No offers after months on the market, are we house blind?

[Dandelionkiller]

Been on the market for a few months now, loads of viewings but no offers! I honestly can’t see the problem and I’m worried I’m house blind at this point.

this is the listing: https://www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/88856211

i honestly don’t think it’s the price. There are unextended, unrenovated houses on for £20k less the next road over.

it’s also a fair price - we paid 550k in 2017, based on inflation it would be 750k now but that just isn’t supported by the area.

weve done lots to maintain it in that time - new boiler, washing machine, dishwasher, fridge. We replaced the laminate floors downstairs with wood. We changed the purple vinyl bathrooms to nice tile. It was meant to be our forever home so none of this was to make a profit.

bits I know are of; we’re a bus ride away from a train station, but I think this is reflected in the price. The carpets upstairs need to be replaced - this was the case when we moved in but we kept putting it off as we were planning a loft conversion.

tbe feedback has been perplexing - one viewer said we’d made the house too traditional and they would have to redo the kitchen / bathrooms to modernise, but I think they are pretty neutral?

what can I do? Is the market just a bit rubbish at the moment?

Not sure the style is bland / older person. Liike you, I'm in my 50s. I like simplicity in a house and might find your style too cluttered. Taste is personal

I’m only worried that won’t make it clear the box room fits a single bed?

Looks pretty bland and modern. I would want to redo the kitchen to be more traditional. I like the second sitting room - best idea in the house - it's a pity it has to be part of the dining-kitchen combo so maybe put in glass doors that can be folded back or shut, as desired. Bedroom 3 is really no more than a small office, so house is really 2 bed. If I was looking for a family home the open plan would put me off as well as the lack of a proper bed 3 - that would require a first floor extension and would strike me as too much work.
Re-market as 2 bed + study. Make it look a bit less clinical. Tidy the garden as few buyers want to re-do a garden immediately.

Amazed people are not picking up the vast scaffolding that is just a few houses away !
What is it OP ? A massive extension or a commercial business or flats going up.
That would put me off whatever it is. Unless you can talk about it in a reassuring way. I would be upfront about it and mention it. And not just hope they haven’t seen it.
Nothing you can do about it. But I can see why you are getting viewings as it isn’t entirely obvious when looking at the pictures.

The inside is lovely. Then I clicked on the front of the house picture, I actually uttered the words ‘ughh, no thanks’. I really dislike that sort of pebble dash on the house it is so ugly and would never buy one with it I’m afraid.

Tiny third bedroom and bus ride to nearest station, can you make it £615,000?

our agents did tell us that in this bracket buyers seem to prefer flats at the moment (I guess less maintenance etc) we lived in a leasehold flat before this and it caused no end of problems when the freeholder sold the freehold to a company which was adamant on rinsing leaseholders, but I guess you can’t know about stuff like that unless you’ve experienced it

She doesn't say why she's moving but this room obviously isn't sustainable for anyone over toddler age. There's no room for a wardrobe, a bookcase or even a chest of drawers. It's only a bedroom if the only thing you do in the bedroom is sleep and you store all your clothes and personal items somewhere else.

thank you!

Think lots of people are being too harsh - but definitely worth dressing the house and garden up a bit. And best to have third bed a bedroom rather than box room
i would focus on dressing the kitchen and garden and bathrooms and living space
lovely house no need to spend much on it!

Unfortunately, that's how many families have to live. This will horrify you, but my son slept in a bedroom that size, even as a teenager.
Perhaps you and pp are right; it's a 2 bed and people have got richer and more used to a lot of space in the last 25 years or so.

Photos are in random order. Would be better to have all photos of your bedroom together, not spread out

House is light and bright. I'd like that

Suggest painting the garden fence, so it's all one colour. Perhaps put eg Swingball set in garden, if your target market is young families

But there seems to be a lot of living space, compared with bedrooms. So perhaps the house would appeal to a childfree couple who like to entertain ?

One large and one small bedroom may put families off, as they'll realise that they may need to move if they have a second child

Bus stop would definitely put me off, but you can't do anything about that

Ultimately, any house will sell if the price is right

I think you've done a lovely job with the interiors - I am also in my 50s and like a white, clean space that I can then add colour to with artwork and furnishings etc. so that's a plus for me.

The garden wouldn't bother me at all, I'd see it as a blank canvas.

Unfortunately, with two kids, the very small third bedroom would be the deal-breaker but with plans available for a loft conversion that would help me consider the options.

I agree with others that the kerb appeal could be improved a bit - jet wash, bay/olive tree in a planter by the door and a hanging basket would all help.

Other than that, I think it's just a genuinely difficult time to sell and people are extra cautious about spending money as the world is so uncertain.

It’s on the edge of Blackheath so could be in Kidbrooke.

I asked Gemini to help explain why it may not be selling. Here are the results:

This 1930s semi-detached home on Weyman Road in Blackheath features a bright, open-plan layout that can be modernized through continuous flooring, updated radiators, and a two-tone kitchen design. To maximize the space, the renovation should focus on creating a cohesive, high-end look with streamlined window treatments,, handleless wardrobes, and strategic lighting.

