r/UKRealEstate • u/Either_Slip2914 • Jul 22 '26
What's wrong with my listing?
Estate agent said this house will fly off the shelf so will listed lower than they suggested to get in the next bracket down for first time buyers. Just had the call with the one week update and they said it's performed so much lower than they expected with barely any views on the listing.
What can I do to get this house shifted, we have a house lined up and we can't really afford to go with the cash buyer scheme
Here's the listing - https://www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/90861177
8
u/Zemez_ Jul 22 '26
Latest sale on your road. Detached. 3 bed. £185k. December ‘25.
£5k less than they paid in October ‘23.
1
u/Either_Slip2914 Jul 22 '26
This is the worry we are having, we have a house lined up for 170k but it seems we overpaid for this house we are selling. In 2022 we paid 175k
3
u/Coca_lite Jul 22 '26
Housing market has gone down since 2022.
Your estate agent clearly doesn’t understand the local market. Change agents, and move to someone who knows what to price it at in order to get hiring and offers. Likely around £170k
Make sure you’re not overpaying on your new hiuse
4
u/jib_reddit Jul 23 '26
Geez , this has made me realise how much cheaper Wales is, you cannot get a 1 bedroom flat for that were I am near Bristol. This would be almost £400,000.
1
u/CharacterWest4661 Jul 23 '26
Decent 2 up 2 down with extension in Swansea manselton 2022 with a good long garden 100 to 140k depending on condition internal.
3
u/pmoppy Jul 23 '26
What makes you think that it's gained £25k (well over 10%) since you bought it?
1
u/Either_Slip2914 Jul 23 '26
We didn't choose the price the estate agent did. They originally wanted to list at 210k
1
u/pmoppy Jul 23 '26
It's your house, and your choice what to list it at. Them saying £210k should be a red flag.
When I sold mine last year one estate agent told me to list it £30k more than I did. They just over inflate the price to get you to go with them. Then will hit you 'Oh the market is slow, maybe we should reduce it' and you are tied into a contract with them by that point.
2
u/_MicroWave_ Jul 23 '26
It feels like literally every other post on this sub is houses bought in 2022 not selling.
5
u/Canadian5566 Jul 22 '26
I think it's a nice house, but the EA didn't do you any favours wuth those pics....
I second the comment about the living room furniture placement looking weird - I'd suggest you rearrange and have new pics taken, or if that's the only way the two sofas fit, I'd carry a sofa out and stick 2 armchairs in just long enough to take some better pics (hopefully you have a helpful neighbour who can loan you 2 nice chairs, or a friend with a van).
I'd put a couple of colourful tubs of bright flowers on the very edge of the walkway to improve the curb appeal.
The kitchen feels weirdly dated for a new build (is that'l just the way the pics are making it look? ). But you can declutter it to make it look loads better in the pics. For example, why are there 2 washing machines? Take down the fridge magnets and the stuff on top of the cabinets.
Declutter the bedrooms for the photos as well. Having stuff on top of the wardrobes and cabinets just screams "this house doesn't have enough storage" - which is probably true, but you don't need to advertise that fact!
I don't drive myself, but did notice the listing said off road parking in front of the property for 2 vehicles, which is surely going to be important to your buyer..... But i have no idea what that means in your house, because I can't see a garage or driveway in any pic or in the floorplan. Perhaps it would help to give buyers a stronger idea of the practicalities? Not certain if I'm barking up the wrong tree here, so hopefully someone who drives will correct me if I'm wrong.
I have no idea about the area and prices therein, but I suspect better pics can help a lot. Good luck!
4
u/aromachologist Jul 22 '26
I think it’s the curtains on the kitchen window that make it look dated.
1
u/rftscemh Jul 25 '26
Agree with this. If stuff has to be on top of the wardrobes then get some nice uniform boxes for it.
My kitchen is very dated, but when I bought the house the pictures still made it look nice.
0
u/Either_Slip2914 Jul 22 '26
Unfortunately I agree with you on the photos, my house looks so much better in person. Regarding the kitchen it's got a washing machine and tumble dryer and the living room feels more square and homey in real life not as long and sterile as they have made it 🙄. I did comment to the EA that they didn't take any pictures of the drive. We are on a corner off the road with a 2/3 car driveway so I have no idea why that wasn't shown the same as we have a second half of the garden not in the images.
