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Original poster

Is our estate agent useless or is it the flat?

84 replies

Mizydoscape · 07/09/2020 10:24

Flat has been on the market for 5 weeks now. We've had 2 viewings. That's it. We walked past the estate agent the other day and it's not in their window? We don't live in the town anymore and visit infrequently. Any advice on how to get more interest? We are tied on price as it's a shared equity flat and the valuation survey is the price it needs to sell close to but this was the top end of estate agents valuation.

We hear nothing from the agents if i don't call them. Are they being a bit crap? What questions can I ask them next time I call?

All new to us! Advert link below.

www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-72282246.html

OP posts:
Bells3032 · 07/09/2020 10:42

the do sound a bit crap but bear in mind flats are not selling well atm. With covid people are feeling like they need space and gardens

Timeforabiscuit · 07/09/2020 10:42

It doesn't have any details on the length of the leasehold, and most importantly, the service charge.

Who are you trying to sell too? Its empty, and looks like a landlord property? If selling to an owner occupier, unless it's rock bottom price there isn't anything that's a draw.

mummyh2016 · 07/09/2020 10:44

Can you put some furniture in? Looking at the pictures I can't establish which room is the lounge/bedroom etc.

Timeforabiscuit · 07/09/2020 10:46

Also, no pictures of patio or of the bathroom.

Original poster
Mizydoscape · 07/09/2020 10:48

Its empty as we did have it let out but now need to sell the flat and afterwards my property to buy one larger house. We don't have any spare furniture to put in. We decorated so it would be "ready to move into" so to speak.

It has a long time left on the lease. I believe in excess of 100 years. I dont have the service charge figures to hand but the agents have them.

OP posts:
Wrongdecider · 07/09/2020 10:49

You need new flooring in the kitchen and bathroom. Cheap as chips!

You need some lovely houseplants for the kitchen window.

You need temporary nice toilet seat and a nice shower curtain (Primark do them!)

If you can be arsed some nice grey curtains would add some homely feelings to the place.

Smile estate agents also sound crap!

LolaSmiles · 07/09/2020 10:51

After lockdown flats aren't selling well because people have realised the importance of having outdoor space.

It could help to have a photo of the patio/garden space as that might help

pickingdaisies · 07/09/2020 10:57

They don't sound like they're trying very hard, but it would be really hard from those photos for people to visualise. It's a series of photos of brown carpet. Can you get some furniture in, even if just for a new set of photos? It says you have a patio, so a photo of a couple of chairs out there, maybe a planter with some greenery. Can't really see the kitchen properly, because of that weirdly low camera angle, it just emphasises the gap where the washing machine isn't. There's nothing wrong with the flat though! (But it is a tough time to be selling flats)

ChicCroissant · 07/09/2020 11:09

It is a tough time to be selling a flat, and if you are not getting viewings then it's generally down to the price (but as mentioned, flats are tough at the moment).

Could they label the photos - rather than photo 1 etc on the bottom right, could they put the room name on there? Otherwise the rooms all look very similar tbh.

stairway · 07/09/2020 11:13

It seems like a nice flat actually. Bigger than average but I think you need to make it look more lived in. At the moment it looks like an empty office!

IslaMann · 07/09/2020 11:15

I can't tell which rooms are which I'm afraid. I wouldn't view based on these photos.

perfumeistooexpensive · 07/09/2020 11:16

Surely if it’s a shared equity flat, it should say so? It makes it far more tempting for people trying to get on the property ladder. Service charges are an important part of the budget when buying a flat, but no mention of the cost. There’s no way of working out which room is which. Presumably no onward chain. That’s a big selling point. The patio area seems to look onto parked cars. Can it be shielded from them?

stairway · 07/09/2020 11:17

I can also see the private patio area from the lounge but it doesn’t look very private. Would you be able to make that area more private?

