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It's hard to say, but for me, the small kitchen would be a deal breaker. It's great that you have the basement space, but if I'm making Thanksgiving dinner, I won't want to run up and down stairs all day long. I also don't want to be separated from everyone else while I'm preparing food. And having a kitchen-like space in the basement isn't the same as having a kitchen.
You could always update the listing to say, "Great in-law suite potential," or something to that effect.
Buyers get an overall feel for a house when they first enter it and this house (if it's the correct one) has so much fabric, everywhere, that it just feels so heavy. It's not just the drapes and covered cornice boards, but also the dining room and kitchen chairs are covered in fabric. I would clear out all the decorations/drapes/curtains/knick knacks. Then the wood trim might stand out in a good way and not be lost amongst all the other things going on (wallpaper, borders, signs, pictures, shelves.)
The poker table has far too many chairs to sit comfortably and play. Would the OP consider completely clearing out all the game and bar stuff? I think it might be hard to imagine the basement as a living space for many buyers so they just walk away. It's overwhelming.
One other thing no one has mentioned - the grounds are beautiful but it seems like there are so many different levels and steps in the back yard area. Very nicely landscaped but it seems overly terraced. I'm in my sixties so I think about tripping hazards but that kind of comes with age ; )
Location and timing are everything as the old sayings mention. Also the type of buyer looking might take a while to change. In other words besides some minor repair, paint, cleaning etc might just have to wait until the buyers turnover. Buyers get to know the area/listings pretty good with the internet as do the realtors.
I believe I found your home too. It’s a traditional home plain and simple. Not sure if I want to say dated but it’d make me think that it was owned by an older person, no offense. We have many seniors in our neighborhood and they tend to dig stained trim, custom draperies, and brass fixtures. Usually these things cost a great deal of money too but if you want to get the widest pool of buyers I’d just drop the price some more. That paint color doesn’t do your beautiful trim justice. You want to not give the impression of too much dark.
The house looks promising from the outside. I love the grounds.
Inside, the custom woodwork, while not everyone's taste for sure, looks like it was done with care and expense. There is a buyer who will like it. The kitchen and baths look like they belong in another house and I think this is the real problem. You can take the wallpaper and fluffy drapes down and all that, but it won't fix the kitchen. The kitchen's size isn't the problem.
Some of the carpentry money needed to be spread around to cover these other rooms. You are looking for a buyer who wants to renovate those rooms in the same style as the rest of the house, so it stays cohesive, OR someone who wants to tone down all the wood and fix the kitchen and baths to seem like they belong. Either way, it's a big and expensive job.
Good luck seller! May the perfect buyer come quickly for you.
It's hard to say, but for me, the small kitchen would be a deal breaker. It's great that you have the basement space, but if I'm making Thanksgiving dinner, I won't want to run up and down stairs all day long. I also don't want to be separated from everyone else while I'm preparing food. And having a kitchen-like space in the basement isn't the same as having a kitchen.
You could always update the listing to say, "Great in-law suite potential," or something to that effect.
Overall, it's a lovely house, but I agree with the small kitchen problem. Nothing you can do about that, really. The "in-law suite" suggestion is a good one!
Do you know who your most likely buyer is? (Young family, middle age with older kids, empty nesters?) If young, they'll probably want totally updated to today's standards/fashions, and since yours doesn't fit that description, you'll either need to give it a whole house makeover or reduce the price. Middle agers like me may appreciate the traditional features and would rather pay less for the house and do the desired updates to our own tastes. Either way, it's clear that you are over-priced since the house has been on the market this long.
In today's world with interest rates so low, there is no reason any house should need to sit and wait around for a buyer...unless it's priced too high for what or where it is.
BTW, tiny price drops are a signal to me as a buyer that the seller is stuck on a certain price and will probably be offended if I offer what I think is fair market value. Either that or the seller isn't really serious about selling unless/until someone comes around and makes an offer that's just too good to pass up. It's a turn off.
If selling the house vacant is an option for you, you might consider that. Ask your agent.
ok, so I found your house, and from my perspective the comps don't support your price. From what I can tell; half of your SF is the regular living space and bedrooms, and half is in the basement.
1) Custom woodwork - this is extensive; and not going to be to everyone's taste. If someone doesn't fall in love with it; they will immediately start thinking about how much it will cost to remove, stain, change or replace.
2) The colors / finishes are dated. I would suggest just neutral colors; not red walls or dated wallpaper anywhere.
