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

Good luck! 🤞🏼

Well I wouldn’t have expected this post. How odd. You think these boring dated houses have better decor? That grey kitchen and red splash back?

Being near a grammar is only useful if your dc get in or want to go. Market as a really spacious 3 bed? That would encourage me. The downstairs loo is very small, not even room for a loo roll holder, could the loo itself be smaller? Needs a hand basin too.
The kitchen needs to be replaced, and the lean to changed but that is for the new buyers and reflected in the price - you need to drop the price, over half a mil is crazy money with no parking, taking bikes through the house etc, where do you keep all that stuff, is there a shed?

Plus needs a new kitchen, conservatory? And redecorating. Even DIY is expensive.

I like colours but not to sell. It doesn't flow to me, makes it seem smaller. paint all the rooms and corridors the same light colour. I like your lounge, cosy:)

I'd advertise to sell at 485 and accept 470, if you don't want to do any work. Doing the work might not increase the price anyway. Get if off the market for a few weeks, get some better photos, style it for the pics. Get a better photographer or provide them yourself !!

What has the feedback been after viewings OP? That’s probably the best guidance you can go with.

the market is awful. We had exactly the same thing, ‘sold’ within 7 days after a bidding war and assured safe bet, (we actually took a lower offer because on paper buyer was more secure) took all summer to do the paperwork and buyer pulled out three days prior to exchange. It shouldn’t be allowed. £2k down the drain and lost our onward purchase.

a lot slower this time round but we are having people round still. Praying for some good news in the market to at least try and stimulate the market again.

for what it’s worth I don’t think your house is over priced, it’s largely decorating. Ok kitchen and bathroom will need updating in next 5 years but it sounds like you’ve taken it into consideration.

just need the right buyer to walk in.. good luck!

Why are people being arsey to the OP?

Thank you! And what sh you the best of luck that your buyer arrives swiftly too x

I live in a beige house but I love the bright blue dining room! But I'm sure I'd trip over the hearth of the fireplace at least once a week

*Wishing!

So personally I love the colours and decor. My house is relatively new and I have quirky pieces I like it.

That said, I think the blue could put people off in such a small room.

If you dont want to take ivy or whatever it is off the lean to (which is pretty) id have a survey done to confirm its not damaging the brick work

Bathroom and loo seem a bit cold and meh I might put darker green plants in

The green kitchen cupboards are odd. I like the colour but the clash is stark. And the pics dont show and oven and hob its like theyre ai out of the kitchen. And if its ai that means buyers cant trust the other pics

But I think the biggest issue is youve advertised it as 4 bed but it isnt. The study is the study because what else could it be if you have to go through it to the bedroom. You either have to rename the study bedroom 4 or back reception room which might put people off

OP, you don’t need to paint your kitchen. Your buyer may knock through into the breakfast room and if they have the funds, rebuild the lean to and even extend into the side return.

The most recent sale on your road was at 520k in Oct 2025. Same footprint and similar condition. That’s the price you need to be thinking of.

You do need to proof read the EA's descriptions before signing them off! I'd never have allowed this error to slip through...

Yeah, I didn't zero in on the details to that degree, but this puts a finger on what I meant about the overall 'not nice' and 90s student house feeling. The arty factor is distracting from the fact it's a bit grot. Sorry, but that's the feel of the finish, which is why I meant that the HMO wasn't necessarily that different in the level of do-over it'll need. That one's more obviously grim, but they both still need stripping back and starting over in almost every room. You haven't needed to as you've lived in in it nearly half-a-century and like it that way, but it's how it looks.

I'm going to be really honest @Blueysothermother

1. The decor is likely putting people off. It looks like it needs not only fresh paint, but I think it's far far too personally decorated and people both have a hard time seeing past that and with the cost of living feel they instantly need to do a lot of cosmetic work.

I think then whole house needs painting more neutral colours and if I'm honest, a stager would say less...in your face furniture.

2. It's not 4 bedrooms, it's 3 + 1. I think the problem when estate agents advertise an extra bedroom than reality, is most people viewing it will be disappointed. Far better to view a 3+1 and wonder if you can make it work than see a home that's not what is advertised and being disappointed.

3. The lean to really lets the property down and so does the garden. Clear it, get some nice potted flowers. Paint the lean to and get some nice simple furniture.

I think you need to spend a few thousand, get your things into storage, paint it, rent some more minimalistic furniture, get it advertised as a 3+1 and get the garden to look welcoming.

Your front door/curb appeal is lovely but once people walk in, they likely feel it doesn't live up to their expectations. I know that I love the outside look but I likely wouldn't go see it based on the pictures.

