Unable to sell house

RAS

Bailey1980 said

Thank you. Unfortunately these are the photos taken by the estate agent, I did crop them slightly to remove the estate agent's logo.

Hmm. Others have plainly found your Rightmove listing, so there will be other photos missing from this batch, but I'll comment on ones here.

And have you critically reviewed their text, perhaps taking into account the merits listed by other posters? And checking things like the local schools?

Can you move agents? What does your contract say? Not least as if the EA will only take new photos if you do their suggested improvements, changing anything else is going to be useless.

On the current photos, appreciating these are cropped.

The kitchen. What precisely is the purpose of the first photo which seems to highlight the underside of a cupboard? Of the rest, are the cupboards fixed unusually high, or has the photographer crouched down? On of the issue with a grey room is that the highlights are the underside of the cupboards, enhanced by the light fittings and the guts of the boiler rather than decent units.

The hall. This is the entry point and let's you down before the photographer makes it worse. A photo of the hall, taken through the open door from the foyer would make the whole thing look better. 

But you need to ort out that bifold door. It doesn't fit the frame and that I emphasised by the unpainted frame at the top. Then raditors 

Bonniepurple

Bailey1980 said:

twopenny said:

I don't think carpets is the answer but if you do it buy cheap. The people buying will want their own colours.

It looks in reasonable condition to me including some positively good parts. But also some odd things though you expect that in someone elses property.

You could paint the peeling radiator, make the entrance hall as smart as can be. Stick a couple of pots of flowers outside the door. Morrisons 3 for £2 ish primulas. Give the front a welcome and tidy up anything there.

Another thing that could be done that's cheap is to pressure wash the flag stones out back. Strim the edges of the lawn to tidy it up, no chance to mow in winter.

So first impressions and last.

I notice one bedroom is an attic bedroom, converted. I've seen a couple that have the boiler in the cupboard up there so would affect sleep. Around here those often seem to hinder sales because the stairs to them have to go up from somewhere often awkward.

I've certainly seen some when viewing that were dreadful and they sold - but not quickly.

Yours is in move inable condition by the looks of it with some good featurs even if there is work to be done.

Good luck.

Thank you. I did say to the estate agent that my concern with replacing the carpets was that people will want their own colours, however, the estate agent is adamant that we need to replace all the carpets in a neutral tone of beiges and whites, though I was thinking maybe some kind of grey as the walls are off white, so too much white might not look right? 

Could I ask what odd things stood out as I do need some objective thoughts as I think I've lost my way. 

The garden was given a good tidy up before it went on the market, but I think there may have been a few weeks delay between the tidy up and the photos being taken and I haven't seen what the winter has done to the garden as we were hoping to leave it all to the estate agent and not go back there, but I am going over to the house next week to try and sort everything out. 

As far as we are aware none of the bedrooms have been converted - the boiler is in the kitchen. We know at some point in it's history, there was a hot water tank in a cupboard in the second largest bedroom but that is no longer there and wasn't there when we moved in and think it had been taken out before the people we bought from bought the house. The house is from the 1920s.  

Having lived with a beige carpet, seeing a house with one would automatically mean it went on my “no” list.  Get new valuations From different estate agents and see what they say, but I suspect it’s down to price.

Bailey1980

RAS said:

Bailey1980 said

Thank you. Unfortunately these are the photos taken by the estate agent, I did crop them slightly to remove the estate agent's logo.

Hmm. Others have plainly found your Rightmove listing, so there will be other photos missing from this batch, but I'll comment on ones here.

And have you critically reviewed their text, perhaps taking into account the merits listed by other posters? And checking things like the local schools?

Can you move agents? What does your contract say? Not least as if the EA will only take new photos if you do their suggested improvements, changing anything else is going to be useless.

On the current photos, appreciating these are cropped.

The kitchen. What precisely is the purpose of the first photo which seems to highlight the underside of a cupboard? Of the rest, are the cupboards fixed unusually high, or has the photographer crouched down? On of the issue with a grey room is that the highlights are the underside of the cupboards, enhanced by the light fittings and the guts of the boiler rather than decent units.

The hall. This is the entry point and let's you down before the photographer makes it worse. A photo of the hall, taken through the open door from the foyer would make the whole thing look better. 

But you need to ort out that bifold door. It doesn't fit the frame and that I emphasised by the unpainted frame at the top. Then raditors 

Thank you.  There are a number of schools in the area and I will check their Ofstead rating.

The EA had sole selling rights for 10 weeks which has now expired. 

I don't know what the purpose of the first photo is and the cupboards aren't fixed unusually high, so I'm guessing they have crouched down. I guess they put the under cupboard lighting on to get a better resolution. 

