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...

Your flat looks fresh and clean, but almost too tidy - it doesn't actually look like a home, more a rental. Some plants, books or fruit bowl could make a difference in the photos - not too much, don't want to make it cluttered - but just a few thinks to 'bring it to life'.

Agree with PPs that the first photo does it no justice, from that I actually assumed it was a basement flat (low ceiling).

But the biggest thing for me is one of the bedrooms doesn't have a window? Unless the flat was super cheap for a 2 bed in that area then I'm afraid that would be a complete no-go for me.

maybe also loose the coffee table. It would make the living room feel bigger.

The description makes it sound wonderful, then the photos massively let you down!
Photo 1: Uninspiring, plain, sofa cushions are squashed, doesn't look cosy, table around the wrong way. Turn table around, smarted up the sofa or cover with a throw, add a rug to full floor space.
Photo 2: Nice
Photo 3: The view of the cramped misfit kitchen ruins the dining room, which was fine in the previous photo. Your fridge freezer dominates the view. Can you remove the white storage unit next to it and replace with a large/tall plant?
Video: The agent says at the beginning that the flat is right opposite the concierge. This would put me off - noisy, busy, deliveries, people coming past all the time. I didn't watch past that point.
Photo 4: Nice
Photo 5: Bed cover looks ruffled, straighten it out. Add some plants on top of the storage unit.
Photo 6: Same comments as photo 1, but also this makes the room look smaller as it cuts off the space. The storage unit under the TV makes the room look smaller too, you also seem to have storage next to it under the window? Get rid of those grey box drawers and either get a smaller tv unit or mount the tv on the wall.
Photo 7: As before, the fridge freezer is far too big for the kitchen. It looks as though you have to squeeze past it sideways to get into the kitchen. This is a real put-off.
Photo 8: Doesn't add any value, just makes it seem like loads of windows are overlooking your flat.
Photo 9: That pink just doesn't go. Change to a pale lemon or pale green. Add some plants on the shelf and a rubber duck
Photo 10: Looks scruffy - view of covers that don't reach the end of the bed and exposed mattress. Bed might be better turned around 90 degrees so you walk in the door to the foot of the bed instead of to the side.
Photo 11: Ok
Photo 12: As if the previous photos didn't emphasise enough that the kitchen is cramped, here it is again.

The listing is awful, especially the photographs which are heavily stretched and distorted. The video makes the flat seem a lot smaller. This type of thing can seriously piss off buyers who then won't bother to view the property. Photos aren't very inspiring and make it look like a shop worn IKEA showroom. Maybe try some staging.

I would suggest changing Estate Agents.

Based on the floor plan I'd say it's not selling because it's not mortgageable as a 2bed- the room next to the bathroom has no external window.
£440k for a 1bed with office in that area is very expensive. In addition, I'd be worried about service charges, ground rent and the lack of private outside space.
I say this as a Londoner

A good agent is really valuable in a difficult market. Peter James in Lee were very good to us when we were selling a tricky property.

You are looking at this all wrong. Yes it may be costs you dont want to spend but if its the difference between you selling or not, or selling at a higher price it is worth it. You could easily get a fridge/freezer and new sofa for 4k (or much less). That is less than 1% of your asking price and could get you a sale, or could be the difference between someone offering 95% of list price compared to 90%. People not liking the decor is one thing but the oversized items making a room look tiny is another and will stop people viewing. Decoration can bw changed by a new buyer, room size (in a flat) cannot be

I second getting the lease info on RM. If the agent doesn't list ground rent, service charges and lease length I would ignore the advert thinking the costs are sky high and I wouldn't be able to get a mortgage on it.

I think they took the photos at the wrong time of day it looks quite dark. Starting the video with the kitchen was a mistake as that looks dark and narrow due to large fridge.

I know London is expensive but that’s a lot of money for such little space, the living room looks incredibly small and cramped as does the kitchen, the furniture is just too big for the space.

I hadn’t watched the video before and now that I have, I have to say I really like the flat! The video could be better, I agree, but you do get a much better feel for the flat from it. The living room looks much more spacious in the video than in the photos (which is weird as usually EAs make rooms look bigger in photos, not smaller).

