Why isn't my house selling?

tiggerkid

Looks like a lovely location and, to be honest, nothing much wrong with the property itself for people who are looking for this type and size of house. I don't know what the local competition is like, so at the moment the only couple of points I'd make in terms of feedback from the photos are:

1) agree with one of the previous comments re garden. It could do with a little bit of a tidy. Appreciate that the weather isn't currently conducive to gardening but, perhaps, it's still worth hiring a gardener to tidy it up and make it look more presentable

2) the house seems a little on a small side, which isn't necessarily a bad thing but the furniture looks a bit overpowering for the size of the property and makes rooms look even smaller than they may appear if the furniture wasn't quite so big. For example, if you look at the room with 2 black sofas, it seems like they take up most of the space and there isn't really room for anything else. One of the sofas also makes it look like it's difficult or impossible to get to the table behind it, which only confirms the initial impression that the room is too small, which isn't necessarily the case. Personally, I'd lose one of those sofas as well as the coffee table, throw a light coloured rug on the floor to make the room appear more spacious.

Another example is a massive black/brown (can't tell from the photos, sorry) bed in one of the bedrooms. Again, the bed looks massive and overpowering for the room making it appear like there is barely enough room to walk around the bed. Appreciate that everyone would like to present as many bedrooms as doubles as possible and that one certainly is a double but I'd go for a lighter, less heavy looking bed similar to the white one in the other bedroom.

I am very sorry if this comes across as too harsh. I didn't mean it that way but if you don't think there is anything wrong with the price or location, then presentation is the only other thing that comes to my mind and because there is nothing wrong with your decor, the only observations I could summon to mind were the above ones.

I hope this doesn't come across as rude and good luck with the sale.

Emmylou_2

Beautiful views, but I'm not sure I'd be able to appreciate them cos I'm sure I'd smack my head on the ceiling in the bedroom every day. I presume it's *not* that close to the bed, but the angle the photos' taken at makes it look like you'd sit up and *BANG* *OW* etc.

Mulder00

I would buy your house tomorrow if there were suitable jobs around (which there are not )

FR_262

i agree with daisygirl.

nice property though.

jennifernil

paye wrote: »

.....my personal opinion is if I saw your house in the location it is I will probably walk away as its quite close to the sea puts me off a little as it maybe prone to flooding. That's my thoughts anyway however there are people out there who might like living near the sea.

I think you will find it is actually quite a distance from the sea, and up a hill, so zero chance of getting wet feet!!

TBagpuss

I think you could do with changing agents, the way its presented on rightmove is really poor, which is a shame, as it looks like a nie, if small property.

Specifically
- lots of duplicate photos, and the pictures are poorly done
- Why not have picture 17 as the main pic? it gives a better idea of the house, and doesn't have the slightly offputting gravel and wheelie bin of pic. 1
- I couldn't read the plan at all - it's too small, and if I enlarge it, to blurred to read. Actually more irritating than having no plan at all (And I *hate* it when there's no plan!)
- The blurb is bad. Honestly, if they have to mention the fact it has central heating and parking as 'key features' it comes across as scraping the barrel. And describing it as an ideal holiday home does give the impression that it's not suitable as a full time property (coupled with the fact the particulars mention it's a former boathouse I'd wonder if it was even available year round...)
- I agree with the PP that the placement of the 2nd sofa and the table make you living/dining room look really cramped - could you store one of the sofas elsewhere while you market the property?
-looking at pic2, the first thing I noticed was the slope of the ceiling and the lack of headroom - which looks awkward for anyone using that bed - is there any other way you could arrange the room?
- Kitchen - I can't make out what is on the surface to the right of the fridge (pic 3) but it gives the impression you're short of space (I'd also put the washing up bowl in the sink, not on the drainer
- Bedroom - is there any storage space? looking at pics 8 & 13 (which seem to be identical) there doesn't seem to be any storage space at all.

I also think it would be worth flagging up if there is room to extend - e.g. mention the storage space in the room as having scope to extend (if it does)
- "access lane" - is this a private road? if not, 'no through road' would be better, as 'access lane' makes it sound as though it's either a private road (potentially needing costly upkeep) or an unmade road (potential access / delivery issues)
- prune or remove the huge ?leylandii? by the gate. It blocks the view, makes the house look smaller and leylandii are off-putting to a lot of people.
- consider some planters with bulbs / primulas whatever to give the place a bit of colour - also, I think the combination of the way the garden looks, plus the blurb, adds to the impression that this is not somewhere which is lived in - so it emphasises the 'holiday cottage' feel.
- I agree with the suggestion to lose the word 'quirky'. Try for something like 'character' instead.

Minor point - suggest to your agent that they give room dimensions in Imperial, as well as metric, units.

Over all, I'd be inclined to take it off the market and start over with a new agent and new pictures in spring.

Good luck.

Soleil_lune

Dunno what the reason is that it's not selling! It's lovely! Gorgeous views and it looks very cosy. Why move? LOL.

Soleil_lune

I had a look at google maps too and there is a nice big woodland nearby, and a big caravan park (which shows people like to stay so it must be nice,) and it's only 30-40 miles from a big city: Glasgow.

Gotta ask OP, why you moving?! It's sooooooooooooo nice there. Och aye!

Soleil_lune

beecher2 wrote: »

It looks like a bargain to me, and is well under the home report valuation. Do you think that was a realistic valuation?

You've no 3s and nothing that sounds that offputting - I suppose you just have a relatively limited market in Dunoon, and are competing with larger houses

http://www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-39160117.html

This one needs work, but you can see the potential in it, which might appeal more to people, especially as it is cheaper.

The one in that link *may* be larger, but it's terraced. I would never choose to live in a terraced house. The cottage is detached. I would rather have detached any day, even if the property was only half the size of the terraced property.

And the area and view does not look as nice.

If I was in the market for buying now, I would buy it, despite the negative comments people have made. Not slagging people off BTW, as people are entitled to their own views, and the OP did ask for them, but if I was looking in or round about that area: well this cottage is lovely.

Mojisola

TBagpuss wrote: »

I think you could do with changing agents

I second this.

Nine months on the market and she hasn't suggested anything to you, tried taking new photos in the summer, got a decent floor plan, etc, etc.