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?

I've just looked on Google maps and now can see you have a bus stop right outside your house. I do too, so know from experience they can be off putting. Buses always stopping outside the house with people nosing in your property; people waiting about outside your house, often dropping their rubbish in the nearest garden; buses frequently blocking your drive. I personally would never again buy a house with a stop right outside.

I think the exterior photos don’t help. I’d definitely add some large stylish planters to the front and some large pots with plants in at the back, making it look like an appealing entertaining space.
It does look clean and neutral but isn’t really selling any lifestyle either as a cost family home or starter home for the child free. Perhaps really identity the target market and style accordingly. Does it have good local primary schools as if so they aren’t mentioned in the listings.
Ultimately everything sells for a price someone will pay but the market is slow in certain areas.

Ah this isn’t really highlighted in the photos. We have an understairs cupboard, the long cupboard by the fridge has an electrical outlet to store the stick vacuum, then the whole back wall in the master bedroom is cupboards we had built in by a local carpenter

I'm round the corner from you, I probably walk past every day 🫪

Nothing useful to add, agree with others the outside could be spruced up a bit. People may have been put off by the horrendous traffic from the road works?

I think it is a few things. Standout first of all is that the front looks very shabby and doesn’t reflect the inside. Clean the paving, sort the gate and if you can run to it, get rid of the terrible front door for something more in keeping with the period house. Add some large pots with colour.

The other stand out things for me are the wall between the kitchen and living space would have to come down to open up the space as you have another living room, and the size of the third bed but you can’t do much about that.

Back garden is shabby and dull, fences are a mess.

Price and market won’t help.

I don’t actually have a massive issue with galley kitchens but this isn’t really even that all your work space is in a massive row away from the hob and sink. It feels completely impractical.

It’s right in the catchment for an outstanding local secondary (LAB) which is not that easy to come by in this area. Not sure about primary schools, I’ll research,

Your pictures are too good. They make the house look vast but the floor plan is basically two up, two down.

If it’s not selling it’s too expensive, if you want a faster sale lower the price.

Could you give an example of large stylish (ideally cheap) planters - I’m awful at keeping plants alive so I’ve tried not to spend too much on planters

Pretty sure you'd be in catchment for Kidbrooke Park primary which has a fairly good rep.

I don’t want to sound defensive on price, the agents initially suggested 725-750 (national chain of agents) but we’ve but the price as we can see with common sense the area doesn’t support it

We have seen somewhere and luckily for us it’s still on the market as well.

We’re In outer SW London and nothing in our immediate, supposedly very desirable area is selling ATM. In our close, 4 very similar houses have been up for sale for months, and two more will soon be coming on to the market as probate sales - sole elderly owners having died. A couple have been very nicely renovated, a couple certainly need upgrading, all reflected in the prices, but seemingly making no difference.
IMO it’s general uncertainty, Trump’s warmongering, fuel prices, etc. and I don’t suppose yet more political upheaval in the U.K. has helped.

For me it’s the 3rd bedroom being too small, and the galley kitchen.
I’d automatically have to factor in the cost of a new kitchen in your extension area and make your current kitchen a utility
best of luck x

You can’t win if it’s too neutral it’s too cold and if you put a splash of colour i.e. one wall that would take 20 minutes to paint over. You’ve got mad and made it too personalised.
I think it’s fine. The market is just terrible and sometimes it really does. Just take a long time to sell our house but you have to wait.
if I’ve wanted to draw my pension at certain times I just wouldn’t have been able to and that’s just how it is
It’s better to wait

I think your house is nice! The garden was the main thing that stood out to me so if youve painted the fences etc ask the agent to maybe take some new pics to reflect it?

The previous viewer comment about it not being modern enough was weird. At the end of the day it isnt a new house! Itw going to have some older layout etc. Your style is very neutral, if someone wants a hyper modern all minimalist house surely 99% of properties wont already be in that style so they have to expect to use some imagination! Tbh some times people just say random crap/estate agents feel they have to give some reason, so i wouldnt think too much about that.

