Going 'MultiGenerational' & Selling 2 Properties Advice needed

SwipernoSwiping

Hi all, I'm hoping to find a little advice. Mid Covid summer, my parents' health nose dived, and my father was rushed into hospital. He now needs more support around him. We took the decision to merge our households and both properties are now on the market, with the usual declutter, but with 'a price to allow others to put their stamp on it' and 'wriggle room'.  Both homes are in good locations in a 'top ten places to live' town. Secluded, well looked after and with highly sought after schools, gardens, parking, central heating etc, plenty of shops and amenities in the area. One 3 bed one 2.

Several months down the line, no movement.  The Estate agent isn't doing a great deal to push the houses, isn't suggesting or communicating things that might improve interest. For one of the properties, other homes on the street have sold in the same time frame with different agents. Their owners have spent time titivating their properties that I am not sure I can work into life. We were assured by the agent that it wasn't required.

I'm at a loss. Despite 100% equity in both we're stuck.  The market is very much stacked against us, I accept that, responsibility for getting the sale is mine, but ownership is not, dropping the price isn't an option, nor do I think it will work. We've a mortgage adviser telling us that bridging loans are too risky, and expensive. Again, not a path we want to go down. I've read plenty of articles, and the forums here until I can't see forest for trees any longer. If you were in my position would you:

Pull the houses from the estate agent, invest, then come back in spring?

Re-decorate and leave it with the current agent?

Invest some money to enable both properties to come to the rental market, use rental income to purchase the joint property? As I understand it this isn't the fast fix my parents need.

Something else, that I've missed

davidmcn

Why is dropping the price not an option? 

SwipernoSwiping

davidmcn said:

Why is dropping the price not an option? 

It's been discussed with the agent. They are happy at the price of one, and one has already been reduced and has a secondary 'race to the bottom' with a competing agent/property.

Swri12345

Could you add a link, difficult to say without knowing more about these properties. 

ssparks2003

Would a change of agents and some new photos be a good idea in the new year? We were on for months with one agent with only a couple of viewings, changed the agent and new photos and sold in 10 days.

SwipernoSwiping

Swri12345 said:

Could you add a link, difficult to say without knowing more about these properties. 

Thanks for asking about. I didn't post links because I thought it against the rules. But here:

https://www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/85826623#/

https://www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/85823980#/

ssparks2003 said:

Would a change of agents and some new photos be a good idea in the new year? We were on for months with one agent with only a couple of viewings, changed the agent and new photos and sold in 10 days.

This is what I was wondering, thanks

AdrianC

SwipernoSwiping said:

davidmcn said:

Why is dropping the price not an option? 

It's been discussed with the agent. They are happy at the price of one, and one has already been reduced and has a secondary 'race to the bottom' with a competing agent/property. 

Whether the agent is happy or not is totally irrelevant.

You aren't happy, and you're the seller.
Buyers clearly aren't happy, either...

Are you getting viewings? If so, the listings are doing their job, and the asking price seems fine for the listing, but something's putting people off viewing.

If not, would you be happy to show us the listing(s)? We can make some suggestions as to why people may not be viewing.

SwipernoSwiping

AdrianC said:

SwipernoSwiping said:

davidmcn said:

Why is dropping the price not an option? 

It's been discussed with the agent. They are happy at the price of one, and one has already been reduced and has a secondary 'race to the bottom' with a competing agent/property. 

Whether the agent is happy or not is totally irrelevant.

You aren't happy, and you're the seller.
Buyers clearly aren't happy, either...

Are you getting viewings? If so, the listings are doing their job, and the asking price seems fine for the listing, but something's putting people off viewing.

If not, would you be happy to show us the listing(s)? We can make some suggestions as to why people may not be viewing.

Thank you Both listings are posted above. Viewings are happening with one, not the other. We're not getting viewings on the 3 bed, the 2 bed is getting viewings. The feedback so far is regarding things out of our control. Frustratingly these should have been picked up at the 'online' stage that our agent uses to filter time wasters.

davidmcn

SwipernoSwiping said:

Swri12345 said:

Could you add a link, difficult to say without knowing more about these properties. 

Thanks for asking about. I didn't post links because I thought it against the rules. But here:

https://www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/85826623#/

https://www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/85823980#/

The photos aren't great for either. Could do with some tidying up and better angles / focal length.

Does next door's garden for the first one still look like this?

SwipernoSwiping

@davidmcn yes it does. It's the reason the price is 15k under the going rate. Frustrating, but not something we can influence.

JGB1955

Does the 3 bed really have central heating - I haven't spotted a radiator in any of the photos.  

EDIT - just spotted one hiding in the dining room.