Arghh how rude!

mishmash

Well, The viewer actually turned up this time (which is a bonus). The feedback was that my house is too small.

I am a bit confused, I am almost the cheapest 3 bed on Rightmove (in my postcode area), as I have said before there are only 3 cheaper that are really in a state. Going off my floor plans and room size it is also one of the biggest in it's price range. The EA said they have said the same about every house they have viewed. Maybe with all the talk of HPC he thinks he can get a mansion for under £100k.

My house is the cleanest it has ever been though, which is nice.

I have noticed lots of people driving round and looking (very easy to notice as it is in a cul-de-sac, I am really not a curtain twitcher).

So I have been on the market a fortnight, one 'no show' one turned up but house is 'too small'. Given that the market is in such a bad place, and people say this is a slow time of year, am I right to think things are going okay? I thought I will see how things go in September and if no luck, drop the price a little more. Does that sound sensible?

The house my OH is selling has had no interest in 4 weeks!!!

Thanks for all your support and interest.

Mish

Davesnave

'Too small' is one of the less creative reasons for dismissing a house. We've also had 'too big.' Both make you wonder why all the room sizes are on Rightmove. I mean, if a house has a 8' 2" wide dining room, I know our table isn't going in there......etc.

Thought I'd just give you a few more from our collection:

'The garden is too big' - it says 'good sized garden.'

'It isn't in the right catchment area for school x' - that's right, but you knew that before viewing.

'It's overlooked at the front.' - the 'overlooking' houses are more than 100' away!

'We don't want to share the rear access gate with the neighbour' - we are the only two houses out of 40 in the road with a very handy rear access.

'We've heard the neighbour has students.' - Yup, it's tax free, rent a room scheme; they're lone Chinese or Japanese medical students in their final year who work very hard. We don't hear them and rarely see them. He doesn't have a barking dog, noisy kids or wild parties though.

But the best one was: 'We don't know what to do with the extra downstairs room.' - !!!!?

I know people are 'phoned by agents and expected to give reasons on the spot for rejecting houses they feel vaguely ambivalent towards, and that's why the 'too big/ small / space doesn't work for us' reasons are trotted out.
Also, it is often safer to do that than give real reasons, which might reveal prejudices or cause embarrassment.

Two viewings in a fortnight is OK at the moment, even if one was a no show.
You only need one buyer. The problem at the moment is finding a proceedable buyer.

dubsey

We have said a house was too small before, even though sizes were on the details. They had hardly any pictures so you couldn't really tell from that either. In the details it said hallway, it had no hall just a small square carpet. The details of the lounge didn't say that the downstairs loo ate into a big portion of it and the picture of the kitchen/dining room didn't make it obvious that the dining table was really built for Barbie and friends and that the agent had measured into a walk-in cupboard.

The same went for upstairs, one bedroom taken up with the master bed en-suite, one with the bathroom and one with an airing cupboard. None of that is mentioned on the details. Just because a house looks great in pictures and the room sizes look good doesn't mean they are. We looked at over 50 properties when we bought this house and stopped paying so much attention to the numbers in the details (unless they said bed 3 5'x5' which one house did, or the worst that had bed 2 18'x 4', bed 3 18'x3' :eek: ).


EA do get things on the details wrong so when you have a viewing make sure you have shown every room to it's maximum potential. If you know yourself the room isn't large, make sure it's not filled with large furniture (even if you need to borrow smaller pieces from someone) and make sure it's full of light. Showhomes leave all the lights on even during the day to give the impression of space, not saying you need a large electricity bill, but you need to follow the same tactics.

mishmash

Thanks, I have double checked the details and they are'nt misleading, the photos are ok, one of all the rooms.

I have decluttered, and for each viewing put all the little ones toys in the boot of my car or the shed, not much more I can do, I have also done the leaving the lights on thing. I am not worried yet, only been on the market a fortnight and not needing to move, just wanting to. If prices continue to fall then whatever I loose on this sale I will make on the next purchase. I owe very little on this house so could take a few cuts if I needed to.

If that all fails I could always extend this one-which is my plan B.