The picture of the bifold door isn't great - it's actually on a track which is white and having a real critical eye looking at it now, it doesn't look like the door was fully closed. 

Perhaps we ought to have been more critical of the photos previously, but with everything that has gone on we just wanted the estate agent to deal with everything. 

I've taken on board what everyone has said and am going to the house next week and have a list of things I am hoping to  take with me, though they will only be very small differences if anything. Also getting other agents in and quotes for carpets and painting/replacing radiators. 

Bailey1980

Bonniepurple said:

Bailey1980 said:

twopenny said:

I don't think carpets is the answer but if you do it buy cheap. The people buying will want their own colours.

It looks in reasonable condition to me including some positively good parts. But also some odd things though you expect that in someone elses property.

You could paint the peeling radiator, make the entrance hall as smart as can be. Stick a couple of pots of flowers outside the door. Morrisons 3 for £2 ish primulas. Give the front a welcome and tidy up anything there.

Another thing that could be done that's cheap is to pressure wash the flag stones out back. Strim the edges of the lawn to tidy it up, no chance to mow in winter.

So first impressions and last.

I notice one bedroom is an attic bedroom, converted. I've seen a couple that have the boiler in the cupboard up there so would affect sleep. Around here those often seem to hinder sales because the stairs to them have to go up from somewhere often awkward.

I've certainly seen some when viewing that were dreadful and they sold - but not quickly.

Yours is in move inable condition by the looks of it with some good featurs even if there is work to be done.

Good luck.

Thank you. I did say to the estate agent that my concern with replacing the carpets was that people will want their own colours, however, the estate agent is adamant that we need to replace all the carpets in a neutral tone of beiges and whites, though I was thinking maybe some kind of grey as the walls are off white, so too much white might not look right? 

Could I ask what odd things stood out as I do need some objective thoughts as I think I've lost my way. 

The garden was given a good tidy up before it went on the market, but I think there may have been a few weeks delay between the tidy up and the photos being taken and I haven't seen what the winter has done to the garden as we were hoping to leave it all to the estate agent and not go back there, but I am going over to the house next week to try and sort everything out. 

As far as we are aware none of the bedrooms have been converted - the boiler is in the kitchen. We know at some point in it's history, there was a hot water tank in a cupboard in the second largest bedroom but that is no longer there and wasn't there when we moved in and think it had been taken out before the people we bought from bought the house. The house is from the 1920s.  

Having lived with a beige carpet, seeing a house with one would automatically mean it went on my “no” list.  Get new valuations From different estate agents and see what they say, but I suspect it’s down to price.

The beige carpet being an automatic no was my concern so I was thinking maybe a light grey but another poster has said greyage is out and I don't want to make any more mistakes. 

BobT36

Bailey1980 said:

The beige carpet being an automatic no was my concern so I was thinking maybe a light grey but another poster has said greyage is out and I don't want to make any more mistakes. 

My god, this "staging" stuff. Do people REALLY decide whether to buy a house or not, based on the colour of the carpets and whether there's a plant on the windowsill? Come on!! 

I agree with replacing any older carpets (with cheap but fresh ones), cleaning and tidying the place up, and patching up anything unfinished or damaged. 

When I view I'm costing up what I will HAVE to do to put it "right", "this will cost me £x, that will cost my £y, therefore with this and that and these attributes about the property, I do / don't think it's worth £z00,000".
Not whether there's a plant in the right place or a certain coloured bath mat !!!!!!! 

Rooms, room size, layout, features, overlookedness, parking, all these sort of points are what matter to me, as those factor in to what I feel a house is "worth". 
Clearly although nice, your house isn't worth the price, else it will have sold. 

Drop the price, yes you will then get offers below that (falling market), IF you feel it's now at the right price point, you then say no! If it is indeed at the right point, they'll re-offer closer and negotiations begin. 
The "right price point" will be considered in TENS of thousands, (anything below that is offer & negotiate range), and based on what mortgages and other houses are worth now, not a £20 orange bath mat!! 


Again, I do agree with general cleaning / tidying / patch-up, freshening up anything that's objectively "worn", and certainly if you have had small children or pets, take any comments about "smells" on board.. But the rest of the "staging" (such as putting SIXTEEN pillows on a bed, which I've seen before) is absolute nonsense and a waste of time, money and detracting from the real issue, the overall price. 

timehastoldme

Don't spend any money!!! Get a different estate agent in. We had some horrid carpets when we sold, and in the end it made naff all difference. Mortgage rates are dropping, temperature is warming, a little patience and it'll sell. It looks fine. There's zero point changing anything that might not be to someone's personal taste. 

cymruchris

I would re-iterate again - don't spend any more money. Fancy towels and potted plants won't impress the serious buyers. Carpets that you spend money on may get ripped up the first week the new owners live in the house. It's your property, and you can do whatever you think it takes to get it sold - but spending money like this won't improve your selling chances. Definitely take out the carpets - definitely get a couple of air fresheners - consider a new agent with new photos - nothing wrong with a bit of a tidy up - but don't go spending a grand trying to make it more 'sellable' when it'll do nothing of the sort.

