House on the market for 3 weeks with no viewings...

TBagpuss

Adventureisoutthere said:

Thank you, this is really helpful. The kitchen was also completely stripped out and redone, but again when it comes to value-add I guess that's not necessarily a consideration.

I never got around to buying dining room chairs haha - we were about to put the finishing touches to the dining room and then never bothered as we had to use it as an office due to being forced to WFH.

I did think the photos may be an issue as I saw them and raised an eyebrow regarding the width. The same with the outside space, it's actually quite a decent size and I call it the gin terrace. I think it might be useful to get photos of the hallway and landing too, to give a feel for layout.

With regard to lack of character, when I bought it there was nothing you could really say that was an original feature. There is an open fireplace in the dining room which looks nice, but it was newly installed. The things that were added (the fake beams and the old fire surround) were done about 20 years ago and made the room look so small an dated. It's actually huge.

Anyway, really appreciate the feedback and I'll get on to the estate agent about changing the photos and see if we can dress the house a bit better.

Yes, I could see when I looked at the old photos that it wasn't you who stripped out the original features! I wonder whether it might be better to describe it as a house rather than a cottage on your listing? 
My understanding is that things like a new kitchen or bathroom are not usually going to add value as people's tastes differ so much and they are one of the things (or two of the things) which a lot of people plan to change when they move in anyway. (For instance, while I love the colour you picked for the end wall in the kitchen, if I were looking for a property in your area I wouldn't pay an uplift for the new kitchen because it isn't either the style or the layout I would chose, personally, so my approach would be "Is this something I can live with until I get around to changing it to the way I want it?"  .I mean, with yours, the answer would be yes, it's certainly something I could live with, but it would be neutral in terms of what I would see the house as being worth, if that makes sense.

[Deleted User]

Adventureisoutthere said:

Deleted_User said:

For just 25k more you can get this in the same village, three bedroomed and a lovely garden - 

You also have this in the nearby village of Wolston - 

And this in nearby Ryton on Dunsmore -

"For just 25k more you can get this in the same village, three bedroomed and a lovely garden" - this is on the side of a dual carriageway about 5mins away which is incredibly busy - I don't think you can compare though agree people may use it as a comparison. It's not in the village at all.

The Wolston one, I agree, internal floorspace is very similar so you're paying for the garden and driveway, perhaps the extra bedroom though they're smaller all round. Is that worth an extra £25k? I don't know having never done this sort of thing before and no idea what people think is value for money!

Ryton on Dunsmore, you'd need spend money doing it up and I think for that village it's probably at/near the top end of the market for the cap price/type of house. I can probably find a counter-debate for everything 

You make some valid points but to be honest those were just a couple of listings that I found within a quick 2 minute search.

You need to bear in mind that your 2 bed is priced top end, with little scope for adding value to it, so it may not look like a good investment for some people. Especially those who are mindful that they are likely to want to upsize in the near future if for example they intend on starting a family. 

Those houses with 3 bedrooms, gardens and driveways for 25k more, will most certainly be catching peoples attention who will be considering whether its worth paying a bit more for something that they can live in longer term. 

Black_Cat2

I agree with all above.  Nice to see a decluttered house but this is going to the extreme 😆. J/k, don't think that would put viewers off but maybe a few more bits and bobs around would show it off better. Good luck 🐈

dramaticat

It could be the time of year too. My house went on the market about the same time as yours. I had a viewing booked while I was still arranging photos etc., which was then cancelled. There was another soon after the Rightmove listing went live, and since then nothing until last weekend. I also had a call this morning to arrange a viewing for next week. I'm hoping now the summer holiday season is over, things will pick up a bit.

rik111

It’s not the time of year, houses have never sold so quickly with all the pent up demand and stamp duty holiday. The first few weeks are usually when you get a flurry of viewing as the agent contacts everyone on their books and don’t have to rely on walk ins. Can only be the price is putting people off, even at a slightly high price you would still get some viewings so it must be out of the ball park !

Cakeguts

If you haven't had any viewings in this time then that says it is very overpriced and for the money people are getting something better elsewhere.  My feeling is that it is probably about £20k overpriced but also that you paid too much for it when you bought it.

AdrianC

Cakeguts said:

If you haven't had any viewings in this time then that says it is very overpriced and for the money people are getting something better elsewhere.  My feeling is that it is probably about £20k overpriced but also that you paid too much for it when you bought it.

Crashy? Is that you?

lika_86

The layout alone would put me off. Having what is described as a dining room miles from the kitchen and through the living area is not practical at all. You can't do much about this though but be aware it might be an issue for many people.

snowqueen555

Ignoring price etc, I think pictures need to be improved, doesn't give the place a comfy homely feel. Arrangement of rooms, and way the rooms are shot.
If you get a lot of skim browsers, a lot of people won't make it past the pictures before looking at the next one.

babyblade41

I think you will have to accept that this may take a while to find the person who likes the layout  but not at that price .

I personally don't mind the empty state of the property  as straight after the pics I move onto the floor plan . Having the bathroom in its present location will put off so many people which is something you will have to take on board.

I think you will have to sit it out  or reduce the price substantially to get it sold