I think that it is easier to say 'too small' when the EA asks, rather than say did not feel right or whatever. It is strange that the EA said he had viewed lots of houses with them and said the same thing, mine was one of the largest houses. However I will not worry too much just yet.

Mish

bdon

mishmash wrote: »

Well finally got house on the market, I know bad time and all that. However we really need a bigger house. I did all the stuff it says on here, mine is almost the cheapest (4th cheapest) in a few mile radius. The only cheaper ones are "do ups" that do not have the space and really are not as nice ( by that I mean bathroom and kitchen done, ready to move into type) and they are only 5 to 10 grand cheaper

The property went on the agents website on Thursday and by the evening I had a call saying a couple wanted to view today, which was a bit shocking but was pleased.

So after a week of the holidays with my 4 being at home I had to kick them all out yesterday and spent the day cleaning, I have never known my house be so clean and tidy.

This morning the agent called to say the couple had driven round the area and did not like it so did not want to view! Just a bit cross I took a day off to spend scrubbing when I could have been out in the sun with my kids.

The area I live is not the nicest, I am told if I moved my house to the other side of my area (still the same postcode) I could fetch over 50k more, would a potential buyer not know that? I am thinking that they may have driven down my street to see my horrid neighbour from hell's overgrown garden.

Oh well at least I have a clean house and the sun is shining- I suppose I will have to get used to this!

Mish

Buying a house is a major financial decision that should not be taken lightly. Most buying guides recommend a drive past, at least two viewings, visiting the area at night and at weekends, and doing a very thorough inspection including checking measurements of key rooms.

Better to have missed an appointment than to have them pull out during the transaction because they changed their mind.

Sarahsaver

The neighbouring property to me is a 3 storey house split into flats.
When i came back off holiday i had a note through the door from the landlord asking me to clean up some 'spilt soil in the front garden' and to tell me that an overflow pipe had some water dripping! (Isn't that what they are for???)
I was right in my hunch, one of the flats was vacant and he had people coming to view it. Selfish git! My front garden is tidy, the soil was from DS emptying a dead plant to find bugs.
When he showed prospective tenants round he even stood in front of the fence so they couldn't see me in MY garden hanging out my washing! We keep the lawn cut and have loads of plants and veg NEAT and healthy looking .
no doubt he didnt let it and it will be my fault!
Dread to think what he would be like if he decides to sell the property.

Shoulda told him about the domestic bust ups his tenants have, how one of them has a large commercial vehicle that causes an obstruction in our small street, how they never recycle and consequently their bins always overflow...

i think you can tell a lot about a neighbourhood by looking at the bins!

mishmash

Just an update.

Got back from our jollies early hours of this morning and have a viewer wanting to come tomorrow. God only knows where I will hide all the washing and ironing (4 suitcases of it!).

I was kind of expecting it, for a few days before I went away a couple drove past, walked past a couple of times over the weekend (day and night) and I even saw them out the back on the fields trying to look over the fence into my garden. I must say that gave me quite a fright as I was out feeding the cat. Looks like they are serious though, the EA said they asked to view as soon as I got home but she was able to appeal to their better nature and explained I would need at least 24 hours to get settled.

Fingers crossed

lotto-dreamer

Best of luck. I've had no more viewings for ages.

You could put all the washing and ironing in the boot of car for quick tidy away!

Someone on the forum suggested that if you have the sort of bath with removable front panel -there is lots of space behind there for emergency tidying up too- lol.

donkeyman18

Your house isn't selling because it's too expensive.
It's that simple.

mishmash

donkeyman18 wrote: »

Your house isn't selling because it's too expensive.
It's that simple.

Lol Bless you, I have not asked the question why my house is not selling, I will not go through all the posts now but it has been up just over a month and have had 3 viewings (though 1 was a no show). Given that the market is in such a state and this time of year is often slow in house buying I am not a bit worried. My house is priced £10 to £20 K under those that are similar and have recently sold. I have taken all the advice I could from this site. If it does not sell I am not too bothered.

But thank you anyway for your advice, comment, concern (or whatever your post was intended to be).

Mish x