I'd pull it off the market, get the above changes done and put it back on. Your estate agents should be sacked.

Good luck. Houses are so deeply personal when they are our home but when you are hoping they are going to become someone else's home, you need to get your own style/look/preferences, out.

I was responding to the joke about the multiple references to the school catchment. And that everyone here thinks the house is so rubbish and meant that the agent must only had that to go on with the listing, zero other attractive features clearly.

Love the period features, high ceilings and gorgeous fireplace in the sitting room. My last house early Victorian and they aren't meant to be sterile, featureless modern boxes.

I would neutralise the decor as others have said and try and tidy up the back garden a bit and do something smart to the front to give it a bit of kerb appeal.

The lean to would have to go which I think you have acknowledged but that means the kitchen needs a complete refurbishment to accommodate the washing machine etc.

The kitchen tiling isn't great, sorry , and the yellow wall needs skimming

Feasibly it would need 20 - 50k to update it with a proper conservatory to replace the lean to.

Im sure you'll sell but needs a rethink on the price x

Is that the Yves Klein-like velvet-y electric blue from YesColours? A friend has it too, it's even better irl than in photos.

Fwiw round where I live your interior would be very popular, I wouldn't waste time painting it white. Just bad timing market wise, everyone is struggling.

It’s actually called Turkish Tile, colour matched. It’s a bit darker in real life and on the perfectly and professionally and completely non blown plastered walls it looks almost velvety.

I know. And I meant that you don't appear to have checked your agent's 'blurb' before giving them the green light to publish it!

We've sold six period houses (including my late parents') in the past 18 years, most recently in 2024 when we sold our 400 year old house. We actually discuss the bullet and salient points with our EA ahead of marketing and make sure that there are zero errors in their descriptions.

As i previously said, I think it's a lovely house - certainly not one requiring a back-to-brick renovation, but it needs dressing better for sale. Unlike the myriad of grey houses out there, yours has character and charm, but it's not 'turn key', which unfortunately is what so many buyers (but not me!) wants these days.

Good luck!

I think photo 1, which buyers would see when scrolling through the list of available properties, makes it look a very small house for almost £600000 (and I live in Oxfordshire so I don’t expect loads for my money!).

you have a lovely family home - it looks bright and happy and lived in. However in the pictures online I have noticed the following; I think the kitchen looks very dated - I don’t like the green cabinets and I think you should get a carpenter in to box in the boiler - maybe see if you can get an extra wall cabinet up and completely box in the pipes to the ceiling. I would also get the pipes in the bathrooms boxed in and painted. I would change the colour of the green units. I would have the garden cut back and made quite plain. I would declutter all walls - I love art too and you have lovely bright prices but many people can’t see past what they like. If the fire surround in the reception room is wood I would paint it white or beige might work. The couch could do with a new throw covering it and some new cushions and get rid of all rugs. I have not seen the hallway but lovely big bright mirror. Also a radiator cover in the reception room and bedrooms - these are quite cheap on Amazon. I really love your home so these are suggestions to make it bare and plain - for the mass market. Wishing you luck. Main one is box in and cover boiler .

I think we all know that the sale of a house does not hinge on bed covers,it doesn’t hinge on paint colours either or some overgrown ivy but people are just saying what they see and what their first impressions of the house are.
Ive bought and sold 6 properties in 18 years and people always say to me what’s the point in doing work to a house if you’re going to sell it and my answer is that it will sell quicker.I think this is an example,it’s a nice house in a popular location but it needs work.

This is a summary of what not to do.

OP, you just need to get one person to come through the door and to fall in love with it and put an offer in!

I meant to say in my comments, when I went through the sold prices, it takes you to pictures from the previous listing and there is a picture of the back of the garden. The listing needs a picture like that to show its size. And if you don't have already, get some fairy microlights and a few tasteful UV lights dotted about!

If you do decide to paint, look out for offers like the 3for2 in B&Q. It usually includes colour matched. I like the durable GoodHome paint colour matched to F&B. Check out period homes on instagram for current trends. It doesn't have to be greige or white!

Even tightening the hinges on your lower kitchen doors so that they hang straighter would make a huge difference! I think your cabinets would look nice painted in a green like Pigeon or Card Room Green, if you want to paint them. And the green bedroom would look better in a green that's similar/the same as the curtains.

They might be grey

I think there is about the same amount of work to do on your property. There are jobs in every room. The kitchen needs redoing. The second reception needs new flooring. Two of the bedrooms need plastering. The downstairs toilet has exposed pipes. The lean to needs replacing. They are both projects.