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

Agreed! And “refurbishment” seems to have been downgraded to mean “needs redecoration”. Not “plaster is coming off, there’s no kitchen or bathroom, and the bedroom ceiling has come down”.

Kitchen’s not bad. Needs new oven and cooker hood. Complete replacement is an aesthetic choice not a necessity.

I have seen one house advertised without a single indoor picture. On can only imagine!

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.

of course not, but I would assume that a property requiring decoration is priced accordingly. You'd be paying more for "freshly decorated and in walk in condition".

Very few places are freshly decorated and walk in condition. Once the pictures and furniture and that chopping board over the burnt bit of kitchen worktop have been removed there's always some work that needs doing. Unless a place is genuinely fully refurbished, it is often better to go in knowing that work needs doing.

Classic fm on the tv really adds class

I particularly like the way they've added one of those 360 degree things so you can get the full effect, see whats on the carpet for example ....! Its not ok, its fucking appalling.

The most surprising thing is how many cleaning products there are in the bathroom.

It's not that agent doesn't care. They can't go and clean people's flat. I agree with some pps. Landlord probably isn't the greatest and tenants are therefore not giving a shit. Saw similar pics few times before. Even worse.
Good warning to potential buyer that tenamt might not want to leave before completion or that the seller might be twat

When my landlord was selling I told them to use old pica because no way in hell are they putting up my personal belongings

It does say for refurbishment though. Some people want a do-er upper.

Presumably all the tenant/owner's crap will be gone and then it's a shell to do up.

I've bought worse.

Literally nothing wrong with it, ugly building but it’s just a lived in flat. I’ve bought much much worse many times😂😂😂

There's nothing really wrong with it. The kitchen could do with modernising, and more immediately it probably needs a new oven. But the rest is just the general living of the current occupiers.

I bet it's rented currently, by someone who is over-stretched and not keen to move. Perhaps can't afford somewhere bigger, based on the fold-up bed in the living room.

I know Thatcham well - I used to work there. It's a popular area. Someone will snap it up, no problem.

Most people tidy up for a house sale, but I wouldn't expect tennants to. You are buying the (hopefully) empty property, not all the crap in it!

I've seen people list their home before on MN and people saying they'd have to refurb a (slightly dated but functional and useable looking) kitchen before they moved in! Some buyers are looking for a project anyway.

And the house that went viral recently for very OTT decor looked clean and tidy under all the frills and fancy furnishings....but people still ridiculed it! 🙄

https://www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/85875126#/?channel=RES_BUY

This looks a better buy.

Agree.

But it's cheaper because it's leasehold, with only 60 years left on the lease, and there's quite an expensive yearly ground rent to pay.

It looks like a flat above a shop as well which might be priced differently to a purpose built block

The 3D tour isn't really selling it at all.
Neither is the outdoor bin shots.

I worked for an estate agent back in the last century before tinternet.
Trust me there were far worse houses than this. And they sold.

Yikes if this is 'not presented'

How do people live like this. I don't even think my dc student flats were this bad. In fact I know they weren't

It looks fine. I was expecting something more like this
https://www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/144555146?utm_campaign=property-details&utm_content=buying&utm_medium=sharing&utm_source=copytoclipboard#/&channel=RES_BUY

But they put on classic FM to add a touch of class.

I want to know how they cook in the kitchen, literally zero worktop space.