8 Reasons This House Has Been on the Market Since 2011

This Moorestown, NJ, home has some good qualities, but it’s had trouble selling. We think we know why.

The Yellow Brick RoadWe understand the temptation to invoke Southern Europe with those pale bricks (we think that’s what’s going on). But reminding people of that fateful trip to Oz may be less appealing.

Built-in FormicaPoor formica. It was once so desirable. Now a house hunter spots some at an open house and runs screaming. There are several rooms in this house that appear to have built-in formica cabinetry, including a little bedroom, the master bath, and one of the bedrooms. It’s just a beleaguered material.

MarbleThese days, the shiny marble with extensive…marbling of the kind that’s in several places in this house is no longer au courant. Worse still is faux marble, like that of the built-in dressers in the little bedroom. No marble is better than faux marble.

“Dynasty” ReferenceThe listing says, “The grand entryway includes marble floors and an elegant ‘Dynasty’ staircase.” Putting “elegant” next to “Dynasty” is madness — at least to anyone who remembers the show to which this refers. Nowadays, when you say “TV” and “Dynasty,” something very different pops up.

The Aerial Photo Every high-end buyer likes an aerial shot, but this looks like a print photo that was placed on a table under a harsh overhead light and then re-photographed with a digital camera. Hie thee to a FedEx store and scan it in.

The Stair Runner It is helpful, with wide staircases, for the stair runner to match the stair length, or at least have a border to mitigate its smallness. Otherwise it looks like the owner could afford stair but not rug.

The CarpetingThis home has a lot of carpeting, which is terrific if that’s to a new buyer’s taste, but tends to alienate potential buyers who fear what lies beneath. And the carpeting here seems to have its peculiarities: pastel flowers in the family room, and lumps and bumps elsewhere.

Price
The home was first listed above $2 million for more than a year after it went on the market. In November 2012, it dropped just a hair below that mark, and after about five months was reduced to $1.85 million. This week the price was sliced to $1.69 million, so we’ll see how that goes. But it’s safe to say it started too high, especially given that nearby homes are not valued nearly as high as the initial asking price.

THE FINE PRINT
Beds: 6
Baths: 5.5
Square feet: 6,863
Acreage: 2.27

Listing: 824 Cox Road, Moorestown, NJ