Why is this house not selling? Constructive criticism needed

[Hythan]

A friend of mine is trying to sell her house.

http://www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/prope...

I have tried to give her some advice as to the presentation of the house and that maybe with a lick of paint here and there, it would VASTLY improve the house. It is all in an effort to sell, not to live with permanently. Appealing to as many people as possible has to be the priority.

I would very much appreciate the opinions of the people on here as to what recommendations you would make, to present this house in the best possible way.

To give an idea of the competition, this house is literally within a thousand yards of my friends house, and is FAR more appealing on the photos.

http://www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/prope...


And please, be harsh, honest, and constructive.

Many Thanks

Hythan

[Hythan]

jdw1234 said:

Price.

If it was priced at £1 it would sell within the hour.
If it was priced at £1m it would never sell.

Somewhere between the two levels is your magic number. I assume it is currently priced too high.

Most likely, yes. And I have expressed this view on many occasion. What I am trying to convince my friend of at the moment though, is about the presentation of the house. If you compare the two properties I've linked, it's a no brainer, you'd view the one at £370,000. I'm keen to hear from others if they think the presentation is an issue also.

[Hythan]

Piglet said:

I'm not convinced that I would view the second one based on the photographs. Your friend's property looks bigger. It's poorly photographed, the dining chair stuck out in the middle of the photograph for instance. The kitchen photo she needed to clear off the work surfaces, it looks cluttered which makes me think that there is little storage.

If it was what I was looking for I think I'd view, regardless of the photographs, is there anything else wrong? It's on a corner, how busy is the road?

It's a lovely house, and typical of the area. It is on a housing park that is fairly quiet. Nice area, lots of young families.

The house has an awful lot going for it, but as you've said, the photos just don't do it justice.

Take the master bedroom for example, the decor is over fifteen years old. I'm trying to suggest to my friend that by just giving it a lick of paint, and some neutral bedsheets, the 'feel' of the room would change a huge amount.

I'm trying to tell her, that a small amount of effort, could really help get viewers in.

The other poor point for me is, the room that has the desk in it. That room is an extension off of the living room, it has loads of natural light, and is being wasted. I've suggested moving the dining room table and chairs into that space so people can actually visualise how it can be used. Her response was "oh but that means it's further to walk with food etc at dinner". It's about an extra EIGHT steps!!! She's great, but sometimes it's difficult to get through to her.

I wanted the opinions of people on here, so I can explain to her how people will have different ways of living, and different tastes to her. It's important to try and present the house in the best way possible, to achieve a sale, rather than for her to live in.

[Hythan]

southendpier said:

Nothing wrong with photos.

When selling price and exposure to buyers is key.

Why are you that bothered?

Because she's a friend of mine and is forced into selling due to the breakdown of a life long relationship, and because I'm a friend who offered to help. She also suffered a bit of a breakdown, or which I also helped her through, so am not going to stop helping now.

[Hythan]

Spudler said:

Maybe op should post up a pic of said female.

Trust me, ain't nobody got time for that...

It's not one of those situations, as funny as this post was!

Thanks for the giggle.

[Hythan]

Thanks very much everyone, pretty much every point I agree with, and have been trying to get this across to the vendor.

I feel like the 'bad guy' for being so brutally honest about it hence this post, I'm hoping now that although she may find it difficult to hear, hearing it from strangers might be an easier pill to swallow.

After all, the people viewing her house and potentially buying are strangers also.

To answer a few questions;

House was instructed for sale in June, an offer of £370,000 (asking price was at £379,950 at the time) came in, but fell through. Since then, there has been a handful of viewings, one second viewing, but nothing in the way of an offer.

House valuation, they were advised by three or four agents to market at between £365,000 and £380,000. Also one advised to market at Offers above £370,000. They have gone with be highest valuation.

Viewings are practically non existent now. Agent saying 'it's the time of year'.

Price was dropped from £379,950 to £375,000 a couple of months ago. Price now dropped to £369,950.

Feedback from viewings is very minimal, agent has told vendor that they are making follow up calls, but the viewers are just giving minimal feedback saying "we just don't like it really".

Agents have given sod all in the way of guidance for photos etc. nothing mentioned about the clutter, tree in garden etc, wheelie bins literally next to front door. Amazingly bad decor in master bedroom.

I have said to the vendor, to request help from her daughters, and me and Mrs Hythan, and to book in a Saturday or something where will we are all free, to spend just a day, making an effort to present the house for a sale. Trying to maximise the appeal in photographs and make best use of space.

Someone mentioned earlier in the thread that she probably doesn't want to sell. I have the exact same impression.

As for the price of housing down here, I can't say I don't agree. I'll be looking to buy myself in the next few years so it would be lovely if the prices came down! But for whatever reason, whether it's snobbery, higher wages (are they even that higher?) or whatever, the SE is pricey.

I was born and raised in Windsor, now live in Fifield, a small village close to Windsor and Maidenhead, and the prices around here are crazy.
I don't stay here because I am a snob, I have tried to stay here as long as I can because it's my home, and my family and friends live here. But the way the prices are now, it looks like I'll have to lay my hat somewhere else.

All feedback hugely appreciated and will hopefully go someway into helping my friend realise how she can improve the saleability of her property. She is very reluctant to drop the price further as she needs 50% of the selling price to go towards her next purchase, and is trying to get as much as she can. But she has to be careful that by doing this, she's not pricing herself out of the market, which to be honest I think she already has. I think she also has a lack of understanding as to how a house valuation really works as she keeps reminding me what the agents valued the house at back in June. She doesn't seem to comprehend that the house is only worth what someone is willing to pay for it. No more.



