Why isn’t my house selling?

[BraOffPjsOn]

So our house has been on for a while and has dribs and drags of viewings.
I know it’s a bad time to sell but it’s in a great area and in the south east and we’ve reduced by 25k already. The EA has told us not to reduce anymore and the right person will come.

So I’m being brave and going to ask for thoughts on here!

https://www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/171848261?utm_campaign=property-details&utm_content=buying&utm_medium=sharing&utm_source=copytoclipboard#/&channel=RES_BUY

When my friend was moving last year, she was told several times that having a garage attached to your house is definitely still sought after. And yes storage is needed.

An attached garage might appeal to a lot of people but it won"t mean the house can be marketed at an inflated price, the actual value of the garage is minimal.

Round here, well within about a mile for similar houses to ours, a garage adds about 10k ish

Estate agents aren’t always known for being honest, are they? To get their commission? The house is too expensive.

It won"t add 10k to a silly price though, not any more.

told by whom?
Did your friend count how many garages actually have cars in them rather than being used for storage?
out of 15 houses in my street (including 5 with double garages) only 1 household uses theirs for cars. Everyone else has their multiple cars parked on their driveway(s). Indeed one house has potted plants across the door, and another of them has converted their garage into an extension to the house.

I had a really similar house as our starter home - almost the same layout although you have the downstairs loo which we sorely lacked! And a breakfast bar which would have been nice too.

We decluttered ruthlessly - rented a storage space and filled it up. I would consider pulling it down, decluttering much more aggressively, and putting it back up a bit lower in price if you really want to sell. It's a terrible market just now but we sold in the middle of lockdown and it wasn't great then either (which is how we afforded a bigger house!)

I would get rid of all those storage boxes everywhere, any extraneous bits of furniture, most of the stuff in the garden and really think about the front of it. Personally I'd be tempted to park out there to show it's a double-sized driveway, but agree you could do with some sort of curb appeal. If you've changed the beds around to show how big the rooms are you need new photos anyway.

Oh and just realised there are no photos of the loft or the garage. Worth considering making those spaces showable as that would have been a huge selling point for us (we have a lot of stuff!)

Exactly.

I think it looks like a nice house, and I don't know your area but as you are getting viewings it can't be majorly out of step price wise. I'd focus on trying to improve on the feedback from those.

I'd focus on making the downstairs look as open and inviting as possible for viewers. Any clutter like the storage boxes in the kitchen should ideally be hidden. Space is key as it will make the rooms look bigger, oversized furniture/lots of visible boxes etc make everything seem smaller even if the room is actually pretty big.

I wouldn't do much to the garden if it's north facing, fairly small and overlooked, even if you have had comments about it. It will put some people off but there's nothing you can do about the main problems with it, so it's not worth focusing on. Just make sure it looks tidy and usable when people come to view. Some cheap flowers for colour could help with that but I wouldn't be spending lots on it.

How much did you pay for it and when? Bexhill isn't an area that would justify 310k for a mid terrace.

.
on rightmove sold

Yes, overpriced in terms of interest rate changes?

Maybe a MN reader has bought it.

LOL

Yes - we’ve had an offer (although they only offered as long as we find a chain free house)! So I wasn’t too excited except that we have so 🤞🤞
Early days and a bit terrified how fast it all might move now as they’re keen to get in asap!

Thanks for all the advice - it has been really handy!

Any advice on the next bits?

got to clear out the loft 🙈

Great news !
but
How can you deal with the whole chain free issue
What if you like a house that isn’t chain free
Will you sell first and look after if you can’t find anything you want ??

It’s a weird thing to impose on you.

Whatever you do don’t cut corners with the legal stuff to rush it through

Well done! Hope it all proceeds smoothly.

I scrolled through the thread and came upon your 'before' photos

You really transformed the house.

Not really, the buyer is just being straight up - that they need a home quickly and that the offer is based on that premise. There are a hundred good reasons why this might be the case. Its not unusual.
It makes it clear from the start that they have a time pressure which is actually helpful for the seller know at the point of accepting an offer.
Wishing the OP luck for a smooth transaction. Reminding them that if they need to - the new rental laws mean they can take a lease for as short as period as they like. No need to let a landlord know that they are house hunting and can give 2 months notice at any point now. Brilliant change to the rental system that allows complete flexibility.

House clearance firms can be very helpful.