Can't sell our house..

Scully38

I had a look at your house, and I agree with some of the others, there doesn't need to be huge changes or even costly ones, but there are a few things I noticed which I think need changing or to make things stand out.

Firstly, tidy up the hedge if you can by just clipping it and tidying it up, borrow someones shearers or get a gardener to come in and tidy it up, would only cost a few quid, just to smarten it up a bit as from the the first pic it looks to be obscuring the house. If you can get a hanging basket or a box of cheap flowers, put them in a container under the windowsill. It won't cost a lot of money and will help attract viewers for first impressions.

I'd also change the colour scheme in the hallway as the purple stairways and orangey walls are clashing a bit, a simple cream coat over the walls would be fine as your flooring seems fine. Just remember to keep it light and airy especially if there's not a lot of light.

In the kitchen keep it clutter free, tidy up the notice board, put everything away, including everything on top of the cabinets on the walls. Remove the speakers of the ipod station/stereo and place the unit and speakers somewhere less visible, so that the tops of the fridges and freezers are empty. Make sure you remove all the kids stickers and magnets from the stickers to make it a clean look, if you can. Also, make sure the table is in the best position, not sure what that black thing is in the corner. Put your flowers in the center of the table and coordinate your placemats to set the stage. Just make sure that there's nothing on the countertops/fridge/freezers unless its absolutely necessary, so as to show how much space is in the kitchen. You've got a great kitchen size which a lot of people want, so make the best of it. Hang up your coats etc otherwise people subconsciously feel as if there's nowhere to hang your coat etc.

I would also see if you could borrow/rent a table for the living room as it looks a bit spartan, put your CD towers on the floor not on the top, and if you're not planning on changing the colour to a cream in the living room, use the pics you have in the bedroom (pic 7) to tie the room together as they seem lilke they'd go well in the living room and appear less bare. Although it probably isn't it just seems as if everything is crammed onto one wall instead of spreading your furniture about as your living room is a good size, but it looks really long narrow in the pics.

In the bedroom 2 paint it a neutral colour even if hubby disagrees. If he likes it tell him it's no longer going to be his house, and make sure that everything that is under the bed is put into wardrobes as it just makes it look from the pics that there isn't enough wardrobe space as everything (i.e all the shoes (7 pairs and things, dumbbells) are under the bed. The bedroom colour needs to be neutral, the first bedroom seems ok apart from everything under the floor.

In the bathroom, remove all the cleaning bottles and put them under the kitchen sink , and if you can buy a little basket for all the toiletries or put your bottles in the unit. You can get paint for tiles, which might help with the stickies on their as it seems a bit dated, or get another sticky (a full block of colour if you can) and place it over the moon and sun pictrues. Use a colour that ties in with the bathroom colour scheme and towels. Get rid of your rubber ducky and put maybe some pot pouree in the bathroom give it a nice smell.

Your garden looks really nice and tidy, if you wanted to give it a splash of colour get some pot plants, or plant some bits of colour.

You've got a good house, and you wouldn't need to spend or do too much to be honest, just de personalise it, and present it in the best light, then take more photo's send it to the EA's or get them to come and do some more pics, just ask them that you want to approve which pics go up.

Also ask the EA's when they ring up and tell you about viewing times who the people are, i.e if they're single, have kids, older couple. Then when showing them round keep in mind or ask them if they have kids etc, tell them there are good schools nearby, tell older people about good transport links if there are any, and say you've got excellent quiet neighbours, very friendly. So tailor your conversations when you're showing them the rooms. Explain if you get good sunlight all day etc, so you're showing the house and people about all the good points and how great the area and neighbours are.

And good luck!

leewigan

You need to establish your target market from the viewers that you've already had.
If it's aimed at first time buyers I would certainly tone some of the decor down.
The "tango room" as I would call it needs to be more neutral and the wallpaper on the stairs is also an acquired taste which could easily put others off.
As mentioned before, the clutter needs to be addressed.

Kendall85

Hi there, I am an Estate Agent and haven't read through the whole thread but my advice based on your listing is:

- New Front Shot needed from an angle to show the front garden more.
- Kitchen - If it was me taking the picture I would of cleared the worktops apart from bare minimums (microwave etc)
- Dining Area of the Kitchen again far too cluttered..Less is more.
- Lounge is better but still less is more.
- Tango room - Splash out on some magnolia, neutralise it plain curtains and bedding... again clutter wise less is more.
- Shoe Bedroom - Again clutter.. get rid.
- Bathroom shots.... Get EVERYTHING OUT put it away.... the Flanal on the sink, the bin, the cillit bang all of it!!
- Garden isnt going to win any awards for beauty but the picture quality is awful take another.

End of the day its an ex council house in Goldington, its going to sell for about £115-£120K but you need to present it at its best.

Best of Luck.

shar46y

doolallygal wrote: »

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.

There's very few houses that "sell themselves" especially in this difficult market. I don't know your area so will not comment on the price, but surely it is only common sense to nicely present your property to appeal to buyers?

I have to be honest OP, the only photo that appealed to me was your hallway. The exterior shot totally lacked kerb appeal and if I were house-hunting (I still get the RM email updates and always glance through them, how do I break the addiction ) I wouldn't even look past that photo.

lkmartin

googler wrote: »

The EA has photographed what was there when the OP invited them in to take the photos. What's 'unprofessional' about the photography?

The shoes under the bed? Was the EA expected to move them for a 'professional' result? Or should the OP have done this?

