Why would the estate agent even bother??

[Thundercloudsontheway]

2 bedroom apartment for sale in Chapel Street, Thatcham, RG18 (rightmove.co.uk)

AIBU to think that at some point a property can be so bad that by putting pictures on it you can actually hinder a sale rather than help it?

If this is a rental property, then surely you would be better swallowing the cost of a couple of months worth of mortgage payments once the tenant has moved out to get the place cleared out, as it must cost less than what you would loose on the offer price.

And if it is private owned, then you would think the estate agent would have a word - Especially as this is on for the average cost of a two bed in the area that is fit to move into with no more than a lick of paint

There could still be a student lurking under that duvet. Looks like a private landlord/resentful tenant situation to me.

edit- just looks like a messy house that needs a bit of modernising (kitchen etc)

Kitchen needs a refit but otherwise it's just a lived in house

I was expecting a half burnt down shell with shit and blood smeared on the walls, a few needles lying around and maybe a chalk outline on the floor....

I agree. Anytime I've seen ones that need a "refurbishment" as they describe, there's usually just a pic of the outside as they don't want u to see in advance how bad it is and put you off. Outside pics and layout wld have been fine in this instance.

The worst thing about it is all the clutter and mess. The bed 😂 is there someone still in it!

Estate agents tell you all kinds of different things

Selling a deceased family members house

One told us to remove all the furniture and give people a blank canvas

Another said leave furniture in and let people see what it looked like with furniture in

I've recently been involved in selling an elderly relatives house that hasn't been updated in decades.
Wall paper was peeling off the walls, carpets are threadbare, kitchen was falling apart, the toilet was horrendous 🤢🤢, the curtains were falling apart, thick cobwebs in the corners (I was going to hoover them but the electric had been turned off)
Ive no idea how the EA would have photographed it in any sort of flattering way but as it was it was sold before any marketing, to the first people who viewed it!

That's hilarious, bet it stinks and all

Wouldn't put me off but then I'm happy to do work on a property.

The photos are just a bit messy.

I do know most people can't see past mess so any property I sell is staged to within an inch of its life.

Lol, it's messy. The fridge looks particularly dilapidated. Overall though you can totally visualise what it could be like when tidy/ empty. It's better to have photos than none. The poor folks living there might be working all hours, and the EA just insists on photos/viewings without enough notice to make it look perfect. They are probably tenants so have no incentive to make the place look particularly appealing. This would not put me off at all. It's lived in looking. It won't be when you get it.

I don't think there's anything there to put off buyers looking for a flat like that. It just needs a good clean.

Wouldn’t put me off at all.
looks like my sons student house 😂

I wouldn't expect a bargain price just because the current tenant isn't very tidy. Presumably it will be empty once sold - even the dodgy looking cooker. A bargain price would be if it needed rewiring, had no bathroom suite or was horribly damp.

They’re playing classic FM to create an ambience. Also, are the slippers included in the price!?

Well that's a shit pit, I recently had a thread about this but I don't know how to link it @Thundercloudsontheway .
If there are other tidier properties on the market for the same price I would definitely be looking at those rather than this one!!!

My only concern would be whether there was going to be an issue getting vacant possession.

Yes I'm not seeing the horror here. I viewed properties which were way worse than that when looking to buy (down the road in Reading).

In the "properties like this" section, there's a similar sized shiny new build for about 25k more. It might not sell at that price but it will sell at the right price. The current owner is likely to be hoping for more than they paid, 5 years ago, though. I'm always wary of properties with either internal or external photos missing but this has both so potential buyers have an idea what to expect.

Not as bad as this

www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/144456833

I reckon there's someone under the duvet in that bed! Probably just pulled it over their head when the estate agent came to take the photos.

It’s really not that bad. It’ll be prices accord to the state it’s in.

Also what do you expect the estate agent to do???? It’s up to the seller what star he chooses to sell it in.

It’s not that messy. In fact, the mess hides the horror of the actual kitchen.

It’s not that bad and it wouldn’t put me off buying it.

If you can get similar properties for the same price then they’re not going to get as much interest and may have to drop the price.

I agree. The mess wouldnt but me off but this would.

Jeez it's not that bad. I'm property searching right now and have seen properties listed for sale with photos showing there is literally a hole where the ceiling/ roof should be, no kitchen apart from a tap in the wall, and massive damp patches on the walls. I think I'd rather see it for how it is in the photos than turn up and see it all in the flesh.

@Octavia64 That is fine. Lol. You would factor in how much work you need but the fundamentals are there. My house looked like it had been burnt from the inside, everything was black and there was no plumbing or bathrooms and an abandoned grandfather clock factory in half my living room.
If you want something perfect maybe an issue, but for me you need to allow for making it better than it was.

To the people saying it wouldn’t put you off, that’s fair enough, but would you be willing to bid the same as a property that was freshly decorated and in walk in condition? I doubt it.

landlords just want to have their cake and eat it ie market it while a tenant is in place but this also would put off a lot of buyers.

I cannot see them being out of pocket by waiting until the property is empty, giving it a deep clean and a coat of paint. You’re going to get a few grand more for certain.