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Original poster

please, please, please help me sell my flat!

46 replies

sweetkitty · 05/05/2005 20:42

Our flat has been on the market since August we had about 18 viewers, one offer as you may know the useledd t pulled out at the last minute leaving us well and truly s***, we were supposed to be buying a house in Scotland but we have also had to pull out (very difficult in Scotland and we are having to pay compensation) anyway DP has now moved up and DD and I are down here until the end of the month when we are all moving into a rented 1 bed flat. But every month that goes past we are losing money and are going to have to start putting bills and stuff on the credit cards

Anyway I wanted to ask wise mumsnetters their opinion. Our flat is in SE London, not a fashionable part more like up and coming although it is attracting (how can I put this) a lot of immigrants at present. It's 2 bed was built 4 years ago and is practically on the banks of the Thames, you can see canary wharf and the gherkin from my living room. Asking price has now been dropped to 150K, this is a bargain for London I think. There are 4 other flats of the development also for sale, 2 at 160K, 1 at 158 and 1 at 152. They all have smaller living rooms than ours but thats about it.

We've moved to a new estate agent and were told they are going in about 4 weeks (I know pinch of salt) but they haven't even sent around one viewer in 3 weeks.

I am at my wits end I know I can't force people to come and view it nevermind buy it but I don't know what else to do??

OP posts:
Spacecadet · 05/05/2005 20:45

do you know how well it is being marketed? sweetkitty? if that doesnt sound daft, your estate agent should earn their money, do they contact you regularly, give you selling hints etc?, does it go in paper, is it on internet etc?

bubblerock · 05/05/2005 20:51

Have you put it online? We put ours on this site
homesonsale
as it was free and we also put it on Ebay (about £30 I think) We weren't expecting to sell it on either of these sites but thought it couldn't do any harm - we had hundreds view our house on both sites and we could put some great pictures on using our digi cam. You never know, just get it advertised anywhere and everywhere!

Good luck

anchovies · 05/05/2005 20:52

I agree it may be down to the estate agent. Have you tried ringing as a prospective buyer? Perhaps get a friend to request the details? I did this and was shocked that on the 3 occasions I rang "there was nothing available in that area" and when my mum rang for the details (twice) she never recieved them. What about more than one estate agent? When we tried this and the stakes were a bit higher they improved massively. How often are you in contact with the agent? I found constant hassle got me more viewings as well.

littlerach · 05/05/2005 20:54

On channael 4's website they are looking for people in yout position to go on a new show, like Selling Houses, try that!?

Original poster
sweetkitty · 05/05/2005 20:57

thanks I know I sound so desperate but I am!!

Spacecadet - it's on the agents site and the local free papers etc they are a reputable company for the area

bubble rock - thanks i will have a look

littlerach - i thought of that as well I think Phil and Kirsty were doing it but we are going to be moving end of this month and the flat will be vacant I have also tried every house doctoring trick as well

OP posts:
Gobbledigook · 05/05/2005 21:01

I don't know what it's like in London SK, but round here (S/Mcr -cheshire) it's sooooo slow it's not true. OUr house has been on since last July and despite lots of viewers, no offers at all.

It has everything going for it and the only thing anyone could complain about is the kitchen (that we have control over anyway, it's on a busy-ish road but we can do nowt about that!) so now we are having a new kitchen put in. THe bathroom was new last year - white, plain, cream walls, separate shower cubicle. So if kitchens adn bathrooms sell houses we should see some offers in the summer (please God). What are you bathroom and kitchen like? Could you spruce them up?

Gobbledigook · 05/05/2005 21:01

Can you post a link to it so we can see what it's like?

Do you need to 'declutter'!?

snafu · 05/05/2005 21:02

sweetkitty - where is it exactly? I'd buy a 2 bed in S Lon for 150K...

Flossam · 05/05/2005 21:04

SK, I'm only posting this link because we are moving out tomorrow, and will be in all day. But these are the details for our (rented) flat. I wasn't very happy with the details being put on the net, so can't see the harm in you seeing them!! What I'm trying to say is your flat sounds undervalued. What borough is it if you don't mind me asking? As you can see we don't live in a wonderful area! He has only just lowered the price by £5,000, and only had one viewer. But I can't believe a flat more central, and lets face it most places are better than Barking, can be that much less in value. Oh and sorry about the mess in the bathroom, I did not know photos were being taken

Gobbledigook · 05/05/2005 21:06

That's lovely Flossam!!