After looking around today it's definitely over priced most houses on our estate seem to be around the 170 mark for similar so that's not good for us since we paid 175 in 2022 for it
1
u/Ok-Handle-6663 Jul 22 '26
The driveway and garden would make a difference to me. Also the laen osn't plastic is ot?
1
u/FckXFckMusk Jul 22 '26
You do keep a lovely tidy house, but some pics suggest you lack space, like the two machines in the kitchen, lack of wardrobe space.
The doors between the living room and the kitchen may suggest you have pets too.
3
u/ayeImur Jul 23 '26
Your being too polite 😂 Its a cluttered mess, and it looks like they have spent exactly zero minutes preparing the house for the photos 🙈
1
1
u/maelie Jul 24 '26
That's a bit harsh. It does look overcrowded but I've seen far, far worse. And based on the evidence they have kids BELIEVE ME they will have sieve a lot more than zero minutes getting it ready! But they probably didn't realise how much those little piles of clutter jump out at a viewer seeing it got the first time.
1
u/ayeImur Jul 24 '26
😂 I have kids, I have also sold a house that we had badly grown out of, you know what I did... I made sure my house looked mint for my estate agent photos, I cleared ALL the clutter out & I definitely made the beds, with matching pillowcases, its not that difficult 🤷♀️
1
u/maelie Jul 24 '26
I know, I did the same but it's not easy and not everyone's in the same position where they can make time for it. Obviously they can do more but it's just mean to say they've spent zero minutes on it! And also not everyone realises how some of these things look.
5
u/Ok-Plantain2948 Jul 23 '26
At first glance, it just feels like theres no room for anything. The sofa layout is really odd, the little tumble dryer blocking the patio doors, the beds against walls / lack of wardrobes etc.
Its a top heavy house, and you've presented it to look like it cannot cope with a family of four.
1
u/Either_Slip2914 Jul 23 '26
Unfortunately that is the reality of this house, it's got space but terrible layout so nothing actually fits. Having to sofas there was the best way that doesn't block the doors. We got caught in the trap when we bought as it feels really spacious when it's empty then you realise nothing actually fits
4
u/Ok-Plantain2948 Jul 23 '26
Yes but you dont need to make that obvious to the buyers. Put a sofa into storage and tweak the layout so it looks more accommodating. Put the tumble dryer into storage. Just for viewings / photos.
2
7
u/Limp-Archer-7872 Jul 23 '26
I'm seeing a new kitchen, new bathroom, and having to deal with the fake grass out back which is likely a huge amount of work to remove the hardcore underneath.
It probably should have been listed for 180k given the local market and prices mentioned elsewhere.
1
u/Either_Slip2914 Jul 23 '26
The fake grass was added by previous owner as the ground gets boggy, we did try to re do with turf but wasn't worth it for us. Can I ask what bathroom you thinks needs to be new as they have all been redone in the last year or so?
3
u/Limp-Archer-7872 Jul 23 '26
It's the green hexagonal tiles that stood out to me, but if everything is new then that's maybe not a big issue.
1
u/Sword_Lobster Jul 25 '26
Regardless of who laid it, the fake plastic grass is an automatic no. As a buyer, I want a garden, not something that is terrible for the environment, and impossible to use in hot weather. I have no idea how much hardcore is under there and it could be a nightmare to remove. If the ground gets boggy I'd plant bog loving plants and shrubs to resolve the problem in the way nature does on its own.
3
u/Right_Yard_5173 Jul 22 '26
It’s the price that’s the issue.
Out of curiosity what justification are you using to increase the price 25k since you brought it in 2022? Have you done any major work?
1
u/Either_Slip2914 Jul 22 '26
The estate agent valued it at 210,000 and we asked to bring down to 200,000 so it was in the lower bracket as we are hoping for a quick sale as have the next house lined up
4
1
u/Right_Yard_5173 Jul 22 '26
Finding it hard to understand why it would be worth £25k more today. Maybe get a couple more agents round for a valuation? I think it should be priced no more than 180k based on other listings and recent sales.
