Can't sell our house..

fudgecat

I have just been helping my daughter sell her ex council house, so please take my comments in the spirit of one who wishes to help - not be rude! Immediate impressions are that the Estate Agent has takebn highly unproffessional pictures whihc do not show the house in its best light.
Get some flowere tubs either side of the door front and back and cut back that hedge at the front. All the white goods and darker pine units make the kitchen look very bitty and this can make it appear smaller that it needs to be. Could p[aint unit doors white to match? You need some focal feature in the living room to warm it up (flowers?). Bedroom colour schemes are not for your husband at this stage but for prospective buyers - crack out the paint can!
Definitely declutter for the complete set of pictures that you should be demanding from your estate agent - and try to keep it looking like that for viewings. Not easy with kids, I know, but necessary!
A nip and a tuck will show your house in its best light.

doolallygal

fudgecat wrote: »

I have just been helping my daughter sell her ex council house, so please take my comments in the spirit of one who wishes to help - not be rude! Immediate impressions are that the Estate Agent has takebn highly unproffessional pictures whihc do not show the house in its best light.
Get some flowere tubs either side of the door front and back and cut back that hedge at the front. All the white goods and darker pine units make the kitchen look very bitty and this can make it appear smaller that it needs to be. Could p[aint unit doors white to match? You need some focal feature in the living room to warm it up (flowers?). Bedroom colour schemes are not for your husband at this stage but for prospective buyers - crack out the paint can!
Definitely declutter for the complete set of pictures that you should be demanding from your estate agent - and try to keep it looking like that for viewings. Not easy with kids, I know, but necessary!
A nip and a tuck will show your house in its best light.

Not at all rude, very helpful infact
Never having sold before this is all new, so any comments are helpful.

Unfortunately the bushes out the front are council owned, not sure whether we could do anything with them.

But painting the kitchen units sounds like a good idea.

And yes, de-clutter is definatly required - in fact I am off upstairs now to make a start :T

Just our of interest has your daughters house sold, and did youdo viewings 'before' sorting out, or did you get sorted first then get viewers. If the former did you get differing feedback from viewings?

thanks

doolallygal

Well this is what I'm up against, I mentioned to hubby that I was going to get the spare (awful orange) room painted and the reply was 'can you let me finish the other jobs before giving me more' I said that I would do it and he said he'd still get roped in somehow.

He also said that painting the spare room won't sell our house.

Why do I bother.

Wind gone out of sails...:(

puddy

does he want to move?

amblondon

Don't give up! If you want to do it, do it.

We sold our house recently and spent three days before putting it on the market laying down turf (OK it is a tiny garden but it still took me a whole day to dig up, flatten, remove the 25 rubble sacks of earth etc. etc.), touching up woodwork in the kitchen, skirting boards doors etc. where the paint was chipped, sealing cracks, shipping some stuff off to self-storage, getting just the right number of books on the bookshelf etc. etc. I was shattered at the end of it. No idea whether it helped or not but the photos looked great and we got an offer quickly (we're in London though) - so either way it was a great investment of time. And for however long you're living in the house before you sell it you'll enjoy the benefits of your spring clean / tidy up

Go for it!

doolallygal

puddy wrote: »

does he want to move?

More than I do - he just thinks the house will sell itself. However judging by all the replies on here we have a lot of work to do to sell.

I'll get there - or be done for murder...:rotfl:

lincroft1710

doolallygal wrote: »

But why isn't it a good area? I know quite a few years ago it wasn't the most sulubrious(sp) of places, but I can honestly say, hand on heart. In the 8 years of living there we have had NO trouble, whereas my in laws (who apparently live in a much better area) have had the following;
My car broken in to and stereo stolen,
Wheels nicked and car left on bricks
Car broken into and sat nav stolen.

we've had NOTHING, this area has got a bad name and you just can't shift it.

It's so frustrating, we are having to give our house away (and before anyone starts about pricing, please read other posts which confirm the price) because of peoples (incorrect) preconceptions...

Reputations are hard to change. Castle Road area is expensive and sought after, yet they have a neighbourhood police "office" and I understand there has been drug problems. At least one shop has had its window broken (which may have been an accident rather than outright vandalism).

hcb42

it has taken us nearly a year to get house ready to market....!

Dont know if you remember House Doctor,. but the clutter would put me right off. Start with the Kerb appeal ( many people drive past first, and simply dont even pursue a viewing if they dont like what they see..) Walk through each room and critically appraise it, write a list of jobs to do. Unfortunately this often means fixing the problems which have niggled you for years! Look at houses that sell really quickly in your area, or houses you are attracted to and follow their progress via rightmove etc. FTB wont have the money to redecorate and you are mostly in FTB territory really.

i dont think you are overpriced, it is not as simple as no sale means price is too high. Purchases are much more complex than that!

gemmalouanna

Bet a massive tidy and de-clutter will make a great difference to your house

asharon

SUrely since you are wanting to sell it makes more sense to get rid of the orange because you cant take it with you and it would make it more appealing.