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 says in the very first paragraph that it’s not on the market yet🤦🏻‍♀️

Its mostly about price at the moment OP. Get that bit wrong and you will just sit on the market. When getting agents to suggest marketing start price - you really should focus on pushing them for a price that will attract as much interest as possible - its tough out there. Cost is king.

Clear all horizontal surfaces then stand back, look at it and decide what is allowed to be on display and add a couple of things back. It is possible to overdecluttter

In my neighbourhood also. It’s only when you look again and think practically, you realise… huh… where do they put their phone when they plug it in to recharge? You realise there’s no bedside lockers etc… ! Still moving out some furniture gives such an impression of space…

Good advice, it ultimately won"t come down to whether a bike appears in a photo (makes a change from moving pot plants around though) use a price tracker like PropertyLog to see what other sellers are doing, if they are busy reducing their prices you will just waste your time trying to get the same price you paid five years ago or whatever.

Ok, so in Parkside catchment with that many bedrooms presume you are looking for well over a million.

other markets as well as down from Londoners are also international people coming for Cambridge uni - Parkside run the IB in sixth form which is popular with international students.

so yes, I’d pay to get a gardener in and brighten the garden up significantly with stuff that’s bright colours now, plus do some serious decluttering.

you’ve got some good period features plus great glass extensions.

I don't think Parkside have a sixth form now, I'm sure I read they had dropped it. In any case, it was a very small sixth form and most left after GCSEs.