I want to sell my house!

mandelbrotlondon

Speaking as a soon to be (hopefully!) buyer, I think that the comments about a modern interior contrasting badly with a lovely old fashioned exterior are spot on. My partner and I would be happy with a modern or a traditional period house, but the house would have to "flow"-no modern decor in an old-fashioned cottage and no Victorian fireplaces in a sleek new apartment!

Would recommend:

1. Changing the fireplace-replace it with a Victorian or period fireplace.

2. More stuff-patchwork quilts, rugs? It looks very minimalistic but the kind of people who want the cottagey exterior looks are going to find it a complete turn-off. Try looking in Country Life or a book specialising in period homes for some inspiration. You've mentioned its over 100 years old and used to be part of an estate-it should be restyled and marketed as a historical period property (period houses AFAIK have a massive premium and get many buyers salivating)

3. Photos could certainly work better. Check out www.foxtons.co.uk and their profiles (no connection....in fact I have a few choice words about them but not suitable for a family board!) and pictures (if you look at the actual room dimensions on their floorplans they are making rooms a third of the ones in your property look twice as big!) . You should be emphasising things like the windows if they are sash windows-the photos seem to show things like rather bare beds which doesn't have any appeal whatsoever!

Sorry to sound so brutal but I think that the house definitely is very cute (would go for it in a flash if it was in the right area) and with a bit of TLC could be a very desirable property.

1andrea

Do you think it would be worth changing the furniture? Can anyone else offer any advice re decor etc or areas to concentrate on?

A_Nice_Englishman

As a buyer, I don't take any notice of the furniture or decor. The furniture won't be there once I've bought it and the decor can be changed.

I DO take notice of the things that can't be changed - the building itself and the locality.

I think people are too influenced by all those 'property !!!!!!' proogrammes on TV.

Caroline_Russell

I would swap move the wrought iron bed to the larger bedroom and put other silver bed in there as it is too large for that room. Maybe a rug in the larger bedroom and the living room would make it look cosier. It has an unlived in look, just a few accessories eg a chrome fruit bowl on the worktop or pictures in the bedroom would help. Your house is very nicely presented and it has lots of character, I'm sure it will sell.

PasturesNew

I'd say, set a max budget of £50. Borrow things from friends/family for a reshoot of photos.

It's not selling. The market is slow.

You could spend a lot of time wondering, fannying about making (expensive) changes as indicated by others here.

Or for £50, some borrowed stuff and a new set of photos... you could just drop the price a bit and get it off your hands once and for all.

Every month you are there is a month's lost interest - and a month's mortgage to pay + bills. Not to mention the stress of waiting/viewings that comes with the territory!

1andrea

PasturesNew wrote: »

I'd say, set a max budget of £50. Borrow things from friends/family for a reshoot of photos.

It's not selling. The market is slow.

You could spend a lot of time wondering, fannying about making (expensive) changes as indicated by others here.

Or for £50, some borrowed stuff and a new set of photos... you could just drop the price a bit and get it off your hands once and for all.

Every month you are there is a month's lost interest - and a month's mortgage to pay + bills. Not to mention the stress of waiting/viewings that comes with the territory!

That will be my plan.

I have already borrowed a few things, I will retake the photos and you all can let me know if they are an improvement (if you have the time) then I will take them to the agents Tuesday.

Thanks and any other suggestions are appreciated.

BettiePage

PasturesNew wrote: »

It's not selling. The market is slow.

Or the price is too high.

cupid_s

1andrea wrote: »

There is space for a shower cubicle in the bathroom at the opposite end of the room to the bath do you think it would be worth installing one?

The commercial property dentist, library etc are soon to be demolished and new houses will be built on the land.

The council told my sister that it was decided early on that the cottages were to stay and the plans were made around keeping them!

Do you think it could be putting people off that they'll buy the house and very soon be surrounded by a building site?

I think the house is lovely but wouldn't buy it for that reason.

Also the lack of descriptions of rooms and unappealing photos (made the rooms look tiny as many people have said) were a put off

regularsaver1

the blinds do make it look too clinical or like bars on the windows

exasperated_2

I would take a different approach from what has been suggested so far. The house looks empty, so use that to your advantage! Immediate occupancy. House is ready to go. Rather than spending money dressing up the rooms and maybe not getting it right, when you take the new photos, take all the furniture out. Open the blinds so you don't get the bar effect, make sure it's a sunny day, too. Have nothing in the rooms at all and make sure the size of the rooms is made very clear, have in metric & imperial and highlight how big they are.

But the key is, you have a huge house with lots of potential and it's EMPTY! Which means it's ready to go. Market it that way.

If you do dress anything up, focus on the gardens. Include a picture of the backgarden, maybe stick some pretty potted flowers to give a bit of colour.

But I wouldn't worry about getting rugs and such. Just clear the rooms out completely for the photos, open the blinds and make sure it's a sunny day. Make the measurements very clear.

Good luck.