Seller here - please be brutal and tell me what is wrong with my house?

[Pantsenfyre]

Can I get some opinions? We’ve got a few weeks before we want to put our house on the market. I’ve just been round taking some photos of the interior to figure out how to present it, and I’m a bit flustered because it does look like a mess.

I mean, obviously I’m not an estate agent photographer and I don’t have the right lenses (or lighting) but also I think there are some problems with presentation. Is anyone up for having a look at the photos here [note from MNHQ: link temporarily removed as it contained identifying details] and giving me some frank feedback? I’m wondering:

• what about this house would put you off?
• are there good things I should be highlighting?
• what question marks would these photos leave you with?

A bit of background….this is a late Victorian semi detached house in Cambridge. There are some good things:

• 10 minutes walk from centre of town / river / Jesus Green park
• very quiet dead end location
• larger than average garden
• big master suite on top floor with dressing area and ensuite
• 3 more double rooms (all reasonable size), family bathroom, downstairs loo

And some weaknesses

• kitchen is pretty old and tired
• family bathroom is small
• large college building at end of garden
• design at the back of house might be a bit marmite

But obviously it's our house, we love it and we find it difficult to be objective. So a bit of straight talking would probably do me the world of good. Thanks!

It’s lovely, very neat and well presented, but the bike in front of the fireplace is incredibly odd and says no storage outside or a risk of theft,

Nice house

you like red, red on the sofa red on the sofa upstairs

put a photos into AI and get them to give you ideas of how to lay out the rooms.

ask how to swap out the red throws on dofas

Can you do a rightmove link please?

Oooooh yes the bike!!! It's my husbands and it will definitely not be there for estate agent photos. If I have to nick it myself 😉

I'm also thinking I need to get rid of the sofa in bed 2 which kind of makes the place look crowded.

nice bike

I'm afraid it's not on the market yet, I'm trying to get my ducks in a row to make it all as good as possible before we push that button

Definitely move the bike but otherwise it all really comes down to price.
It's a nice family home in a very good area.
Parts maybe need a bit of updating but there's nothing immediately off putting if you price correctly.

I'll tell DH - he'll be thrilled.

Thank you, you are of course correct. I've got a few agents coming to see me, but they seem curiously uncertain about pricing. I think the market in Cambridge might be slowing down a bit, or it could be the time of year.

Too much clutter on surfaces and top of cupboards .
get rid of the pushbike straight away - all screams lack of storage . In a family house that’s not good .

garden is lovely though and it’s best point ! But I like gardening so that’s good.

Lose the bike.

you need a photo of the front. Doesn’t have to be the first photo but you need it

dining room? Off the kitchen needs to be set up for more than two people.

one of my friends lives near you and it’s a very desirable location. Any family looking to buy will
want bike storage - do you have a shed or similar?

car parking is also often a massive issue in the centre of Cambridge so if you’ve got it mention it and photograph it.

is the layout family friendly?

The bike in the lounge would put me off. I’d be worried that the area wasn’t safe if you couldn’t have a bike storage in the garden.

I get some people struggle to envisage things so I think the garden would benefit from a table and 4 chairs rather than just the lonely two. Is that a laptop in the kitchen? If so it would be better placed somewhere else like on the desks of the bedroom. I think the kitchen would be better without the sofa in there and moving the table and chairs out as people may think the kitchen isn’t big enough to seat 4 people at the table. You look like you have large enough living rooms so it’s basically making sure the house has the space downstairs for the number of beds and vice Versa.

Its a lovely house. It will probably come down to how you price it. The market is not great, but if its competitively priced I can't see any reason why someone wouldn't want to buy it.

Looks very nice, agree about bike

Get rid of the bike and both the sofa's in the kitchen and the bedroom. I would also remove the desk that sticks out into them middle of the room in the bedroom.

The original features are lovely and will appeal to many, particularly the sort of people who are attracted to living in Cambridge.

My only issue was the room in photo three. It looks like a load of furniture has been crammed in and it might be difficult to actually open the external door? It may just be the way the photo has been taken.

I really like it.

Wh uh is there a bike in the living room? Apart from that it’s good. It’ll come down to price and location which we can’t see from the photographs.

It all looks nice and I suspect will also look good in real life. I know people aren't buying your furnishings, but buy some cheap cushion pads from dunelm to plump up your cushions for the photos. You want to give the quiet luxury vibe and flat cushions give student vibes. For the photos ensure all curtains are pulled back fully and hanging straight, it just makes the room looked cared for.

I love your en suite

I think it's lovely but ditch the bike.

Photo 6 is hard to get your head round - is that a random wall behind the bed? And the dressing room seems very cramped, it’s a bit claustrophobic for me.

It just needs a light sort out
For example, Pic 11 - take the things off the top of the bookcases.

It's a lovely house. At the right price is should sell no problem.

Lovely house but your details are on the link and it's easy to find out who you are with a quick Google. Please amend!

OP, Be aware that clicking on the dropbox photos shows your real name...

I think the dressing room is behind the wall