have any advice on how to get past this feeling?

I’ve been having huge arguments with my husband as I just want to take the house off the market and stay put, which he thinks is ridiculous.

Don’t take it personally. It really is the market right now - so many people are waiting to see how the budget will play out.

I’ve just taken mine off the market. I don’t like to admit defeat but I feel that it’s best to wait and try again in a (hopefully) fresher market next year.

I absolutely get it OP. We are going through a similar struggle with ours, except in our case we’ve had a huge number of viewings (upwards of 60 now) which unfortunately haven’t translated into many proceedable offers. We originally listed in May and accepted a near asking price offer before the summer holidays, but our buyer pulled out due to a defective title issue (we have the fabled Mumsnet ‘quirky house’ - very pretty, great location, plenty of kerb appeal but several significant flaws). We’ve now reduced the price twice, but despite this viewings are starting to tail off, which I suspect is due to the looming budget.

The large number of viewings and subsequent feedback have definitely affected me more than I expected; we’ve lived here happily for 15 years and invested heavily in the house, so it’s difficult not to feel a bit protective of the property. Largely the comments have related to things that have nothing to do with the decor or condition of the house - mainly space, the fact the garden is a bit overlooked and other things we can do nothing about - but somehow it still feels like a personal slight! To add insult to injury, our neighbour’s much less attractive but more practical house went on the market around the same time as ours and sold very quickly, as have a few others locally.

Logically, I know that no one is judging us, the current housing market is terrible and lots of viewings vs. relatively few offers is pretty typical for a non-standard house such as ours, but the whole process does leave you feeling strangely exposed and vulnerable. If we don’t go under offer within the next few weeks we’ll remove it from the market until the spring, as others have advised.

Any progress @quadly ?

Yes you are being ridiculous. A personal failure?! Nobody cares! Houses sell better in spring summer- better to do it now than view a house on rightmove with Christmas decs in summer- because that’s how long it’s been up and you need your photos done again! Don’t stress about it. It’ll sell.

If you genuinely feel mortified, lower price to reflect the market and your property. If a property is languishing, it’s because it is overpriced. And perhaps you’re feeling embarrassed because you know that you’re asking for a ridiculous figure based on equivalent local properties

Haven't read any responses but I actually felt exactly the same when we sold our house 6 years ago and will feel similar, but toned down, when we sell this one. Honestly I guess I'd cope with it by sort of pretending all the judgements and comments etc aren't going on - just rise above mentally.

Do you have ADHD btw because this really is the first time I've ever heard anyone act as unhinged as me about selling a house 😀

I think this is the sort of talking-to I'd be giving myself. Don't think about it personally at all.

Tbh I don't think the run up to Xmas is a particularly good time to put a house up for sale unless you need to move quickly. I'd take off the market and relist in the spring time. You could do planters now with daffodils and tulips to come up in the spring to give your home a bit of curb appeal too. Use the next couple of months to do any repaint refresh jobs or tidy the garden.

Same - might think "you've overpriced that" if its not selling, and if i could be bothered maybe check other houses and see what they went for. I would have a look at your photos though, and probably be very jealous are your house would be very tidy.

Were you raised to never talk about money @quadly? Your reaction seems very strong but I do remember feeling a little financially exposed when selling and buying which I put down to having been drilled as a child that talking about money is déclassé 🙈

I guess if you’re a naturally anxious person though then they do sometimes tend to over worry about every single aspect even things like neighbours opinions on things that shouldn’t really matter. I don’t think that necessarily equates to sarcasm at all.

It’s rumoured that housing market is going to crash again so people aren’t willing to risk it.

I suppose if feel embarrassed if I’d so overpriced my property and that it was tumbleweed from the get go.

But I’d woman up, make a very substantial cut to the price and hopefully see interest.

I completely understand where you are coming from. Feel free to share a link to the property (even by DM) to see if there’s anything we can help you with.

Unless the photos show your house as a filthy uninhabitable shit hole then why feel embarrassed?

Some houses are perfectly nice but overpriced

Some houses are lovely and well priced but above the average local buyers price point

Some times you just hit a lull in the market (this isn't the best time to sell)

None of those things are comments on you or anything people bother 'judging'.