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’s a nice house. Try and think back to why you bought this house, what was its appeal to you and then try to capture the same market. The garden looks very bare.

Unfortunately, the housing market is pretty stagnant at the moment, so anything will take longer to sell. I think townhouses are harder to sell, even though the space is great. It looks fine to me on the inside, and I don't think it's overpriced. Unfortunately, the exterior is not very appealing as it's just wedged in between two other properties, but there is nothing you can do about that, and the paved back garden is possibly less appealing than a grassy back garden. There will be a buyer somewhere, but it will be a bit of a wait. If it's been on the market a while, it might be worth taking it off for a bit because once the first flurry of buyers have had a look, potential buyers only come along sporadically one at a time.

Its the price and house style. I lived in a town house for a while and it was a great bargain for the space, but the stairs were such a pain. A nuisance with small kids and a pain with elderly relatives.
At least your kitchen is downstairs, highlighting that will help. But ultimately the style puts off people and if you have competition from more normal houses, you either drop the price or stay put.

I’m sorry, but it’s soulless. There is nothing to say, oooh, look at that.
It’s also slightly old fashioned. No patterns/ prints 🤷‍♀️
But that’s just a matter of taste which would be reflected in the price for the majority of buyers.
Also, people who are aware would know about the camp for migrants not too far away. These people will be bussed into Bicester every day.
I mean no offence but it’s an issue that would affect some peoples decision.

It has a lot of stairs for the amount of usable space.

There is something really odd about out the photos, but can’t put my finger on it…is it the amount of ceiling in each one? It makes the ceilings look incredibly low. I also think the decor and amount of clutter on display (open wardrobes etc) makes it look like a rental.
can the front be staged with a couple of standard trees in pots and a nice doormat for the photos?
But agree that your estate agent has done you no favours and photos could be working much harder for you. The floorplan is the best image!

good luck! 🤞

Also, on the subject of townhouses - one near us (West Sussex) sold this year for 100k LESS than the last sale in 2022.

Admittedly 2022 was still 'covid prices' as it had risen 59% between sales in 2016 and 2022, but even so.....

I sort of think the opposite and would reduce the toy clutter in the bedrooms. Remove the stuff on top of the wardrobes as it screams lack of storage. The open wardrobes/shelves also give a cluttered effect.
Nothing really wrong with it though.
The photos seem to emphasise what is outside rather than showing each room at the best angle.
I think those L-shaped sofas don't always work and make the space seem inflexible when it likely isn't.
Good luck.

I can see it being snapped up by a private landlord, and turned into an HMO/student digs - with 5 tenants. (Or maybe even 6 tenants, as they will possibly make the living room on the first floor into a room for 2, as it's quite big compared to the others.)

Not really. There is very little wasted space.

The picture of the cars is showing the parking surely?

Your issues are mainly outside the house. Agree with all the pp saying that photo 1 needs to be the front of the house. Anytime it isn't, it immediately puts me on alert that the vendors are hiding something. The house to the left as you face yours is better presented from the front and has more kerb appeal.

Also
Parking looks like it might be a pain especially for 2+ cars
Garden is small and lacks plant life.

The photos aren’t great, the rooms look cramped. I used to live in a very small 2 bedroom house and the EA did a good job of showing the potential of the rooms.

I don’t like the paved garden, but appreciate that’ll cost too much to change

I see just the price tag of changing things.

The garden needs a complete overhaul to be a nice garden.
Each bathroom/cloakroom needs re-doing as I hate the fittings. They really look dated for me.
The house itself doesn't have a lot of kerb appeal, there is nothing inviting on the front.

The mural - needs repainting and that is costly as it needs replastering most likely.

I don't mind townhouses especially if I have enough rooms to have proper offices instead of cramping desks into bedrooms, DH and I both wfh and we can't share a space but then we only have one child.

Your kitchen screams that there's not enough storage. Clear the cupboard tops and make it look as if there's enough. Put a couple of trees in pots by the front door to look more welcoming. Make the back garden look desirable. It currently looks dreary. Hang a few pictures on the walls. They look so bare and unloved and research the best asking price. My town house had valuations from three agents between £475,000 and £515,000. I got £435,000 after a year on the market. I think you'll be very disappointed with its actual value.

Probably is largely the market & price. Beyond that, small things in your control -

1. Swap red curtains and cushions for something neutral
2. Make outdoor space more colourful and inviting (colourful planters / greenery / something to make it feel like somewhere you can spend an afternoon)
3. Remove the feature wall mural
4. Add some houseplants to soften the space - it does feel quite hard and sterile with a lot of high contrast colour and straight lines - something soft and organic will help (the plants in your child's room look good)
5. If you have new photos taken, go round and remove things from as many surfaces as possible - tops of wardrobes / tops of kitchen cupboards / bathroom surfaces etc.

None of that is going to make or break it, but it maybe removes some barriers to the buyer imagining themselves living there.

I wonder if the hot summer has put people off townhouses? We used to have one and it could get unbearably hot on the top floor in the summer. And temperatures were nowhere near where they got to this year.

Just to add to what other have said it's a competitive market around you so you need to make your property stand out. Plants in pots to improve kerb appeal and the garden. Soften the interior a bit. Think about things you can add but then take to a new property. Also think about the algorithm for marketing. Would you better marketing it at offers over £385K to catch people who's budget is capped at just under the £400K. It might widen your viewings. Good luck.

The market is crap and your price is too high. Reevaluate- if you can accept £350 then reduce the price and a buyer will come. If you can’t go that low consider staying put until the market changes (I don’t think this is soon though)

This is available for the price you went on the market at. Your EA has overpriced a lot to get you to sign up. Common tactic and I bet you're locked in for 20 weeks. There's nothing wrong with your house, it's purely the price. Look at what else is available on rightmove close by at the same price. Does your house compare? Also look at whether they've sold also? If not, they're likely over priced too.

www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/92493582#/?channel=RES_BUY

Honestly I wouldn't even click on it with the first photo. The link that EnglishRain has posted is a good indication of the decor modern buyers would expected. The rooms look small because you have crammed so much furniture in there. Id swap the red curtains and cushions for sure and make the whole room more neutral. You could use ai to recommend throws ,cushions and curtains that are neutral that would go with your sofa to soften it up. Can you get a storage space and declutter and retake the photos? Like the giant fridge in the dining room- it looks like there is already an integrated one and getting rid of it means you can pull the table out properly then with space around it. The family room needs a rethink, its confused between a study and a living space.
Jet wash the tiles in the back and get some big planters for greenery.

The market is terrible at the moment. We’ve been on since July and the last couple of weeks have really stalled. It’s a similar story with friends - a lot of them are coming off the market and trying again next year. I think we’ll do the same!

The photos are poor. And furniture placement in the livingroom looks odd. Hate that you have to have that fridge next to the table and not within the kitchen.
I’d add some big pots of colourful plants front and back. Inside looks bland to me but I know estate agents like that look. Other than that? It’s a buyers market and it comes down to price.

Guessing with interests rates where they are people are just reluctant to be getting new mortgages. House looks nice inside but kerb appeal not great, not much you can do about that. Have any of the neighbours sold recently, what price.

Drop to. 399.999k that will open you to lower filter. As pps said drop eieo. It's not your fault, but living in house that's less than 5m wide just is not for many...
Agree the pics could use bit more life.

Obviously you won't be changing fittings etc, but just bit of colour etc changes and new pics shoukd help. Market is slow. So slow