3) Yes, someone COULD design a kitchen in the basement (not a bad space down there and fair amount f light), but they would also have to redesign the main floor to not have a kitchen. Both will be expensive projects; why would someone want to do that for a house that seems overpriced already?
4) Yes, your landscaping and hardscape is really nice. But why have you not replaced/ removed the large round boxwood in the front that is half dead?
Honestly, and you are not going to want to hear this, but I think you need to look at comps strictly on the SF for the main two floors and size of yard. Then add a premium ($30k - $50k) for the basement. You need to think of this as just "bonus space" and not try and recoup all of the money you put into it. Again, unless someone falls in love with it, all they will be thinking about is how much it will cost to change it.
(And, btw, lowering your price by 1K (0.29%??) is really a ridiculous move. What did you hope to accomplish here?)
I found the house. It is interesting. I can see you loved it and it was a source of pride and joy for you. The landscaping is wonderful.
But it is likely right that you overimproved. These are the issues I see:
1. You are in a very rural part of Virginia. Deep southwestern Virginia. Way past Roanoke. So your market for people who can afford a house in your price bracket is going to be small. You're tapping into the same small pool of buyers as all other houses in your price range. That's problem #1.
2. It is very dated inside. It's well maintained, but it does scream 1995 (and even earlier). The wallpapers, the trims, the stained wood, the kitchen cabinets, the bathrooms, are all now 25-30 years old in appearance if not age. Who are your potential buyers? Most likely a family with children. So I assume someone around my age (40) and I can tell you right off bat most buyers would walk into your house thinking how much money they'd need to spend to pull off all the wall paper and paint all the walls and redo the kitchen and bathrooms. This is problem #2.
(between you and me, I hate the word dated. I respect your interiors, it's hardly ugly, you and your family had a lovely house, but we can't also ignore that taste and fashion and styles change with generations).
3. Kitchen. Your kitchen looks like a small cubbyhole afterthought that's not really part of a larger space and seems to function more like a pantry. This is a major deal killer in today's world of open spaces and great room/kitchen combinations. Especially for families with children.
While everything else in the house can be updated with ease, the kitchen is problematic. To open up the kitchen to the living area you'd need substantial renovations, and it's expensive as heck. I've been looking into the costs of renovating kitchens and for a mid-grade kitchen in a small space keeping the same footprint we're still looking at 10-20k alone. Tearing down walls and adding new cabinet spaces and moving plumbing/electricity/gas lines around, it goes up to 50k easily. Big bucks for a house in your price bracket. This is problem 3#.
You will sell the house, eventually. But you may need to accept a price cut as prospective buyers will be wanting to factor in the costs of both a new kitchen and interior painting.
ok, so I found your house, and from my perspective the comps don't support your price. From what I can tell; half of your SF is the regular living space and bedrooms, and half is in the basement.
1) Custom woodwork - this is extensive; and not going to be to everyone's taste. If someone doesn't fall in love with it; they will immediately start thinking about how much it will cost to remove, stain, change or replace.
2) The colors / finishes are dated. I would suggest just neutral colors; not red walls or dated wallpaper anywhere.
3) Yes, someone COULD design a kitchen in the basement (not a bad space down there and fair amount f light), but they would also have to redesign the main floor to not have a kitchen. Both will be expensive projects; why would someone want to do that for a house that seems overpriced already?
4) Yes, your landscaping and hardscape is really nice. But why have you not replaced/ removed the large round boxwood in the front that is half dead?
Honestly, and you are not going to want to hear this, but I think you need to look at comps strictly on the SF for the main two floors and size of yard. Then add a premium ($30k - $50k) for the basement. You need to think of this as just "bonus space" and not try and recoup all of the money you put into it. Again, unless someone falls in love with it, all they will be thinking about is how much it will cost to change it.
(And, btw, lowering your price by 1K (0.29%??) is really a ridiculous move. What did you hope to accomplish here?)
All good advice right there ^^^
Adding on, from buyer point of view lowering by 1k is insulting. It’s obvious you’re trying to game the listing sites and search engines. Would turn me off as I’d suspect you will be a PIA to negotiate with.
Consult with a staging expert - you’d dont have to pay for $$$ of fake furniture but moving things around and letting people see rooms in a different light will help you. You may HATE all of it - that doesn’t matter. It’s not your house anymore once you start to sell it. It’s the BUYERS house now. Good luck!
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