Why isn't my flat selling?

[mynamechange94]

I've name changed for this, for obvious reasons. It's been on the market since June, we sold it at one point for £440k but the buyer pulled out. We're out of exclusivity with our agent next month so trying to work out if it's worth doing anything different with the flat before we move agents. What do you think?

Here's the listing...

Agree with this.
lots a lovely flat op. Good luck!

There are several things putting me off - the living room and kitchen are both really small/cramped, the colour of the bathroom makes it look very eighties - it needs re-painting (not white as too sterile) and staging. I'd also not want to pay nearly half a million for a flat where one of the bedrooms has no window and where the "office" is just a desk shoved under the stairs.

So, I think there are a few things that could be done to improve the look of the place, but ultimately it's very expensive for what it is. I think you need to lower the price.

Photos could be better and I don't like the pink in the bathroom. It's a nice flat, but it could look a bit better with nicer dressing/soft furnishings.

It's not worth that imo. At least not from the photos they have up.

The bathroom is very basic with cheap fittings and no shower mixer. The kitchen is tiny, cramped, with a dark worktop and orangy cupboards that to me, scream cheap council fixings and even the fridge looks too big for the room.

The living room is cluttered with massive sofa which makes it look very small and the flooring has that same cheap orangy laminate which clashes with the grey and does it no favours. The random picture of a blank wall and floor lamp makes it look like a student room to let.

The bedroom pictures are lovely and seemingly out of keeping with the rest of them so I'd do new pictures with better lighting and more flattering angles.

I think you could still buy a 2-3 bed freehold house for £440k not too far from your flat - so that could be some of the issue, given the bad rep of leasehold flats right now and then compounded by lock down too

The problem is, for everyone saying that primping and dressing isnt important because you dont buy the furniture the owner has, while that is true, you want something to be presented as desirable, aspirational.

This flat is not that, its drab, sad, frumpy, has 'council' vibes like with the cheap bathroom and kitchen fittings, look at the bath panel as an example, plus the furnture is badly positioned, too big and then the massive issue with the bedroom with no window

So you have to counteract that, get people liking what they see for a start, then get them looking at the positives

You need to be honest about the costs but big up what you think you get for that, the gym, concierge, nice green spaces, safety etc.

You cant or wont move the furniture out and get different stuff (which is penny wise and pound foolish in my view but thats up to you) so therefore take different pictures, dress it nicely so the negatives are not so obvious, make it vibrant and inviting, make it warm and cosy, use the size to your advantage and emphasise the cosyness of it rather than try and make it light and airy because it isnt light and airy,, so lots of throws, cushions, rugs, warmth, fabrics, trinkets but obviously not so much its cloying or claustrophobic

My mind is blown.
It's a beautiful flat OP
I live in South Wales and you could get a massive house for that money here. London is bonkers. I feel like a poor church mouse now

First thing I would do is get rid of the tv Kallax as it makes the lounge look so cramped, and I'd paint the bathroom white. Pink just doesn't go with the beige tiles.

Other than that the kitchen and bathroom fixtures and fittings look pretty cheap to me and it has no garden, so it puts it in a lower price bracket for me.

What is going on with the video? Its either in a weird soft focus or the camera lens was dirty. The overall effect is it makes the flat look darker than the photos actually do.

My house has just sold and the first thing the estate agent asked when he came to do the photos and video was "are all your lights working as I want them all switched on"

You definitely need new photos! There’s a weird Alice in Wonderland thing going on where everything looks weirdly proportioned (the oversized furniture doesn’t help this either!), and it’s hard to work out how the rooms connect to each other. The new set of photos should probably be put on in an order that makes it seem like you’re walking through the property, just so that it’s more cohesive, rather than having multiple photos of the same rooms in a random order.

I would reconsider your position (and your DH’s position) on the fridge, sofa, ikea furniture and national geographics. They make it feel like you haven’t really considered the potential of the space yourselves, so how could any prospective buyer be expected to do the same?

Realistically, if you can’t be bothered to make any physical changes to the property in order to sell it, the only thing you can really do is lower the asking price!

I would also take down all of the framed pictures in photos 1,3,5,6 and 9 - they’re too high up on the wall and this is contributing to the weird proportion problem.

