Any suggestions to improve our Rightmove listing after 12 weeks?

[nonwonderwoman]

Feeling brave and hope fellow mumsnetters may be able to give some thoughts about my house listing on Rightmove. It went on end of Feb, right before the Iran war started and since then had about 18 viewings but only 1 offer that fell through within two weeks. We are now at week 12 and feeling a bit stuck...

Photos were taken on a sunny day in Feb, but I've asked if we can update for some sunny May photos.

Anything else that stands out that I could update / tidy / clean / remove? I know you will all say the issue is price, and we could drop it some, but I thought it was a pretty decent price to start with.

https://www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/172706036#/?channel=RES_BUY

Yes! Much more attractive.

The tree directly over/in front of the front door is off putting. I don't like that.

I presume a driveway and garage are rare for the area but the garage isn't on the floor plan and there's no photo of it so it isn't clear how much of an asset it actually is.

Beautiful house. Perhaps the lack of bathroom on the top floor is putting people off. I know it’s clear on the floor plan that there isn’t a bathroom but perhaps people are viewing to see if the space could potentially fit one. Can it?

Although if that was the issue then I suppose you’d hear that in the feedback. I reckon it’s just the market and the fact that more expensive houses do tend to take longer to sell. If someone is spending over a million on a house they are less likely to compromise and the busy road, lack of top floor bathroom and all those steps is probably putting a lot of people
off. No advice as there isn’t anything you can realistically do about any of that!

Lovely house 🤩

I agree the trees (especially the one near front door) spoil the photo and make it look taller / narrower and the drive needs a clean.

I'd be loathe to get rid of the trees as I expect in real life they are lovely. Perhaps lead with an interior photo rather than the front? And some colourful planters the drive to avoid all the tall thin shapes/ lines and take the photo on an angle so you can better see the front door.

It’s a beautiful house. But the first photo doesn’t do it justice. It looks really ugly from the front.

I’d make the sure pictures are in a logical order on the web site. The one of the top of the table and the low wall outside looking down the garden is awful. The kitchen ones are dotted around too. Your new photo is better but I’m not a fan of the fan palm, but that’s me.

Photos are great apart from the first one which makes it looked really narrow and hemmed
in. Yours is much better.

Oh - and the agent uses the word incredible 3 times in the description. Find other words! Fantastic, beautiful, supberb, exceptional, exacting standards, etc.

what a beautiful house & the pics are great. No notes from me
<unhelpful sorry>

Looks lovely. I'd ask for more wide angle pictures, especially of the kitchen/living area to see it all together. Definitely get rid of the random photo of a bottle of wine, completely pointless and annoying when you scroll through.
Other than that it'll be the price.

The agent’s written description is far too flowery. Full of over the top adjectives which makes it hard to pick out exactly what is being sold. It reads quite amateurish.

I would look at the written descriptions used by other local estate agents on houses that are actually under offer.

What a beautiful house!! I think it's probably just the way the property market is at the moment, there's nothing off-putting about the house at all.

We've been trying to sell since March. Just been told today mortgage rates and stamp duty are killing the 4bed+ market. Major national agent.
I know your area and the house looks lovely. Love a Tom Howley. I have a bathroom on each floor in my three storey and it's still not sold.

Do the words used actually make all that much of a difference? I'm always slightly surprised anyone reads the text! Pictures, plan and location are the main important points, not worried about whether the agent has swallowed a thesaurus!

Definitely needs a new front photo, and if you ever reduce the price again, don't bother with a token £30k chip, has to be a proper reduction, min 5%, to make any difference.

If you're getting viewings then the photos aren't the issue.

I didn't realise until some of the comments here that people actually read estate agent blurb!

I know! Never occurred to me that people read the waffle an agent comes up with!

If you've had 18 viewings, that would suggest there's nothing much wrong with the listing, but that people go away disappointed finding it not as good as they expected?

Is it possible the pictures are a bit too good? Do they make rooms, especially the living space, look bigger than they are.

It's gorgeous but does seem expensive even for reigate. The drive is dull dirty and could do either pretty bright flowers etc

Could lose a few of the photos imo once I get to ‘artistic’ shots of a bottle of wine and a glass I tend to switch off - is it meant to be selling a lifestyle or something ? It’s ridiculous

Anything over 1m is struggling near me but if you think about it it does make sense.

The target market for this level of property has shrunk because people haven’t got huge equity gains. to help finance the next rung.

The cost of borrowing is so much more expensive so even those who earn well might question do they want to service so much debt - I don’t.

Stamp duty alone is 75k ish

Are the local state schools good enough or would someone on this budget need to factor in private school too.

Theres no guarantee now that you will get back what you spend on a property let alone a big profit which makes people more cautious. I’m in SW London & prices have definitely softened in some areas so people may just be getting more for their money.

The house is nice but you only have off street parking for one car and the road area to the front looks quite enclosed and is probably busy during the day.

Can you think of a reason that somebody buys your house rather than the one on Raglan Road? Unless they desperately need a fith bedroom?

This is your best recent comp: https://www.stoneestateagents.co.uk/portfolio-property/102-chart-lane www.stoneestateagents.co.uk/portfolio-property/102-chart-lane]]]]

Sold last year for £1.25m.

Similar house in many ways, although not got the basement storage.

Many might argue last year was a better market, and interest rates have spiked since then, so current price ambitions may be a little optimistic.

You have my dream bathroom

I know Reigate fairly well & like it but would want more for 1.3m but its a lovely home

We could put a dormer in the loft to add a bathroom between the rooms, but for the sake of the £30k+ it will cost, I'm not sure it is worth it. The ceiling height in the top floor are all pretty good but there are lots of dormers in the Victorian houses of Reigate, so may be worth looking into.