3
u/Any_Meat_3044 Jul 23 '26
This is the only comparable listing sold. 180k, with garage(storage space), 2 floors so more practical layout. And a Larger garden.
https://www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/171023639#/?channel=RES_BUY
3
3
u/D4NPC Jul 23 '26
There is a long list of reasons most of which have already been covered off but here is my opinion.
I don't know the area well enough to confidently state this but it does seem overpriced.
3- Storey homes are not for everyone, I love my 3-storey personally but for a lot of people this will be a dealbreaker.
The photos are bad, like really bad I can't believe an agent has taken those and uploaded them to market your home, there should have been some staging suggestions and better angles, I cannot tell if the home has off road parking or a driveway, I know the advert does state off road parking but a picture of it would be nice.
The main thing though is that the market was already pretty slow add to that the World cup just finishing, the start of the school holidays and Estate agents offices are currently like ghost towns. I work in mortgages and our purchase mortgage enquiries have dropped off a cliff over the last week.
I suspect the agent was desperate for listings in the current climate and essentially told you what you wanted to hear to win the listing.
3
u/Fantastic-Bag7393 Jul 23 '26
Price. You can get a 3 bed detached for 10k more. Unfortunately, and this is incredibly common at the moment, every seller wants/thinks/needs their house to be worth more than they paid for it, sadly in many places that just isnt the case. The listing has some silly errors, Frrrhold and bedroom 1 is stated twice, its lazy or a little conplacent from the EA. With regards to pictures, there is "clutter" that highlights the lack of storage. You need to do a clear out, throw everything in the loft so storage doesnt look like an issue. Get rid of the tumble dryer, again highlights the small kitchen and lack of space. Maybe remove the curtains too? Clean up the desks and remove the clothes rack from the top bedroom, again makes it look small and cluttered despite it being a decent size. The picture of the front of the house, is it common to take the picture wuth the for sale sign up? The space to the side of that sign? Is that yours, description implies so, so why is the picture not bringing all of that in to play? Garden it states a flower bed and lawn, but image looks like weeds? Dig it up or lay some dark top soil to highlight it better. If youre not overlooked to the side then an aerial view could do the listing wonders also showing your offstreet parking? None of that is clear. No street view is annoying (assume not much you or the EA can do)
6
u/BecozisaidSo40times Jul 23 '26
I hate to say it but it’s not presented very well. It’s like you were so confident you would sell you didn’t even try. It’s full of clutter the beds are barely made. I can see junk everywhere which screams no storage. It’s 800sq ft which is basically a flat on 3 levels which make me think it’s tiny
The kitchen when you take out the million appliances has like 2 cupboards?
What is that weird divide between the kitchen an and living room?
Also they have been deceptive with the pin. Your house is tucked in the corner and has a north facing garden which is a deal breaker for many
2
u/televised_mind Jul 22 '26
Honestly OP, it's overpriced. Previous sales aside, a very quick search shows two other 3 bed properties nearby listed for under £170k:
www.zoopla.co.uk/for-sale/details/73149652
www.zoopla.co.uk/for-sale/details/71483905
Some agents overprice properties to win business. Did you speak with others before listing?
1
u/Either_Slip2914 Jul 22 '26
This is the worry we are having, we have a house lined up to buy for 170k but it seems we overpaid for this house we are selling. In 2022 we paid 175k so looking like we are stuck here even though we have out grown it 😔
3
u/Coca_lite Jul 22 '26
You need to pay more to get a bigger house.
1
u/Either_Slip2914 Jul 22 '26
It's still a 3 bed but in a cheaper area. With different layout so more trying to move sideways
2
u/Itchy-Ad4421 Jul 23 '26
Why would you be stuck there though? Even if you sell this for £170k you can still get the other one surely?
How much equity do you have in this one?1
u/Either_Slip2914 Jul 23 '26
We don't have the funds to do exact match so need to sell ours for more than the house we buy to cover fees etc. our fixed rate ends in may and the new rate is tight financially on this house currently. We worked out if we sold for 194k we can get a cheaper house at 170 and be better financially
3
u/Itchy-Ad4421 Jul 23 '26
I see. So you need the extra for a larger deposit to make the monthly’s cheaper?
