4 months on the market & no viewings

phoebe1989seb

IMHO having a property advertised by more than one EA can look like desperation, so I'd stick with one personally.

I'm not a fan of new-builds so wouldn't be looking for a house like yours OP, and I don't know the area either, but overall the house seems to be reasonably well presented and tidy. I cannot comment on the price, although having previously priced to sell and achieved an acceptable offer within a fortnight, I would say that depending on your need/desire to sell the price may well need further addressing.

However, I'm a firm believer that in general vendors are taking the whole *declutter* and *de-personalise* thing too far so that they end up with a characterless, personality-less box.

Whilst I don't necessarily want to see loads of large family portrait photos plastered all over the walls of a house I'm looking to purchase - although I am able to see beyond such things - I do think that making a home (for that's what you're selling after all!) into a totally sterile environment is going too far and (especially in an area that is saturated with many similar properties) it is far better to have your house stand out from the crowd, so that potential buyers not only remember it, but hopefully fall in love with it

You need to create a space that buyers will want to have as their home.....you just have to figure out how best to achieve that. In our own case we collect items from a certain period and also love colour/texture so have groups of *things* in interesting (and hopefully tasteful, lol!) arrangements.

Every room has a focal point or interesting feature - whether it be integral to the property or not. We aren't afraid of colour and refuse to be dictated to by the *magnolia brigade* - our taste isn't everyone's but we've never struggled to sell and I put that down to not presenting a house for sale in a run of the mill style

I think with a bit of tweaking, being bolder with arrangements and making the place look more loved and homely you would have a better chance of drawing the buyers in......

lessonlearned

First of all I would like to say that this is a very attractive house.

I agree the presentation is a little lacking - nothing drastic - just a a few more homely touches, such as plants, flowers some art on the walls etc. The garden is terribly spartan, it needs greenery and colour.

The two front facing rooms i.e. the kitchen and the dining room, lack privacy. Some cafe curtains in a sheer voile would still allow plenty of light but afford a bit more privacy.

The play area would be a no go for me but that wouldn't necessarily trouble everyone so I wouldn't worry too much about that.

The big issue for me is the layout. I've studied the floor plans and I have to say that the downstairs layout looks like a wasted opportunity. EG there is no direct access from the kitchen to the dining room and they've plonked a utility room between the kitchen and the lounge. It just doesn't "flow". The upstairs layout looks fine and should work well.

If I were a potential viewer, after looking at the floor plans, I would simply not bother viewing your property. The only circumstances that might persuade me would be if the house was a one off in a highly desirable location. Then it would be worth spending money to rejig the layout.

Without being rude your house is not a one off, it's on estate with a lot of similar properties and there will always be stiff competition.

Although floor plans can be a useful marketing tool, in this instance yours may be doing more harm than good, putting people off.

I would suggest that you ask the EA not to show one and see how it goes. You may find that you get some viewings that way.

Once viewers get through the door they might like the house so much that the layout becomes less of an issue. You just need to get them through the door in the first place.

I also agree with phoebe. I would never advocate using more than one agent at a time. It smacks of desperation and primes the buyer to immediately knock thousands off the asking price.

If you are at the end of your contract, I suggest you remove the property from the market for a while to "rest" it. Make a few simple cosmetic changes as have been suggested. Remove the floor plans from the blurb, get some nice new photographs, especially once you have prettied up the gardens.

Aim to relaunch mid March with one agent.

As for price I don't know the area so cannot comment. You will just need to check against your competitors to see if you are on the right track.

To sell a house of this type on an estate where there will be some stiff competition you have to ensure that yours is in tip top condition and is presented to it's very best advantage. You will also need to ensure that you are on the market at a good price.

This type of property in this type of location needs to stand out head and shoulders above its competitors and it needs to represent real value for money.

Good luck.

Blue264

If there was a house that nice in my neck of the woods (GU7) for under £200k, I'd be buying it now! Good luck!

sniffles

Your house is fine. As I got to the last photo I saw an empty field, and that would have stopped me viewing.
Unfortunately, it is the one thing I warn my family about... Never buy with vacant ground behind or in front of the house.

getmore4less

Street view has the place/area as a building site.

what are the asking prices for new places similar size?

Been said, iron your bed coverings for the next set of photos.

Fraise

I think the photographs are really bad. You can only see part of the rooms. The one of the dining room looks like they've photographed the table to sell on ebay, they should have taken the whole room.

So, first thing I'd do is have new photographs taken.

Second problem is it seems very exposed with no privacy. I know not everyone likes nets or blinds, but I'd feel like I was in a cafe window eating in the kitchen...the pavement is so close and anyone walking past could probably see what you're eating. So, that needs resolving too.

On the plus side you have a nice entrance hall, so I'd make the most of that and really go to town on adding flowers etc...

Maybe some splashes of colour with cushions, paintings, curtains......it's all rather brown and beige, and although everyone seems to decorate that way these days, it is very bland. A splash of colour outside would help too, maybe some pots and baskets filled with winter pansies. Not my favourite flower but they are colourful and cheerful.

Hate to say the house looks uninspiring, but there's nothing about it that grabs me. The rooms are are quite small too, which you can't change, but maybe taking out those book cases and a few other pieces might make it seem more spacious.

All in all it's a nice modern clean house and will sell at the right price. I shouldn't worry too much about laying the dining table with juice, bread, plates etc.....that looks contrived....and buyers can see through that. Plus, people like to put their own stamp on a property, so will visualise the furnishings how they will want them.

Good luck!

Cici_K

Just had a look at pics. I don't even bother reading descriptions if pics put me off. The angle of the pics shows allot of the floor. Like as if the ceilings are really low. I generally look at Victorian properties, I know new builds are not as high but the pics make it worse than it probably is. Angling is really off putting. Lovely home, and yes I hate looking at sterile homes. It puts me off. Soft furnishings that make you want to sit down and get cosy are the best for me.

D00gie72

Just having a quick look on RightMove I think there is just so many properties on the market near you. Way more than what's on the market where I live. Wonder why so many people are moving?? Is there something coming locally that's making people move away? I would chat to your agent, find out what properties are selling and maybe have a break for now then re- market the property in spring. Good Luck.

AnnieO1234

I've been watching this thread since my comments, I have to say I didn't even realise there were floor plans, or at least I didn't look at them. I think that just shows as cici-k said that a lot of buyers will just look at photos once they've searched by area, budget, beds etc. The photographs are totally where this is falling short, and the reason buyers aren't coming through the door.

Please do as a PP suggested, take the house off the market, prepare things properly for photographs and look to readvertise a little before Easter time, I expect you will end up with a lot of viewings Easter week xxx

franklee

I like the house.

I agree with above comments that the photos are pointing too much down. Really need to see the tops of the windows and ceiling above to give an idea of ceiling height. I suspect the ceiling height is fine but it's not shown. The big bay windows should be a selling feature.

The plans are odd. Are the stairs drawn in the wrong place as they look like they clash with the dining room door. Also they make the hallway between lounge and kitchen look horribly narrow whereas in reality it may be that's a normal width and the entrance hall is extra wide?

I think it would be worth getting photos and plans that clear up these issues. Also take your own outside photos on a sunny day.