I actually don’t mind the pink bathroom, but maybe play into it a bit more with some bottles of pink soap or a set of pink shampoo and conditioner or something on the bare shelf behind the toilet - make it fun - you want people to live there and like the property!

Photo 11 is way too cluttered. In reality, it isn’t bad, but a buyer will just look at the bag, the printer and the mini filing cabinet thing and be overwhelmed.

That sounds like a lot, but I think if you’re there with the agent when they come to take photos, see if you can just move stuff around between shots - the buyers don’t have to know that you’ve just shoved a bunch of stuff out of the way of the camera!

Also, if you have any artistically-inclined friends, they might have ideas on how to dress things up a bit, or what angles would be best.

Surely sofa should go the other way? Living room looks like you can't even move. That big shelving thing next to fridge makes it look smaller and also like the kitchen has insufficient storage. Same with bedroom.

Also what are the random red and yellow stripes about?

"Located within the famed Royal Arsenal, once the world's largest arsenal that played a major part in Britain's modern military history."

This is the first line of the blurb -- it's not really focussing on your property, is it?

The photos and video make everything look dark and the perspective looks strange (fridge-freezer makes kitchen look tiny).

Why do we want to see the estate agent? I think he's bit off-putting, particularly being in front of the station.

The bedlinen and the sofa look tired -- the problem with that is it can make people think the place hasn't been cared for... so plump up cushions and bedding for the photos, maybe a throw over the back of the sofa? Move the coffee table (it looks like you can't walk round it). Perhaps you could get brighter light bulbs? The video is worse than the photos for lighting.

The pink bathroom looks out of place -- paint it white, it will make it look neutral and larger.

You want people to be able to imagine living there themselves, so think about your ideal purchaser someone like you and DH when you first moved there what attracted you?

You're right you're not helpful but there's no need to be rude.

I don't live anywhere near London but have the gumption to understand that property prices will be very high because it's one of the world's most popular cities.

OP don't waste your money on Primark bedding etc. Your flat (together) with service charges is too expensive. Can you drop the price?

Why are the pictures all at such a strange height? It makes the ceilings look weirdly proportioned

I like the flat! BUT….What is that picture on the bedroom wall. Looks like a bumhole from here

The photos are appalling. I knew a few people who lived in the Royal Arsenal and their flats were gorgeous, the buildings are breathtaking from the outside and felt bright and roomy inside. Definitely ditch the estate agent. Go through Rightmove for your area, look at the quality of the photography and listings, and speak to the ones that look best.

lose the pine coffee table ,, make the beds up better, plump the grey sofa up. get a few large plants in good pots in for drama. re position the floor lamp better.

Other than having an extra bedroom, it doesn't look any bigger than my flat which was valued at 280k in South London including gym and concierge. So I think it's a bit overpriced.

The sneaky thief that is inflation (10%) is effectively reducing your asking price by £850 every week. So in 6 months your asking price (in real terms) will be £418K.... or you could ask £420K today - which (if you got it) is a better deal.

It just doesn't feel very homely if I'm being candid. It is very 'student lets' vibe. I say this as someone with a wealth of experience in property development and marketing, including student lets.

The sofa and the fridge are both overwhelming the space that you have available and you say that you cannot afford to change them at present and that it is also not feasible to do so because you are 6+ months pregnant. Totally understandable, however, you may arrive at the point where that is your only option because you are unable to sell.

This flat has a lot of potential (is wonderfully bright and modern) and could be mad a lot more appealing with some reconfiguration of the furniture and a slightly more luxurious feel and attention to finer details.

Pink bathroom is not an issue IMO - its that it lacks a feel of quality in general as it is bare.

But yes - enormous fridge and freezer have got to go!

Good luck :)

Were I buying a flat in your type of area, I would go for something like the flat Winkworths has on the Cator Estate (private) in Blackheath for 450k. It needs lots of work, someone has clearly bitten off more than they could afford, but when you look at the under offer and sold prices, you can see prices are high, whereas with your flat, it looks like the last one went for 120k which makes me think you are on a part rent / part buy development. Does the development also feature social housing?