The room with the internal window would make a brilliant office. Not suggesting you go buying more furniture to sell the place, but I can totally imagine having a desk in there and maybe a trundle bed that could be converted into a double for occasional guests. I guess the thought of having it as a full-time bedroom might be off putting to some people but as a multi-purpose office/guest room it would be great.

A friend of mine sold her flat a few years ago very quickly and for the highest price any similar property had ever gone for. It looked amazing in the photos (and for viewings). It was always nice when I visited but the staging she did to sell it took it to a completely different level. You looked at the photos and you thought 'I'd love that to be my home'. It wasn't a big or grand place but she made it look lovely. From that perspective, I'd agree with PP that the other way to think about all this is you can't afford not to make the changes to your furniture/fridge freezer etc.

You could put your current living room furniture in storage (or sell if you're not intending to take on to new place). Buy/borrow/rent more suitable furniture - a few second hand classic pieces would add character and look so much better than all the IKEA units (and I say that as someone who is sitting on an IKEA sofa right now!)

Very importantly - look at other 2 bed flats for sale in your area/comparable areas. As this is exactly what your potential buyers will be doing. Which flats would choose to view and why? If a flat is well marketed, look at other listings by that agent. If they impress you, consider swapping to them.

On that note, don't underestimate the importance of a good agent. I previously lived in a rental flat that was up for sale. The first agent struggled to get any viewings. The minute it changed to another agent, there were several per week and the flat quickly sold. (In both cases the photos were similar/price the same).

Get a friend to call your agent and ask if they have any good 2 bedroom flats available with X (with X being a particular strength of your flat) to make sure they are proactively suggesting your flat. My friend did this when her flat wasn't getting any viewings - her brother called and said 'I'm looking for a one bed with a parking space' and they said they didn't have any! She quickly changed her agent.

You could tell potential buyers that my grandparents met in that building?

Do drop your pictures down much lower, they make the ceilings look very low. They would be better if when you are standing in the room the middle of the picture is in your eye line. If one of you is very tall, then go for eye line of the shorter person. It will help balance out the room hugely and is an easy and free fix.

Christ it’s tiny!! You could get a massive house with land for that price where I am.

So glad I live north of the wall

Remove photo 6, it makes the living room look really cramped and I think the first pic of the living room is enough. Some nice pot plants in the bathrooms, with some nice looking apothecary type jars would help (M&S have some nice stuff atm). Other than that the place looks immaculate and perfect for people to make their own.

LOTS of pics of the development- they need to sell the lifestyle, bigging up the Crossrail connections. Good local schools.

Community aspect- farmers markets, local clubs, Yoga Space events etc.

We viewed a property close by with that agent and, while the person in the office was fine, the agent they sent to the viewing was terrible and it really put us off the property. They need to have hard facts to hand like service charge, lease hold length, what the service charge includes. Make sure they note that the building has the EWS1 form. Do they know where your parking space is, and are they showing viewers?

Good luck. We sold in that building not long ago and it's just a numbers game. What feedback are you getting from viewings?

Wide angle lens would help, better lighting in the photos, better editing -increase contrast and saturation.

The walls looks very thick on the floor plan which makes the rooms look small relative to was thickness. I don't think that's a good look even though may sound silly

North of what wall?

Price. Always. If you drop the price, it will sell.

Presumably Hadrian's? It is the most famous wall in the UK. It is amazing how little you get for your money down south. But that doesn't help the OP. The video is appalling. The living room looks very cramped - even losing the coffee table would help. And it all looks very dark. Would mirrors to reflect the light that is getting in help?

Presumably Hadrian's Wall, you know the famous one that used to cut off the north of the country from the south?

I dont know how bedrooms without windows are legal, wheres the fire exit?

Sounds like this is the problem, then!

The flat looks nice. I would move the pictures lower down if I was being highly critical. And add a few throws/cushions/chairs here and there, maybe. And plants.

I used to work for an EA. It looks too bare, it's like a v basic rental. The bathroom is grim. Get a nicer mirror you can take to your new place and some posh towels .Sitting room too cramped. Take out the big unit the TV is on & put it on that coffee table or wall mount it. Don't put another coffee table in. The trend in decor is not to have one at the moment. Add more plants & wall pics everywhere. Better bedding , no bed base on show, & cushions. Buyers have no imagination, they need showing how it could look.

I hate the stretched photos. The kallax boxes should be square, but appear as stretched rectangles.
The second bedroom having no window to the outside is off putting.