Another house not selling - help please!

Supadupa

Hello everyone,

Just looking for a bit of advice. Our house has now been with the estate agent for about two and a half years. It's not been actively advertised during that time, I found out I was pregnant with twins after it had been on the market for 4 months so we changed our minds about moving for the short term but there was a fee to take it off the market with the estate agent and they pointed out we would need to pay for the home report again (Scotland) so we took down our for sale sign and took it off the local website although it remained on Rightmove.

Now the twins are older we are keen to move closer to the family. We considered a part exchange with a new build through Miller Homes but they turned us down because our house has been up for sale too long.

We do need to re-do the photos on the schedule and we have recently redecorated. The original home report valued the house at 220k and it currently advertised at offers over 199,995.

We've only had three viewings in all this time - first couple were just round for a nosey, the second lot really liked it but then were never seen again and the third couple said it wasn't for them.

Houses are not selling well in the street but it is difficult to make comparisons as they are all self builds and different from one another, ours is one of the smallest.

I can't decide whether to re-do the photos, reduce the price and stick with our current estate agent or walk away and start again completely-:

1. If we change agents will we need to pay for a new home report?
2. Is there anyway we can advertise our house to attract new interest - I imagine most people will have seen it already online.
3. Any other advice or words of wisdom?

Sorry for the long post and thanks in advance!

puddy

have you got a link?

robatwork

If the pictures aren't nice or it looks cluttered, declutter and take some nice pictures and remarket.

If the pictures look nice then it's overpriced. It's not what the agent thinks at all, but what buyers think - and if they aren't even viewing then it's too expensive to them, and it's only their opinion that matters in this....

A link will get you more feedback...

Thrugelmir

Supadupa wrote: »

The original home report valued the house at 220k and it currently advertised at offers over 199,995.

Lack of interest suggests it is the price.

googler

If you take it off the market for more than 28 days, you must get a new HR when you come back to market - but from the sound of it, since it's been continuously on Rightmove, that doesn't apply.

Where is/was your current agent advertising it, apart from Rightmove? Their own site? Your local SPC?

Supadupa

Thanks so far, here is the link-: http://www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-30370859.html

It was originally advertised with the estate agent, ESPC, CSPC, fish4homes, s1homes and a few others.

We have redecorated all the rooms now plus the room with the boxes is now the twins room and actually much bigger than I think it looks and the piano room is a playroom/study and also a decent size which I don't think is reflected in the photo. I think we also need a photo of the back garden which is of a good size with decking and lawn.

The estate agent did suggest reducing the price slightly but I'm not sure if that's the only issue.

I am concerned now that as its been on rightmove so long that it might be overlooked. If we were to remove it temporarily say for three weeks then would it show up as a new property?

Again advice appreciated.

Thanks

marliepanda

New pics and a new listing to make it look 'new' will help.

May just be me being dens but that just takes me to RM search page.

phoebe1989seb

Unless a property has other attributes (such as original features, wonderful garden.....and I agree with you, that as the details refer to the garden being a good size it is odd not to have pics to back this up), I usually discount houses that don't have a floorplan showing the layout in the details. For us, layout is every bit as important as room sizes/overall square footage......

Could your agent (or the new one if you change) add a floorplan?

harrup

Hello Supadup

The righmove link you gave isn't working - at least not for me - hence one cannot comment or suggest about the existing photos.

What I would like to say, though - 3 viewings in 2 1/2 speak quite loudly. Unless you live in an unbelievably remote area and/or the current photos are unbelievably unflattering.....if the price was right you should have had significantly more interest and people through your door.)

What I noted from your original post is that the sale particulars state " offers in excess of £199 995". Could be a personal quirk of mine...but I personally loathe "offers over" properties. And more often than not discount them. The ONLY type of property for which this kind of advertising is justified- IMHO! of course - are unique, one-of-a-kind, highly desirable ones which are likely to ignite a bidding war.

3 people viewing in nearly 3 years is suggestive that this may not be the optimal sale strategy for your property. Hope this doesn't come across as sarcasm, not intended that way at all. But why not consider a sensible, plain old asking price - no "offers over", "guide price of" and all that other EA double dutch speak - and see what feedback you get from that?

And definitely start afresh with another EA. New EA, new photos, new sale's approach.

Good luck

mikey_bach

what does you think then of offers in region of, does this have the same effect

girl_withno_name

For people who can't get the link to work, try this:
http://www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-30370859.html

With the exception of picture 4 (junk / dumping room?), nothing screams at me from the photos! Maybe the work surfaces in the kitchen could be cleared some more, and the boxes removed from pic 5. There appear to be some pics missing though: third (and forth?) bedrooms, bathroom, garden

Note: just noticed that this is Bedroom 4 / Dining Room, which immediately makes me think "actually 3 bedroom property, cheeky!" and muddies the waters. If I was looking for 4 bed I'd no longer be interested and if I was looking for 3 bed then I might not have looked at this (advertised as a 4 bed) in the first place, if I was looking for a 3 or 4 bed then any comparison would be against other 3 beds.