Is anyone on the market but having zero interest?

[rootsandwings89]

We put our house on the market a month ago and only had 1 viewing so far :( our estate agent says the market is very nervous and nothing is moving …. Anyone else in the same boat?

No but it did take me a long time to eventually have a successful house move and I sympathise with you.
The global and UK economies have been rocked by Brexit, Covid, Ukraine War, Trump and now the Middle East. It is not helping interest rates and wages have stagnated. People can't afford to move so the whole market has ground to a halt.

There are 4 houses on my street for sale and one moving - they would usually sell very quickly.

I think it’s what @WonderingWanda said. It’s taking a long time and a very realistic price for anything to shift.

Yes, we put ours on the market in January and had half a dozen viewings and one offer which was a little lower than we would accept. Nothing has happened at all for the last 4 weeks. We would like to move (downsize) but don't have to, we could wait a year or two, so we're fortunate in many ways, but the market seems really dire. We think - and the agent thinks - we're priced correctly, and we would certainly consider sensible offers. Not sure whether it will pick up.

Very few people are "priced correctly". British house sellers in 2026 think it's 2016.

Mortgage rates are a nightmare at the moment. Thank Trump for that one. Literally overnight loads of fixed mortgages disappeared, as we were trying to get a remortgage.

Yes I appreciate that if we really had to sell we could drop the asking price. But the offer we had was about 9 per cent below the asking price so I don't think we're wildly off. If they'd gone up just a little we would have accepted. Certainly aware we're in 2026 and not 2016! We are constantly looking at the data available of what has gone under offer and then actually sold in our area and taking our agent's advice.

Tough market for sellers atm, the incoming renters rights bill hasn’t helped either, many LL selling up, so more properties on the market. Very competitive time to be selling. Good luck OP.

Yes this is the crux of it I'm afraid. Affordability has changed hugely, so prices will adjust. This doesn't happen overnight though. We could see a steady slump in values over a year or two. Its a normal cycle in our housing market - but its a bit worse this time because it hasn't adjusted for a prolonged period. Due mainly to nearly two decades of government tinkering to keep the plates spinning. Eventually the tool box for that is empty - which is probably where we are now.

If you would have accepted a slightly higher offer, did you try making them a counter offer? Your EA should have advised you to do so, to keep the conversation going.

Unfortunately the agent we had at the time didn't suggest this and, we realised, had their most junior member of staff on negotiations. The prospective buyer booked two further calls with them and seemed genuinely extremely interested but it stalled. We would be more proactive now but this was early on.

We have changed agents since then and now have an experienced independent agent, we feel the photos and marketing are much better and communication much clearer. But the economic situation and market are obviously really challenging.

That's a shame and was a lost opportunity @southchinasea

It's so important to have a good EA, especially in a difficult sellers market like this one. Anyway, the good news is that you have a much better EA now.

The people who offered 9% below may still be watching your house to see if the price gets reduced? I think if it's been on the market since January it is time to reduce it a bit tbh.

Yes absolutely re the lost opportunity. We are more clued up now! We will consider dropping the price a bit, but are also considering just taking it off the market and enjoying living here for another year or two. Hard to know what's best. The market could drop further of course.

It's a larger family home with lovely garden and position - but we completely understand that most young families would not be choosing to stretch themselves at the moment.

Maybe try reducing the price a bit (about 5% or down to the next rung on the Rightmove price bands) and if that doesn't work by a few months time, take it off the market until next year?

Thank you, that sounds like good advice.

Yours sounds like the type of house we need, we are a small 3 bed semi looking to upsize. We have our eye on a bigger 3 bed detached house and would love to put an offer in but can’t because ours isn’t selling. So it feels like we are stuck :(

Have you had any feedback as to why yours isn't selling? Actual buyer feedback?!

Not something sellers want to hear - I know but

Its the price !!

My friend's house has been on the market for three months now. Two viewings, no offers.

It's a three bed in immaculate condition with a decent garden a two minute walk from the local school. At any other time it would have sold.

Other houses like it in the street normally sell for £350k. Hers is on for £385k.
She says the estate agent says that's what it's worth and she won't consider less. I think she's waiting for a buyer to fall in love with it and pay over the odds.

We are just about to move into our new house but have been renting, our landlord is selling the rental which has had very few enquiries. It needs work, is too ££ for the work that needs doing and has just fallen outside of the "last admitted distance" of a popular secondary school.

However houses down the road are being snapped up but these are better maintained with more outside space

This, we were trying to move but basically put it on ice til things settle

Is it though? Or is it the market? Ours is on for what other similar properties have sold for and we have reduced by £10k!

we’ve had 1 viewing and the feedback was the 3rd bedroom is too small (which we expected as it’s a box room)

The market is a function of price, plenty of people moving and loads of property for sale. Changes in affordability just mean the market can't support previous prices. Doesn't mean you won't get lucky though. I hope you get a sale 🤞

If most sellers were at 2016 prices they'd be fine.

Problem is, most of them think it's still 2021, with a stamp duty holiday and 1% interest rates!

What does £10k represent as a percentage?

In order for a reduction to be meaningfully effective it needs to be circa 10%.