Please give your opinions on why we have not had any viewings on our flat? Listing included

[househelp2025]

Hi there,

We are trying to sell our flat and have not had a single viewing. I know that this is typically either due to the price a property is listed at or something to do with the way it has been marketed.

I would be enormously grateful for any feedback on the listing and what (if anything) might deter you from booking a viewing?

It is a long lease - just shy of 999 years, and has a designated parking space in a private secure car park under the flat.

Is it the photos? Is the price too high? Something else?

Thanks in advance!

Flat listing

For me personally it’s a combination of price and location. The outlook and overlook of the balcony would really put me off too. Sorry!

For me it’s the 2 bathrooms with no windows, and nowhere to eat really, but not much you can do about those issues. It’s probably either price, or the right buyer hasn’t found you yet.

The price!!!!

I don't see anything glaringly wrong with the pictures, it looks like a nice flat. On street view I can see an advert for Bellway, was it built by Bellway? Unfortunately they are often referred to as Hellway so that would make me pause.

Like, 2 bathrooms for a 2 bed, but nowhere to eat? Where is that guest who needs to use the second bathroom going to get fed? Doesn’t make sense to me. Likewise, family with 1 or 2 kids but a 2-person tiny table.

Thanks for the responses so far - this is helpful. Re the price - this is in line with other two bedroom two bathroom flats in the area without parking, and ours does have parking, which is why it was listed at this price. We are 2 minutes walk from the station which is a 35 minute commute into London Liverpool Street, and about a 7 minute walk from the city centre.

We will have a deeper think about the price though.

Sorry - its far too expensive for what it is and the view isnt great. Sorry OP. Good luck.

It looks very dark and gloomy to me. Also the price, although I don’t know your local market to be fair. I hate when people put offers in excess of though.

There's no green space in sight in the photos, and the service charge is really chunky. That's why I wouldn't view it, but at the end of the day if the price is right then people will view.

Also the two pictures of the balcony are really off-putting. With that view it isn't the best selling point and having two pictures of it instead of one and so early in the photos just makes me think 'drab flat'. Also another 2 bed 2 bath is up in the same building for 10k less.

On top of all that, a lot of people really, really don't like "offers over x" and swipe left on that immediately.

sell it properly
Wouldn’t necessarily appeal to families but it’s near a train station into Liverpool Street so great for those commuting into the city / gym on site so ideal for time poor people who want amenities onsite
is it a 24 hour concierge? If so that’s a perk
it says luxury living but doesn’t look or feel luxurious with a balcony overlooking a car park
so find the positives and push on them

The bedrooms are very small and some parts of it look dark. I live up north so I'm not used to SE prices, but it seems really expensive for a flat. Is it a posh area or something? Good schools etc.?

I would worry about the service charge for a flat with a gym and concierge and I can’t see this info on the listing so I would probably carry on scrolling.

The main room looks small,

other than that a quick search on Rightmove shows literally over a hundred properties in Chelmsford on for about the 350 mark that have two bedrooms, some of which are houses with gardens.

I suspect you are not standing out.
looking at the prices, in general the closer to the city centre the more expensive.

It’s very beige boxy and the on site gym is only going to appeal to younger buyers who may not have a budget of £325,000. I also dislike windowless bathrooms so would rule it out based on that and I agree the outlook from the balcony isn’t very appealing. It looks quite ‘down’ in general, by that I mean the building design, outlook, beige, etc it doesn’t scream ‘vibrant lifestyle’ despite the gym and slogan in the ‘young’ font. So older buyers will be put off by it looking like it’s aimed at younger buyers and younger buyers either don’t have the money are are going to pick somewhere where the vibrant lifestyle is better sold.

It looks nice, no idea if the price is OK, but with service charge companies imposing huge rice rises, maybe that's offputting.

Nothing about a service charge? Which I assume is probably pretty high. Also, no sq footage included, just says ask agent which to me means the agent is lazy

The price is difficult for general mumsnetters to consider. I live in a house with huge front and back gardens, more bedrooms, a garage and a beautiful rural view whilst being very close to a major city centre. It would sell for roughly the same a your tiny flat. So to me, it is absolutely ridiculous pricing but for the area, it may well be appropriate.

My two thoughts on it are the view is awful and the bedrooms both look really narrow. Probably not much you can do about either.

The annual service charge would put me off - but TBF i have no idea what is expected costs these days. I would worry that those fees would constantly be increasing and you have no control over that.
I had a quick look on right move and most of the comparable flats were actually for the over 55 or over 60 age range so i couldn't find a direct comparison to yours. (didn't look too hard TBH)
I think flats are generally taking longer to sell at the moment.

The service charge is noted in the listing, but perhaps not easy enough to find. It is £2371 per annum

I live in this area, OP. It's the price. the service charge is so high.

It's a decently decorated flat and has close links to trainlines but there are several things that stand out.

1. The poor outside space. You have a balcony but it's overlooking a giant car park. Also with the way all those apartment buildings are set up so close together it looks like a 1960s holiday camp / Soviet prison.

2. No windows in any of the bathrooms.

3. It's says there's residents parking, a Concierge and gym but nowhere does it tell you what the annual service charge is! That would put me off straight away.

Price, is your flat massively different to the 2 that sold last year for under £300k? Balcony is small and looks over the street/car park. Bedroom’s also look very narrow. Pictures and styling look good.

The price and the view, the view wouldn’t bother me that much if the price was right.

For you to not be getting even viewings, I'd assume it's either photos or price tbh.

The photos are fine, except the balcony ones imo.

I don't know Chelmsford, but at 325 you seem to be competing with new build flats on Rightmove, so unless the area is exceptional, I'd wonder whether the price is a bit high