Gobbledigook · 05/05/2005 21:08

Flossam - the only thing I'd say about yours (and not that it would bother me but just thinking..) is that if you could, take the shelf unit out of the kitchen and hide pans somewhere else as it looks like you've not enough kitchen cupboards. Also just declutter the bathroom a bit - could you do without the laundry basket? Just shove the dirty clothes in the bottom of a wardrobe while you try to sell. I'd try to have nothing out in the bathroom except a few nice looking toiletries and that's it.

Flossam · 05/05/2005 21:09

It is a lovely flat and we're really sad to leave. No problems with the neighbours and the flat is huge! Double beds in both rooms and loads of furniture as well as 1 DS and still room to swing a cat!! But still not worth the asking price imo.

Flossam · 05/05/2005 21:11

GG, its a rented flat. It's all going to be gone tomorrow so it will be very well decluttered for any perspective viewers after tomorrow! Thanks for the advice though (the reason my saucepans are out is cause they were expensive ones and are nice and shiney!! ).

Original poster
sweetkitty · 05/05/2005 21:17

bathroom and kitchen were brand new when we moved in so are fairly modern and well kept, all the flat was painted last year all neutral and clean, I have decluttered so much and bought some new things to tart it up

Only thing I can think of is the carpets are a bit past it, they look ok after a good dyson though.

Other thing is we have 3 cats and I think this has put quite a few people off, they spend more time commenting on the cats and DD than looking at the flat! As I've said we will all be gone by end of May and flat will be empty don't know if this will help it sell or not?

It's in Thamesmead will try and post a link!

OP posts:
Gobbledigook · 05/05/2005 21:18

Oh right Flossam - yes, your pans do look lovely

Gobbledigook · 05/05/2005 21:19

Hmm, doesnt' sound like there's anything to do SK except sit it out - is it slow generally in your area? It is very slow here even though it's a very desirable area to live in - I'm at a loss really as to what else we can do after the kitchen

Original poster
sweetkitty · 05/05/2005 21:21

our flat

OP posts:
Gobbledigook · 05/05/2005 21:22

Looks like a nice block of flats - no internal photos though?

Original poster
sweetkitty · 05/05/2005 21:22

this was with the agent we have left they have taken off the internal pics though

just saw one that isn't as nice as ours on their site for 155 and it's sold!!!!

OP posts:
Flossam · 05/05/2005 21:24

SK, I don't know much about thamesmead. Is it a train rather than a tube? Does that put people off? I thought places generally went better when they looked like a home - isn't that why property devlopers always bother to 'dress' the house? Sorry!

Flossam · 05/05/2005 21:26

Well, I'd like to live there!! I do think things are slowing down a lot now, we did consider buying, but I'm really unsure about it all. It has to go soon, SK. Trying to think if I know of any good estate agents down there...

Original poster
sweetkitty · 05/05/2005 21:29

thats one of the problems with SE London no tube, they are building the Thames gateway bridge soon though and there is huge investment in the area

I understand about the dressed house thing but I think it's the best of 2 evils, showing people round with the cats (they are indoor) and DD is difficult or undressed and empty.

They were selling really well 2 years ago mainly to investors, we are the only owner occupiers in the block now.

OP posts:
Original poster
sweetkitty · 05/05/2005 21:30

forgot to add journey to London by public transport: bus 20 mins to Abbey Wood station (or 5 mins by car but parking fees at station) 25 mins to London Bridge

OP posts:
marz · 05/05/2005 21:32

May I hijack this thread a minute....where do you find property on ebay? I have put in so many searches and can't find any....is it a different site?

Flossam · 05/05/2005 21:34

SK, have a look here . Yours seems to be by far the cheapest around. Your agent seems to have properties on here and yet not yours as far as I can tell? Why not? It is a popular site and may help sell it IMO. Looking through the previous pages there should also help you to see how else seems to be selling in your area. I really hope thats some help SK. x

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