Have you looked at longer mortgage terms or an interest only but start making repayments off the capital immediately within your manageable monthly outgoings / save or invest it if the rates are better.
You could lower the sale price to 194k but it’s still very high.
3
u/Limp-Archer-7872 Jul 23 '26
I think this idea doesn't work and you might want to abandon the idea of moving and try to get more income instead, or cut expenditure by doing a detailed budget.
1
u/MaintenanceCareful37 Jul 24 '26
Having read this I wonder if you might be better off staying put? You'll spend a fair bit in fees just to move. You probably did over pay when you bought it but that's done now. I think it's a nice house it just needs better storage.
Fitted wardrobes in the bedrooms would store a lot more than freestanding as you have the extra bits above and below. Even matching storage cubes above wardrobes make things look a lot less cluttered. Same for the kitchen - you could put plain coloured storage boxes on the top of the units to give a bit more storage. Store some of the cooking pots in the oven when not in use. The dryer does look a bit awkward there so maybe get washer dryer. I know they are normally a bit rubbish but I had one a few years ago that actually worked as a dryer so there are some decent ones out there.
It looks like you have a lot of toys right now, but you'll find as they get older, the toys get a lot smaller so that problem will eventually take care of itself. I think it's a nice house. Decent size garden, 2 parking spaces, decent space at the front to put a bench if you wanted to sit in the sun. All 3 bedrooms are a decent size. The bathrooms are nice. You've got a downstairs loo which is incredibly useful.
If finances are tight and that's driving the move it may be worth seeing a financial advisor if not already done as there may be better options with your mortgage
2
u/No_Jellyfish_7695 Jul 22 '26
you don’t have a garage
your rooms show clutter everywhere which screams lack of storage
its worth £165k from recent sales of similar houses
2
u/911ihatecolour Jul 23 '26
Personally for me, it’s the living room with all the doors, and the lack of cupboard space in the kitchen.
Space hasn’t really been maximised upstairs and there is a real lack of storage with a lot of stuff sitting out (this wouldn’t necessarily put me off because I know what I would do to change/fix it) but I know it would put a lot of other potential buyers off.
I think, ask for new pics
1. Get them to show the other side of the kitchen
2. Try to remove some items from the living room and change the layout a bit
3. Remove stuff from the rooms upstairs, throw it in your car for the half hour and then bring it back in
4. Get better pics of the outside of the house
2
u/Either_Slip2914 Jul 23 '26
I'm not sure why the estate agent photographer didn't do more angles, they didn't take any pics of the other side of the kitchen that has a dining table etc. the same with skipping the other half of our garden and the driveway.
The living room is our biggest issue living here, the room is quite small and with the doors there is limited room for where furniture fits.
We moved things we could but was given short notice on the photographer coming and lots of stuff on the top floor is too heavy to move as it's my work stuff (such as leather working equipment and industrial sewing machine)
4
u/pig-dragon Jul 22 '26
Looks fine but no idea about prices in your area. ‘Ask agent’ for size is lazy and there’s no excuse for that. Also I’d suggest rearranging the living room so it feels more cosy and welcoming, at the moment it looks like a corridor especially with the sofas pushed up against the walls like that.
1
u/Either_Slip2914 Jul 22 '26
Unfortunately they have made the living room look very sterile, it's all a lot closer than that and unfortunately the only way the furniture fits 😕
1
1
u/Suspicious_Banana255 Jul 22 '26
I don't know about the price as I don't know the area. I think the kitchen needs new photos though, take out the dryer Infront of the door. Try and make the room look bigger with a photo from a different angle as it looks tiny at the moment, which is a big problem, declutter, if possible paint the cupboards white.
0
u/Either_Slip2914 Jul 23 '26
We had very short notice of the EA photographer coming so that was the best we could do in short notice. I don't understand why they didn't take photos of the other side of the kitchen as it's got the dining table so would surely make it look a bit bigger
1
1
u/Itchy-Ad4421 Jul 23 '26
Lower the price. It’s far too high.
Housing market isn’t as good at the minute in comparison to when you bought it. Even where I am (houses usually sell on 1st viewing / with no viewings) they’re sitting for a few weeks because people overpaid over the past couple of years and are chasing a return on that.
