Why is this house not selling

pieroabcd

lookbook said:

pieroabcd said:

OP, have you considered merging (back?) the smaller bedrooms in larger ones?
As a buyer in the past I didn't even consider buying houses that had 4 or 5 tiny bedrooms, while i would have chosen the same house with 2 or 3 larger bedrooms instead.

I think that most of potential buyers reason in the same way and don't want to engage in structural changes.
Space is everything.

True but then you have different rooms for different purposes like bedrooms or gaming room or work room. 

From a buyer point of view (that I've been for many years) having a tiny bedroom Vs a larger one makes the difference between not wanting to stay there Vs wanting the house.
A larger bedroom is versatile and gives you the chance to do whatever you want in it (resting, reading, playing, working) for all day, while a dedicated gaming room is something that you can use 2-3 hours a day before feeling like you want to run away from it because you feel claustrophobic.

elsien

I think I’d also consider what made you buy it in the first place. Not in a “why on earth” kind of a way, but it appealed to you. Perhaps if you think back to what it was that stood out for you that might help with the staging it for other people? 

edgex

moneysaver12 said:

Feedback has been rooms too small and not enough parking.  We can fit two cars on the drive 

We  moved into the house in 2016,  people that used to own it had converted it from a three bed to a five bed 

What do you mean by 'converted'? Were rooms split by putting in stud walls, or was it extended?

Bonniepurple

Having finally found it, I would echo previous comments.  It’s cluttered - although it almost seems to be 2 houses - pictures 1,2,4,8 and 13 seem to be uncluttered and almost tranquil, then you have the rest.  I’d also be looking at the tree and thinking roots.  It looks  as though the en-suites are really squashed in and serve no purpose bar the “en-suite show off”.

While ultimately, there’s not a lot that you can do about the layout, there are things that you can do.  Really, really declutter.  Hard to do, really hard with children, but be ruthless.  If need be, get some wheeled plastic storage and move it from room to room during photos.  Get new photos done.  Are you doing viewings or is the EA?  I’ve found that EAs vary, but owners can emphasise bonus points-en suites means teens can wash at the same time.  Smaller bedrooms-highly adaptable for office/spare bed over Christmas.  

Good luck.  I don’t know the area at all so can’t comment on price.

ReadySteadyPop

moneysaver12 said:

BarelySentientAI said:

moneysaver12 said:

Feedback has been rooms too small and not enough parking.  We can fit two cars on the drive 

We  moved into the house in 2016,  people that used to own it had converted it from a three bed to a five bed 

I like it, but that's your problem.

It's not a 5 bed.  5'5" is not a bedroom.  To most people, neither is 7'1".

Do you think it would be better marketed as a 4 bedroom and the smallest room a office,  it’s used as an office now 

Yes, but if the price isn`t right you will still scare people away.

ReadySteadyPop

ReadingTim said:

daveyjp said:

If the price doesn't reflect those costs a further price adjustment may be needed, but better photos may be a cheaper option.

No, it won't.  A "good" price will compensate for a "bad" set of photos, but a good set of photos won't compensate for a bad price.  Drop £100k so it's £190k instead of £290k and you'll be shot of it within a month, regardless of the photos, parking, decor etc

Good advice.

ReadySteadyPop

moneysaver12 said:

Thank you everyone.  Doesn’t help that it’s left to me to make any changes in the house.  I was the one who got laminated flooring put down,  got it painted.  Since photos were taken,  there is a rug and lamp in the living room,  new curtains.  New carpets in two of the bedrooms.  I will suggest to my husband that he speaks to estate agents about marketing it as a four bedroom,  plus office. estate agent came out before we listed,  they made out we would have no problem selling it.  I’ve suggested we look for a different estate agent but husband drags his feet.

Are you using PropertyLog to check up on other sellers in the area?

Niv

I also found it pretty easy to find the house on rightmove.

I cant add a huge amount to what has been said but I really think you should look at your photos from the point of view of a potential buyer. What the heck is phot three meant to be showing me? That you have no storage and an extractor fan - its just really poor from the EA. A few of the the other photos look like they have been done with only showing a small part of the room making it feel like the rooms are small and there is no room to even take a photo.

I am afraid a massive declutter is a must. The whole staging thing is real, people often cannot see beyond the clutter and some find it stressful being in the same space as it so will turn them off.

My first thought when I saw the garden was that I would get knocked out on the way to the pool if someone was on the swing Are you planning taking that swing with you? If so, take it down now ready to move, if not then sell it now. We are coming into Autumn / winter so its not going to get much use before April now anyway.

You have a lovely home for you and your family and it is clear it is a family home but you have to sell a 'dream' and a lived in family home is not a dream people go for.

ReadySteadyPop

Niv said:

I also found it pretty easy to find the house on rightmove.

I cant add a huge amount to what has been said but I really think you should look at your photos from the point of view of a potential buyer. What the heck is phot three meant to be showing me? That you have no storage and an extractor fan - its just really poor from the EA. A few of the the other photos look like they have been done with only showing a small part of the room making it feel like the rooms are small and there is no room to even take a photo.

I am afraid a massive declutter is a must. The whole staging thing is real, people often cannot see beyond the clutter and some find it stressful being in the same space as it so will turn them off.

My first thought when I saw the garden was that I would get knocked out on the way to the pool if someone was on the swing Are you planning taking that swing with you? If so, take it down now ready to move, if not then sell it now. We are coming into Autumn / winter so its not going to get much use before April now anyway.

You have a lovely home for you and your family and it is clear it is a family home but you have to sell a 'dream' and a lived in family home is not a dream people go for.

What are people looking for?

ReadySteadyPop

The experts are struggling to "sell a dream", ordinary people shouldn`t try and ordinary buyers are just looking at size location and price, pricing correctly is the key to success.

https://www.constructionnews.co.uk/financial/barratt-revenue-drops-1-15bn-amid-challenging-market-04-09-2024/