Unable to sell our house

moneyistooshorttomention

Difficult situation then and does add urgency to selling the house.

I admit that one of the reasons I sold my starter house was I could see that some home-owner houses (other starter houses nearby) had swopped to being owned by investors and rented out.

I decided that I had to "leap quick" and sell then before it became commonly perceived as a "renter area", rather than a "home-owner area".

Will keep fingers crossed for you, as I can see that you do indeed need to sell (both because of no 3rd bedroom and because its just one small sitting room).

I'm guessing that the type of owner-occupier that would be attracted to a house like yours is a single/childless person. Someone like that could possibly operate with just two bedrooms and one small reception room. Personally, I'd be checking out 1/2 bedroom flats in your area and thinking that I would be competing with them in actual fact (ie because I presume they are often bought by single/childless people). I would go on from there to try and "flog the virtues" to these single people of not having neighbours above or below me (unlike flats)/not having communal areas/not being leasehold.

A sort of "If you are looking at flats, then my place has the same sort of space but is free of those problems flats have. You would own it outright in the standard freehold way and not have so many adjoining neighbours" take on things.

GardenGirl77

Thing might pick up now that Christmas is out of the way. I have noticed that everything seems to stop in the run up to and during the Christmas and new year period. Agree that your house should not be marketed to investors as that makes you think 'it needs work' before you have even seen the pictures. Also when I was looking for a new house I wanted to see a picture of the garden and a floor plan really helps too.
Regarding the passage way they are common in the area (I live in Sheffield) so I don't think that is so much of an issue.

Suarez

I hate properties which show a range as the guide price. Why do they do this? I wouldn't know what to offer.

Better_Days

Nicely presented. Love the beach hut theme in the bathroom.

Kitchen - looks a bit cluttered - I'd take the stuff off the front and top of the fridge and most of the stuff on the worktops - it looks like you don't have enough space in the kitchen. Look how much more spacious this kitchen looks with clear worktops http://www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-47163191.html?premiumA=true Probably also lose the teddies in the main bedroom. Hang a mirror over the fireplace, store away most of the ornaments. Two things you are trying to achieve, a sense of space and also helping buyers imagine themselves living there. It is more difficult to do the latter if there is lots of personal taste items and clutter.

However, these are not big issues. As has been pointed out your EA is marketing to investors who are more likely to offer low.

Looking on RM 66 Cavendish Road sold for £66k in 2013 (which is not as nice inside as yours) http://www.rightmove.co.uk/house-prices/detailMatching.html?prop=35815822&sale=49926920&country=england and 60 Cavendish Road in 2014 for £40k but that needed a lot of work and is only a one bed http://www.rightmove.co.uk/house-prices/detailMatching.html?prop=38393771&sale=52395254&country=england

So your AP doesn't look unreasonable. Is your property freehold?

What I'd do is this: take the property off the market. Clean, clean clean, declutter as much as possible, and finish off any DIY jobs. Put the property back on the market ready for the 'spring bounce'. Certainly wouldn't put it to auction. Are floorplans usual at your price point - if so get one done. Get a picture of the outside space with with a small table and chairs and some flowers in tubs - you are selling a lifestyle too. Outside space is very important to many buyers. If there are no photo's of it buyers will assume that there is no outside space or it is dire. A small outside space can be spruced up with minimal cost.

The property looks to be in 'move in condition' which is attractive to FTB's. Your new EA needs to emphasise this.

Do some research and find EA's which sell properties in your price bracket, and produce good quality photo's. Get at least 3 of them round. Prior to that view through them and see how they treat potential buyers.

GL with your sale and onward move.:D

moneyistooshorttomention

GardenGirl77 wrote: »

Agree that your house should not be marketed to investors as that makes you think 'it needs work' before you have even seen the pictures.

Agreed:T and it doesn't help to have the word put in capital letters at that.

Investors will figure it out for themselves as to whether its worth their while to show an interest or no, without anyone drawing their attention to it. But home-owners will indeed think "Needs work then...".

Davesnave

GardenGirl77 wrote: »

Regarding the passage way they are common in the area (I live in Sheffield) so I don't think that is so much of an issue.

They are common all over the country; it's only money who seems to think they are peculiar.

I was in a house yesterday that has this arrangement, even though it has a front garden and a 120' back garden. It simply wasn't an issue when the decisions to view and then offer on it were made.

Davesnave

Better_Days wrote: »

Good comments on re-launching the sale in a couple of months

^ What she said. :T

dirty_magic

13 weeks isn't that long when you consider that most of those were in November and December. I think a lot of buyers will wait until the new year to start looking because they don't want to move around Christmas.

You have been getting interest and even offers, so I think it will sell. I agree with the others about marketing to investors, but I do think the timing is a big issue.

Wi88le

Looking at when you bought it in 2002, it says leasehold- is it? And if so how long left on the lease?(if that is when you bought it)
It seems comparable on price to others on the market,but needs de cluttering in the kitchen and bathroom.

I also dislike the term "guide price" and prefer asking price or oiro etc as guide price is a term I associate with auctions rather than normal sales.

Talking of auctions, it might actually be worth looking and seeing what properties like yours around Sheffield are actually achieving in auction on auctioneers websites for completed auctions.

davidmcn

Suarez wrote: »

I hate properties which show a range as the guide price. Why do they do this? I wouldn't know what to offer.

Seconded. Also, it's listed at £45,000, it's only in the text that it mentions this range of £45-50,000, so I don't know which is correct.

The Street View link takes you to the wrong street - I think it's been listed under the wrong postcode, because if you look for your address on Google Maps it takes you to your door.