What’s wrong with my house?

[Blueysothermother]

House been on the market since Easter, it’s in the catchment for the much sought after local grammar, well priced, was valued originally at £595,000. We had an offer for £575,750 which we accepted during the summer hols but then fell though due to reasons unrelated to the house. We need to relocate, so dropped the price, even though much larger than most houses in the surrounding streets and better parking. Estate agents can offer no constructive feedback that I can act upon. I get that it’s not all grey etc but it’s a period house and has a wealth of features intact. Any ideas?
www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/91344150

I shudder to think! But here are the clear signs of damp. Your plaster has blown because damp is in the walls and I don't believe for a second you've missed the gaping hole in your kitchen ceiling.

I like your colours and style OP. But as the owner of a similar property I'd think you've done what I did, quite literally papered over the cracks.
It looks like you've spent a lot of time and trouble on the prettifying fun stuff, but neglected the boring pricey grunt stuff, like the harder DIY or trade required jobs, pipes, plastering, proper floor sanding, painting your brick fireplace black instead of replacing it with a range or whatever would have been in your middle room originally.
And I'm willing to bet that viewing it shows up more of the fur coat no knickers vibe than the photos do, so people initially interested may think there's even more to do than they thought.
I don't mean to be harsh, but I'm speaking from experience. I couldn't understand why no one wanted to buy my beautiful house that recieved so many compliments (from visitors who took in the whole effect rather than examined the details.)
So I'd advice you do what I ended up doing. Go round doing serious snagging and get those things fixed. Painting your walls white and taking your pictures down isn't going to make that much difference. Saving people a whole lot of boring expensive fixes might.

Just noticed the details repeat the first paragraph.

Thank you I have taken everyone’s advice on board re paint colours and white bedroom needs new floor, take out the art and large furniture that makes it look cluttered etc and the kitchen needs some more work. I understand and agree with all of it. I just can’t change the location and the permit parking. I’ve thanked everyone for their opinions so not sure why you think I haven’t.
the only thing I’ve disagreed with is the ‘damp’ and the ‘ho I the ceiling ’ because I wouldn’t be trying to sell a house if it was I that state and they would be fixes I k ow I would have to make if they were there, but they are not just shadows or whatever on the photos.

Why is the kitchen two different styles of cabinets, you say you have redone the kitchen? Why on earth would you redo it like that?

For me the two main issues are the layout and the finish. Downstairs has a chain of rooms meaning several are corridors as well as whatever their main function is, because you finish with a lean to then it isn’t easy to open up the back of the house. Upstairs one bedroom off another room. Restricts use. Decor is a bit of a mishmash. I think there are people who want period properties but with a modern slant.
I would look at this and decide not worth it as I would need £150k to make it what I wanted.

Idiocy? Seemed like a good idea at the time? In hindsight maybe not the wisest 😂😂

I agree with what others have said re the number of bedrooms (you have 3, not 4), colour of walls and not enough bathrooms/loos. But what would really put me off is that the downstairs loo doesn’t appear to have a washbasin. I lived in a house like this once and I’m afraid it just encourages blokes and children not to wash their hands. So I’m a bit revolted by that omission.

Right, you're near Watford Grammar School, we get it!

Ah so glad somebody does 😂

Well, you did keep on about it! 🤣

Well I would be factoring in a whole new kitchen for starters, which isn’t cheap. It sadly all looks a little botched and like the plaster work is not great in some of the rooms.

Not me, the agent but judging by people’s feedback on the house I guess that’s literally the only thing he had to work with. 😔

The only resistance is that I work full time and I don’t have the money to fully redecorate.

Finally you have seen your house with a buyer's eyes.

Prospective buyers will probably work full time too, and if even you can't be arsed to decorate your house to sell it, what is the motivation for anyone else to decorate it just to buy it?

That's not even going to be of interest to many people!

House without a drive and permit restrictions would immediately put me off. Inside of the house looks really cluttered and the bold colour palette will be a pain to replace. All of the lighting needs replacing and isn't modern or energy efficient so that would make me assume there is probably a need for a total rewire too. Chipped, painted, raw floorboards just look unfinished and lack of finesse. Plasterwork all needs redoing, assuming that's why the £300 a roll of wallpaper went up! Lean too looks like a lot of work. Upstairs layout with room into a room only works if it becomes an ensuite and dressing room, but that reduces to a 3 bedroom. Downstairs needs reconfiguring as kitchen is too small for large family. I would would make the kitchen / breakfast into one better workable space. The real period features of an original kitchen with a big range, plus any original cornice work or tiles etc are all missing and instead replaced with splashes of paint. As it is the house presents as needing a lot of work, in a difficult area, far from a station with no allocated parking. It needs a lot of money spent on it.

I think it might be 280m away.

Is it near a good school?

I'm hoping less than 300m!

I see what you did there 😂😂😂

Too bad if you have all boys!

Price, only one bathroom, no parking, and that walk-through room. A serious buyer wouldn't have a problem with the colour of the walls.

Your house is lovely, but l do know alot of people are not rushing to buy at the moment. Waiting to see what's said in the budget.

Not read all the comments but for me, garden is tiny, downstairs loo has no basin, don’t like blue wall of dining room (and the brick fireplace which dominates) and the study layout is weird. I’d probably try and get another bathroom upstairs if I could. But as others have said, it’s price.

Thanks everyone. Those of you that loved the house and those with really great feedback. I’m bowing out now as I’ve taken on board all comments and you’ve given me a very good list of things to address.