Why isn't my flat selling?

[ratemyflatplease]

Not really an AIBU sorry.

I'm selling my flat at the moment and not getting much interest. I know that ultimately it'll come down to price. But that aside, is there anything in the description or photos that would put you off?

It's in SE London. 3 fair size bedrooms, one tiny box which is only big enough for a single but perfect as an office (which is how I currently have it).

Top floor, so no chance of outside space, which I think lots of people are looking for. Lease has been extended.

Taking a deep breath and posting Rightmove link: https://www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/139866227#/?channel=RES_BUY

Possibly been chopped about too much. Two large bedrooms would probably look better than three smaller ones?

How many of the internal walls are structural?

165 years is a SHORT lease.

Maybe present this like a townhouse? Turn the living room in to a nice dining room, so kitchen and diner on bottom floor. Then make one of the bedrooms a living room. Get rid of the office and stage a crib in there, as a baby room.

Ultimately people are right, it’s a very small living space for three bedrooms. If you don’t want to make any changes, dropping the price will make it sell. Depends how low you can go.

If it’s been on the market ages, that puts people off.

Move the table & chairs they look lop sides & all wrong.
It's very clean, looks a bit unlived in, put some pictures on the wall & some soft furniture.
Good foundation though I like it

so?

Many houses have that layout.

OP I live in East Dulwich and am looking to sell next year. Prices have fallen so much in SE21/22/24. I was expecting to flog my small 2 bed Lordship Lane flat for around £400k but some flats in my block are not scraping £350-370k now.

It's the market, locally, it's not the good ol' days of 2016 anymore. You need to lower you price by quite a bit. As will I. Sorry. 😟

I would turn the living room into a dining room and put a really lovely long oak table in there. I would change bedroom 1 into the living area and market it as a two bed flat for £395k.

Fascinated by the comments about the price for this 3.5 bed apartment being too high. I'm going to need to look into this and get up to speed on the wider London market trends. Sadly, in my part of London, £435,000 doesn't even buy a studio.

Seems unlikely, when it’s less than that for a studio on Sloane Avenue, SW3:

https://www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/140371094#/?channel=RES_BUY

Op i love it!!!!! Especially your bookshelves.....wish mine were that organized 😂

@MongoFrogman Nice try, troll.

Not trolling at all. Just pointing out that £435k will buy a studio anywhere in London. Though the floor space may be so small
that it’s unmortgageable and cash only.

The only thing that really stood out for Me is 4 double bedrooms (so could house 8 adults?) but only one bathroom!

Sorry just read again, 3 bedrooms so 6 adults but still only one bathroom

I’m sorry but you’ve definitely got a problem if you’ve tried to sell it twice before with no luck.

You are definitely going to have to reconsider the price very seriously in this case. I do know London and London prices so wouldn’t automatically assume overpriced. But if this is your third attempt at selling there has to be a price issue coupled with the small rooms and lack of outside space.

What exactly does your high service charge cover as you have no communal garden and the outside of the property is unkempt? I’m struggling to understand this for a property of your type?

Realistically it has to be marketed differently as a 3 bedroom with study. Or I hate to say 2 bedroom with study and box room. The sq footage simply doesn’t stack up as a 4 bedroom flat quirky or not.

My very decent 2 bed with garden was 85sq ft.

Think about everything rationally. What price did you pay for it. Why do you want to move. What do you want to move to. Who is your target market etc etc. in my eyes it’s a flat for a single person or a couple pre family with additional storage space. It needs to be marketed as such.

Then do the simple tweaks of wall mounted tv and out with dining table. Definitely clean up the outside front. Again why is there such a high service charge for the outside to be the mess it is?

The service charge is a worry for this type of property as I simply cannot see what you are paying for? Added to which whatever you are paying for isn’t actually being done ie weeds outside etc.

I think the kickers you are up against are
Small rooms especially sitting room and kitchen
Eves with restrictions
Lack of outside space
Service charge of £200 per month for what?

Plus what else is on the market locally at your price point as a direct comparison. As things stand and it’s your third attempt at selling you may well have to make some very tough decisions especially in view of current interest rates and you could not sell in previous years when rates were lower.

It looks very small for 4 beds. It also looks like you flipped it. Like someone white washed it all then ran out of money and chucked some random stuff in. Some of your furniture is lovely but you could make the rooms look more warm and cosy alongside it. The white feeel really stark. The desk room looks very haphazard which adds to the student flat vibe. Although on the plus side I didn't think you could get a flat in London for that. Lease and service charge would scare me

I'd ask them to remove the photo of the living room which shows the sofa facing the radiator. It looks really miserable and narrow. The other living room photos are better and might lure people in

I spend a LOT of time on London Rightmove and personally I think it’s the price. It’s three and a half bed with no outside space, it’s a plucky price.

For a small property this is outrageously pricey.

That last photo of the living room is dreadful! You have the plug socket exposed What’s that about?
I’d put a longer table under the living room window and make that the dining area. Dress the table to make it feel small but classy ( like your bookshelves do). Put the tv on the wall. Use a radiator cover. Put one of the bedroom armchairs where the table is now so it looks like a proper living room with a sofa and chair. Currently it only seats two people.
Put some blinds in the kitchen window and stick some plants in the place. Will work well with the white.
Turn the blue and white bed so it’s under the picture not the window.

Morning everyone, thank you again to everyone who has given me feedback. I'm really grateful! Haven't read it all but I will. Seems like the quick wins are to smarten up the living room and consider putting it on as a 3-bed (it was before but again got no interest).

I could move it around so it's basically a two-bed: dining room where the living room is, living room where the main bedroom is. And keep the study as is. I'll give that some thought.

Hi Op,

Just a consideration about no. of bedrooms though, I believe no. of bedrooms also impacts the council tax band, so might be worth researching first whether a buyer may end up paying council tax for a 4 bed property that’s being sold as 2 or 3.

You are also going to have to explain the high service charge.

It isn't high for a block but it is for a conversion with barely any shared areas.

All I'd say is if you use a bedroom as the living room, will people have any view of anything through the skylights/ Velux?

Some people like upside down houses, but it does depend.

I think your agent should market is as 'flexible living space' so people can do what they want.

It's definitely not a 4-bed because the smallest room can't really function as a bedroom. It's minute! A family would not use it as a 4 bed. IMO it's a 2-bed with some extra space and more for couple who want 2 WFH spaces.

That room needs to be a study or walk-in wardrobe room.

1 change the photos- they're terrible
2 Put the chairs in the living room (from the bedroom)
3 Make it more easy on the eye with some plants, wall covering/art