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Property/DIY

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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:

LaurieFairyCake · 25/02/2010 23:02

What lou said about the price - it's either overpriced or not reaching people (ie. needs to be on with a high street agent) or nothing is selling in your area.

Whichever one it is you need to take it off for a month and repaint a few walls with warmer colours and rearrange the furniture so that you can put it on 'fresh' with a new agent.

The house itself is lovely and would cost 750k where I live

almondfinger · 25/02/2010 23:03

Turn the lights on when taking pics, get a few nice lamps to dot about. Too many pictures on the site and the overall impression I got was that it was cold - hence lights and lamps would give it that nice rosy glow. If you've got feature walls in the rooms include that in the pic.

Invest in some funky cushions for the living room.

Put a vase of flowers on the hall table.

Dont like the blinds.

Love the large hall and huge sitting room.

Kitchen way too bare, a big bowl of fruit on the counter to add colour?

Large dining area in kitchen, tiny table attached to wall?

Like the nursery and childs room.

Remove all personal items and clutter before you take your photos. There is something stacked on the chest of drawers in the second bedroom?

A nice hanging basket or potted shrub either side of the front door to make it a little less 'blank'.

almondfinger · 25/02/2010 23:05

Sorry, you do have hanging baskets, plant them up with something lush, they look empty.

TopoftheMorning · 25/02/2010 23:15

I would second putting the lights on for photos, and put it on the market with an high st agent with a shop window, who will actively market it, get people through the door and talk it up for you (and take decent photos in the first place!) Good luck!

BicycleBelle · 25/02/2010 23:24

I would second more rugs and pictures so that it looks less bare. The kids rooms look nicest because they look lived in and are painted nice colours / nice objects around. Having said that, I don't believe that things like wall colour will make much difference as everyone knows its easy to change. Without knowing anything about the area I would guess it therefore must be the price, because there is nothing about your house to put people off otherwise - it looks a lovely family house and I personally am extremely jealous! I would just lovely a utility room like that!

mumonthenet · 25/02/2010 23:33

definately agree with putting lights on - particularly table lamps. If you look at the two sites people have linked to - all rooms have lights on!

The house is fab and you don't need to replace any floor imho.

Definately too many photos but you've sorted that already.

Good luck!

noddyholder · 26/02/2010 08:06

Maybe add a bit of colour with art and flowers
Use an agent!They are a pita at times but definitely more succesful than DIY overall because a lot of people are put off by no 'point of reference' when they are negotiating.If you are desperate drop the price to the minimum you can and make it a fixed price HTH

Fizzylemonade · 26/02/2010 08:12

jennie- I sold through housenetwork, we went on September didn't have any viewings for 5 weeks then 2 people viewed, both came back for second viewings then we sold to one of them, I completed last week!

The only difference a high street agent has over housenetwork is their list of people on their books but to be fair when I was house hunting I didn't register with anyone, just used the Internet.

Friends of mine went with a high street agent and every person through the door to view their house had seen it on-line!

Re your house, it is lovely and I agree with the others a little plain, nothing grabs you but to me that is fab, we bought an ex-show house so magnolia-ville will be colour ville soon

Reduce your price a bit, and have the photo of your house taken straight on.

Good luck.

lou031205 · 26/02/2010 09:49

But jenniepanda, every road has a ceiling price, and in your road only one house has ever (since 2002!) gone for more than your asking price, and two houses at slightly below it - but they were at the height of the market.

displayuntilbestbefore · 26/02/2010 09:58

Too many photos don't give a viewer any need to come and have a look for themselves as they can see it all already.
I personally think the price is too high in this market.
Also don't like the term "offers in the region of..."
Just have an asking price and be glad of offers that come in because specifying OIRO suggests to potential buyers that unless they offer at least that amount, then you won't consider anything lower at all. You want to get the viewers in and the offers coming in and even if they are lower that you would like at least you wouldn't be putting people off offering before they've even thought about it.

Get yourself with a local agent who will work harder to sell it for you and have more of an incentive to get it sold as well as a fresh set of clients to market it to and keep on top of them. They are working for you so make them earn their commission. Ask for it to be featured as house of the week, make sure it's in the paper every week for the first few weeks they have it on their books but most importantly, reduce the price.

displayuntilbestbefore · 26/02/2010 10:04

fwiw - not everybody looks on right move and even if they do keep on top of what comes on on right move, sometimes people need a nudge to commit to a viewing and that's where a good agent comes in.
DH and I only found our current home because the agent called us as soon as a sale on it had fallen through so we were first through the door and were able to snap it up before it had been remarketed.
You need an agent who can persuade people to step in the door.

