Please give your opinions on why we have not had any viewings on our flat? Listing included

The first thing that jumped out at me is that you have blocked all of your windows with furniture. Your living room is lovely but for the purposes of selling I'd suggest moving the sofa and unblocking the window which would be a major selling point for me. I love big windows and lots of light. Even if you have to keep it, put the table at the window and the sofa facing the window so it's almost dividing the room a bit.
I've no idea about price. Where I am 325k would buy a 3-4 bedroom detached house 🥴

Personally, it's a bit small and I'm not keen on the view of the car park from the balcony.

Haven’t read the whole thread but assuming the price is reflective of the market and not the issue, then for me there are 5 easy changes would make it so that you’d very likely get more viewings -

a) take away the photo of the balcony that shows the parked cars - because nobody can really imagine relaxing on a balcony overlooking a car park (and then once buyers are through the door you can tell them that the cars aren’t supposed to be there/hope that there’s less cars on that day)

b) move the beds so they aren’t against the windows with the headboards blocking light and making it look like the beds can’t fit in any other way -it’s very off putting visually even if it makes the best use of space

c) retake the photos on a sunny day as it looks quite gloomy (it’s obvious you took them on a dull day but buyers can overlook the obvious and might think the flat’s always that dark)

d) if you have extra chairs for the dining table then show them. Ideally for a 2 double bedroom flat you’d have a 4 seater table - you need to show in the pics that there’s space for that (even if one chair is pressed right against the wall for the photo so that the table doesn’t stick out too much)

e) whilst I can see you have do have plants in the lounge and bedroom, you could also dress the kitchen, the bathrooms and especially the balcony (which look more plain) with plants. I’d suggest some brightly coloured baskets for the balcony rails and a pot of colourful flowers for the table there, perhaps a trailing plant on the top of the kitchen cabinet by the dining table and a small pot of white flowers (maybe an orchid or similar) on one of the bathroom shelves. Silly and a bit of extra money but plants and flowers have been shown to make the “vibes” of a place look more positive and cheerful, but without being as personal as something like artwork.

Hope that helps!

Oh come on it’s so overpriced. I know that block. My friend just sold round the corner nothing like that and she just bought a 3 bed house in Chelmsford with drive, massive garden etc 12 min walk into town for £350k

Some of the photos show half a clock, half a picture etc. Simple things like removing the products from the bathroom would help.

I don't know the market for flats and that is something you need to keep your ear to the ground on - maybe drop it to 320 and drop the offers over - but the flat has a lot going for it and you need to highlight the positives: modern, good condition and decor, amenities and gym etc; would appeal to young couple or sharers and two bathrooms means potential to rent one room out which would cover service charge and council tax, say; location, desirable county town with good shopping, John Lewis, restaurants, bars, near tube and direct to London, access to the wide Essex countryside attractions; own parking space.

A few things could be reviewed: the arrangement of furniture in the living room isn't the best; two sofas are awkward, making the dining area cramped and squeezed, yet I think there is enough room for a comfortable dining section.

Put away some of the gadgets on the kitchen surface and put on a couple of colourful accessories such as a decorative vase or a teapot and some nice mugs; even a bright towel or tea towel would liven it.

The bedrooms are not small; I can tell from the floorplan measurements that both bedrooms are wide enough to have the beds placed across the room and long enough for furniture. (I have a bedroom that's narrower than yours and it looks much better with the bed across than the other way.) With yours, though, it's hard to get a proper view of the two bedrooms from these photos: I don't know which is which. Both seem to have an expanse of white on the bed, which is crying out for a colourful rug or some patterned textile. One of them, I can't make out; is there a pillar in the room? There's some sort of reflection going on and next to it a mirrored surface.

Balcony, as has been said needs to be dressed. Lots of things you could do, for instance as someone mentioned, bamboo or raffia screening would work wonders and there are loads of other types of screening online to soften and provide privacy; other possibilities are an awning; a canvas sail; a table with parasol, colourful chair cushions and most essential, a couple of tall screening foliage plants in tubs.

The flat looks lovely, the photos are ok however it’s very focused on the small balcony as if that’s the best part or the flat (which I highly doubt is the case) also the floor plan looks much bigger that the pictures which make it look like a flat where you walk into an open kitchen/living room with 2 bedrooms coming off the living room/kitchen, it doesn’t look from the pictures like there’s space for washing machine etc. but the floor plan says that space/room is there xx

Sorry @BurningMrs i didn’t mean to quote you (but I agree with you anyway!)

Price seems high for so far out of London. It is very bland and lacks personality. The beds and sofa need moving as they are blocking the windows.

It’s tiny, soulless and depressing.

You could buy a 4 bed detached house with a garden for that price where I live.

Don’t worry about the bathrooms or the open kitchen, those are normal and not deal breakers in flats like this. Same for view and being overlooked, people want to live in flats like this for convenience not views. spell out that it is deeded parking, that is important. The rest is bad pics/staging. Rearrange and take new pics hopefully on a brighter day. The two sofas make the room look smaller IMO as does the way the table is set up. The rug is also too small. The tv in one of the bedrooms with the wire and the plastic shelving looks like student accommodation. Definitely plants and something to brighten the kitchen. The small changes can make a huge difference. Also show the laundry and the hallway/storage. Good luck!

