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Character property but very few viewings recently

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  • AnotherJoe
    AnotherJoe Posts: 19,622 Forumite
    10,000 Posts Fifth Anniversary Name Dropper Photogenic

    Should be prosecuted for shameless misuse of the word "cottage". If that's a cottage I'm a Dutch Uncle.
  • StumpyPumpy
    StumpyPumpy Posts: 1,458 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Photogenic
    I find the listing raises more questions than answers, to be honest.

    For a start, as others have said, what on earth has happened to your floors? The previous listing's photos are still available and the floors look fine in those so it makes a potential purchaser think that they are dirty and then infer that the rest of the house is the same, that could turn off buyers before they reach photo 4.

    Next, as it is all easily accessible, the photos then and now don't show any real differences between them - you even have the same kitchen table - but you must have done some major changes to think it has gained £30k in a year, especially considering that the market in your location has only shown a 0.74% increase in that time. That needs to be shown and explained.

    Thirdly I find the floor plans confusing unless your property has a flying freehold. If it does, this needs to be stated and if it doesn't then the whole thing needs to be clarified.

    Fourth: Planning has been granted so the listing should make that clear, but I note that it expires a year from today exactly so time is running out. Under normal circumstances I'd suggest the listing should include the planning reference, but that leads to the biggest omission in the listing and the thing that if I were a potential buyer would stop me dead in my tracks (pun intended)...

    Final nail: The planning application shows there is a right of way to the rear of your neighbour's house running right alongside your home, through your garden and between your house and the former Post Office/brewhouse (personally, I'd highlight its older, historic use in preference to what it became in the 1980's - but maybe that's me). The proposal shows the plan to move the RoW slightly by, apparently, making an enclosed corridor inside and to the rear of the brewhouse. This sounds crazy to me and a potential nightmare for the future. Your neighbour today may be happy with the arrangement or maybe not even use it, but a future neighbour could have a whole different take on it. I wouldn't want a house with the RoW as it stands now and a I certainly wouldn't want it with the proposed changes.

    Short version: too many things that will put buyers off that can only be fixed with a more realistic attitude to the price. Seriously. It is sad for you and your partner to have broken up but it would be best now to bite the bullet, take a loss if necessary and then be able to get on with your lives rather than having this millstone hanging around your neck.

    SP
    Come on people, it's not difficult: lose means to be unable to find, loose means not being fixed in place. So if you have a hole in your pocket you might lose your loose change.
  • Owain_Moneysaver
    Owain_Moneysaver Posts: 11,391 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Name Dropper
    dinverro wrote: »
    On the road front, it only really has horses going up and down it

    Could you arrange for a couple of horses to have their photos taken outside?

    Really, the photos don't do the house justice.
    A kind word lasts a minute, a skelped erse is sair for a day.
  • getmore4less
    getmore4less Posts: 46,882 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Name Dropper I've helped Parliament
    edited 16 May 2019 at 1:00PM
    lets have a look at the planning

    http://www.clipstonparishcouncil.org.uk/community/clipston-parish-council-7787/planning-tracker/application-2637203

    the property is also known as "The White Cottage"

    the approved plans are the one dated April 2017

    Couple of points come out of plan
    https://selfservice.daventrydc.gov.uk/NorthgatePublicDocs/00013080.pdf

    There is currently a right of way between the buildings(this property) for next door, the extension needs this moving and needs a corridor through the annexe on hte ground floor as there is no land behind it within the boundary.

    The plans use up the patio area currently there.

    You can have an annexe and potential off road parking OR have the extension.

    if you build the extension how do you access the oil tank in the back Courtyard?


    (edit: I see now SP has raised these issues)
  • warby68
    warby68 Posts: 3,134 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Name Dropper
    Its a niche property OP so there will only be a smallish pool of potential buyers. Niche due to location, street frontage, quirky layout, extra building etc. That could mean the early viewing rush including a fair few nosy parkers rather than serious buyers.

    I think there WILL be a 'question mark' over the early resale even more than the price hike.

    The planning potential looks complex and with not much time left - might be seen as unworkable.

    Photos - I agree with the majority about which are better and it looks like the Post Office was already done as well based on floor plans.

    Unfortunately if you need a quick sale you might need to price for it.

    You will also need good solid answers to some of the questions above.
  • getmore4less
    getmore4less Posts: 46,882 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Name Dropper I've helped Parliament
    edited 16 May 2019 at 7:35AM
    not expecting a more like this to help much as the "unique" character makes comparisons very subjective except at the basic level of price location and space.

    if we go 3 miles upto £400k 3b+
    for sale 30/20 SSTC.
    price 3b.......4b+
    0-200 00/05
    0-250 03/08 00/1
    0-300 13/14 01/3
    0-350 14/15 03/3
    0-400 18/17 12/3
    0-450 19/18 15/3

    Market for 3beds at £385k look very thin.