Photo tip - the dining room photo is just a photo of your dresser. No-one is interested in your dresser. The back garden shot is advertising your garden table and chairs -again, this isn't of interest to a buyer.
The child's room has too many soft toys in it, you need a photo of it with less of your own personal stuff in.
This is something that the photographer who took the snaps should know so get an experienced agent to come and take photos of the best bits to really get people thinking "Wow, this looks nice, we want to see more"
Good luck

noddyholder · 26/02/2010 10:42

My house sold in 10 days with an agent House 4 doors down which is very similar and has a room in the roof which we don't is with housenetwork and still not sold!Both went on at end of jan and we are near to exchange now.I think esp in this tough market the agent does work!

Pollybloodyanna · 26/02/2010 12:10

noddy, my sister lives in your road, and she is putting her house on the market this week too - inspired by you (and to move across the road for school catchment areas).

noddyholder · 26/02/2010 12:40

Ooh do I know her?Is her dp a teacher?Houses coming on in our road thick and fast atm

mistlethrush · 26/02/2010 12:52

I would second (third/fourth!) the suggestion for a rug in the lounge - the floor looks quite dark with the light walls - with a medium, warm-tone rug there would be less of a contrast.

Pollybloodyanna · 26/02/2010 13:01

I don't think you've met her - she's a teacher. her dp isn't. (no 13...)

havoc · 26/02/2010 13:10

Regret asking for opinions yet?

I would take a new photo of the front of the house so it looks like a new listing. Then people who have dismissed it before might take another look.
It is better with fewer photo btw.

noddyholder · 26/02/2010 13:11

Ok they are all selling now as prices have rocketed Need to be quick as surveyor not happy with price increase and making it hassley atm!

Abubu · 26/02/2010 13:23

The fact that it has been on the market for 3 years will probably put people off.

We are house hunting at the moment and to be honest with houses that look ok on paper but have been on the market for a while, we are not desperate to look because it makes us suspicious that it has been on for so long.

You probably know this already but people can see how long you have been on the market by looking at websites such as propertysnake.

I think the house looks nice personally though.

snowlady · 26/02/2010 13:32

Is there any risk of flooding from the canal? I would not choose to live near a river (risk of flooding) or a motorway (noise, pollution).

Agree with what others have said that the photos need to be improved. I would put it on with a high street agent.

House looks lovely and clean and tidy but photos probably don't do it justice.

Good luck with selling.

KoalaSar · 26/02/2010 13:43

nice house, too much pine in the dining room, get it sprayed in Farrow and Ball!

snowlady · 26/02/2010 13:54

I think the pine in the dining room is a question of taste.

I like it! We have just taken paint off some wood in our house to show the natural wood. Surely no one would mind pine furniture as seller will be taking it with them?

The dining room photo is very poor though as you can't see whole room. I think it is the photos rather than the house that are the problem.

101damnations · 26/02/2010 15:40

Oh,you live around the corner from my SIL.I think a lot of DH's nieces live on that estate too.

Wigeon · 26/02/2010 18:38

Your house looks very nice.

Having just sold our house and bought a new one, I'd say that with hardly any viewings and 3 years on the market it must be over-priced - any house will sell at the right price.

I don't buy all this stuff about presenting the house properly (eg get some rugs / paint the rooms a different colour etc) - your house is clearly in "good decorative order" and as a buyer I'd be happy to view it based on your photos. I was only put off houses which were clearly in a complete state, or where the owners had very individual taste (eg every room was painted lime green or something), which doesn't apply to your house.

I'd also agree with people who are advising to go with an agent - our house was ex-council and (according to one estate agent who came and valued it!) in "the worse street" in the town. But we had 17 viewings in the 2 weeks after it went on the market and 3 offers, and accepted an offer after 2 weeks on the market. I think it was correctly priced (annoyingly we were right up against the stamp duty threshold which was a natural limit on the price of the house though). I think the estate agents did work for their commission, by getting round genuine buyers, and we negotiated a good commission rate.

And the people who eventually bought our house weren't planning on viewing it - they were viewing another house with the estate agent and he suggested they pop round to our house, they fell in love with it and bought it. Wouldn't have happened without the agents persuading them to come round.

Gracie123 · 26/02/2010 18:46

LOVE your kitchen. Unfortunately I think the price is the problem in this economic climate.

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