Why isn’t my house selling?

[rootsandwings89]

Honest feedback please. We recently had a buyer pull out and after re-marketing it 6 weeks ago we still don’t have a buyer. I just don’t understand it, our house is very well priced for the area, we live walking distance to town, train station and a popular school.

https://www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/91713960proper

How much was the offer that you accepted?

£255k

The market is crap. Only way to attract a buyer will be to drop the price I’m afraid.

For a family house, I’d be put off by no proper dining area that could be comfortably used all year - I’d assume that conservatory gets cold. If there was any way you could fit a small table for more than two people in the end of the kitchen it might mean people didn’t rule it out if that was an issue.

But basically, it will be price. Because everything will sell at the right price.
You will also be being disadvantaged by mortgage rates.

I think you could squeeze a small table in the kitchen, so it looks like a kitchen diner.
A few pots of flowers in the garden to brighten it up and make it look like an outdoor living space. Garden looks to be a decent size but it’s not clear which the house is immediately when looking at the aerial photos. An estate agent locally puts a coloured line round the boundary.
One could be picky and say it’s too bland or would want to redo to the paving but the decor looks immaculate, the radiators are new, I presume the boiler is fairly new. If it is make sure it’s mentioned.
I think unfortunately it’s the market.

You paid 227k in the 2021 peak, you may not be able to sell it at that price now Im afraid. Probably around 200k would be my guess. Its also a leashold which automatically excludes more and more buyers these days. Why did your buyer pull out ? Was it because of a mortgage valuation coming in too low ?

I think it looks lovely ..Perhaps some bunches of colourful flowers in the lounge and/or kitchen may help . You probably have to just hang in there. Best wishes

Oh I missed that it was leasehold. The filters I’d put on the Rightmove search would mean I wouldn’t even see your house I’m afraid. And I can’t imagine that’s that unusual.

Are you getting viewings but not offers, or no viewings either?

I know you can't change it, but the fact that it's leasehold would put me off - is that typical for the wider area?

@rootsandwings89 I'd also try squeezing a small table into the kitchen (with vase of flowers, obvs!). Otherwise it seems well presented and homely.

I'm not a fan of stairs in living rooms. Our cottage has them in the dining room (not as bad, imo) and previously we had a huge period house where they were in the main living room, so I appreciate it's fairly normal, but this won't appeal to everyone.

Ditto the leasehold, although I assume it might be standard in your location.

Otherwise, it's definitely price. As @DrySherry said, you probably paid top whack in 2021, unfortunately, so I'd expect to sell for 210-220 max now.

Oh Lord, these posts make my teeth itch. Every one’s got an opinion and it usually starts with ‘I would put some lovely….’ OP your house is a perfectly nice clean house. The market is awful, it’s the price, sadly it’s always the price. Good luck.

It will always be down to the price.

I wouldn't ever consider Leasehold and it would be filtered out in many searches.

The master bedroom looks like it would be difficult to walk around the bed normally, and the other bedrooms are very small.

I think you will have to drop the price or wait. Good luck.

Usually my response to these threads is simply to say it's the price, because that's what it is 99% of the time. It's a buyer's market at the moment, rates are going up, cost of living is going up. Your house is leasehold. If you want to sell in the short term, you need to drop the price.

Why did your buyer pull out?

For your house, I do think there might be some benefit in removing the stools and high side table from the kitchen and borrowing a small round table and 4 chairs from someone, to demonstrate that a family can eat in the kitchen. But I wouldn't spend any money and the difference it makes will be absolutely minimal.

I also hate the fact that your agent wants the buyer to pay for their own AML checks before they will issue memorandum of sale. That wouldn't stop me offering on a house I loved but it has put me in a bad mood just thinking about it.

I think it’s a lovely house. Clean, well decorated and a large garden. I don’t know your local market so don’t know if it’s over priced or not. Have you done any significant works since you bought in 2021?

Regarding lease, depending on the area these can be very normal and I would expect local buyers to know that or be quickly put right when their search comes up with nothing.

OP's house has 957 years to go on the lease.

It’s a lovely home and nicely presented. However, as a current Conservatory owner, never again! However I say that as I sit here in ours on my lunch break having spent 7K on ours to get a proper roof on it (worth every penny). At least we can use it year round now, yours will be freezing from Oct/Nov onwards and not suitable for a dining area and the kitchen looks tiny to be able to eat in properly.

7k is a bargain ! We have just had two quotes to do ours and the better one was 17k :(

Nothing wrong with the house . It looks lovely, good condition and well kept . So then , it's price, market, leasehold and financial uncertainty for many people .

The stairs into the lounge, the overhead fittings in the bedroom and the conservatory on the back would be my reasons for a no. It also looks very small from the photos.

I think describing it as a three-bedroom property may be putting some buyers off. To me, it looks like one bedroom and two small rooms better suited to use as offices. I can see you’ve fitted a small child’s bed into each of the other rooms, but there doesn’t seem to be space for storage, a play area or a desk.

I’m looking to move because my child struggles for space even in a standard-sized bedroom. If I came across your listing while searching for a three-bedroom home, I’d probably scroll past once I saw those rooms. The room sizes, along with the leasehold, may be affecting the interest you’re getting.

I think it looks lovely. The photos are fine and the house is what it is. There must just not be many buyers about where you are. Your best best would be to drop the price a little.

kids have been growing up in bedrooms like this for years and all survived just fine! My brother is 6ft 5 and slept in the boxroom of our 3 bed semi until he left home!
If it sold me £221k in 2021 then I fear it's the price and I agree with the PP that the lack of proper dining space would put me off (but I'd also plan to knock the back the wall down and extend the kitchen to where the conservatory is).

i agree with previous posters plus the bathroom is quite small . i feel its a great starter home but one which would be outgrown rather quickly (as you are now finding?).