Loads of viewings but house not selling.

motherofstudents

I think the inside looks nice. I'd do your best to spruce up the back yard and borrowing garden furniture etc is a good idea. I'd definitely lose the offers in excess of. If you want to sell so that you can move on, the best way is to reduce the price. I hope you manage it as I can sympathise with not wanting another 32 viewings !

[Deleted User]

I hope you are able to use the bank holiday to start sorting the painting of the back yard. Maybe you could beg/borrow plants from relatives? Register with Freegle etc and see if you can ask for some plants from there maybe? You might be able to get some planters as well. Take up a couple of the paving slabs, get a bag of top soil and plant it. Put something in the gravel bit by the path if you have to. Buy some green plastic trough like planters and put them on the wall that seems to split your yard (if I am seeing it right).

If the other house is your dream house and I needed a couple of hundred to do the garden (and couldn't find it), I'd be wondering if I could afford to move at all? There's legal fees and EA fees to pay if you move.

It could be the light (the living room gets lots of light which I would love) but the table and tops of the chairs look like the wood is a bit dry and not gleaming. Just get a small bottle of danish oil (Wilko's or any DIY shop will sell it), and use an old rag to apply. I've done it even with a dried out laminate table and improved it. If you put two chairs in the long side of the table, and push it more against the wall, the table won't protrude so much.

I'd probably look at getting coloured blinds for the dining area, can be purchased very cheaply on ebay if you look carefully. Or you can buy some dowel rods, fabric, stiffen it and make them yourself. Instructions on the net.

I'm afraid the 'row of terraced houses' look will always put some people off, there's not a lot you can do about that. But make the inside as welcoming as you can and there will be a buyer. Personally, I like the 'bare' (bit of an exaggeration) look. Again, probably a personal taste thing.

And yes, I'd be insisting on the photographer coming round, or even taking photo's myself, experiment until you get the right look. Again, you could borrow a camera from someone maybe.

If you really want this dream house, I'd be doing whatever I had to to get this one to sell.

Flyingpig

moneyistooshorttomention wrote: »

Errrm...I've just checked out Streetview - and found 3 caravans...

Street view photos were taken at least 3 years ago, before we owned it.

Flyingpig

deannatrois wrote: »

I hope you are able to use the bank holiday to start sorting the painting of the back yard. Maybe you could beg/borrow plants from relatives? Register with Freegle etc and see if you can ask for some plants from there maybe? You might be able to get some planters as well.

Personally, if the other house is your dream house and I needed a couple of hundred to do the garden (and couldn't find it), I'd be wondering if I could afford to move at all lol?

It could be the light (the living room gets lots of light which I would love) but the table and tops of the chairs look like the wood is a bit dry and not gleaming. Just get a small bottle of danish oil (Wilko's or any DIY shop will sell it), and use an old rag to apply. I've done it even with a dried out laminate table and improved it.

I'm afraid the 'row of terraced houses' look will always put some people off, there's not a lot you can do about that. But make the inside as welcoming as you can and there will be a buyer. Personally, I like the 'bare' (bit of an exaggeration) look. Again, probably a personal taste thing.

I had wondered how to get the table looking better! It is 'well loved' with having 3 children under 10, and will definately do that. We packed away as much of the 'stuff' that didn't need to be out as possible, as I know when I am viewing houses I much prefer them to have less clutter.

We can afford to move as the house we are moving to is a similar price, it's just been a series of unfortunate events the last month of so that has led to us being less than flush this month and probably next.

AnnieO1234

The private road is coming up on street view as being called squires road. The concrete area on that road looks as if it would belong to your property specifically. It certainly an area of concern.

When looking on street view it became apparent that your forward view looks at the towerblock type building (unclear if they're flats or maisonettes).

I disagree with the assessment that the interior is poorly done, but I wonder if the pp has hit the nail on the head about the silk purse from a sow's ear.

Would it be possible for you to rent this one out and buy another? I'm just trying to think of other ways around it. The area unless very very bad will eventually gentrify, it's bound to, they all do. Could you wait till then to look to sell?

FWIW I think I would offer around £140k at it. Just my opinion xxx

Cheeky_Monkey

Unfortunately, I think it's a case of Location, location, location. I can say that because I know exactly where your house is and, to be perfectly honest, to say that it is on the 'edge' of River, is stretching the truth a bit.

I think it is over-priced for that area. It will sell if you reduce the price, IMO by quite a bit.

dirty_magic

I think the house is lovely on the inside, I don't think it looks cheap at all. The kitchen looks great to me, I wouldn't want to do anything to it. The replies on this just show how subjective houses are.

I think the downside is that it doesn't have much kerb appeal, and ultimately I think that has deterred people.

The garden needs work, but it's not completely unsalvageable. The wall would instantly look better with fresh paint, but I think the style of the house and street is the overriding factor in why it hasn't sold rather than an unattractive garden wall.

OP I think it will sell, and you're getting viewings which is always a good start. I think it'll just take a bit longer because of the exterior. Hopefully your vendor will wait.

missprice

I think the inside of your house is fine. The back garden though needs mega work.
As you need to do it on the cheap. Beg , borrow, steal any planters, buckets, tubs, bins, troughs, anything that could hold a plant or several. Beg borrow steal buy plants and stick them wherever you can preferably trailing plants in the ugliest holders. And paint some walls.

lessonlearned

Flyingpig........ Ex EA, New Build Negotiator and Show house dresser here.....over 30 years experience and a good track record.