Edited for numerous iPhone typos. Of which there are probably more.

Edited by Hythan on Tuesday 23 December 08:05

Edited by Hythan on Tuesday 23 December 08:06

[Hythan]

Bluebarge said:

You sound like a frustrated interior designer. You may prefer the second property, but it hasn't sold either. You sound like you are getting way too involved and need to step back a little.

Price may be a bit toppy, but Christmas is quiet anyway so I would leave it to see how it goes in jan. Any re-decoration should be minimal (lick of paint) but I don't think it really needs it TBH if the price is right. Idea of getting another agent to take a look is a good one. There are an awful lot of houses like that for sale in maidenhead and the market has cooled a bit recently so I wouldn't expect miracles.

A frustrated interior designer? Strange conclusion, I am merely attempting to help someone present a house to market in the best way possible in order to appeal to buyers. Sounds more like common sense to me.

Too involved? You don't know my friends situation, and my involvement up to now, so I would say to you, with respect, that your opinion on that front is slightly uninformed. I'm the ONLY person who will help her. And why wouldn't someone help a friend? She has no experience of selling houses, and is emotionally attached to the house and it's style. I'm not, which is a huge benefit in this situation.

Completely agree on your second point. I too believe the price to be too high, and yes it is a quiet period. Any redecoration does need to be minimal. As you say, it's the price that will have the most effect here.

Edited by Hythan on Tuesday 23 December 16:49

[Hythan]

anonymous said:

[redacted]

7 Aysgarth Park is very close (VERY close) to my friends property, and ever since hers has been marketed, I must have heard a million times, that number 7 went for £380,000.

I have told her time and time again, that the two houses are different, and they cannot be compared. And yet she still brings it up time and time again.

That is the first time I have seen interior shots of that one, and I completely agree it's in a different league.

All points raised about the ill thought out extension I also 100% agree with.

I have spoken to her today, and gone through with her lots of the points raised in this thread. I can tell that she is finding it difficult to hear it, but it's a necessary task in order to move on with her life.

I'm going to let her 'digest' the info now, and speak to her after Christmas. I just hope she takes it all on board.

[Hythan]

Bluebarge said:

You appear very insistent in trying to impose your views on your friend (even to the point of suggesting she re-arranges the furniture) when I don't think that what you recommend will make much, if any, difference. Everything wrong with that house is easily changeable by an interested buyer but, at the end of the day, it is a little box in a cul de sac off the M4, and in a flood-plain, so price is key. At £350k it would stand out but if she can't take that hit, she might as well rent it out.

What it may appear as on an internet forum, is hardly accurate in gauging the level of involvement, or insistence of involvement, in the real world. You have no knowledge of my relationship with my friend, and her family, and are therefore completely incorrect in suggesting that I'm 'very insistent'. Believe me, if I could leave her to it, I would, but I told her I would help, and I intend to. Now with all due respect, I came on here to ask opinions on the sale-ability of a house, not to ask if I should even give my input in the first place as quite frankly that is not your concern. Thank you for your input regarding price and area, I can't say I disagree with you there.

And just to add, your comment of "even to the point of suggesting she re-arranges the furniture", seems a bit of a mountain from a mole hill doesn't it? Are you implying that moving a table and chairs from one room to the room next door is a lot of work? Or that to suggest such a thing is a step too far?

If you read the rest of this thread, the vast majority of posters seem to agree that making these changes, would indeed increase the sale-ability of the house. Is that not the goal here?

You may well be the type of person, as indeed I know I am, that is able to see past dated decor, or be able to imagine their own lives in a new property. Unfortunately though, as has been noted many times above, an awful lot of buyers lack that ability. To present a house to market in such a fashion as to make it as easy as possible for viewers to imagine themselves living there is common practice and indeed recommended is it not? There are certainly enough TV shows about just that.

I totally agree that if priced at £350k, the property would very likely sell. But that is not my choice to make, and one that my friend is unwilling to at this point. Hence why the focus is elsewhere in order to attempt to at least get a conversation going between vendor and potential purchaser in an effort to strike a deal.
The fact that she is very likely pricing herself out of the market altogether will no doubt dawn on her at some point.

Hopefully.

Just to clarify, the funds from the sale of this house, are to be split equally between my friend, and her ex partner. Hence her attempts to gain as much from it as possible, so that she may purchase her own property. A mortgage, although an option, isn't ideal as she isn't that far from retirement age.

.

[Hythan]

Jasandjules said:

The pictures make it look ok, reasonably neutral where it counts.

That means the question is what are similar houses in the area up for?

There are a variety of houses in this area, as has been shown by number 7 Aysgarth Park that was posted just a few posts ago. It's difficult to compare.

Number 7, is a completely different league to the property in question here, and yet is part of the same terrace.

It would appear, that even without the aid of direct comparison in the immediate area, that the price is too high. Evidenced by sheer lack of interest.

[Hythan]

KTF said:

Do you know what price it was when it 'sold' earlier in the year?

Property Bee said:

01/12/2014 - Price changed: from '£375,000' to '£369,950'
08/11/2014 - Price changed: from '£379,950' to '£375,000'
12/09/2014 - Status changed: from 'Sold STC' to 'null'
07/08/2014 - Status changed: from 'null' to 'Sold STC'
01/07/2014 - Initial entry found.

Yep, £375,000. And they were pretty lucky to be offered that IMO.

ETA: Sorry, correction, it was £370,000. Still lucky!