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Okay, if I were marketing this home, I'd do a couple of things.
You've had some comments regarding the size of the rooms, which you can't change, but you CAN prepack everything that you possibly can and get as much stuff as possible out of the rooms and arrange the furniture so that the rooms feel larger (or don't feel smaller). Yes, this does, indeed, mean the game, the books or videos (couldn't tell which), any furniture you don't absolutely have to have, etc. Pack it up and put it in storage, if need be.
Second, I'd be marketing the fantastic view as a primary aspect, and try to find some way to tie that in to it being set behind the other house (does that make the view better, for example?) in order to make the negative into a positive.
Just what I was thinking, Texas, re putting the focus on the great view and doing whatever necessary to increase the feeling of privacy...turn the 'unsettling' feeling into a feeling of having your own little oasis, nestled in the back of the other homes. Do you have a fence? How much landscaping do you have?
Do I understand correctly that the view out your front door/windows is of the back of other homes? Are they very close to your house? I have to admit being guilty of crossing a house off our list because I didn't want to look at other people's 'house butts', even though that one was the least expensive we saw...might not have been so terrible if they'd had privacy fences so I wasn't looking into their sliding glass doors, but I couldn't exactly knock on the neighbor's door and ask them to plant some flowers or shrubs or put up a fence to improve MY view...maybe I could have put some nice tall yews along the front property line...just thinking out loud here--sorry! ;-)
Also, what about some of the other ideas posted about paying for closing, agent bonuses, paying points, etc--or is that too much like lowering the price and you just want to keep money out of it?
The house that I share the back yard with is kind of misleading I actually have prints in the kitchen (mounted and laminated) that show the boundaries. We own most of the back yard. They have 5 feet out their back door, and thats it. I attached a pic.
We have all our "clutter" put away. We emptied everything we could out of all rooms. Room with the pinball machine is totally empty now. We have no problems getting them in, just getting them to buy. I'll gladly take any ideas on how to promote the view. In another older thread some people said it seemed safer and quieter being on a flag lot. Its very quiet here, and I think its plenty private.
BTW...thanks for the comments on the house! We think its pretty special.
Hey Stavs, as long as you have done all you can do, like declutter, fresh smells, and all that, than, its a crazy market out there now. Why are you selling, bigger, or what, and you may have to cut your losses, and did you counter on the low ball, and if not, would suggest your agent call them back, and even if you did counter, make them a new offer, if there still in the market. Not uncommon to do that. Offer some closing cost, etc. Good luck.
Your house is NICE. I went to Realtor.com and put in your zip code and price range of 150k to 200k. Seems like your house is a lot nicer. It must be the lot issue.
This is a typical listing in that zip code and price range:
907 Whittier Dr, Allentown City, PA, 18103 - MLS ID#324292 - Single Family Home real estate - REALTOR.com® (http://www.realtor.com/realestateandhomes-detail/907-Whittier-Dr_Allentown-City_PA_18103_1105496396 - broken link)
BY THE WAY your house did not show up on Realtor.com.
Welp, it doesn't help you to correct the problem, but to let you know what I see as the problem. I don't love the fact that you're situation behind another house, but the views are so great of the mountain that I could probably overlook that. But, as a person who is currently house hunting, we're having a problem with the garages and the bedroom sizes. We need atleast a 2 car garage and a large master of atleast 15x15, preferably with a walk-in closet and 1/2 bath or better.
I think a lot of people are like us. My fiance and I each had our own places before we met so we have a lot of stuff. My master furniture is massive in size (big, bulky marble dresser and two night stands with a canopy bed). It's tough. The only way we're willing to accept anything smaller is if the price is silly low or if there are 4 bedrooms and we could knock down a wall and still have 3.
Despite the fact that there's a lot of homes on the market, there are few within our price range that meet our needs.
I know it doesn't "help" but I hope it gives some insight!
Hey Jenn, might it make more sense to ditch the massive furniture? Furniture is pretty cheap and can be easily replaced; whereas, the house that fits all your other needs but won't fit your bedroom furniture might not come along again.
The house that I share the back yard with is kind of misleading I actually have prints in the kitchen (mounted and laminated) that show the boundaries. We own most of the back yard. They have 5 feet out their back door, and thats it. I attached a pic.
We have all our "clutter" put away. We emptied everything we could out of all rooms. Room with the pinball machine is totally empty now. We have no problems getting them in, just getting them to buy. I'll gladly take any ideas on how to promote the view. In another older thread some people said it seemed safer and quieter being on a flag lot. Its very quiet here, and I think its plenty private.
BTW...thanks for the comments on the house! We think its pretty special.
Hey Stavs, if you've decluttered you might want to put up new pics. Maybe you're not getting some buyers in the door b/c of the outdated pics? I know you said it's not a problem getting them in, but maybe there's one or two out there that didn't come that you don't know about?
Also, I'm with the people who suggested maybe you plant some shrubs or something to break up the yard and show just exactly what your boundaries are. Some really pretty flowering hedges would add a sense of privacy and clearly delineate who owns the backyard. That yard is massive and should be a great selling point.
Is there anything (a fence, planting along the boundary line, etc.) that visually demarks their five feet from your part of the yard? That might be something to consider, because pictures on a wall can't trump the feeling that you share the entire yard that looking at the real thing might give.
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