So frustrated, can't sell 1 bed flat we're living in with our baby!!!

[MadameG]

I both need to vent and need some advice.

Me and hubby own a 1 bed flat in a nice London suburb (no mortgage) and we had it on the market when I was about 3 months pg, but the agent messed us about awfully (KFH- avoid like the plague) and the pregnancy became quite rough so we took it off the market with the intention of putting it back on as soon as the baby arrived.

As it turned out, the birth was awful and complications meant I was laying in agony for weeks afterwards. The flat went on the market as early as poss (Jan) and we have had our offer accepted on a lovely place we want to move to, but because we haven't sold this place yet it is still on the market and we are stuck here.

We've had well over 20 viewings, and the first 15 or so all dismissed it immediately for being 'too small'. I then noticed that the agent had made a bodge on the dimensions, making it seem like our living room is 5 foot longer than it really is. I complained and they changed it but then said we'd get less viewings as a result, so I reckon they did it on purpose. I voiced my annoyance and frustration to them about people's negative feedback about the flat, and since then every time they ring with feedback it's suddenly become all positive, such as 'they liked it and will keep it in mind' or 'they loved it but found something better suited to them' which makes me suspicious that it might all be bollox as they're worried we'll change agents.

We are struggling here with our ds, its very cramped and I am very worried that we'll lose our place we want to move to. It's doing my head in.

Does anyone have any suggestions about what we could do? Would you change agents? Is it supposedly a crap market at the moment anyway?

Yes I would change agents. It sounds like they are not marketing it properly or targetting the right people

I feel your pain. We sold (or are selling, hope it goes through!) through KFH and they are bulls* agents. My experience of them is they get ANYONE on their books to view the property. We had lots of viewings and a lot of feedback along the lines of 'love the house but too far from station'. WTF? There's a map on the listing! Felt very much the agents pushed people into coming to see by saying it is a 'cracking property' and 'see what you can get for your money if you go further out'... Not convinced by their method. We did go under offer in the end but it was painful.

Sounds to be like you are targeting the first time buyer (same as us, we live in a 2-bedroom house and have 2 young DSs so cramp is the word!). The market for FTBs is a bit rubbish, our friends in the same area went under offer but it fell through and they are now struggling despite the 'spring surge' and we are selling to a retired vicar. Have you thought about dropping the price? If you have no mortgage, is that something you can consider?

Also, are you relying on the sale of the place to fund your move? Would you consider renting it out? We did change agents after the sole agency agreement ended, but going with another agent didn't really help us, I'm afraid. Most people use the internet nowadays and going multi-agency doesn't really help in that sense?

I would suggest that you seriously declutter but everything you can into storage, buy smaller furniture if need be. If you can afford it moving out into rented for a while may well be worth it.

Can you link to the property - does is need house doctoring, competion is stiff.

We also took an offer 10% below asking price (which doesn't sound too bad but in actual fact, we took a loss on the place as we bought at peak of the market) but we were prepared to do that or lose the place we really wanted and we could make it work financially... So if people are complaining the place is too small, maybe dropping the price is the way to go?

Angel- yeah I feel that they are sending everybody possible round here too. Every time someone has said about the size of it or the location etc I feel cross because as you say, its right there on the listing! So I think they're trying to look good to us by sending anyone round but its just a waste of everybody's time.

We've dropped the price by 5k already. We can afford to accept 167k upwards for it but thats where it stops. Its on for 175 at the mo. The place we want to buy is 245, and we do need the cash from this flat for it, plus we're sticking a chunk out of savings on top, and will have small mortgage of about 40k. I do wonder if we're still overpriced. The same agent is selling a 2 bed place in our building for 277 and there is no way ON EARTH its worth that much.

We did consider renting it out, but hubby is the sole earner and we couldn't get a big enough mortgage for the new place.

I am so fed up of it all that I just want to burn the flat down and collect the insurance! Haha.

link so we can have a look. You may need to drop the price, painful but everything will sell at the right price. Could you really not afford a bigger mortgage than £40.

Bamboo- we probably could afford slightly more than 40k, we just wanted to avoid too much financial stress as hubby is freelance journalist and his wages change from month to month.

MadameG Sympathies, honestly! I know that's what they are doing from comments from people who come round and also they were trying to get us to view ANY properties as well. They keep calling and I was like 'eh, we want a property that doesn't need work...' when they try to send us to see a do-er upper or in completely wrong location (we were very specific as we compromised once on location and not doing that again!).

You can't afford to up the amount of mortgage either? Have you seen a mortgage broker? Not trying to sound flippant about getting a bigger mortgage but £40k mortgage is nothing, we are getting a mortgage 10X that! It's not a boast, trust me, I feel nervous getting into that sort of debt but my DH is fortunately on a good income and we are putting down 25% deposit so we aren't over-stretching ourselves financially. I do appreciate everyone is in different position though...

If you want to move on (and it sounds like you do desperately!), you might just have to take a hit on your current property financially but bearing in mind that the property you are buying would have come down in price too. If you wait for the price of your property to go up, then subsequently, the one you want to buy will do so too. Also, we realised that good properties (with good transport links and good state schools) don't really drop that much in price even in current market and that was the mistake we made buying our current place (we compromised on location thinking 'everyone commutes' but didn't realise how hard it would be with two young DSs!)... We were on the market for 5 months and I know it doesn't sound like long and we got one serious offer (how depressing), it was either take it or stay even longer on market with a falling market. Not easy is it? :(

I am no expert others on MN are far better than me.

