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!

The dated decor shouldn’t be putting people off, although I’d want to replace the kitchen and bathrooms so the cost of that would be a factor.

What would put me off is the bleak ‘yard’ at the rear. I’d want a proper garden for a family home.

Ultimately, and unfortunately for you, if you reduce the price you’ll likely sell it.

Dated decor and clutter. Doesn’t look good in the photos- have a clear out and new photos that make the rooms look clearer. Also reduce the price and you’ll sell.

My honest opinion is that it looks like you live with a grab bag and use it as a base, there is nothing that alludes to the resident at all, photos, books etc. they don’t need to be on every wall but people buy from people and want to feel that it is a happy house. When a lot of people move it is aspirational and the next step up.

The first photo should always be of the outside otherwise any potential viewers are already looking to see what is wrong with it. It is not the most inspiring external but with a bit of dressing it could be more appealing. Couple of bushes by the front doors and open the windows for the photos, it looks austere.

Inside it is at the extreme end of bland and lacking in colour apart from in the lounge where the curtains scream 1990’s bachelor. Creams and greens are restful and very on trend and creams and blues are classic colours, avoid grey at all costs it is depressing and very dated.

Rearrange the furniture in the family room/study with the green curtains, must the printer be out all the time or can it go elsewhere like upstairs to the bedroom with the guitar. And how high is that TV, I would have a sore neck.

The kitchen could be improved with some colour, wooden chopping board, pictures, plants and move the table away from the wall it suggests space is tight which it clearly is not.

The external rear shot showcases the washing line, I want to think of summer evenings eating outside with friends not hanging my pants out to dry.

Boxes on top of wardrobes highlight that storage space is tight.

Open wardrobes look messy get some doors.

Do you need 2 rooms that can be used as offices? Dress the smallest room with the guitar as a bedroom otherwise it looks like a 3 bed with an office not a 4 bedroomed house.

If you want to sell you need to make it as appealing as possible, inject some colour address the issues detailed and once done get the photos retaken.

Planters, plants and furniture. Yes, they are there. But I didn't see them the first time I looked - I only saw a bleak expanse of slabs, because the photo is so poor. And it's that bleak, grubby concrete that stays in the memory.

Cleaning the patio, filling the planters with bright autumn flowers, and taking a pic that foregrounds the seating area, would give quite a different impression.

Patio Clean or Algon, a watering can, and a broom.

Change the agent.

Or take your or own photos and write your own listing.

Even if you don't have a decent camera, go round every room with your phone. Take photos from every angle and from different levels. Closeup and wide angle. See what works. Then tell the agent to retake the good shots with their camera.

This is our second agent, if we don't sell within our 12 week contract we're tempted to take it off the market, reset, and relist early Spring.

From the photos it’s looks really small and you can’t see whole rooms. The upstairs living room would put a lot off. Change the labels

Probably the best plan. Winter is always slow, even in a good year.

For the next agent, have a good look at their other listings before choosing. Are their photos attractive, does the description draw you in?

Your home is lovely, but I think the photos are a bit crap. Did the estate agent have someone take them for you? I would clear out a lot of the clutter in the bedrooms, the kitchen and the bathrooms, and take new photos of them and the hallyway maybe in different lighting? It looks a bit dull in some of the rooms. I have no clue about local pricing, but possibly a reduction in the price to below 400k with offers in excess of, like maybe 395k?

Yes, but you asked for opinions on your listing, so I said what impression I got from the pictures. Which is probably what some other people on Rightmove might also think. I appreciate you've had a hard time on this thread from people tearing your house apart, and maybe your planters were beautiful in summer, but I don't think that people looking for houses are going to take time to think 'oh, that garden just looks dull because it's autumn, I'll spend some time imagining what it might have looked like earlier in the year before I decide whether to go and view'. Anyway, good luck with selling it

Sorry it’s an unattractive property just because of how it’s built so it will just be a waiting game. Changing the decor isn’t going to sell it unless you did some gorgeous expensive refurb which obviously makes no financial sense.

Wait it out ok afraid. Or drop price.

One of the EA partners is a professional photographer....

We have already reduced by 25K.

Yes I asked for people to voice their opinions, its fine, I've taken the keyboard warrior comments with a pinch of salt, I'm not easily offended 🙂

Why are you moving?

As a buyer I’d reject the house right away as there’s no floor plan and I need one to check that the bedrooms are bigger than our current house 😆 Decor does not bother me and the photos seem fine?

Other reasons I’d reject:

I don’t like a three storey house.
It’s mid terrace.
Parking doesn’t seem to be allocated bays.

To be closer to parents

That's something to say - it's not the house or the area.

There is a floor plan - I saw it on the details.

Oh. Perhaps I missed it then! Ignore that part in that case :)

Edit:: Ah it’s on the RightMove link but not the first one (estate agents website) I clicked on.

I won't even click on a house if the main photo isn't the exterior.

It's in with the photos on the agent's site, not as a separate item.

The photographer may be 'professional', but isn't very good.

I think I said that we bought a property with a paved courtyard garden in 2024. Admittedly it did have a narrow flower bed across the back and a raised bed in the centre. Plus, being a 200 year old character cottage there are two lovely feature walls of stone/flint. But otherwise it was fairly bland and lacking in greenery/interest/nature.

In the 24 months we've been here we have added around twenty very large pots/planters plus a few smaller ones, which - even now, in early autumn - are brimming over with trees, shrubs and perennials, many still flowering. In amongst these are two seating areas (corner sofa plus egg chair and dining set) and it now feels an absolutely lovely, welcoming space to sit out in, particularly in the evenings when the fairy lights are on!

Our cottage was purchased as a fairly major project so we've initially mainly concentrated on the inside and haven't yet had time to remove the (cemented in) 1960s slabs. But we wanted to create an oasis of calm, attracting insects and birds as a place to escape to.

You already have garden furniture and planters etc so the bones are there. I can't see why you couldn't buy a few colourful shrubs etc, clean the paving and make your courtyard more inviting so potential buyers can see themselves out there.

Yours could then be the house that stands out from the competition for its pretty garden!

Yes, lots of people now with no concept or understanding of "chasing the market down", many seem to think it is all about standing firm against "silly offers" until the right buyer comes along.

Wait it out for what though?