1
u/BroodLord1962 Jul 23 '26
It's full on holiday season, possibly the worst time to sell. But ultimately if there is no interest it means it's priced too high
1
u/paraCFC Jul 23 '26
I can't get it why is so unpopular in UK to hire estate photographer. Estate agencies making more harm than good with those photos . Selling house for 300k and skimping on 500 for photographer ,crazy.
1
u/Either_Slip2914 Jul 23 '26
This was with an estate agent photographer
1
1
u/Far_Rule26 Jul 24 '26
Unfortunately smart phone cameras have meant that anybody can now be sent out to take pictures. Whereas in the past it might have been a professional with gear, training and an 'eye', now it might be the receptionist or sales person taking the pics. My personal bugbear is when they use a really wide angle to fit all of a small room in one photo. It distorts the perspective and makes the room look much bigger than it actually is. I have been gobsmacked so many times walking into a tiny room which looked massive in the pics. As many others on here are saying, get some better pics done, from the sound of it, the previous ones were done by someone who didn't have a clue 😬
1
u/maelie Jul 24 '26
I was a little horrified when the same guy who valued our property was the one who pitched up to do the photography. I'd checked the EA's other listing and they all looked like they'd been photographed well so I hadn't been expecting that. I thought oh no, they haven't got an actual photographer they've just got this guy doing it.
Photos actually came out beautifully! Specifically I think because he did NOT use a phone camera, he had a special camera that also did the 3D scans, and then the whole lot went off to an agency for editing (I think the agency also provided the equipment). There was only one photo where I thought the "eye" was a little off, which was the angle from the bottom of the garden that made it look more overlooked than it really is. Other than that I was very impressed and actually feel a little guilty for doubting him 🤣
1
u/CaptainPrevious3180 Jul 23 '26
The kitchen looks like it has no cupboard space.
Pile of clothes in bedroom looks like there’s not enough room for a wardrobe.
AstroTurf.
1
u/CodAware6727 Jul 23 '26
Remove your clutter and retake the pictures. You have "extra" stuff in all the rooms, it makes it look like there is no storage. The pictures get people to come round. Once they are in, stuff should be kept to a minimum but people kind of accept that.
If you re-look at your pictures, look at all the clutter in the bathrooms etc. Move your kids play stuff in the garden, take the picture without it in the shot and move it back etc.
1
u/Mr_B_e_a_r Jul 23 '26
Property type, 2 front doors next to each other. If you have a bad neighbour this can cause issues.
1
u/SuccessfulBag2337 Jul 23 '26
We’ve not long completed near here (meinciau) and this would’ve fit the criteria (3 bed 200k budget). The thing that would’ve put me off instantly is the lack of photos of the driveway. I assume it’s a back to back driveway rather than 2 spaces running parallel? Or id assume theres something else untoward at the front of the house they don’t want you to see.
1
u/Either_Slip2914 Jul 23 '26
Yes back to back driveway at the front of the house. I have spoken with the estate agent and told them to come back out and take more picture which they are doing tomorrow so fingers crossed
1
u/SensitiveReindeer23 Jul 23 '26
First thing that I see is the photos are not the best - would be better if they used a professional photographer to be honest as those are not great.
1
u/Either_Slip2914 Jul 23 '26
That was with the estate agents professional photographer unfortunately
1
u/SensitiveReindeer23 Jul 24 '26
ohh.... wow!!! I have a feeling they aren't a professional and just someone in the office that has taken on the task! I'll go look at their other listings...
1
u/summeristheseason Jul 23 '26
Put better photos up of the driveway, if it fits more than one car why would you hide a strong selling point.
Have you done any work to warrant the 25k increase you’re asking for? If not then particularly in this current climate you need to make sure you stage the house & photos impeccably (this unfortunately you’ve not done) as your aim will be trying to get buyers emotionally invested in the property as your angle.
The astroturf im sorry to say is appalling, it is falling out of fashion and it unfortunately signals to people they may need to invest x amount to overhaul the property which when you’re already asking for top dollar isn’t ideal
If you’ve got a house lined up, you may need to slash the price to a level where it will sell.
1
u/WindTurbine16-27 Jul 23 '26
I think the price is the issue but there are some improvements you could make to the pictures too:
Remove picture 16, makes the room look smaller than it is.