The mismatched curtains in the bedroom? Was the EA expected to fix the tiebacks, or should the OP have done this before he arrived?

The clutter in the bathroom? Seriously, was the EA expected to move the wet flannel from the washbasin? Would you have moved it? Where to? Where do you put it down while you take the photo?

Preparation before the EA arrives is what's needed here. It's nothing to do with the EA's professionalism.

I disagree totally - what you are supposedly paying the estate agent for is there 'expertise'. You cannot remove all clutter from a house, the best you can do is photo around it, ie move everything to the side of the room that is not in the photo - the estate agent could also say (and they do!) I think the room will look better if you .........

Scully38

lkmartin wrote: »

I disagree totally - what you are supposedly paying the estate agent for is there 'expertise'. You cannot remove all clutter from a house, the best you can do is photo around it, ie move everything to the side of the room that is not in the photo - the estate agent could also say (and they do!) I think the room will look better if you .........

Trust me, the EA's have seen all sorts of houses in all sorts of states, but unless you ask the question, what can I do to prepare for my house sell and viewers, they're not going to tell you.

The EA's are there to take photo's of your property and market it, not tell the owners that their house is too cluttered/messy/undesireable in that condition. Never going to happen.

And why should the photographer photo around the mess? It's the owners mess/clutter. It's their fault if they haven't put everything away and cleaned not the EA. The EA should be photographing all the rooms, whatever is left out and looks messy is the clients fault not the EA's.

By saying "the room would look better if you did xyz." Is insulting the owners, unless they asked for advice. Seriously in these trying times, if an owner doesn't know to put everything away (and yes it is possible to have a clutter free house when you're selling) then they're muppets. There are enough programmes/advice on TV. Given the state of the market an owner should know their house must be presented in the best light. If they don't, where have they been for the last few years.

googler

lkmartin wrote: »

I disagree totally - what you are supposedly paying the estate agent for is there 'expertise'. You cannot remove all clutter from a house, the best you can do is photo around it, ie move everything to the side of the room that is not in the photo - the estate agent could also say (and they do!) I think the room will look better if you .........

If the EA is saying - in every room - "it would look better if you...." and before they take the photo, the homeowner is moving shoes from under the bed, tidying away the wire drainer and cleaning products from the sink, moving the bleach, spare toilet rolls, wet flannels from the bathroom, all the while with the EA drumming their fingers and waiting, then I'm afraid I consider that a total and utter waste of both party's time. Or are you suggesting that the EA should join in and move the owner's spare toilet rolls and wet flannels for them?

As the last poster said, if the owner doesn't know to put everything away before the EA arrives to do the photos, or get some advice from the EA so that they can sort it out first, then they're muppets.

There's been, and are still, enough programmes/advice on TV, in books and on the interweb to get them on the right lines.

doolallygal

googler wrote: »

If the EA is saying - in every room - "it would look better if you...." and before they take the photo, the homeowner is moving shoes from under the bed, tidying away the wire drainer and cleaning products from the sink, moving the bleach, spare toilet rolls, wet flannels from the bathroom, all the while with the EA drumming their fingers and waiting, then I'm afraid I consider that a total and utter waste of both party's time. Or are you suggesting that the EA should join in and move the owner's spare toilet rolls and wet flannels for them?

As the last poster said, if the owner doesn't know to put everything away before the EA arrives to do the photos, or get some advice from the EA so that they can sort it out first, then they're muppets.

There's been, and are still, enough programmes/advice on TV, in books and on the interweb to get them on the right lines.

But I did ask the estate agent for advise, and they almost seem too worried to say anything for fear of being rude. But I have said please tell me what I need to do. I said that I won't be offended, and when you live with something for so long, it gets very hard to see past it, which is why you want the estate agents to be completely honest. Maybe they just can't do that...

I wouldn't expect the estate agent to move things, however I do expect them to be honest regarding getting the photo's right. And they don't seem to be very good at that., and telling me what I need to do.

I am not a muppet, every time I speak to the estate agent I ask for further advice, but we always get told 'everything is fine, we just need to get the right people in'. I am trying my best but if people I am paying aren't giving me advice, what else can I do?

googler

But you've been told in this thread what you need to do. Why is your response to go and ask the agent what you need to do?

You don't need to ask the agent, you just need to get the house in order yourself and invite him/her back to redo the photos. Disregard what they say and sort it out with the benefit of all the advice you've had in the last five pages of this thread. Go on, take the time now and read it from start to finish.

Go look at some new-build showhomes. Take note of how they're presented, come home and make yours look the same.

There's been House Doctor programmes all over the TV for years. There's books on the topic. You don't have to buy them; look in your local library. There's homestaging advice all over the internet. It's all out there waiting for you to find it. Can I refer you back to #45, and my question therein;

What did you to do to prepare the house before the photographer arrived last time?

What are you going to do to prepare it before he/she comes back, bearing in mind none of the issues raised by the various posters above are actually photographic ones.....?

evoke

Jeez.

Googler speaks sense. We've all told you what you need to do. You need to do it and stop whinging and blaming the EA. The EA is only mildly interested in selling your house. You are very interested in selling it, so you need to do the legwork and ensure that it is presented in the best possible way.

Why not pay a cleaner or a labourer £50 to clear it up and then ask the EA to send a PROPER PHOTOGRAPHER to take some DECENT PICTURES? A nicely presented house adds value and you may sell it for a few £K more than if it looks like a dump.

Stop sitting on your hands and blaming everyone else. Take some personal responsibility for the marketing of your own property if you really want to sell it.