You'll be throwing money down the drain.

If with a new agent and new photos, carpets removed, and smell gone you're not shifting it - then it's down to price 'v' all the other factors people look at. (And I know you don't want to hear 'price reduction' because you want as much as possible for it - but if you want it sold, and you need it sold, because things are becoming a stretch, then you have to do whatever you can to sell it - and that doesn't mean filling it with cheap guff and disposable carpets)

RHemmings

I must be a rare type of buyer then, because I want to see carpets and decorations that are good enough for me, so that I don't have to tear them up/redecorate. However, I'm not concerned about 'staging' and potted plants etc. When I had my final viewing the other day, I was looking at the carpets and giving them a definite mental thumbs up. They are basic plain colours, but look good quality to me. From what I can see of the OP's house through photos, it looks fine to me. It's the outdoors that needs a bit of work, to my eyes. 

Bailey1980

I appreciate everyone's comments and advice. 

I'm struggling to make decisions because it seems every decision I make ends up being wrong or coming back to haunt me. 

I'm concerned about  ripping up carpets and just  leaving the floorboards as I suspect people will still say it needs too much work because it needs to be carpeted but equally forking out money on brand new carpets does seem a bit much.  I'm just in a spin about what is best to do.

RHemmings said:

I must be a rare type of buyer then, because I want to see carpets and decorations that are good enough for me, so that I don't have to tear them up/redecorate. However, I'm not concerned about 'staging' and potted plants etc. When I had my final viewing the other day, I was looking at the carpets and giving them a definite mental thumbs up. They are basic plain colours, but look good quality to me. From what I can see of the OP's house through photos, it looks fine to me. It's the outdoors that needs a bit of work, to my eyes. 

Could you be more specific about the colours of the carpet of the house you put an offer in as if we do replace the carpets I don't know what shade to pick as a beige/cream carpet would get lost in the rooms as the walls are off white. I thought maybe a greyish colour but it might be too much grey in the house overall and grey doesn't seem to be in.  We did have a good tidy up of both gardens before it went on the market but suspect over the months it may now need a further tidy up. Again when we've spoken to the estate agent they have told us not to bother doing anything with the garden. 

RHemmings

Bailey1980 said:

I appreciate everyone's comments and advice. 

I'm struggling to make decisions because it seems every decision I make ends up being wrong or coming back to haunt me. 

I'm concerned about  ripping up carpets and just  leaving the floorboards as I suspect people will still say it needs too much work because it needs to be carpeted but equally forking out money on brand new carpets does seem a bit much.  I'm just in a spin about what is best to do.

RHemmings said:

I must be a rare type of buyer then, because I want to see carpets and decorations that are good enough for me, so that I don't have to tear them up/redecorate. However, I'm not concerned about 'staging' and potted plants etc. When I had my final viewing the other day, I was looking at the carpets and giving them a definite mental thumbs up. They are basic plain colours, but look good quality to me. From what I can see of the OP's house through photos, it looks fine to me. It's the outdoors that needs a bit of work, to my eyes. 

Could you be more specific about the colours of the carpet of the house you put an offer in as if we do replace the carpets I don't know what shade to pick as a beige/cream carpet would get lost in the rooms as the walls are off white. I thought maybe a greyish colour but it might be too much grey in the house overall and grey doesn't seem to be in.  We did have a good tidy up of both gardens before it went on the market but suspect over the months it may now need a further tidy up. Again when we've spoken to the estate agent they have told us not to bother doing anything with the garden. 

I suggest that you don't base your decisions on my tastes, as I have noticed differences between my opinions and those of the majority. E.g. on what is classified as a monster kitchen. 

The carpets in the house I'm buying (exchange has already happened) are cream coloured. At least the ones I noticed last time. So, exactly what others don't want. I much prefer carpets to laminate flooring in all rooms other than kitchen/bathroom. I think it's cream coloured carpets throughout the house. Though, I'm not sure as I mentally filed away 'good enough' and didn't remember the actual colour. 

While I'm not fussy, when I see houses with bare floors, I'm mentally taking the price of new carpets off any offer I might make. 

I personally like to see a neat and tidy garden. I was actually put off one house because it had too fabulous designer-ish garden and there was no way my family and I would keep all that. A plain garden is good for me. But, from what I saw of yours there seems to be patchy grass and I'm not sure of that bit at the end. (Sorry).