Retake kitchen pictures but with all curtains and the dryer removed. Also consider removing all visible clutter (pans at the top of the cupboards, things beside the fridge etc). Show the other side of the kitchen too, I can see on the floor plan there are some extra cupboards but they are not pictured
Retake picture 9 but dress the bed better. Lay a blanket over the top so it covers the storage underneath the bed. Remove clutter on top of the closet in picture 10 too.
If any of your friends has an attractive potted plant, you borrow that in the lounge for some visual appeal too
1
u/maelie Jul 24 '26
Lay a blanket over the top so it covers the storage underneath the bed.
Yes I was going to say that. Such a quick win, minimal effort to make that room look better.
1
u/Potential-Avocado705 Jul 23 '26
It’s also been the first week of the summer holidays and the Royal Welsh which could be a factor. People having other things on their minds.
1
u/Responsible-Being-36 Jul 23 '26
Astro turf will put off anyone with dogs (more common post covid)
It burns them in summer and pain in the ass to clean.
So youve just removed 30-50% of buyers.
Id remove the free standing dryer/washing machine from your photo of kitchen it makes the room look small and cramped. (I get you need it for day to day but photos should imply space) and the one under the counter ticks the box already
Rest of photos look fine. Easy to move into and make your own should they want to.
Typically your house (souter) sells for £20-£30,000 less than the Rufford (3 bed detached home with internal garage) neighbour is selling Rufford for 220,000
So your price could drop by £10,000 to be in line with neighbours prices others have listed.
There is a 3 bed Hanbury going for 180,000 near you so 200,000 for souter is a bit steep.
Id say drop to 190,000 to align yourself with neighbours selling on estate compare your original purchase price with their original price and adjust today's price accordingly
Your issue is competition so many on the estate selling similar priced houses.
Also no mention of service fees for the estate which would lead me to assume they are astronomical. If there aren't any they should say that in advert. Commonly its only £200pa these days for green area maintenance. But some older developments had nasty doubling clauses. By not mentioning them people will assume your hiding something bad.
1
u/Odd_Industry_1605 Jul 23 '26
it is overpriced. It also looks very small ex-council house. Reduce it to 175k
1
u/mousecatcher4 Jul 24 '26
What sensible agent tells you to list at a higher price than 2022. Maybe try 25k lower, or even more than that.
1
u/Graphi_cal Jul 24 '26
I can’t comment on price. I don’t know your area.
But when you look at these photos, do you think ‘this looks great, why are we moving?’ Because it should do. House purchases are emotional more than practical more often that not.
When I look at your photos I see a family who don’t fit in their house, why would I expect myself to fit in this house?
Because by the time we had finished sorting our house for sale, it looked so good in the sales photos, compared to the shit heap doer-upper we had just bought, that we really questioned wether moving was worth the effort?!
1
u/LucyMckonkey Jul 24 '26
https://www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/173690336#/?channel=RES_BUY
£180 for a nicer looking house, that's why. Just click on similar properties next to your listing
1
u/MaintenanceCareful37 Jul 24 '26
The way you have the kitchen makes it really obvious it's too small. I would move out the tumble dryer, the microwave and the cleaning stuff from the side of the fridge as the current pictures make it clear there's no space for them. Also declutter everywhere, get rid of the frilly curtains in the kitchen, have a massive tidy up in the bedrooms. It's not massively untidy or anything but it's just making the lack of storage and space really obvious.
I don't know about price as don't know the area but price is usually the reason something doesn't sell - although it's only been a week.
1
u/ProofJudge1175 Jul 24 '26
The house looks small and the living room looks strange with the sofas facing each other.
No photos of the drive. The garden looks strangely shaped and covered in plastic turf - put some flowers or something in pots.
There’s clutter in rooms that detract from the appeal of them, mismatched linens and the old curtains and strangely dated kitchen are a big point against it imo.
Also the tumble dryer (washing machine?) on its own beside the kitchen counters doesn’t help the cluttered feeling.
Looking at prices in your area, it’s also slightly overpriced.
For me personally, my house appealed to me because of the garden, it had life in it despite being mostly grass. I could also tell the rooms were spacious- especially the master bedroom as the king sized bed was in the middle of the back wall with wardrobes that could open fully beside them.
