Why aren’t we getting more viewings? Honest feedback welcome

[Diva78]

We’re selling our four-bedroom townhouse in Bicester and have reached the point where we’d really value some completely impartial opinions.

We originally listed at £425k, have since changed estate agents, reduced the price to £400k, changed the lead photo and updated the kitchen cupboards to give them a more neutral look.

Despite all that, we’ve still had very few viewings and hardly any interest coming directly through Rightmove.

We know townhouses and three-storey living won’t appeal to everyone, and there are larger semis and detached houses available nearby. However, our house has good square footage, three bathrooms, flexible living and home-working space, a garage, driveway parking and a quieter position on the estate.

Would anyone be willing to look at the listing and give me some honest but constructive feedback? Is it the price, layout, photos, description or something else we’re just not seeing?

50, Fontwell Road, Bicester, Oxfordshire, OX26 1BP - Estate Agents in Bicester, Oxfordshire | Barton Fleming

Thank you!

It'll be the price sadly. It's a nice enough house, but like others have said, it lacks serious kerb appeal, and the "garden" out the back is quite sad looking.

Also, that city mural in the dining room(?) is a very, very niche taste.

People could get the same in Northampton, so not that far away, for probably 80k cheaper. I know because I looked at a very similar property myself when we were moving in 2024.

It looks utterly depressing in the external pics, and completely characterless in the internal ones, but they probably just reflect reality.

All I can think of to improve those things would be to have the external pics taken from a bit further away to give the house some context.

In the end it comes down to price. If it's not moving you are simply asking too much.

If I were looking (I wouldn’t be in Bicester as pp said) it would not be at this property. I’ve lived in both an ex council townhouse and a new build townhouse and though I suppose they weren’t bad at the time, there’s no way on earth would I want to move to one with a young family. Families I know agree with me. What did you buy it for? If it’s a massive “trying to make a big profit” on your behalf then yes, in this market it won’t happen. Why do you want/need to move?

The photos are awful, rooms not dressed properly and the rooms look like they’re tiny. So you have to rethink those points for starters. As pp said sadly there are much nicer properties nearby so you really need an excellent estate agent. However, they can’t force it to be sold.

Looks soulless as tho its up for rental.

Not a great reception room photo showing the adjacent building and washing hanging outside. Unappealing. Can anything be done to pretty it up / dress it?

I'd be considering what my agents up to with photos like that.

The exterior, from garden and back garden are all depressing

Oh, I know a friend of mine who wants to sell her SE London flat this or next year. Even she is prepared she’ll have to drop the asking price, wait a few years or another option. She also has an issue re what to do with her mum’s older house which she bought her where her autistic brother lives. Her older sister is planning on either buying the house and moving in with the brother or the brother will move into the sister’s current house. But if none of these things happen then this property or the sister’s house will need to be sold.

The photos aren’t great. They show more of what’s in your bookshelf/on the walls than the configuration of the room.

these ones are long leasehold, 999, no service charges as just one flat up and one down and many are now share of freehold etc. solid flats. with gardens.

The kitchen is quite small and its made more apparent by all the things stored on top of the cupboards and the fridge-freezer being shoved next to the dining table. The garden looks very small and not a single plant in sight! It being concreted over will put a lot of people off instantly.

Some do, some don't. The ones that don't realise that prices are either stagnating or falling but are borrowing more to move to a more expensive house probably haven't twigged that increased debt can rapidly eat into any equity if prices fall further. The ones that have realised are sitting tight, hence why properties are not selling at desired asking prices.

I know some people who bought shared ownership stakes to get on the ladder and are now completely stuffed at the moment. They can't buy 100%, and would like to move but can't find eligible buyers for their stake even at the price they paid. .

This is personal taste and has nothing to do with the overall size and layout of the property. When viewing a property you have to see past all of the current owner’s decor choices.
I like to know exactly what price the owner wants but if I wanted to buy I wouldn’t offer much over the asking price tbh, in general.
It’s a nice house and the person who wants it will see past the decor to make it their own. This includes the garden. Grass can be laid down, trees and shrubs planted or raised beds for growing other plants, vegetables etc.
I would try and remove as much stuff as possible from all of the rooms so that it doesn’t detract from the actual room size. The photos aren’t very good, especially the split ones. The outside of the house needs to be the first one. I’m always a bit suspicious if the inside of the house is shown first. I can’t comment on the price because I don’t know the area but generally there are a lot of overpriced properties out there. One of my family members is currently renegotiating a house they want to buy because a surveyor has put it in writing that it has been priced £35k over what it’s worth. Good luck.

