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Any sunken living room is outdated. Whether you like an open kitchen/family room is immaterial at this point - everyone else does.
Why is a sunken living room horrible and why is it a negative? I've seen beautiful homes where the different levels define the space well.
Some open space interiors are done poorly and the furnishings look like their floating or worse yet the entire space looks like a warehouse, no artwork or books or anything individualistic only functional.
Last edited by 495neighbor; 02-07-2015 at 05:24 PM..
Reason: additional thought
Picture 6, move sofa away from foot of sunken staircase. Back of the sofa facing kitchen/raised level just doesn't look conversational.
Picture 10, remove the highboy dresser that blocks the window. I envision ocean breeze and billowing curtains more if I can see the window.
Picture 14, I would remove the towel and bath accessories. The towel looks a little used.
Picture 15, remove pompoms from ceiling. A little too much hot pink and too distracting.
Picture 17, remove the dolls. Younger people don't often collect dolls.
Picture 18, I would move the bed so the headboard is against the windows. Put the chair next to the fireplace to open the room more and define space better. Maybe remove a piece of furniture or two.
Picture 19, too much of a mishmash of things. Don't want to see the back of a desk chair in a picture. Doesn't feel inviting to me.
The outdoor pictures are not exciting enough. Looks too sedate and can't picture myself enjoying a golf course. Not appealing at all to an active younger person.
You must have some pretty window views, yet I don't see any in any of these pictures. I would reshoot the yard from inside the home. Have some light colored curtains billowing with fresh ocean air. People will imagine themselves enjoying the home more.
Maybe some outdoor pictures with some people in the background actually golfing.
Staircase foyer pictures are iffy. Very dramatic but if I was a young parent I would be nervous open such an open stairwell.
I like your color scheme, very classic and soothing, the different shades of blue fit right into the elegant oceanside home context without being expected or dull.
It's a lovely house. I'm not sure why some people found it cluttered, I certainly didn't. I found it restrained and elegant. In my neck of the woods (Maryland) many houses in the 600, 700, 800 and 1+ MM bracket have similar interiors and they sell briskly. The traditional style is highly popular in the South, especially among affluent home buyers. Even if a prospective buyer favors more contemporary interiors it's still easy to see how it could work in your house and your furniture doesn't get in the way.
If I were a prospective buyer in your market, I would certainly look at your house. What would bother me would be the master bedroom being immediately adjacent to the living room, with the door of the bedroom opening directly to the room. I'd prefer the master bedroom having a more private entry. The master bathroom also does look a little dated in the sense that the tiles and fixtures look mundane and doesn't quite match the polish of the rest of the house.
I suspect the real reason the house hasn't sold is that in the 600+ price bracket buyers have found they can get a similar quality house that has four full bedrooms inside the house. I agree with the experts who have said you need to price the house as a 3 bedroom house and sell it as such. I don't think it's necessary or worth it to spend money on staging or repainting.
By the way I am surprised that an empty nester hasn't descended on your house yet. It seems perfect for a couple in their 50s/60s. If you're willing to wait, perhaps remove the house from the listing and wait a few months till the spring and relist it at a slightly lower price.
Because we as a society have been manipulated by the media to believe that ownership of physical objects is a weakness and an illness, and that all homes should look like sterile, unlived-in model homes without a hint of individuality or personal interest within.
Did you accidently post this in the wrong thread? I'm pretty sure the OP isn't trying to sell you this house.
just giving heads up as to why houses sit on the market....and what buyers are looking for. A lot of downsizers know what to look for now, and how to gauge if the area is worth investing in. When you see "town administrators" hike real estate tax yearly, RUN! It means they are not balancing the budget.
Does my wallet get a raise every year? no. I have to balance a budget. Same concept.
Why is a sunken living room horrible and why is it a negative? I've seen beautiful homes where the different levels define the space well.
Some open space interiors are done poorly and the furnishings look like their floating or worse yet the entire space looks like a warehouse, no artwork or books or anything individualistic only functional.
Sunken living rooms are outdated and costly to construct. (I didn't see where Bo said it was "horrible" ? ) The same reason that people with young children don't like stairs or decks off the upper level. Families with young children do not want sunken rooms. Remember, people look at the house and try to picture themselves living in it.
The space over the garage is not a plus either, it is more costly to heat and cool. Some states won't allow that to be called living area either. It's an inexpensive way to get an office or a guest room, and should be reflected in a lower price. The house is beautiful, it needs to be marketed and priced to sell.
Your house is gorgeous. Most buyers don't have "designer" taste, and that is a designer house. The right buyer will come along, just make sure it's priced correctly in the meantime.
Your house is gorgeous. Most buyers don't have "designer" taste, and that is a designer house. The right buyer will come along, just make sure it's priced correctly in the meantime.
I agree that the house looks nice, but the decor seems personal and not in keeping with a gated, golf course property. Not designer decor.
Sunken living rooms are outdated and costly to construct. (I didn't see where Bo said it was "horrible" ? ) The same reason that people with young children don't like stairs or decks off the upper level. Families with young children do not want sunken rooms. Remember, people look at the house and try to picture themselves living in it.
The space over the garage is not a plus either, it is more costly to heat and cool. Some states won't allow that to be called living area either. It's an inexpensive way to get an office or a guest room, and should be reflected in a lower price. The house is beautiful, it needs to be marketed and priced to sell.
Many people are not that crazy about sunken living rooms either. Easy to not realize there is a step and fall.
Picture 6, move sofa away from foot of sunken staircase. Back of the sofa facing kitchen/raised level just doesn't look conversational.
Picture 10, remove the highboy dresser that blocks the window. I envision ocean breeze and billowing curtains more if I can see the window.
Picture 14, I would remove the towel and bath accessories. The towel looks a little used.
Picture 15, remove pompoms from ceiling. A little too much hot pink and too distracting.
Picture 17, remove the dolls. Younger people don't often collect dolls.
Picture 18, I would move the bed so the headboard is against the windows. Put the chair next to the fireplace to open the room more and define space better. Maybe remove a piece of furniture or two.
Picture 19, too much of a mishmash of things. Don't want to see the back of a desk chair in a picture. Doesn't feel inviting to me.
The outdoor pictures are not exciting enough. Looks too sedate and can't picture myself enjoying a golf course. Not appealing at all to an active younger person.
You must have some pretty window views, yet I don't see any in any of these pictures. I would reshoot the yard from inside the home. Have some light colored curtains billowing with fresh ocean air. People will imagine themselves enjoying the home more.
Maybe some outdoor pictures with some people in the background actually golfing.
Staircase foyer pictures are iffy. Very dramatic but if I was a young parent I would be nervous open such an open stairwell.
I like your color scheme, very classic and soothing, the different shades of blue fit right into the elegant oceanside home context without being expected or dull.
Great suggestions. Would make the rooms look more welcoming.
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for a more open feel
