Is our estate agent useless or is it the flat?

[Mizydoscape]

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

It’s the price. Look at how much this one with a private and a private grassed garden went for
www.rightmove.co.uk/house-prices/detailMatching.html?prop=51389355&sale=9586951&country=england

It’s not much more at all but is a hugely more desirable property.

A top floor flat in your building sold for less than what you’re asking, in July 19. Given you are ground floor, maybe the asking price is a touch too high?

You mentioned it's shared ownership too, which means extra restrictions and processes to follow

nhlaw.co.uk/our-expertise/shared-ownership/selling-subletting-with-shared-ownership/

Have you explored the ESW1 issue? It is making flats pretty much unsellable at the moment.

Could you put some charity shop furniture in? Also some sort of curtains, net would be fine.

Or some garden furniture? A table covered in a cloth with a couple of chairs and another couple of chairs with cushions where a sofa would go.

You need to do something with the patio, I know you said it is small but a tall plant in a tub can make a huge difference.

Looking at the map you are near a hospital and a train station, depending on the type of hospital it might be worth advertising on the hospital notice board.

I think the listing should include the station which Wikipedia tells me has steam trains in the summer as well as the normal commuter service.

Are there stairs to the entrance and how wide are your doors? Finding accessible accommodation is like finding hens teeth.

The map looks like you are on a cul-de-sac, that should be included in the description.

I think I must secretly want to be an estate agent, here is my write up.

SUMMARY
Located in the 'Torre Marine' development is this well presented apartment positioned on the ground floor. The flat is within walking distance of primary and senior schools including both the boys' and girls' grammar schools. Also within walking distance are Chapel Hill woods and Torres station for regular trains to X and Y and in summer excursions by steam train to Z.

No onward chain.

DESCRIPTION
Located on a quiet cul-de-sac, in the 'Torre Marine' development is this well presented apartment positioned on the ground floor. The flat has three main rooms normally presented as two bedrooms and a living room but the layout of the flat allows for re purposing rooms to meet the buyer's needs.

The present owners have redecorated in neutral colours allowing the next owner to stamp their personality on the flat.

It is currently presented with 2 double bedrooms, lounge, kitchen and bathroom. Off Bedroom 1 are double doors leading out onto a private patio area.

Entrance Hall
Cupboard, intercom, laminate flooring, fuse box

Lounge 15' 1" x 12' 9" ( 4.60m x 3.89m )
Double glazed window to front and side, radiator, telephone point, TV point.

Kitchen 9' 8" x 6' 4" ( 2.95m x 1.93m )
Fitted kitchen with wall base cupboards, double glazed window to side, sink/drainer which is stainless steel, work surfaces, part tiling, built-in electric oven and gas hob, cooker-hood, space for both a washing machine and fridge/ freezer, central heating boiler enclosed by cupboard

Bedroom 1 11' 2" x 10' 5" ( 3.40m x 3.17m )
Double glazed patio doors onto private courtyard with an additional window to allow ventilation when the patio doors are closed.

Bedroom 2 10' 2" x 7' 1" ( 3.10m x 2.16m )
Double glazed window to side, radiator

Bathroom
WC, wash hand basin, Bath with shower over, part tiled, radiator, extractor, shaver point

Garage
Located to the rear of the building is a private garage but there is also ample on street parking for visitors.

I know nothing about selling property but as someone simply browsing I definitely would find it more attractive if there was some colour in each picture. Even just pictures on walls or kitchen accessories if you can't provide furnishings. I'd also need to see what lies behind the patio window, would a photo taken from the other side of the room reveal that? The whole ad feels passive to me, nothing to visually hook me in so that I want to have a closer look. It sounds from pp posts that this has a lot to offer but that's a pretty boring ad as it stands. Hope you find someone to market it better.

You def need a picture of the patio; on first viewing I assumed it was a cheeky way of describing the paved area in front of the garage.

Oh, and call it the popular Torre Maine development even if it isn't.

If you really can't put in some furniture, you could even try adding some indicators to the floorplan.