It’s the photos in my opinion. They make the flat look small and dingy. You say it is bright inside and from the measurements, it isn’t poky at all!

I think parts of it are lovely. Three things would put me off: 1) the view from the balcony / lack of privacy when sitting there. I’d put a privacy screen over it. B&Q do a 3m roll of a wicker one for £50. 2) The flats opposite seem to look right into the bedroom window. I’d put a very light privacy gauze curtain on a pole to hide that but retain light. 3) the bed headboards obstruct the windows. This makes the rooms look like they are tiny and that beds don’t fit properly in them. You need beds with a lower height or to change their positions in the room entirely.

No?
what council tax covers cleaning inside the building, or gardening for my garden or repairs to the roof?

The problem is London flats have stagnated so people could buy in parts of London for the same price or not much more. General affordability, £200 on top of a mortgage is pretty hefty. I also read FTBs are prioritising houses over flats. It's a tough market OP.

Why would you bother? You’d take a mirror with you and viewers know that.

The house I currently live in was advertised as offers over. I offered the price advertised £210k (2013). I was told it was offers over by the agency, I told them that was our offer, in cash. From viewing to making an offer and having it accepted took 45 minutes. I personally hate offers over, or priced between say 250k - 275, far too hit and miss. I prefer “offers around”, it’s more user friendly to me, gives a little more flexibility, 🤗

Is there no mirror in the first bathroom? Is that why there’s a tiny little mirror on the ledge? If so I’d fix that as well. Install a nice mirror over the sink and make sure it’s in the new pictures.

If you don’t people will just think of it as another thing they would have to do as soon as they move in.

Also, your agent plays a large part in this. You’re paying them to find a buyer for your property. Sounds like yours is lazy - missing details on the advert, underwhelming photos…. did you go for one of the cheaper agents that is just sat on your property and not actively finding and sending buyers to view?

DP is selling his property. We had several agents round and there was a marked difference in their attitudes, the packages they offer and of course their price. We actually went for the most expensive because they really were on the ball, offered a good package, proactive in finding buyers and matching them to potential properties, and also didn’t tie you in for 12 weeks, you can walk away whenever. So it’s in their interest to get people through the door and get that property sold!

As it happens I bought my current house from this same agent 9 years ago - as a result of one of their staff proactively showing me this house, I’d not even seen it advertised!

I agree with PP the price is off putting.

If you don’t want to drop the price yet, having the photos retaken on a brighter day might help.

Agree bathroom lack of windows, nothing you can do about that though or some of the other issues (outside aspect and view).

The view over the balcony and the fact that it’s Leasehold. When I was selling my Freehold flat last year the estate agent said people are becoming less and less keen to buy Leasehold properties particularly if they include service charges. The annual service charge and ground rent add close to an additional £2500 a year on top of the mortgage repayments. This would be off putting for a great deal of people.

For me it comes across as a commuter crash pad for 2 people spending most of their time in London.

The bedrooms look like double beds have been squeezed into single rooms. It might be better if you show one of the beds against a wall to demonstrate there are options for layouts rather than it's so narrow you can only shoehorn a double bed in by putting it against the window.

The view from the balcony is bleak and very overlooked. I would feel very exposed on the balcony and wouldn't use it so that would be off-putting.

The service charge would be very problematic. Does anyone use the communal lounge? The gym? If they aren't used that makes the charge less justifiable for a prospective buyer. If the gym is used, when is it busy? If the only time you can get in there is 10am weekdays, then people working in London are not going to get any use out it. If the communal lounge is used as a meeting place for drinks, or book clubs or whatever I'd get the EA to mention it in the description. It might not appeal to everyone but would make the service charge better value for money.

As a pp said it might do better as a rental property.

Is there really only one tree in the car park, which looks like it's been hit by a car? And one bench across from it to look at the sad tree? :( The current standard is more trees, some grass, shrubs, planters. I bet they showed more planting on the architects' impressions in the sales brochure.

While it's not within your remit, if I lived there I'd push your landlord to improve the greenery for everyone's wellbeing - or take up guerilla gardening.

Flats nearly always are leasehold, NoBots, and new builds are fine for young people who not have th time, or want, to do a place up. It's nice to move into somewhere and just live there when you are young, you can make it your own with your possessions and in a couple of years there will be things that go wrong and need fixing but not as much as a house with garden. It is a smart, young flat and just right for the right couple or person.

I have to say I'd have loved somewhere like that when I first married rather than the two bed 1930s terraced house we bought that needed endless modernisation and maintenance. Our lives would have been so much easier for a while, before starting a family.

The service charge takes care of building maintenance and insurance, often water rates, cleaning of common parts, lift, external area, all sorts,

It's a suitable home for someone who fits it but not a forever home.

Concrete view. Flat. Tiny. Price