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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

to wonder why nobody wants to buy our flat?

300 replies

pimsandlemonade · 30/04/2015 11:26

or to even see it?
We are trying to sell our 2 bed flat in London zone 2.
We have already found a lovely house we like (out of London) and our offer is not officially accepted until we get an offer on ours.

When we listed the flat the estate agents made it seem like it will be superfast considering a fairly central location, very good condition of the flat, lovely views etc.
Before the listing was up on Rightmove we had 2 viewings booked - 1 was a rental investor, made a very low offer which we won't accept. The other one cancelled the viewing and now, nearly 2 weeks later we have not had anyone to even see it!
I just don't get it!
We have already dropped the price a bit as we thought maybe the initial asking price was too much (again, the initial price was recommended by the estate agent, I suppose to get up to choose them), but still nothing.
The estate agents are saying that because of the election everything has slowed down and they expect it will get better next week...
I'm struggling to believe anything they say at this point.

Any advice, comments?

OP posts:

StampysLoveGarden · 02/05/2015 14:45

oh sorry, 594 sq foot. sorry i think it's a bit over priced. that's really small is it not?

or have they got that wrong/ it looked bigger than 595 sq foot in the photos.

StampysLoveGarden · 02/05/2015 14:49

pims, I was just going to say that. Looking at your photos and looking at the plans, put a dining table in the bay window area of your living room and make the area they have marked as lounge/dining just ''living''. So that people see, ah, living, dining, kitchen.

Stinkersmum · 02/05/2015 15:14

594 square feet? Bloody hell. I'd be claustrophobic and no view could make me feel it was worth it.

StampysLoveGarden · 02/05/2015 15:20

ps, good post math. I also like the OP's orla kiely breadbin!

I agree with what mathanxiety says about how to set the table.

nettlewine · 02/05/2015 15:36

Op have you seen the lr reports about house prices in London? Mostr areas have been dropping for months, everything sells at the right price. I have an early friend and the sales market has been dead for a while in prime areas. Huge falls in k&c. But harrigay is going up a bit

Noideaatall · 02/05/2015 15:36

Maybe those who think it's small don't live in London? I've been looking in London for a while and that's a reasonable size & price, I think.

nettlewine · 02/05/2015 15:40

I've lived in London for ages, it is on the small side for a two bed, not tiny but not spacious.

I wonder how much it cost to build, maybe 40-50k?

MissDuke · 02/05/2015 16:03

Op, nothing new to add, but just wanted to wish you luck. I think it is a lovely place to live from all that has been said here, so I am sure you will get what you want in the end. Good luck :-)

StampysLoveGarden · 02/05/2015 16:10

I lived in London for 14 years but never owned in London!

museumum · 02/05/2015 16:15

No pictures of the second bedroom? Only half the kitchen shown? And weird views of the living room. Nowhere to eat at a table?

Your EA is seriously crap!!! Sorry.

museumum · 02/05/2015 16:16

And no pics of the bathroom or toilet???!!!!

museumum · 02/05/2015 16:17

And get a balcony photo ASAP! If there's no chair out there borrow or buy one.
Personally I'd get that bed into storage now and borrow or buy a more sensible sized one too.

NatashaGurdin · 02/05/2015 16:23

My friend lives in this road and I think the area is nice and surprisingly rural for London but with better transport links than rural areas normally have.

Her flat overlooks the river and has great views and there is a working city farm at the end of the road which you can look down on from her flat which would be an attraction for me although I appreciate that this isn't the case for everyone.

I think the OP has said about the buses, whenever I've visited my friend the buses come every two minutes or so, I think a lot of commuters use them and my friend has even used the riverboats to commute as they can be caught from the hotel nearby.

I hope you manage to sell soon pimsandlemonade.

DocHollywood · 02/05/2015 16:29

Thanks for clarifying the shoeboxes. I thought they were planks of wood which might have explained your lack of viewers

StampysLoveGarden · 02/05/2015 16:32

pot of coffee and cups on that table

StampysLoveGarden · 02/05/2015 16:32

(on balcony I mean)

PurpleCrazyHorse · 02/05/2015 17:12

OP, what did you find helpful when you were reading up about houses you're hoping to buy? That will help you with the text and photos for your flat. Find ads you really like and have useful information, then get your EA to do something similar.

DH re-took all our EA photos for our old house (he is a photographer and has an eye for the best angle) and I re-wrote the text based on other ads.

We didn't view anything without a floor plan (which you've got but it looks poor. How big is that bay in the lounge/kitchen!!!?

The particulars linked to in the ad (that go to a PDF) are exactly the same as on the ad, which is hardly any text at all. I want to know room by room, what you've got. For example, you mention hardwood floors, marble in the bathroom etc. Do the bedrooms have built in wardrobes, all that can go in the text. You also mention CCTV and high quality maintenance of the surroundings, get all that in there too. I'd also put local schools in the text and walking/cycling times to various stations. What about a photo of the communal gardens?

Find other flats that have sold in your block and look at their ads and photos. You can also look up actual sold prices too, which could well be different than the marketed price.

PurpleCrazyHorse · 02/05/2015 17:14

Oh, I should add that our house (outside of London) sold for £500 less than the asking price, from the first viewers, 12 hours after it went on the market.

It took us significantly more time to get the photos and text right, than it ever was up on the internet

StampysLoveGarden · 02/05/2015 17:43

When I sell my house I'm first going to take photos and let mners savage them, I mean, comment onn them!

Stitchintime1 · 02/05/2015 17:51

In my experience, estate agents always quote an amazing price then advise you to bring it down when it doesn't sell.

MrsMcColl · 02/05/2015 17:53

Yep, that's my experience too, Stitch.

Supersoft · 02/05/2015 20:27

Get rid of one of your sofas, they clearly don't fit the room. Get a smaller bed and better bed linen. I thought it was planks of wood stored in the bedroom not shoeboxes! If you have another WC that should be on the plans, not 'store'. Photos of the other bedroom and bathroom are a must.

UncleT · 02/05/2015 23:30

While I wish you luck personally and it's not your fault, that's simply not worth half a mil, but then sod all in London is actually worth what it is priced at. I hope this madness stops soon. It's ludicrous.

StampysLoveGarden · 03/05/2015 18:52

or even, move the sofa along the short wall out a couple of inches and the other sofa along the longer wall towards the window. It will look less obvious that the corner isn't big enough for two sofas. An L shaped sofa would work well in that corner.

lalalonglegs · 03/05/2015 20:02

Are the washing machine and the dishwasher integrated appliances that have lost their door fronts? They seem to sit quite far back for "normal" ones? If so, get the doors back on.

If you want to dump the big sofas anyway, dump them now and buy the ones that you would like so that your flat looks better in the photos.

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