While the 1930s extended home on Weyman Road presents beautifully online with its open-plan kitchen and large west-facing garden, houses that struggle to find a buyer usually fail due to a combination of market timing, positioning, and local nuances. 1]
Evaluating the listing reveals several key reasons why this property may not be selling:

1. The Asking Price vs Recent Area Sales

The property is currently listed at Offers in Excess of £650,000, having already been reduced by £50,000 from an initial £700,000 asking price. Despite the price drop, it is still pushing the ceiling for the immediate street: 1, 2]

• Recent historical data from the Zoopla Sold Prices Index shows that Number 18 (a similar semi-detached house) sold for £530,000.
• Number 9 sold for £610,000.
• Buyers in the current economic climate are incredibly price-sensitive. They compare the property directly to these local benchmarks rather than the broader, more expensive pockets of Blackheath Village. 1, 2]

1. "Location Inflation" and Identity

The listing leverages the prestigious "Blackheath, SE3" tag. However, Weyman Road sits right on the border of Kidbrooke. 1, 2]

• True Blackheath Village properties command massive premiums.
• This home sits closer to the Kidbrooke / Hornfair Park side of SE3. Buyers looking for a true "Village lifestyle" might feel it is too far out, while buyers looking in Kidbrooke might see the £650k+ price tag as overvalued compared to equivalent stock further south or east. 1]

1. Current Market Strain & Mortgage Rates

According to a Zoopla Housing Market Report, higher interest rates mean that three out of five properties listed are struggling to find immediate buyers. 1]

“Higher mortgage rates and political uncertainty mean three out of five homes for sale since January are yet to find a buyer...”, according to The Negotiator.
Because borrowing costs are elevated, the pool of buyers who can comfortably stretch to a £650,000 asking price for a 3-bed semi has drastically shrunk.

1. Limited Growth or Extension Potential

The house has already been extended on the ground floor to create that large open-plan living space. For many family buyers, a major draw of a 1930s semi-detached house is the ability to buy it and add value later (such as a loft conversion or side extension). If the property has already maximised its footprint, buyers may look elsewhere for a "fixer-upper" with more long-term profit margin. 1]

1. Layout Bottlenecks

While the ground floor is vast and sociable, 1930s builds often have a small third bedroom (the box room) and a single family bathroom. If a buyer is spending over £650k, they frequently expect three genuine double bedrooms or a downstairs WC/en-suite, which might be lacking here despite the ground-floor footprint.

Thank you, the tree is ours (a cherry tree) we could prune it a bit. I can take the orange bath mat out of the bathroom (it’s the Persian rug patterned one but appreciate it reads as an orange block in the pictures). I could repaint the bathroom a lighter colour if that would help?

massively overpriced. Most 3 bed 1 bathroom houses in your area are priced around £500k. That's all.

Most of the houses in my street like this one (date and style) and nearby streets like this one (Upper Norwood) they’ve extended out to back and upwards so box bedroom becomes larger and/or they extend into the attic.

For a family who doesn’t want a renovation project this may put them off a big as it’s work that’ll almost certainly be done. If not now in the future.

I think your home is decorated very tastefully!
I would personally find it very off putting that it’s described as Blackheath when it clearly isn’t.. sorry. It’s one of those things that feels misleading and puts a bad initial impression (40 min walk to Blackheath and no easy public transport link there either).
Can you highlight some lovely local things in the description? Is Charlton park nice? Is there a local pub or coffee shop you love? More about nice schools? As someone who doesn’t know that area too well that’s what would put me off unless you could ‘sell’ it to me.

A similar looking house to yours sold a year ago for £555,000K but it was far more dated than yours.

It's nicely presented but the description is massively misleading.

It's not really a 3 bed with 2 bathrooms, it's a 2 bed with 1 bathroom and a study/box room.

For the size of back garden you have, I definitely would invest some effort and TLC. It looks quite scruffy and unloved.

I dont agree with the poster upthread who said "don't waste money on plants", that's a very false economy. I would spend time reseeding areas of your lawn that look patchy and weedy, do the edging and add some splashes of colour. This time of year you can buy bargain basement bedding from the local supermarket or garden centre and really make it look welcoming and colourful. Do it now and you'll get 2-3 months of value.

remember it isn't any one thing, it's the sum-total of all the small efforts and finishing touches you put into it, that says to a purchaser that it's a much loved home and you've bothered to make it look good. You cant change room sizes they are what they are, so you have to make the best of everything you've got.

@MSJ14 i completely agree regarding the fence panels in the back garden. It would only take a weekend with a large can or two of Cuprinol (a mid-brown colour) to turn it into a much more aesthetically pleasing fence. Nothing more telling than grey fence panels to say this garden isn't cared about!

Charlton park is nice. I know the area a bit but not hugely. Have had friends live in centre of Blackheath and others in Shooters Hill. This area is potentially what my DB and his family would’ve looked at a year ago but train station too far away. My SIL can walk (good 20-25 mins but lots of buses) to the station. This is Ardoch Rd Catford.

It's mainly the galley kitchen for me too. Its a shame you or the previous owner didn't move some of the plumbing/gas/electrics. The main kitchen could have been extended into the current dining area, which seems to be a huge waste of space at the moment.

The bed in the smallest bedroom needs turning so that you can walk right up to the window. The current set up makes the width of the room look very narrow.

The kerb appeal could be improved too.

Good luck.

I think it's lovely and all these type of house have a box room that is normal. It looks lovely and clean inside. I'd paint the front as it looks a bit tatty and clean the drive. The garden is fine I wouldn't spend loads as the new owners will do their own thing. Honestly the market is terrible it's taken nearly 2 years to sell my aunts house after she passed and the price was reduced by about 30k. I bought a house that needing everything doing to it so I don't understand people that can't see past a bit of fence painting and making it their own.