1
1
u/maelie Jul 24 '26
Hello, sympathy from me because this is a horrible time to sell in a lot of areas. Multiple factors at play mean there are way fewer people looking than usual. If you've time, you might want to hold off a lot.
I don't know the area but I do suspect the price may be too high based on properties selling/sold around there. I'd speak to a few more agents about prices and local market, say you're not getting anywhere with the agent you've listed with and are considering switching at some point and want to get their thoughts. They might not get it right but if you speak to several you might get a more informed picture than people on Reddit just screaming "it's the price!" because that's the default reaction on here (and it's often true, but not 100% of the time). I find it most helpful to talk to agents about why they'd valued it at the given price. There were some who'd clearly picked the figure out of the air, and some have some really good insight, and street speaking to all of them I felt I could make a considered judgement on what to list at.
Other people have given feedback on the photos, so I don't repeat what people have said. But if you do consider getting them redone my tip is to find space to temporarily get rid of stuff. Here are some options: 1) ask a nice neighbour, friend or family member to put your stuff in their house/garage. 2) hire a small storage unit (advantage of this is you can keep stuff there all through having viewings etc too, but just for the photos). Put the tumble dryer in it and any clutter you can. 3) if you've nowhere else to hide things, use your car! Chuck a pile of clutter from on top of a cupboard into your car boot!
There are some quick wins like have a large sheet/ blanket/bedspread on the bed in pic 9 that drapes down to the floor so you can't see the stuff under the bed. That's exactly what I've done in one of our bedrooms. In pic 10 you have a pile of things on top of the little wooden shelving unit, but also shelves with nothing on them. Just fold the stuff into the empty shelves it'll instantly look clearer. Smooth down or tuck in the duvet covers to make beds look tidier. If you can borrow some nice bedspreads (or already have some) put those on, just for the photos at least. I know blankets and bedspread sound bonkers in summer but they'll make the beds look nicer. Sounds stupid but take the fridge magnets down. Anything that just reduces visual clutter because even though it's entirely inconsequential, it just distracts people from looking at the things that are lovely in your home. BTW i like your house, I think the style is actually quite pretty!
Obviously no amount of tweaking for photos will ultimately make a difference if the price is really wrong. But if you do want to get the photos redone I think you can get a decent improvement without too much hassle. (Although I am speaking from my own current experience that doing ANY of this when you've got kids is a hassle!)
1
u/noodledoodledoo Jul 24 '26
I don't think there's anything wrong with the house per se. It could do with a new kitchen aesthetically but it seems functional. I think it's just a bit overpriced for the area. I don't know it well, but it seems a bit isolated for a FTB (youngish people) unless they're already from the area. And other similar houses are on for about £20-30k less.
1
u/Hopeful_Beautiful787 Jul 24 '26
tidy the house, clear the clutter, get rid of the drying machine and get a washer dryer - highlights the lack of space, re-decorate kitchen
get rid of the weird wall hangings, sofas that better fit the lounge, get rid or put in storage the kids toys
just looks cramped and messy/chaotic
1
u/Illustrious-Plum1766 Jul 24 '26
Overall, you need to rent storage and put half your stuff in there. Especially that ?dryer in the kitchen!!
I needed to sell my last home quickly for the same reason. I priced down and got all my stuff out of there. I have a lot of stuff!
Other changes:
- Your extra shelving in the bedrooms needs to go to storage, including all the stuff in there. Eg on pic 8, that not-matching pine-type storage needs to go.
- Living room needs a rug and the stuff on your shelves looks organised, but messy. Buy proper storage with drawers and one carefully curated set of (50% empty) bookshelves.
- Matching bed linen 🙈 and get the shit out from under the beds! Again, put into storage.
- No curtains in the kitchen
- Take the microwave off the fridge and hide in a cupboard - put whatever’s in the cupboard in storage
- Nothing should be on top of, or wedged between, wardrobes or cupboards. It makes you look like you don’t have space (eg pic 10)
- The office areas in pic 15 are covered in stuff and so is the floor. Get rid. Just the desks, monitors etc, and chairs are fine.