    £250k 4b+ was this project


    £375k for sale and period
    Lot more space but plot not ideal

    when you add in the cost of the extension you need £400k in your pot

    move out to 5 miles to increase the sample.

    £400k

    £400k

    £400k

    go further out(people looking for character need to be flexible on locations)

    £400k

    £400k

    You can get a lot for your money in the £350k-£400k

    at 10mile £350k-£400k the numbers are 3b 35/24 4b+ 96/42

    OK a lot will be newer but plenty seem to be in locations that give the rural/village feel with more space and many won't need months of disruption to make loveable.

    Next is to look at the sold through prices to see what people have been buying.

    5 miles 1 year £400 and below starts page 5

    edit: thinking about it if looking for something quirky I would research around the time you bought to check if you overpaid at the time.

    If I came to that conclusion I would be very concerned you may not look at realistic pricing for some time.

    Also( I think this may be a big sticking point ) is you are in a forced sale due to a break up these can get messy.

    There will be a suspicion that the pricing is deliberately high as there is conflict over selling and you could become a nightmare vendor.

    Who is living in the place now?
  • Davesnave
    Davesnave Posts: 34,741 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Name Dropper Photogenic
    I have nothing useful to add except to say that I'd prefer the Smeg, which might not lose temperature every time the wind blows hard!

    I'd also not need to open the windows and door to let the heat out on warm spring days; heat that I'd paid dearly for!
  • AnotherJoe
    AnotherJoe Posts: 19,622 Forumite
    10,000 Posts Fifth Anniversary Name Dropper Photogenic
    dinverro wrote: »
    Property has been on the market since March 14th and despite a flood of viewings initially, there hasn't been one for 3 weeks now - we purchased it for 355k last March but broke up in January and so need to sell up. We did the outbuilding up which could make a great air Bnb or other business, added a fence, and changed the 70 year old Aga to a large Smeg range cooker which will stay with the house too. Would the large price jump be putting would be buyers off I wonder? It is a character full property with planning permission to extend into the 2 storey outbuilding included plus parking outside and in the property. I would be interested to know thoughts. Link below (just add the https://www.)-

    rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-60917109.html

    Why do you think any of that added 30k? Serious question. A cooker worth what £1500? Some decoration within the outbuilding? A fence? Doesn't offhand sound like £30k's worth, and have prices in your area risen 10%? They are flat generally ?
  • need_an_answer
    need_an_answer Posts: 2,812 Forumite
    Ninth Anniversary 1,000 Posts
    edited 16 May 2019 at 8:42AM
    I actually quite like the property and if I were in the market for that type of thing then yes its something I would go for....

    however...


    I can see the potential of what it could look like,those photos from when you purchased it clearly show me what I could turn it back to.But all the time I'd be looking round thinking it would need some money spending on it to return it to the condition of a year ago.

    and theres my problem,and I suspect the problem that anyone looking at it will also have...

    Why give you £30k for a property that at least on paper and in the photos looks like its regressed rather than progressed in the last 12 months?

    I love a garden,and yours could be lovely if you just gave it a bit of care, I love the stripped flooring but it needs a little attention to bring it back up to scratch.

    I hope the lovely fireplaces I saw in the previous photos are still there,I just wonder what you've done with them that they don't warrant a photo or 2 now.

    That lovely separate building..I'm thinking teenage den, place for elderly mum or dad that's seperate but not too far away,the bolthole for friends who want to come and stay in the summer...or just a lovely playroom area so kids toys don't invade the main house....my OH would love it as a home office and it would make the commute to work so much more bearable...I'd love it as a hobby building....it has almost universal appeal across so many life stages.
    so many uses,but you don't seem to be capitalising on any of its potential and actually trying to promote the property.

    On that basis and everything taken into consideration as a buyer I wouldn't be offering any more than what you paid for it simply because of the work required to bring it back.

    ...and that's a fairly generous offer.


    Spend a few thousand,not too much bringingi the wow factor back and I might increase my offer a bit but to ask me or any buyer to stump up anymore possibly because your situation dictates your need to sell then I think you are looking at this wrongly....forgive me for thinking that you and your ex might be seeing the £30k perceived increase as the way to fund the sale and the legal fees for your split...whatever your relationship now if you truly want something financial out of this you both need to put a bit more effort into it than you currently are...or reduce the price,take the hit and move on.

    Its the type of place I could live in quite happily with my array of family and sell on in 5 years time having truly maximised its potential at potentially more than you ever did.
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  • markin
    markin Posts: 3,860 Forumite
    Sixth Anniversary 1,000 Posts Name Dropper Photogenic
    The Annexe needs its own separated pictures, Probably an EPC or the work done to it to make it livable listed, it can't be rented out without an EPC, And the house with an F29 also cant be rented out, did you do anything to improve the energy efficiency? Its listed as a Potential D64.
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