The things that would put me off are as pps/you hav3 noted yourself - tiny box room and, although advertised as good transport links its actually a bit of a trek to the nearest station. Neither of which you can do anything about either than reflect that in the price to appeal to those who aren't bothered - i.e. people looking for 2 beds for whom the third would be a bonus.

from my experience a lot of very nice houses which a year or two ago would have been snapped up just arent moving at the moment.

Nothing profound to add OP other than I think your house looks lovely!

I second this.

Fencing looks like it needs to be addressed.
Garden looks a bit bare of colour/plants.
Property lacks kerb appeal from the front - so power wash, plants etc
Galley kitchen not ideal for lots of people.
Other photos look ok to me.
Best of luck!

I think it’s nice, neutral and a good price. The gardens front and back are a bit tired but it wouldn’t put me off as I’d soon change that to my taste. The main thing for me would be the kitchen in a tiny corridor.

OP have those viewing been in recent months with all the terrible traffic works were happening on Shooters Hill Road? I wonder if that’s a factor?
I think internally, the pics look absolutely fine.
A few things:
-Kerb appeal at front of house definitely doesn’t reflect what is inside, agree with others on jetwashing, adding some plants/interest at entrance. Fence also…
-It’s not really a functional 3 bed, the box room may be better marketed as a home office?
-Only one bathroom may be off putting versus others in similar price bracket & location.
-Back garden looks unloved and in need of some better pics. It is though a very decent size.
-Proximity to Blackheath is dubious tbh. Yes it’s closeby but none of the amenities or the village are in walking distance, you still need a car/bus to get to Greenwich park. Perhaps an idea to make more of the fact you are close to Blackheath Standard, Independent shops, cafe’s & restaurants? There’s quite a “villagey” feel there so this may help?
-The kitchen looks like it features some great kit, but the pics don’t show these, it just looks very narrow and not clear how much worktop & cupboard space exists.
-Hallway looks very blank, maybe a few small additions to add warmth & welcome? Could you maybe uodate the textured wallpaper?
We have 3 different friends within a mile of you all trying to sell, one has added a wfh space at end of the garden and has had offers, other two no offers for months. The market locally is hard. Not sure it’s price alone in your case but maybe chat to your agent and look at front & rear if property and making these areas feel much more the “forever” home you had envisaged for any potential viewings?
Best of luck!

It sounds like you’ve put a lot of care into maintaining the property, and sometimes when a home has been lived in and improved for personal use, it can be harder to see what potential buyers might notice.
A few months with lots of viewings but no offers usually suggests that people like the house but something is stopping them from taking the next step. It could be price, but it could also be small things like presentation, buyer expectations, or how easily they can imagine themselves moving in.
Even neutral kitchens and bathrooms can feel “too traditional” to some buyers if they are comparing against recently renovated properties with a more modern style. Small changes like refreshing carpets, improving lighting, decluttering, or adding a more contemporary feel with staging can sometimes make a big difference without a major renovation.
It may also be worth asking your estate agent for honest feedback from every viewing and comparing your listing with similar properties that have actually sold, rather than just those currently on the market. The market conditions in your area will have a big impact as well.
Hopefully you find the right buyer soon sometimes it only takes one person who sees the value in the home you’ve created.

For me the kitchen and garden are important. The cooking area is so small I assumed it was a utility area when I first looked at the photos. The back garden looks neglected. No plants, patio slabs need cleaning. The garden is another room, yours isn't inspiring me to want to spend time there. The carpet in the main bedroom is a turn off too, maybe a bigger rug if you aren't going to replace it.

I think if you are painting the fence a dark grey or something then just paint the planters you have the same colour. It will pick up the line of black jack along the damp proof course and look nice IMO.

I would move the desk to the box room, style as an office. Get the carpets professionally cleaned. The hallway wallpaper looks really dated and that's the first impression people get of the interior. The garden and front looks tired and old so whatever you can do to tart those up would help. The rest seems absolutely fine!