How to market best?

JuzaMum

I am thinking of moving. Most of the houses in my area are detached 3 bed houses, with two double bedrooms and one single. Lots of these are marketed as 4 bed, as the dining room is labelled as a bedroom. In my road, there are 22 addresses, of which 4 have parking so parking is difficult, but I have two off road parking spaces. My house has 3 double bedrooms, upstairs bathroom, open plan L-shaped lounge/kitchen/diner, family room, small utility, small office (2.1m x 2.7m), downstairs shower room and another room (3.3m x 3.2m) which is currently an office. Should I make the current office into a lounge/snug. Should I call it a 4 bed house? 

I am currently working on decluttering and tidying.

I would love to hear what others feel would make my house more appealing. TIA

Brie

I thought that estate agents used a formula to help peg a value on a house and each bedroom adds to that.  But I've been shocked at what some people consider a bedroom - to me it has to have room for a bed, side table and dresser at the very least.  I've seen some one bedroom places where there wasn't any place to put clothes at all.  The 3.3x3.2 room would do I think.

JuzaMum

Brie said:

I thought that estate agents used a formula to help peg a value on a house and each bedroom adds to that.  But I've been shocked at what some people consider a bedroom - to me it has to have room for a bed, side table and dresser at the very least.  I've seen some one bedroom places where there wasn't any place to put clothes at all.  The 3.3x3.2 room would do I think.

There is a house for sale along the road from mine, marketed as a 4 bed. Bedroom 4 is 5'11" x 5'7"! I guess you could put a bed in diagonally on its side!

Smalltownhypocrite

No, as someone who has spent 2 years looking for a 4 bed it is infuriating when people list 3 beds as 4 beds using a reception room as a bedroom, its NOT the same thing as a 4 bed house.

People looking for 4 beds are usually families, families want to be on the same floor. If theres a fire I don't want to have to make it through the burning smoke filled house and up the stairs to get to my kids who would need help escaping and then try and get out. Fatal wasted time.

Round here those house sit ignored and don't sell because they don't fit the needs of people wanting 4 beds and people looking for 3 beds usually skip them.

Its better to be a good size traditional 3 bed house than and unsuitable and incorrectly listed 4 bed.

Albermarle

I am currently working on decluttering and tidying

Do not forget about the front of the property/front garden/driveway.
Kerb appeal is important,

horsewithnoname

Declutter is good, not everyone can see through “stuff”, also - I’d hope it was obvious, but not from some houses I’ve seen - make sure everywhere is neat and clean, and as abermarle says, if your house looks attractive from the outside, it’s half the battle. If someone doesn’t even fancy going in then they probably won’t buy it. Smarten up anything that needs it, and a few nice looking pots with flowers in work wonders. 

Good luck!

TroubledTarts

A lot of properties list snug/bedroom 4 so no reason not to.how big is the office come snug come bedroom?

Have a chat with a few estate agents see what they say as well.

Cairnpapple

I would think your property should be listed as a 4 bed. The fact that there is a downstairs shower room makes the use of the 3.3x3.2 room as an actual bedroom more viable, and someone doing that would still have dining space and office space. 

JuzaMum

Smalltownhypocrite - I know just what you mean, we keep looking at 4 bed properties which aren't. However, if we do call the downstairs room a bedroom, we still have office, family room and kitchen/lounge/diner, and there is a shower room downstairs too. We also have a hardwired smoke and CO alarm system, so no need for the house to burn down!
Ablemarle - just had the front garden sorted and I have the paint for the walls. Just need some half decent weather and energy! 
Troubled tarts - I've had two agents in, one said leave the room as it is and the other said make it a lounge!

Smalltownhypocrite

JuzaMum said:

Smalltownhypocrite - I know just what you mean, we keep looking at 4 bed properties which aren't. However, if we do call the downstairs room a bedroom, we still have office, family room and kitchen/lounge/diner, and there is a shower room downstairs too. We also have a hardwired smoke and CO alarm system, so no need for the house to burn down!
Ablemarle - just had the front garden sorted and I have the paint for the walls. Just need some half decent weather and energy! 
Troubled tarts - I've had two agents in, one said leave the room as it is and the other said make it a lounge!

Most people have smoke alarms, they do not stop fire.

There is a thread on mumsnet right now where someone is attempting to selling a '3' bed but having no interest. Every comment has been that its a 2 bed with a downstairs reception room listed as a bedroom so its a no go in most peoples eyes. It having an en-suite to the downstairs room it has not swayed anyone's opinion.

Downstairs rooms are only really useful to those with serious mobility issues and thats a small market that requires a lot of other adaptions too.

Jemma01

When I was shopping for a house, I filtered anything above 3 bedrooms, so I wouldn't even see your house, despite the fact I'd love a gym room downstairs away from the living room.