Viviennemary · 07/09/2020 11:24

It's annoying it wasn't displayed in the window. Is it a holiday let. It's probably the wrong time to be selling a flat. Service charge is important. I would assume it's not shared equity unless it points that out. It's a very nice bright spacious flat

MissPinkCakeyBun · 07/09/2020 11:25

In virtually every picture showing a window I can see cars....this would make me feel the flat would be noisy and overlooked and that would put me off.
It just looks barren too, as other have said yes it's empty but it shouldn't look barren, have a look at how other empty flats have been staged

lastqueenofscotland · 07/09/2020 11:29

Selling flats is a massive issue due to to fire safety regs and most flats not having an ESW1.
Without this they will need a cash buyer.

Malin52 · 07/09/2020 11:30

As PP's have said I can't work our which room I'm looking at from what angle as they are all the same and look so..barren. Lack of furniture means I've no idea the size of the rooms and the first internal picture is of a big hole in the kitchen where some white ware isn't and what looks like a dirty floor? Also where is the 'private patio'?

Can you rent or borrow some staging furniture just for the pics? A bunch of flowers or a plant moved from room to room while the pics are taken would help too

VampireBill · 07/09/2020 11:31

The photographs are dire - make a fake bed out of anything - boxes, planks and buckets - and cover with bedding. Different colour for each room. Couple of freecycle armchairs covered with throws and cushions for the living room, and also corner of bedroom. Or just borrow some stuff from a neighbour - would a charity shop lend you some stuff for an afternoon?

MoveOnTheCards · 07/09/2020 11:31

I agree with PPs, it’s just walls and carpet at the moment so can you borrow/hire some furnishings to give it a bit of life?

And yes, you can glimpse the ‘private patio’ from the photos but it looks right next to parked cars. Can you get a new pic from the opposite direction?

Viviennemary · 07/09/2020 11:34

I read your opening post again and see it's shared equity. But I cant see this mentioned anywhere in the description. Sorry if I missed it. What's the percentage. And I think you really need to state the lease terms and the service charge. Otherwise how is a prospective buyer going to know of they can afford it or not.

ApolloandDaphne · 07/09/2020 11:35

The problem is that the photos are just really boring, just lots of brown carpet. You can't tell which room is which and without furniture it is hard to imagine what would fit in each room. E.g. can a double bed fit in the small room, is there room for wardrobes in the bedrooms, is there space for a table to eat at? I do think you might need to do some staging g to get viewers through the door. There are places you can rent furniture for this purpose I believe.

SoupDragon · 07/09/2020 11:38

I agree - with no furniture it is impossible to get a feel for the rooms. For example, I can't see how the second bedroom is a double (As described in the write up) as it looks tiny.

MobLife · 07/09/2020 11:43

Get the agent to put the dimensions on the actual floor plan for a start, along with the total sq ft

Hollyhocksarenotmessy · 07/09/2020 11:53

It says lease details being compiled, and that there will be an extra charge for a leasehold pack.

If it's a shared ownership property it really must have the details on the ad. What percentage, and how much is the rent and service charge a month?

At the moment it's a flare being sold for presumably half or so of the local going rate, with no explanation, so people are smelling a rat. Because if its shared ownership, why isn't it explained? People are probably assuming it's cheap because of a 15 year lease, or a terrible problem.

Persipan · 07/09/2020 12:04

I don't see anything about it being shared equity in the listing? Or is that just something that's relevant to you but won't be to the buyer?

Personally, I would have to really like a flat to bother viewing it without having an idea of the lease and service charge details. Those need to be on there.

I agree with others that you need to beg, borrow or steal some furniture to dress or for the photos. At the moment it's just a series of indistinguishable boxes and my brain goes fuzzy looking at them. There are lots of flats at that price point in the area, and being able to picture myself in them would make others more attractive. I agree that seeing the outside space is also important, and anything else the listing can make more of - like proximity to the station - would be a plus.

I appreciate you're constrained in this front, but I also think price is likely to be an issue. It really isn't that much more expensive in Torquay to be into the price bracket of houses, and if I were in the market to buy there at the moment, I'd probably be trying to stretch to get to that point, rather than go for a flat. So your property is up against that, as well as all the other flats at the same price point.