Is it always that tidy when you have a viewing?
The lounge looks soul less
The fold away table and chairs just look a bit yuck - sort of shouts that the flat is too small.
I would consider buying a smaller sofa - as in smaller arms, shallower etc still a 3 seater but would have smaller dimensions.
Not sure what the chest of drawers are doing in the lounge.
Lounge layout emphasises that it's long and narrow.
I would buy a small dining table for 2 and 2 chairs
You need to make more of the balcony. Could you get a 2 seater bistro set out there and some flowers in pots - it would detract from overlooking the garage too.

Sorry that's all a bit harsh.

Angel- I'd have to talk to hubby about what other level of mortgage we could do. Thing is (understandably) he's been living mortgage free forever so he is reluctant to take on too much, especially when his work could dry up tomorrow. I doubt it would but you never know. He is a lot more laidback than me so he's just waiting for a decent enough offer, but I'm in utter misery in this tiny place and can't wait to escape.

It's harder also because 2 bed decent places round here with a little outdoor space are pricey and good ones are rare. Plus we need to be very near a station as hubby often gets home at midnight or 1am off the train. Pff.

CarGirl- yes that was harsh, thanks very much. Tidy- yes. Soulless- its tiny and with that in mind, how much life can we inject? Table and chairs are gone a while back. Smaller sofa- thats all very well but what do we do with the one we've got which is fairly new? Chest of drawers- its not, its a bookcase. Balcony- yeah we were going to get table and chairs this week.

Agree with cargirl. Not sure I woud bother at all with dining table or chairs just get rid. Maybe get rid of the other chest in the bedroom too, the one with the tv on.

I would start a new thread this evening and asking for peoples help to improve it.

I suppose I look at it and think it needs a new kitchen and bathroom - does the price really reflect that.

It's not going to bother your dh living there because it sounds like he's hardly ever in it?????????

Have you been through your finances properly to work out what the minimum is you could survive on in a month to pay a mortgage? Are you managing to save at the moment or are you spending a lot of money on "stuff" that you could save instead?

I thought you said it was with KFH? I hope I haven't been slagging off the wrong agents to you! Ha ha.

Unfortunately, the longer you stay on the market, the more you come round to the idea of a price drop... My DH and I were adamant in the beginning not to take an offer lower than what we paid for it. In the end, we had to take a £13k loss but what could we do? It's that or stay on the market and the longer you stay on the market, the harder it gets to sell. I wish our agent had priced it more suitably in the first place - they actually put it on for £50k more than what we eventually sold for . We knew it would be tricky as it would take it over the stamp duty threshold but they insisted on trying to sell it on that price first and I think if we didn't listen, we wouldn't have stayed that long in a falling market. Lesson learned!

The photos show the flat looking a bit bland and the photos aren't great. The only decent shot is the one of the whole building! I think you might need to add some splash of colour. You need to show the viewers what it feels like to live there and it looks like a rental. Hope it doesn't offend, just helping with some constructive criticism!

P.S. You are right by me, want to meet up sometime? We are now in Shooters Hill!

I think you do need a discussion with your husband, mortgage free is all very well but not if it is in a mousehole. £40k mortgage is tiny, you wouldn't rent a room in a student house for that.

Some sort of large picture in the lounge. Get a new photo without the table & chairs in.

You could put the sofa in to storage.

Why is the blind shut on the small window - or is that through to the kitchen.

Completely clear the kitchen worktop - stove top kettle and get something in there with a bit of colour - towels to match the blue in the floor.

Is anything else doable in the kitchen.

You could do with some others casting their eyes over it and coming up with some simple ways to give it some visual umph.

CarGirl- dh only works that late twice a week, and seriously, whats with your attitude????????????????????????? No, we're not spending random money on 'stuff'.

Bamboo- that chest of drawers is crucial, it has tons of baby stuff and our clothes in it. Nowhere for that stuff to go, literally.

Angel- we were on with KFH this time last year, this time its a different agent. I thought the photos were poor too actually. They made us move loads of cushions and stuff that made it look more 'lived in' and as a result it looks empty. Ooh you are near! Yeah we should meet up!!

To be blunt, you could do loads to make it more attractive to single, child free buyers or even couples sans kids. Even more so if you moved out into rented and put in minimal furniture that looked the part but wouldn't be functional for you having to live there.

Get a different photographer as well as agent.

It looks really nice but you need more flowers in the patio area in pretty pots along with a plant in the living room.

CarGirl- there is a large picture in the lounge, its by the bookcase. Blind is shut otherwise guy in next flat can see us. I can move a few bits out the kitchen.

Hobbgoblin- as I said before, we cannot afford to move into rented, the rent alone would eat all of our income, without bills etc. Renting round here is brutal.

I think this apartment is beautifully presented and it's mostly white walls etc. But it uses lovely muted splashes of colours from cushions, rugs, pictures etc to make it look like a showhome. Maybe a trip to TK Maxx? You can pick up some lovely stuff there on the cheap and you can take it with you when you move!

Yes, and flowers! And potted plants! :)

Sorry I was trying to help - I thought you wanted to sell it!!! I think the flat looks absolutely fine as someones home but as a potential buyer I'm sure there is plenty of 1 bed flats out there that have a "wow" factor - it's a buyers market.

If your dh is worried about taking on a bigger mortgage then surely the starting point is working out how much money you need each month as a minimum to survive on and when he's earning well that's a bonus. If you are currently saving £800 a month then that's £100k mortgage on a 30 year term or there abouts.

I don't think it's too bad.

The bedroom looks nice, just a bit more character in the lounge maybe? I second pictures, maybe a nice rug?

I can understand you don't want to redo the kitchen and bathroom, I think I'd replace the kitchen floor though, and possibly the door handles in the kitchen (can't quite see what they're like).

Is that a changing mat next to the fridge? That needs to be hidden somewhere else if it is.