Just been having a look and you aren't bad price wise.

There's found this property on the Rightmove Android a this in Bure Park that is cheaper and four bed Bure is the most popular and sought after estate in Bicester but then found I this which is same price as yours and three bed.

I would suggest do the tweaks suggested and if you can afford pay for the photos to be redone by a specialist photographer.

Even with a slump I think Bicester will do better than lots of other towns because of all the new factories, investment planned and the train lines we are supposed to have the East West line open up between Bicester and Milton Keynes by December.

Putting the links at the bottom they keep glitching!

I found this property on the Rightmove Android app and wanted you to see it: https://www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/89149653
I found this property on the Rightmove Android app and wanted you to see it: https://www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/90946644

Are you in a hurry to move op? If not, I’d take off the market and relist in Jan for £395k. This will give you a chance to do a mini-makeover, better photos and get a better EA. No EA should be showing numerous photos of a room and those split photos, ugh!

Thoughts. Declutter the kitchen. It screams lack of storage! The dining area needs some thought. The table crammed up against the wall also says no room. Can the fridge freezer go next to the internal door and the table take centre space? The radiator cover annoys me, but that’s just me! The view through the doors to the garden needs to look more inviting. Lay the table.

Family room hasn’t got an identity. Would a playroom be more attractive to viewers? I’m surprised it’s not a large living space through to the kitchen which would work better although there’s nothing you can do about that now. This 2nd living space is an asset for townhouses and also the first room as you walk in so needs some thought on presentation.

Living room, new curtains and lose the mural. Change room around?

Declutter bathrooms and bedrooms. Lose the Jack and Jill label, everyone hates it. I’d label it en-suite and let the floorplan show the hall entrance.

Back garden. Paint fences, jet wash pavers. Could do with some planting. Have the chairs set out and umbrella up to look more inviting.

Re decluttering. Put all the clutter, calendars, photos etc (including the messy pinboard area in the kitchen) in plastic boxes for the photos and viewers and store briefly in the garage or in your car.

Good luck, I had a horrible time selling with hardly any viewers so I know it’s very disheartening.

That looks great. I think I need AI to make my house over.

It's giving me some great evening entertainment 😆

First thought is that it’s on an estate and that will put off many as will potential noise from neighbours on either side. I don’t think the price is silly but in this market I would reduce a little after you’ve taken it off sale to declutter and redecorate.

Agreed, not sure you would get 5% now though without a very good deposit?

https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/general/10-year-treasury-yield-hits-5-1-for-first-time-in-19-years/ar-AA2cQxhO

Oh God, SO and HTB make me feel physically sick, Help To Borrow was all about bailing developers, hopefully this time a few of the big ones go pop. There are still people trying to put a hundred quid a month into their Lisa account so they can one day climb the Golden Property Ladder to the Stars, it is tragic, and they take 25% off you if you dare not to use the money for one of their mate"s shoeboxes by the roundabout!

I think it is the Elephant in the Room no one wants to talk about, price, this flat needs to be nearer 300k, not sure if it would even sell at that now TBH.

Nothing really wrong with your home OP - I’ve had similar and if I had to be picky I would say maybe freshen up the living room slightly - black and red giving slight bachelor pad vibes - you are probably aiming for a family with the size of the house? If you can stretch to it I would get new curtains (don’t have to be pricey) and more modern cushions maybe, interesting ones, complementary colours to the curtains? Even a patterned curtain? Some nice looking toiletries on the bathroom, a modern ornament / bath mat, nice hand soap / statement towel - things that just lift it slightly and hide as much “stuff” as you can - I filled my car boot on days we had viewings at times!! Some very small tweaks made a big difference. I really am not saying your house is not good enough as it is, it’s lovely, just saying what I’ve done that seemed to work! Good luck

Shops that have stuff like this include B&M, M&S, Ikea? Also an even John Lewis have an ‘Any Day’ range - if you don’t get curtains - invest in cushions and you can keep them anyway!

Unfortunately, many people do not see past decor, so a house needs to be presented accordingly.

It’s a house, not a flat.

Being uncomfortably close to neighbours and being able to hear people in the levels above give it the characteristics of a flat.

There is no soul to that house. It’s typical of properties you’d see for rent back in 2000’s. The colour scheme is very retro now as well as the furniture.

Everything looks squeezed in, rather than appropriately placed.