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Original poster

Please give me your opinion on my home

95 replies

jenniepanda · 25/02/2010 21:05

So, we've been on the market almost 3 years and are just considering taking it off as I can't bear the uncertainty anymore. However I just wondered if it was worth posting on here to ask opinions. We are using housenetwork really because both DH and I have such strong opinions that everyone looks on rightmove for houses. We have have 3195 hits on the website, but only 10 viewings and none since last september.

I know that a lot of people don't like having so many photos, but to be honest I'd rather the people that viewed knew that they already liked what they were viewing, rather than wasting my time.

So here it is my home

Honest opinions welcomed!

OP posts:
nancy75 · 25/02/2010 21:08

its not working

McDreamy · 25/02/2010 21:09

I can't get the link to work

OldLadyKnowsNothing · 25/02/2010 21:09

Your link's not working; it goes to rightmove, but not to any particular house.

thisisyesterday · 25/02/2010 21:10

link doesn't work

GrendelsMum · 25/02/2010 21:13

Well, the house looks fine. Nothing to put me off, but nothing to make me say 'I must have that one' - in the pictures, it looks like more of a head than a heart house, iykwim.

I think the problem is that there are an awful lot of other houses on the market at much the same price, and there's no particular reason to choose yours rather than any other.

Not a very helpful comment, probably, I'm afraid.

Original poster
jenniepanda · 25/02/2010 21:15

oh dear, thanks for looking! - try this
link

OP posts:
thisisyesterday · 25/02/2010 21:21

agree, it looks very nice. a bit too white for my liking but that wouldn't put me off lol

um, i dunno, the garden isn't huge for a big family home i suppose, but again, that wouldn't necessarily put me off.

the only thing i can think is that it's overpriced maybe? but i only say that as a southerner who thought that houses up north were cheap

Drusilla · 25/02/2010 21:21

I think there are too many photos - what you see on the site should be just enough to pique your interest and arrange a viewing. There's obviously nothing wrong with the house, so I think if you have been on the market you may have to consider that the problem is the asking price?

Miamla · 25/02/2010 21:25

it looks nice but as grendelsmum said, nothing that jumps out at me and says 'buy me'

something you could definitely do is get some colour/softness into your dining room

Lizzylou · 25/02/2010 21:29

OK, I have a very similar house up North as well, I think your house is cheap for the price! Ours is v slightly smaller and is worth more by quite a bit, but may be a better location, I don't know, am not close by (East Lancs).

I'd say, get rid of the garden shots where it shows how overlooked you are OR get some mature shrubs/bamboo/whatever to block this out. Also, could you borrow a full length dining table for the dining room? That table is almost identical to our kitchen table.
White and neutral is good, blank canvass and makes rooms look bigger.

Chorley is a nice area, your house is lovely, it should sell, have you thought about changing Estate agents??? If you've been on that long then they may have just lost impetus.

havoc · 25/02/2010 21:30

I think that if a house has been on the market for a long time, buyers assume there must be something wrong with it.

Have you had any feedback from the agent?

ConnorTraceptive · 25/02/2010 21:34

I think there are too many photos and some of them probably don't do the house justice. I would get rid of all the bathroom photos (nothing wrong with the bathroom but the photo's make it look small), the dining room photo's, nursery photo's (looks to cramped with the furniture (again may not be the actual case) and the 2nd reception room photo's.

It does look like a lovely house but you need to give people a reason to view i.e they have no idea what all the rooms look like!

Pollybloodyanna · 25/02/2010 21:34

how does the price compare to other local houses?

i think every house will sell at the right price...

have you discussed price with other local agents?

(the house looks nice to me btw, so it must either be the price, or are you next to a motorway/ex-offenders hostel/redlight area?)

havoc · 25/02/2010 21:35

Has anything sold near you recently?

westender · 25/02/2010 21:35

It looks like a lovely house.

What I would give to live in a house that tidy and clean .

I think too many photos may have the effect of people feeling that they have seen all there is to see and so don't need to come and view it ifkwim, so I would go for less photos, just choose the best ones.

Also it looks like the photos haven't been taken with what I think is called wide angled lens, which estate agents usually use to basically make your rooms look wider and bigger than they really are, so that may be putting people off as they are thinking it doesn't look as big as other places they are seeing photos of.

Original poster
jenniepanda · 25/02/2010 21:37

Thanks for all the comments. We have reduced it by about 20k since it first went on. Feedback is always that they really like it but...2 people said it was out of their price range an a couple of others that it wasn't big enough. I stuck with white to encourage people to see it as a blank canvas, but agree the dining room does look a little stark in the photos. The dining room an utility room are actually a garage conversion.

Our next step at Easter was going to be to try a high street agent, but we would need to get a HIP as we've been on so long we didn't need one then!

OP posts:
HeadFairy · 25/02/2010 21:40

Its a little too stark for me downstairs, blank canvas is all very well, but it's not terribly homely to be all white and stark. Like your bedroom though, lovely bed! I know people are supposed to look past decor, but it's hard to feel wowed by something that's so clinical. Sorry if that's harsh. I spent months house hunting last year and I was so fed up of all the white and cream houses. I was dying for a bit of colour!

IsItMeOr · 25/02/2010 21:40

I think you may have too many pictures.

I'm afraid that there was no room that grabbed me, although I think your garden looks lovely.

For me, the downstairs is very bare and white, and I didn't spot any window dressings at all, only very utilitarian blinds at a couple of windows. The rooms look too empty, as if you don't have enough furniture to fill them. I found it hard to believe any children live there! Have you over-neutralised/de-cluttered, maybe?

The upstairs rooms have more personality, although I have to say not all to my taste. But I think it's the downstairs that you need to focus on if you want to grab people.

IsItMeOr · 25/02/2010 21:43

Sorry - hope that wasn't too blunt .

pollywollydoodle · 25/02/2010 21:44

too many photos
i don't imagine people spend too much time glancing thru, it's all about first impressions

i had to remind myself to check how many rooms there were i thought fewer than there were because many views of the same room

would prob just pick front view, master bed and 1 reception room to give people an idea...and get them in

i'd definitely drop the one of the road and the one that shows how overlooked you are. and really wouldn't bother with dd's room, toilet,bathroom or office.

NorrisMcWhirter · 25/02/2010 21:45

Not very helpful but I'd put a rug in the lounge, it looks a bit cold. Not saying this will sell your house though! Good luck

thisisyesterday · 25/02/2010 21:46

yes, actulaly the picture of the rtoad made me think you had included it because you live right by a road or something.
but when i checked the map you don't

so it could be offputting

Monty100 · 25/02/2010 21:47

That's a lovely house.

I agree with the comments above, too many photos, don't show the nursery and bathrooms, that's all really personal. Also I think a rug in the lounge and maybe a nice mirror/picture would soften it a bit. I think the hall could be softened too.

I must congratulate you on your tidyness, it really is lovely, would buy it tomorrow if I was looking there.

Original poster
jenniepanda · 25/02/2010 21:50

lol - why can't people who actual view it give this sort of feedback! The picture of the road is supposed to show how nice the view from the front is, you can actually see the canal and boats on it from our bedroom.
I can assure you it doesn't usually look so tidy!

OP posts: