house sale - no viewings...

chrichard

We've been trying to sell our house for about 6 months now but have had 0 viewings. We bought at the end of 2006 for 92k and have spent roughly 10k on improvement since then including a new bathroom, flooring, doors, fireplace etc.

The house, as I see it, is well presented and nicely decorated. Historically, our street is very popular with houses selling quickly; we actually gesumped someone to get it ourselves..

The EA valued it at 100k, we dropped the price to 95k straight after Xmas but still nothing... Not overly impressed with EA so far, quite a few blunders getting things prepared and they aren't reliable; don't always return calls, say they'll do things but don't, left our sign broken and down for months etc.

The listing is on RM using postcode dl41bg

The only thing I see wrong with the listing is the garden fence (neighbours) which needs a few posts putting in to straighten it up. Houses nearby that are smaller and without countryside views have sold recently for high 80s.

Any thoughts? I'm thinking of trying another EA and getting a few more valuations.

quatro

My thoughts - beautiful house, beautifully presented and with good photos, but poor description of interior.
However going by details in 'Up My Street' it seems you are at the very highest end pricewise.
Its a poor market at the mo with buyers wanting bargains.
Your house would be snapped up here though - although only at the right price. Hard to say how you stand speaking as someone who knows nothing at all about your area.
I've been on the market for nearly 6 months, had loads of viewings [some like it but they haven't sold their properties] and its at a very reasonable price given that it is in excellent condition and nothing needs doing at all.
Its puzzling me too - but I've decided not to give it away and to hold onto it. My home is a little gem - so is yours, but the market is a buyers one at the moment.

chrichard

I have no deal with my EA, I didn't sign anything (wasn't given anything to sign). It's pretty difficult to judge the price I think, it's quite a small street on the very outskirts of town with just 30 or so houses. Some of these are bigger than others and condition varies wildly.

I'm thinking maybe take it off the market for a month or so and relist with a different EA, say, mid April? If I stick with both EA will I have to pay two sets of commission?

Stonk

chrichard wrote: »

I have no deal with my EA, I didn't sign anything

I'm thinking maybe take it off the market for a month or so and relist with a different EA, say, mid April? If I stick with both EA will I have to pay two sets of commission?

If you don't sign anything, you won't have to pay anyone!

The thing you're referring to is "sole agency". If you agree to an agent being a sole agent, then basically you'll have to pay them when the house sells, whoever arranges the sale. So if you've appointed two agents, and either of them are sole agents, you could end up paying both. But it's perfectly reasonable to have two non-sole agents competing to sell your house. You pay the one who introduces the eventual buyer. The percentage fee will be a bit higher for a non-sole agreement.

A sole agency agreement will have a time limit. If you sign up to one, you'll be tied into it for a couple of months typically. Negotiate the tie-in period as low as possible, because it severely restricts you if they aren't doing a good job.

phlash

Maybe - when you gazumped the original buyer, you got over excited and paid overboard in 2006.

I have seen a few people in this situation, and it is one that I can find difficult to empathise with.

chrichard

Well we offered just 2k more, which was still 3k under the asking price. When I say gazumped, we put an offer in while the house was under offer.

slobs

Ok my thoughts as a potential buyer:

No mention of parking and no front shot of the house - therefore no idea what the house actually looks like. This alone would make me dismiss it.
Garden fence is a problem, buyers won't know whose it is and the bill to replace that much fencing can run into £1000s.

Picture of kitchen makes it look narrow and bin in the middle just emphasises the lack of space.

Bedroom shot make the room look small and cramped.
The rest of the house looks very nice and spacious. I think better photos of kitchen/bedroom and one of the frontage would help enormously.

phlash

If someone tries to sell me an apple for £10 and I buy it for £8, it does not necessarily mean I've got a good deal.

Anyway, I wish you the best of luck with the sale, but do keep an eye on the market and make sure your pricing is reasonable. It might be worth lowering it by £5k, I suspect that the housing market will see some more falls as more supply returns to the market.

poppysarah

Agreed - no front of house pic is always concerning.

Engelbert

My thoughts for what they are worth!

Nice house, so this is nitpicking a little
But in addition to what has already been said

Floorplan would be helpful
pictures of bedrooms 2 & 3
Retake picture of kitchen without the bin and mop
Can the estate agent put their longer, more descriptive details on rightmove as well as the brochure? I would prefer this.

Looking within 1 mile of your postcode, your price doesn;t seem wildly out. Its not the most expensive house on rightmove by far...

Horizon81

You bought it in 2006 which was when house prices were at their peak so it's unlikely you'll be able to sell it for more than you paid (despite the improvements). If you've had no viewings in 6 months then as said above, try to market it better but I strongly suspect the only thing that will get people looking is a reduced price. The problem with that area is that there are tonnes of similiarly sized terraces for sale. What differentiates your house though is the garden and good views, so emphasize the views more in the advert. And straighten that fence for sure. It would put me off!