house been on the market for 3 months, 2 offers both buyers not followed through!

stolt

trying to cut a long story short, our house went on the market on the 23rd January and FTB put offer in at end of February and we accepted, they pulled out two weeks ago due to a planning application on nearby house which was going to be converted into 7 flats, the planning application was turned down and no appeal has been made. This put this FTB off so we put house back on market, in two days had another couple come round an put an offer in but because we hadn't found a house to move to the buyers wanted to move asap (because there buyer had a bridging loan on the house so was looking for a quick chain) so they ended up going for another house. So were back to square one again, we have now instructed another agent who are marketing it.

I thought the house would sell really well, its in a lovely cul de sac with only 14 houses, close to the local train station, schools, and high street. I'm amazed we haven't had more viewers than we have. its decorated modern but everyone that has seen it have said its lovely, me and wife think that its a blank canvas and people can surely see pass decor and install there own style. I've had a look on rightmove at the competition and not being big headed room sizes and decor I think is much better than anywhere else on there (but then I would say that) plus you have location, I know its a good location because we are struggling to find anywhere else like it but with just a bigger house.

We had another two couples round in the week, one mention that the back garden is small (45ft long by 26ft wide) front garden (30ft to garage plus additional lawn by 34 ft at the widest point) and the other couple said that they loved it but its at the top of their budget and will have to put there house on the market to be able to buy it (they already own a small bungalow with no mortgage and were hoping to keep it and just buy a new house) not sure if these are truths or just excuses.

I can only think that it is overpriced, but we have had four estate agents to value it and they have all come up with the same range, we went for the middle of the four for our price. he kitchen is on the small side but then only one viewer has mentioned this as con on the house so i'm assuming its the price.

frustrated now because i dont want to keep aimlessly drop price each week, me and wife are probably like the rest of the MSE'rs on here by looking on rightmove religiously each day and night including our competition, when i see some small bungalows going for not much less than ours its disheartening to say the less.

I know our price range takes us into the four bedroom house territory and that could be causing issues because its no bigger than a four bed house, but again surely decor and location comes into it (i know location is number two on my list), perhaps the market is very slow, i keep hearing people say it is but looking on rightmove there are houses selling in my area and my price range.

well my ramble is finished, heres the link for the two estate agents on rightmove. i would appreciate constructive comments.

new agents details.
http://www.rightmove.co.uk/viewdetails-15325721.rsp?pa_n=1&tr_t=buy

and agents details where it has been on with since january
http://www.rightmove.co.uk/viewdetails-6479937.rsp?pa_n=1&tr_t=buy
(we ended up sending the pictures to the agent after previous comments from the lovely members of MSE)


thanks

nelly_2

Drop the price.....and try to get some more logs in the fire

meanmachine_2

These threads always end in the OP being upset and defensive, but here goes...

Stamp duty on this property is a whopping 9000K
You've changed the property from a 4 to a three bed
Interiors are straight out of Property Ladder, but not very practical for a family, I'd suggest.
Quite boxy property, with smallish garden, on a road with identical (?) properties.

Dunno, could be any of these - plus the planning application issue would also put me off.

Having said that, links to London are good, so I can't see why it wouldn't sell eventually.

The price just puts it into a weird area.

stolt

OK to the two people that have replied, do you think if it was marketed around the 292k mark it would bring more interest at the end of the day whatever i dont get for this I will have to find the mortgage for on the new property.

I've not changed the property from a four to a three we bought it like that, the fourth bed cuts the the master room in two (going from other houses in the cul de sac)

whats property ladder? and I have my family being brought up in it now and it's not a problem, three young girls, it's basically the reason that we want/need to move because our third daughter. I don't understand about the suggestion that it;s not practical for a family, do you think that carpet would appeal to more family buyers, if so I could go out and get some cheap carpet installed downstairs, I thought the original parquet flooring would be huge selling point.

back garden, 45ft long by 26ft wide seems about average around this way, even with some of the 400k houses we were looking at the garden was just a tad wider but not longer.

I know the interior wont appeal to everyone, but its not as if we have used garish colours or used horrible wallpaper that the buyer may think its going to take me weeks just to get it how they like it.


the planning application as i say was declined and no appeal has been made and I'm confident it will never be given for flats, but then prospective buyers do not know about the planning application anyway the FTB's brother in law is a local estate agent and he mentioned it.

nelly_2

Its quite a funky/modern house inside actually, I like it, but from the outside it looks like the sort that older people would buy.

I work in about 200 'n odd houses a year so I see a lot.

meanmachine_2

stolt wrote: »

the planning application as i say was declined and no appeal has been made and I'm confident it will never be given for flats, but then prospective buyers do not know about the planning application anyway the FTB's brother in law is a local estate agent and he mentioned it.

THey would when a survey was done.

I like the interior, but I'm a single bloke. I can't really judge how family friendly or not it is.

I doubt dropping the price to 292K would have much effect.

Dunno. There's nothing really wrong with it - which is good - but also a bit baffling, as you say.

Since January there have been two interest rate rises, which might well have had an effect.

Ask the agent. Change agents. The usual guff.

Maybe it's just "gone stale" and needs a new agency to market it.

stolt

nelly wrote: »

Its quite a funky/modern house inside actually, I like it, but from the outside it looks like the sort that older people would buy.

I work in about 200 'n odd houses a year so I see a lot.

yeah i take you point on that, rayleigh is a old town (very small, mostly OAPs) but is very safe etc, its why i like it, I think our house typical of what is in rayleigh, there are a few new build plots but they haven't got the location, with the town being so old there are no areas for building apart from further out in the fields, but thats a good 2-3 miles from the train station, high street etc.

frustrating, keep hearing that houses are going up, many buyers are clambering after the same house but not mine!!

stolt

meanmachine wrote: »

THey would when a survey was done.

I like the interior, but I'm a single bloke. I can't really judge how family friendly or not it is.

I doubt dropping the price to 292K would have much effect.

Dunno. There's nothing really wrong with it - which is good - but also a bit baffling, as you say.

Since January there have been two interest rate rises, which might well have had an effect.

Ask the agent. Change agents. The usual guff.

Maybe it's just "gone stale" and needs a new agency to market it.

As I say we are currently bringing three young girls up in the house so theres no problem with it being modern. With regards to the planning application it;s not as if i'm covering anything up, it was declined, no appeal, if and maybe when a appeal is lodged i will have to advise people and then maybe take it off the market until the appeal has been decided.

As I say the house went on with the new estate agent (lewis knight), only on monday and it did take us 5 weeks until we got the first offer.

yeah have a point with the interest rates, to be honest those increases have nearly priced our next step up impossible as well.


i'm in two minds to wait until next year and see what happens with the market, perhaps things will drop a little so i can i afford our next house, yes i know ours will drop but its all relative so i may be in a better position to buy then.

at the end of the day its either

overpriced
or as you say market has gone stale or the possible rate increases have made buyers decide to wait a few months.

Bogof_Babe

What's wrong with the kitchen? I notice no pics, and only 7' in width. Is this putting people off perhaps? Don't know about most women, but it is certainly the first thing I look for when viewing Rightmove properties or house makeover progs.

CB1979_2

not particularly big for a "family kitchen" or is the family kitchen/brakfast room that everyone wants now, you know the ones with the french doors out onto the patio......

seven-day-weekend

This is possibly me being a skinflint, but it seems a lot of money for a realtively ordinary house.

Then again, I'm not used to prices in the South-East.