Can you help? House not selling

miniloopie

exasperated wrote: »

Perhaps people are looking at the blaahness and factoring in what they'll have to pay to get the house how they want it - and that combined with the asking is too much, especially if similar houses (even without parking) are going cheaper. The parking is a bonus in your case, but the work needed could be negating the parking. There's no sense in your doing up the kitchen or other work as the buyers will likely change it anyway; it would make more sense to make it as presentable as possible and lower the price to make it competitive.

Yes, I suspect whatever we did to put a new kitchen in wouldnt be to the new buyers taste anyway... but we need to weigh up the cost of a new kitchen and getting a higher price for the house against just lowering the house price?
There is some work I want to do to the rest of the house - more decluttering, more freshening up - as lots of others have said, there are things you live with that you dont notice but would put a potential buyer off.

exasperated_2

Not only weigh up the cost of a new kitchen vs the drop in price, but the time and aggravation of putting a new kitchen in vs the existing stress of selling the house. I think at this point, you're probably better off cleaning, cleaning, cleaning, decluttering, making the parking area look better (and the garden - you can spruce up the garden a lot cheaper than the kitchen and it can be helpful), and as was suggested, get better pictures on the website to attract more/a new pool of viewers.

At the end of the day, what's interesting to me is that they aren't even putting in a lower bid, to start, so maybe they reckon there's too much for them to do to take the risk of going over the high asking price?

So you'd need to minimize the perception of work to be done, bung up the good points of the house, and perhaps drop the price to get things going.

But talk to the EA, ask about the feedback, get their suggestions. They'll know the local market better. Good luck

Phirefly

Hello

I'm your target market in as much as thats the kind of house/budget I will be looking at should the sad day come that we leave Tha Wharf.

My opinion is that I'd rather pay 2k less for a property with a kitchen that I can refit myself than pay asking price for a house with a brand new kitchen done to someone elses taste. In fact, that would positively put me off. I know not everyone will agree, people can be put off by projects, but the rest of the house seems in a good state so the fact that the kitchen needs doing is a massive plus point to me as I can do it how I want to while adding value. I imagine this could be the case with much of your target market so maybe give it a couple of weeks then drop asking price a bit.

Good Luck

lynzpower

Im wonderng whether its actually your agents not asking for offers?

2nd & third viewings say to me, this person likes it, they should have been EXPLICITLY ASKED "do you want to put in an offer" or in ea speak "shall i put forward an offer from you?"

they are obviously getting people in through the door, but not getting offers?

miniloopie

Thanks everyone - I think most people seem to be veering away from the new kitchen - so perhaps some money would be better spent elsewhere like the garden (any suggestions!) and the other areas I know need doing!

De-cluttering here we come... I plan to tackle it one room at a time so its not too overwhelming and really go for it! At least some of our stuff will be packed ready to go when we do come to move!

Thanks everyone... Im feeling a bit more positive now!

miniloopie

lynzpower wrote: »

Im wonderng whether its actually your agents not asking for offers?

2nd & third viewings say to me, this person likes it, they should have been EXPLICITLY ASKED "do you want to put in an offer" or in ea speak "shall i put forward an offer from you?"

they are obviously getting people in through the door, but not getting offers?

I wondered about that too - then again, the EA assured me the people who came for a 3rd viewing were really keen and in a position to move - then I discovered by asking them directly that they actually have a house to sell.. so it might be shoddy estate agents too...
I have two more weeks left with this agent - so will consider switching if I dont see any action soon!

Debt_Free_Chick

Spending to improve (e.g. kitchen) is not really any different to reducing the price. You are unlikely to recoup the current asking price PLUS what you spend; you are unlikely to make improvements to the taste of all future viewers; and you have to contend with the mess/disruption.

Price reduction would seem to be in order - what are similar houses actually going for? Are there any similar on the market - have you viewed them to see what buyers would get for their money, compared with yours?

Here's one, but with a higher asking price. Wonder how long it's been on the market?

boam

i think some people are over critical, speak to the estate agent, when we had our house on the market the agent kept a blog of exactly what was done to market it, ie flyers sent out to 50 people, appeared in the local press for 4 week, 40 printouts given to customers who popped into the estate agent, then the actuall viewings they had feedback from all the viewers, ranging from too close to graveyard, to back garden overlooked, too small bathroom,etc,etc see if your agent has something in place like that, then if all else fails, then i would look at the price..........

lynzpower

Ok garden

I would be inclined to move the table in front of the shed/workshop and lay it ( even a couple of wine glasses)

have you got a barbeque? If so have it open and GLEAMING inside. a great cheap way of gleaming bbq is to get a bottle of ammonia from boots few drops in a bin bag then put your grill in there leave overnight ( careful v noxious) and open the bin bag in the morning adn voila all the grot adn burn dirt wil have fell off.

Move the washing line out of the way.

Maybe jsut get some bigger pots and get bedding plants in there. when i sold my place I actuallly got loads of bedding plants form the reduced section of B&Q, only spent about 20 quid, they all revived once repotted in portting compost. Pots can be cheap, try tescos, asdas etc. lots of sales about what with the summer not really taking off!

if you view in the evenings, little glass jars with tealights in is nice, as is mood lighting ( i got a set of plug in ones reduced from 50 to 15 in B&Q not long ago they are nice in bushy plants, just lifts it a bit,.

HTH

miniloopie

Debt_Free_Chick wrote: »

Spending to improve (e.g. kitchen) is not really any different to reducing the price. You are unlikely to recoup the current asking price PLUS what you spend; you are unlikely to make improvements to the taste of all future viewers; and you have to contend with the mess/disruption.

Price reduction would seem to be in order - what are similar houses actually going for? Are there any similar on the market - have you viewed them to see what buyers would get for their money, compared with yours?

Here's one, but with a higher asking price. Wonder how long it's been on the market?

You are right about recouping costs - but spending on the kitchen might actually get people to put offers in, this is the thinking - rather than not spending and lowering the price... at the moment Im veering towards spending some on the rest of the house and sprucing it all up and then lowering the price a bit.

That one you found has only just come on the market - its interesting since its about the same size as ours but better presented probably... the garden is nicer, the kitchen is done... but no parking...
There arent any other houses on the market with parking - there is another house further down the road on at just under £170k but no parking and slightly smaller I think - the further down the road you go the cheaper the houses become, our end of the road is a bit posher