1. Drop the offers over.........it puts some people's back up and frightens others off. Say "guide price" or "offers around".

2. The house itself is fine. Good sized rooms and a workable layout.

3. The furniture placement is wrong, especially in the lounge. It looks like a long corridor/waiting room with a table plonked at the end. Long rectangles are notoriously difficult, you need to break them up a bit. Experiment a little, try placing table across the room rather than lengthwise. Try and divide the room into zones, one area for lounging, one for eating.

4. The conservatory. Lose the table and the craft area and set it out as a proper conservatory with nice seating. You can often pickup cane conservatory type seating from second hand shops, charity shops for very little money. Dress it with plants.

5. The garden is dire.......sorry. But it will be this, more than anything else, which will be putting people off.

The big plus though in its favour is it is south facing. Along with the view the fact that it enjoys a southerly aspect means that it could be a very attractive and valuable outside space. By not making the most of it you are leaving serious money on the table.

The boundary to the right is downright dangerous. You must make that safer, you are selling a family house, families have children and or pets.

You say you have a budget of £150. Don't waste it on decking - a total waste of money. Why waste money on more hard landscaping - you have more than enough of that already.

The bulk of your budget should be spent on sorting out the boundary. It is absolutely a top priority. You might not be able to afford proper fencing but at the very least you could put up some cheap post and wire to make that side secure and safe.

And Anyway decking is now considered well past its sell by date......and has somewhat fallen out of favour.

How strong and fit are you, how much do you enjoy physical graft.

If it were me I would remove some of the outer edges of the slabs and create nice borders. Plant up with trees and shrubs. Cheaper than buying large pots but obviously more work and effort. You can keep the bulk of the slabs in the centre of the garden but break them up with garden furniture and groups of pots etc.

Good places for cheap shrubs and plants are......Wilkinsons, Aldis, ASDA and I really rate Morrisons - I bought some nice saplings for £2 each recently from Morrisons.Try markets and car boot sales. People often sell plants at car boots for pennies.

Good luck.

To the person who asked about ideas for ugly concreted or slabbed over gardens.

The beauty is they can be transformed for very little money. Your limit is your imagination, time and energy.

If they have been slabbed it is relatively easy to lift up some of the unwanted slabs to create "islands" or plant shrubs and trees. Unfortunately removing concrete is not quite so easy, it's probably cheaper and easier to disguise it.

Don't despair. Even the most unpromising dank tatty concrete yard can be turned into a lush urban oasis or Japanese style haven of peace and tranquility.

You could of course just lay decking over the lot but decking is not cheap and not without problems......vermin love decking. :eek:

There are a range of paints to cover concrete and with a bit of patience you can create any number of special effects. Google painted concrete for ideas and how to instruction videos.

Another option for a small area of nasty concrete is outdoor rugs. They are inexpensive and Come in a wide range of colours, patterns and designs, and are especially effective for seating areas

You could just chuck some gravel down, making sure you avoid drains etc and create a zen like Japenese style space with a couple of Acers in pots and a nice flowering cherry tree as your main focal point.

Or you could go mad and create your very own Gaudi style masterpiece using mosaics.

Walls, sheds, gates, fences etc can be painted. There's a great range of colours these days.

Consider vertical gardening to disguise poor quality walls and fences and to make full use of available space in a small garden.

A well placed mirror can trick the eye into making the space look bigger.

Running water can help block out traffic noise, you don't need expensive plumbing work, you can get good solar powered water fountains.

Don't forget lighting, again solar powered and nice garden ornaments.

If you are stuck with a sea of concrete and don't fancy the back breaking job of breaking it up then you will need to have the bulk of your plants in containers. These can be expensive so try and see if you can repurpose household items.

Metal filing cabinets (junk shops) can be painted and made to look like really expensive posh planters. Remove drawers, Lay the cabinet on its side then attach wheels so you can move it around easily. Don't forget you will need to drill some drainage Holes at the bottom. Part fill with polystyrene first to help soil retain moisture and reduce the amount of compost you need.

Even old items of unwanted furniture can be repurposed as plant containers, an old chest of drawers or cupboard, old occasional tables wooden stepladders, can all be out to use. Ok they won't last forever, they will rot in time.

Old teapots, jugs, plastic bowls, buckets, basins, old sinks, baths, even old toilets - old boots, wellingtons anything at all can be used.
Just remember to make sure you drill drainage holes otherwise the soil or compost will go sour.

As I said above there are plenty of shops, markets and various outlets to buy plants, trees and shrubs and they will be cheaper than garden centres and nurseries. Of course once you get going you will be able to take cuttings, harvest seeds, divide perennials etc.

And of course plant share and swop with family, friends and neighbours.......;)

Penelope_Penguin

Some good advice there! Can I also add, are you a member of your local Freecycle group? I've just checked mine and there are lots of plants on offer, free to good homes. It's the time of year when people are tidying up their gardens, and may be dividing plants and have bits for you to take and put into pots. Shame you don't live nearer me, as I'm having a clear out and have plenty of garden stuff you could have

There's also some pots, and even garden furniture on offe on my local Freecycle, so you may be lucky.