Something like floorplanner.com/ lets you put in your room dimensions with windows/doors etc and then add furniture. Even just putting in a sofa and chairs to give a sense of size of the living room, and a double bed in each of the bedrooms would add some scale.

Estate agents do sound rubbish. Did you approve the Rightmove description? The summary and description are exactly the same. Leasehold details haven't been put on yet.

Without furniture I think there's just too many photos. Only so many picture of brown carpet and white walls are needed!!

It would be better if the floor plan was in the photos too. Give some idea of what room is which.

www.totallymoney.com/mortgages/shared-ownership/

Can’t comment on price or location as am not au fait with local market. Approaching your listing from the PoV of someone who might be looking for that kind of property:

Pic 1: random ugly block of flats, no indication which flat I’m supposed to be looking at

Pic 2: cheap looking kitchen, clearly unoccupied, clearly massively overlooked given view from window is lots of other ugly flats

Pic 3 (assuming potential buyer has got this far): empty room, ugly carpet, view of cars

Pic 4 (extremely dwindling number of viewers by now other than MN rubberneckers): perhaps same deeply uncharacterful room with lots of carpet

Pic 5-7: is this all the same room? I’m not sure. It looks the same. Maybe a bit less of a view of other people’s cars.

Pic 8: average bathroom

Pic 9: two garages which look ideal spots for getting mugged at night. What relation do they have to the apartment I’m looking at? Are they next door? Should I be concerned about security?

Pic 10: a garishly carpeted jail cell?

Pic 11: same cell different angle

Pic 12: has cellt a bit bigger?

Pic 13 (by now only a masochist or a seriously aspirational buyer in terms of their personal credit history is still looking): a sink with a closed door. So much whiteness. No signs of life. Has someone died here?

Pic 14: a cheap looking corner of a kitchen, still no signs of life. View from window is very ugly external window cladding - is that someone else’s apartment? Overlooked again. Thank god it’s over. Please don’t make me live here.

Just to add: yes I sound harsh but there are ways of sorting all of this, at least in a visual sense. But you do have to make some kind of effort with the place. It’s not the kind of market where you can afford to be lazy, particularly when it comes to flats.

@SuzieCarmichael no offence taken here 😂😂 loved the descriptions.

@sleepyhead thank you for that! This is what I've put together this afternoon

I wouldn't want a ground floor flat with doors from a bedroom to the patio, I wouldn't feel comfortable sleeping in a room like that and I'd want the doors in the lounge not the bedroom.

@donnadenise I'm currently house hunting not in this area but I totally agree with you I wouldn't even consider a property with patio doors in the bedroom, it makes me feel unsafe

Think its both. I worked as a real estate agent in Sydney so a very different market. Even low price point properties are very dressed for sale.

From a real estate perspective its hard to sell a house empty. Its hard for people to imagine themselves in an empty home. You want people to have a positive emotional response.

Conversely, its hard to imagine the same when its too cluttered.

@eurochick we had the flat valued by a RICS surveyor. I would have expected them to bring that up if it was going to be an issue surely?

@Mizydoscape

Lenders are covering their arses and refusing to lend against flats of 3 or more storeys that don’t have an EWS1. It’s a new thing but worth reading up on.

If there are no viewings it is the price. Ha I g a window card won't make a difference if it is on Rightmove.

I think they're being a bit rubbish. We've just sold our flat, on the day the agent came to take pictures to put on rightmove they had someone come to look round who they'd actively called as they expressed interest in another 1 bed flat on their books. we accepted asking price offer the next day. Are they contacting people they know are looking or just hoping? They need to be proactive, as others have said flats are not selling well at the moment

It is the price. The market dictates.

I wouldn't want a ground floor flat with doors from a bedroom to the patio, I wouldn't feel comfortable sleeping in a room like that and I'd want the doors in the lounge not the bedroom.

Yes this will definitely put off buyers. I once rented a flat with patio doors in the bedroom. I moved out soon after I was awoken by someone trying the handle...