So tired of denial of the state of the housing market

hazyjo

Not read all the comments, but will give some of my own (quick glance says I'm saying some of the same, but I find it helpful to realise what's being repeated over and over...).

1. It looks ex-LA. I know it's not, but it looks like it and I'd not have read the description. Can you dress/pretty the front up at all? Flowers, maybe even re-turf,

2. It looks pricey to me, although I don't know the specific area (I am fairly nearby though).

3. Garden looks like a football pitch or tiny field, not a 'garden' as I would want it. Appreciate that's personal and your family market would probably appreciate a footie pitch in the garden.

4. I like the stairs. Bit old hat maybe now, but it adds character.

5. Next pic of the bedroom with the short green curtains - not much to say. Not appealing, but I suppose it's practical.

6. Lounge pic fine although slightly odd with just one three seater sofa (like you're all sitting there waiting for a bus - sorry!) and a small chair. Not my cuppa, but I'd not change anything. It's not staying, and I don't think it detracts from anything else in the room, although maybe makes it appear a bit more corridor-ish than it should.

7. Dining room, fine. Again, not for me, but it ain't staying and at least makes the room look the biggest it can (and glad to see it's in the middle of the room not shoved up against a wall which is one of my biggest bug bears!). Would lose what looks like a poster on the wall, it cheapens the room and looks a bit student-let, but up to you.

8. OMG the dungeon! Sorry again! I'm sure someone else said the same, and the hooks don't improve matters. Looks like a sex den (not that I've seen one or know what it is lol - but it's definitely got a look of kinky about it lol! *blushes*) Agree the trunking throughout hasn't worked - I don't dislike the industrial look, but not in an occasional room. In a lofty warehouse apartment, yeah. But not here. Looks unfinished.

9. Thought the loo was in the garden until I looked at the floorplan again - is that the internal one? Looks like a garden one. Unless you're able to plaster it and decorate it and lose the industrial lighting, I'd hide that pic altogether. Looks better on the floor plan and in the details than it does in the flesh.

10. Lose those curtains on the landing. You have blinds. You shouldn't be that overlooked or be doing anything too untoward (or kinky lol) through that window. And pull the blinds up! Let some natural light back in.

11. Bedroom with the 2 wardrobes: is that the master or the other one? Furniture in both seemed odd. The room is too plain and unloved IMO (actually, same prob goes for the other one). Bedside tables? Dressing table? Mirror?

12. Third bed: or is that the first one again at a different angle, as a buyer, I'd prob not be re-checking. Same comments stand as for other 2 beds.

13. Small room - okay, maybe that's the 3rd bed, meaning no.12 was the first bedroom again. Why's it in that strange order, it's just confusing. This looks to be a tiny bedroom due to the blocked off bit and the way the door opens. If I'd got this far as a buyer, this would definitely rule it out for me. I rarely say this, but I'd consider losing the pic, or making this the office.

14. Kitchen (at last!). Apart from a little flash earlier, it's taken this long to reach it. Should be much earlier on in the pics after the other one that hints at a kitchen. Well, it's very dated, there's not much more to say. Not particularly loved either and very plain. I'm not one for clutter in pics, but this looks so bare. And is that a dreaded strip-light on the ceiling?

15. Bathroom - looks fine. Personally I don't like those metro tiles at all but others love them. Maybe a towel with some colour under the sink and on the back wall, but there's not much else you can do with it really. Will appeal to many.

16. Hallway downstairs. Curtains over front doors scream drafty to me. Others might think it's practical, nice and a good idea to keep the heat in. Horses for courses.
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A plus point - the grass looks much better at the front in the later pics!

The pic that's about 5 from the end of the house is MUCH nicer than the current first pic! That's what people are going to be judging your house on, so get rid of that first one and replace it with the other.

Agree too many pics.

Seems like a dad's house whose son sometimes stays with him to me. Saw in one comment that you're a female so obviously I'm getting the wrong vibe from it!

It needs a bit of love - and the re-think that price!

Hope I've not been too harsh!!!!

Good luck x

Reds-on-Sea

BTW my agent wasn't happy when I instructed to drop the price, and he really doesn't seem keen to re-appraise the price even when I had a massive moan when we lost our buyers. I've paid upfront so it's not like they'll lose out on commission. It's like they're all in cahoots to keep the prices up.

quantumlobster

The location is great - five minutes from a quiet beach, just around the corner from the local industrial estate, up the road from the local military base

But dat kitchen tho. And the annex/extension - do something with the floor. Paint it. Stain it. Whatever it. But right now, it looks like it's just unfinished. The downstairs bog is awful, and needs painting white throughout. The bathroom - well, I really like it, but it's got a real horror-film vibe and lots of people will want rid. Splash of colour in the front and back gardens might help.

