Please help me sell this house

*Dory*

http://www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-12880086.html?locationIdentifier=REGION^19387&sortByPriceDescending=false&minBedrooms=3&pageNumber=1&fromSummary=true&backToListURL=/property-for-sale/find.html?locationIdentifier=REGION%5E19387&sortByPriceDescending=false&minBedrooms=3

Although we don't need to sell quickly for financial reasons we have bought another house that we are in the process of refurbishing and would like this one to go quickly.
The agent originally valued it at £80k but we put it on lower to hopefully gain a quick sale That was 2 months ago and despite reducing it to £65k we have only had 4 viewers
The area isn't the best but this is now the 3rd lowest price house in the area and the other 2 need complete redecoration.

We need your help please

carolinosourus

I don't really have any advice but I had a quick look and even from looking at the thumbnails it looks very cluttered, especially the kitchen surfaces. I think it's in HouseDoctor that she goes on about a cluttered house indicating that there's not enough storage.
Also that burgundy wall in the living room feels very over-powering and makes the room look incredibly small and narrow. Would you be able to paint that a more neutral colour?

It's difficult when selling as you need something that's neutral enough so that buyers can imagine themselves in there, but that you can still live in without it being totally impractical and let's face it, I don't know many people that can work, deal with kids and have a house like a show-home!

Edit: I love shows like HouseDoctor and get frustrated with sellers who don't want to change anything even to make their house more neutral and less 'personal', but also get frustrated with potential buyers who comment on the furniture... It's like, it'll be going with the seller, you don't have to worry about it, just look at the house not the furniture!

andyslinz

Maybe the photos are a bit cluttered looking, would probably get more attention if the rooms were more minamilistic.

Thats just what I feel having looked at lots of property lately.

Sugarhunny1

My 1st thoughts are that the garden looks a bit messy, Could you cut back the bushes etc and give the fence a quick coat of paint? 1st impressions count and thats the 1st thing people see.

Sugar xxx

Essex_Maid

It looks a nice house.

Advice in posts below are good.

What does your EA have to say about so few viewings? Can you push them to promote your house more?

Take on the advice below. Do some declutteting, and tidy the garden then ask the agent to take some new photos.

Then take a good look at your EA. Your contract time with them will be running out in a few weeks. I would go on to Right Move - call up all the properties in the area plus a couple of miles, and see how many are STC and make a note of the agents. Then I would "save" all similar properties on the Rightmove site, and check them on a weekly basis to see if any houses are selling, and if so which agents are doing the business. If you have had no luck, then in the 10 days before your minimum contract runs out, from your research of the agents get the best ones round for a valuation and take it from there to decide if you need a new agent.

If having done all of the above and if the market in your area is really dead, find out what the rental market is like by talking to your agent, and doing a similar research on Rightmove. It may not be what you want, but it is good to have a back-up plan just in case.

penguine

I have to agree that it looks cluttered. If you are keen to sell it might be worth putting some of your things into storage to open up the space and make it look larger. Otherwise it is a nicely presented property and the lack of viewers might just be down to economic conditions in your area rather than anything else.

tek-monkey

That aint cluttered, Look what I found whilst trying to buy.

TBH the house looks good to me, if only I could get a place for £65k round here!

EDIT: Can you get a rear garden pic? Also a floorplan? Both things I looked for, no idea if others do.

Fire_Fox

*Dory* wrote: »

Although we don't need to sell quickly for financial reasons we have bought another house that we are in the process of refurbishing and would like this one to go quickly.
The agent originally valued it at £80k but we put it on lower to hopefully gain a quick sale That was 2 months ago and despite reducing it to £65k we have only had 4 viewers
The area isn't the best but this is now the 3rd lowest price house in the area and the other 2 need complete redecoration.

We need your help please

Your house looks cared for, and I like your taste. However you have very obviously outgrown the house, there is far too much furniture and nick-nacks: if you have outgrown it then your prospective buyer will worry about doing the same.

You have a small sofa blocking what I think is the patio doors to the rear. Either remove one sofa or put that one under the window opposite (where TV is) and open up the space.

Your dining room should be just that - now it's completely dominated by the American fridge-freezer. Can you get rid of the dresser and rearrange the table and fridge? Can you swap the fridge-freezer for a smaller one say from your new house?

Kitchen is a good size, yet there appears to be no useable worktop space. Again way too much stuff especially the pan rack on the ceiling. Virtually everything should be in cupboards, so box up things you don't use regularly. I'd remove the butcher's block trolley, it's lovely but again every bit of wall and floor is stuffed with furniture.

Main bedroom: the wardrobes make the room look very small and dark. Can you take the top boxes down, lighten up the wardrobe doors and change the dated handles?

carefullycautious

Agree with above, however it is a lovely home just way too cluttered.

Another gripe of mine is people who tile their bathrooms with white tiles and then place black ones ad hoc in no particular design?Im not sure why I am so put off by this but it drives me mad and i want to take the tiles off and either replace with all white or have a proper pattern. It looks as if you either ran out of white tiles or broke some and just replaced with black.

Sorry not helpful, for 65 thousand I would have thought someone would have jumped at it as I too like your house.

Declutter declutter and then the wine painted walls will not seem so oppressive.

Good Luck

sammyjammy

I didn't think it was too bad clutterwise until I saw the kitchen, you really need to get rid of some of your stuff, maybe rent a small storage unit for a couple of months, get one of the sofas in it, you need to clear desk/worktop and mantlepiece surfaces, it will make it easier to clean as well.

WestonDave

To me it all looks very busy - plants all over the place, fridge covered in magnets, cushions on all the beds etc etc. Although in principle people should be able to look at a house as empty space, all the fuss and busyness gets them away from thinking that when they move in they will have this nice clean and tidy spacious new house. Most people who are moving are looking for more space because their own is cramped and cluttered - lots of personal items just makes it feel like they aren't gaining anything.