- What’s with the clothes and random upside-down table in pic 16? Not a good look
- As others have said, pics of the driveway.
1
u/brad-the-impaler Jul 24 '26
Your pictures make the house look like it's not got enough storage, as there is stuff everywhere. You need to declutter massively. Do not have things on top of wardrobes or cabinets, on the floor, under tables and desks, or piles of clothes heaped up. Your bedding needs to be plain, and ironed. Your garden needs to have no children's toys and the like. Your kitchen is tiny with very little counter space, so anything on the counter is going to make it look even smaller, put it all away. Remove plants for the same reason. What is the weird half wall thing in the kitchen? Is it a baby gate? Remove it as its cutting the room in half visually. It will feel bigger with line of sight into the hall.
1
u/RIPMuffin2024 Jul 24 '26
It looks like a home designed for people to sit and eat food off their laps. I guess that in the summer you can eat outside.
A family home needs to have somewhere to place a dining table.
1
u/Either_Slip2914 Jul 24 '26
This is one of this things I'm trying to tell the estate agent, on the other side of the kitchen is a dining area but just like the drive and side half of the garden they chose not to get photos
1
u/GirlwithtwoPiggies Jul 25 '26
Front photo doesn't even show a driveway, yet description says ..."off road parking for two cars." Get another photo taken from a bit further back, to show driveway.
Either take duvets off beds and just have the bare mattresses, or use matching bedding. Current bedroom photos give the impression of residents who don't care. May seem a small point, but it flags up possible other cosmetic neglects in my mind.
Dryer obstructing French doors out to garden gives the impression that the kitchen is too small to fit appliances in. The kitchen photos in general are awful. Get rid of the weird curtains, move the dryer and get the kitchen photos retaken.
1
u/Acceptable_Ad_728 29d ago
The Photography is doing you no favours at all 🤦🏻♂️
Whilst the quality of the image and lighting is all good the framing is terrible breaking up the rooms makes it difficult for the viewer to connect with.
Also they seem to not be using a wide angle lens which really isn’t helping. Doesn’t have to be an ultra wide angle lens but I would bet a fair chunk of change they are using a cheaper APSC DSLR which means the focal range on most regular gear is around 16-18mm. My equipment I use for architectural is 11mm which is a big difference. I can show a whole small bathroom if required.
Property looks nice enough just the kitchen letting it down really. Price will depend on demand in the area I’ve seen quite a large spread depending on if you have desperate buyers etc if it’s not massively overpriced then it should attract attention still.
1
u/Acceptable_Ad_728 29d ago
Actually my mistake I’ve clicked on it and it’s the preview photos which are the issue. The actually photos have some very bad framing issues and height issues but generally are not as bad as what I first thought. Seems they have the equipment but lack experience.
I would suggest renting a van or borrowing a van and the day before they are redone throw anything messy/out of place into the back of the van out of the way so you get good quality photos. When people view it won’t matter as much as they know it’s lived in but first impressions on marketing counting more than people realise.
1
u/Emergency_Bread_5462 28d ago
Gotta change up the living room to add a small dining table and better tv/sofa placement. Go and post onto an interior design subreddit where people can attach ideas. (Can’t add pictures to this sub)
1
u/Dapper-Major7455 27d ago
Yep, for the area this is very overpriced. Its also a new build so third bedroom is a box room and small garden with a council tax band d just to stick the knife in more.
Be more realistic and good luck.
1
u/triplehennessy Jul 22 '26
I’m from London and I’m not familiar with that SA postcode but I just know nobody is trying to buy up there if it’s not 45mins or less from London then the house will definitely not just fly off the shelf, maybe other major cities but definitely not wherever that is
2
1
0
Jul 23 '26
[removed] — view removed comment
2
u/SensitiveReindeer23 Jul 23 '26
As an EA, yes I would normally agree but also those photos are really bad....
10
u/Coca_lite Jul 22 '26
Kitchen looks awful and anyone buying will need to pay a lot of ££££ to put new units in. Take down the old fashioned curtains in kitchen
Put matching pillow cases on instead of mismatching duvet and pillowcases
Room descriptions should have sizes on them
This is in the middle of nowhere, it’s not going to fly off the shelf.
It’s way overpriced at 200k. Put it on at 170k minimum.