As always, I'm boggled by what you have to pay darn sarf to get what would literally be less than half the price up north. But even taking that into consideration, it's a bit spendy when most people will want to rip and replace at least the kitchen if not the bathroom as well.

marliepanda

The first picture needs swapping for one of the later outside photos (I think there was 3? Doesnt need to be three) The first makes the garden look awful and poorly maintained, and the roof looks rough. Honestly it has very little kerb appeal.

I actually like the bathroom, but its personal taste!

I like the stairs.

The kitchen is ripe, so people will be pricing up your house thinking 'We'll have to spend X on the kitchen', I cant see anyone keeping it.

Bedrooms, Ive seen prison cells with more in them! Most of them are very very plain and empty. I know people arent buying that, but it makes them look soulless, and when the outside is soulless too you need to dress it up a little.

Everything about the office looks unfinished, and the (bike?) racks on the wall only add to that. It makes it feel like a garage with a desk in. Some people will love that, some people will think 'another job to sort out'

No drive/attached garage will put off some.

I can't imagine anyone using the 3rd 'bedroom' as a bedroom. You have one item of furniture in it!! It looks tiny.

System

having seen the pics - I would say the house has almost zero "kerb appeal" - there might be some nice (trendy) bits of furniture inside but no one is buying that, the pics from the front don't do you any favours at all, struggling to see any character from it at all.
Doesn't look like particularly nice area right beside some mod offices - that's probably your limiting factor, great for someone working at the end of the street, not particularly attractive for anyone else... there's an area of mod properties in my town and it's not a popular area for anyone who isn't forces related and that's reflected in the property prices

Red-Squirrel_2

Reds-on-Sea wrote: »

Ah thanks for this. I was actually looking to discuss the housing market in general

There is a separate board for that if you really want to get into it, personally I rarely venture over there!

TBagpuss

Reds-on-Sea wrote: »

Yes it!!!8217;s definitely all freehold. Everything is maintained and replaced to the highest standard (with the exception of the cooker lol). All the electrics are certified. The old boiler has been replaced with a combo. The roof is perfect. The only expensive job is the kitchen I think. It was our forever home so we were planning to spend a shedload on the kitchen. The only plaster wall is the one between the kitchen and dining room so that was going to go. The 3rd bedroom is big enough for a bed. Some of the neighbour!!!8217;s use the utility as their teenager!!!8217;s bedroom!!

You might want to get the agents to update the details to make some of that clearer - e.g. to put in the dates of the rewiring and new boiler, - because you've chosen to keep the mid-century style it doesn't look as though much has been done, which may be outputting to people wondering what they will find.

I agree that replacing the kitchen wouldn't make sense as you don't know what others will want, but it does need to be reflected in the price. Again, it may be worth adjusting the wording to reflect the fact that you recognise that it needs updating and that that is reflected in your asking price. - when I sold my previous house we put in the description o the kitchen and the bathroom that they were in need of updating, and that way, it was very clear that I knew, and that it had already been taken into account.

Personally I think you bathroom is fine, but it does look a bit cold and clinical - very small changes like having some nice fluffy towels and a bath mat in a nice warm colour would do wonders!

AnotherJoe

the_r_sole wrote: »

then it's the people trying to buy yours that need to adjust their asking prices!

The two go together, if OP reduces his(her?) price then the potential buyers can reduce theirs, all that matters is the price to move, not the absolute price.

westernpromise

quantumlobster wrote: »

The location is great - five minutes from a quiet beach, just around the corner from the local industrial estate, up the road from the local military base

Yes, so if you find you frequently need to pop by the local military base, and then head over to the industrial estate before taking a cooling dip in the sea, it's the perfect spot.

moneyistooshorttomention

Reds-on-Sea wrote: »

It’s a funny area. Half a mile west the houses and streets get tiny and quite impoverished. There’s a big estate to the north that ranges from horrid to quite well to do, and there’s the beautiful garrison estate to the south that has houses in the £millions. I guess i’m hoping to cash in on a bit of that with the whole MOD vibe.



It’s probably the same one !!!128563;!!!128563;!!!128563;

There's something good about an "MOD vibe"??? That's news to me:rotfl: