Please can someone tell me why my flat isn't selling?!

[Puffykins]

www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-84873916.html

Price-wise, it's appropriate - even cheap - for the area. I know that it hasn't got it's own garden, but there is a huge communal garden which, in central-ish London, I'd argue is better than a tiny garden.

Admittedly I don't like the estate agents pictures much. It's really light in real life, but they always seem obsessed with turning on all the lights.

Anyway, any tips would be hugely appreciated. Thank you!

You love books and pictures, it shows a lot... you have pictures leaning against beds!

Defo de clutter and get rid of some pictures. People need to see some space and can't see through all of that. It's a lot at once

I love it so much.
I have to agree, in that I wouldn’t buy it as it seems like there’s no space or storage.
How you view a house aesthetically and how you view one to buy are completely different.
It’s glorious. But it’s not in selling condition and like others have said, you’ll just have to suck it up and live like boring people for a bit.

Its a lovely flat, but as PP's have said so very cluttered, The other thing I can't ignore is the mish mash of patterns and colours it sort of hurts my eyes.
In my opinion you will have to repaint the bathroom and you really need to sort out the kitchen walls, to me the thought of possible "work" is worse than much of the clutter, when viewing.
The thing with all the clutter is viewers will wonder what it is hiding?

I love the clutter and the flat. It looks so colourful and cultured. It’s ace, homey and happy.

I’ve just done the virtual tour and it’s better than I thought. You need a photo of the hall and the stairs and upstairs landing. It’s really nice. You have lots of storage, but the fact that you have a lot of stuff out means it will get overlooked. It’s actually the sort of thing I’m looking for, but not for a couple of years.

I think it's nice! But get a kindle, get rid of all the books!

The clutter means it’s impossible to tell the true condition of the flat. I’d basically assume that it needs everything replacing. I would love to come and visit you as it’s such an interesting home but as a buyer I’m making a financial decision. I need to see that the bathroom is actually ok and will last another few years for example. A declutter and repaint would show me that.

Holy shit! 😂

@Yourpartjewishfriend

I think it's nice! But get a kindle, get rid of all the books!

The OP is a writer and researcher. The books and magazines are part of her trade. A kindle is inadequate for that.

Dulwich - but it's on rightmove - so unlikely a troll.

@Lemonsyellow if we still have it in a couple of years I'll totally sell it to you! Thank you!

@dulwichmum1234 truly not a troll. I'm not sure why anyone would troll selling their home?!

@Puffykins

There's 93 years left on the lease, leaseholder is Westminster Council (who I'm actually trying to sell it back to because there is a shortage of housing, for considerably less than it is listed at, but they're being SO SLOW even though there is a huge shortage of housing in the borough) there no major works in the pipeline (we've paid for new lifts and a new roof) and service charge is £1000 a year which includes buildings insurance and ground rent and all the cleaning and gardening (which is done to a very high standard.) And I'm not just saying this, but there genuinely is no anti-social behaviour on the estate.

It's only the garden which is Grade II listed - I've included it because it shows that it can't be built on.

I love your flat, but unfortunately in today's world it needs to be grey / boring neutrals, no clutter soulless and ideally look like no one lives in it 🤣

Also a word of warning re council buy backs! We waited 10 months on a promise from our council when they wanted to buy it back, was nothing but grief and we ended up selling on the open market as the council were completely incompetent.

Good luck and get de cluttering!

Lemonsyellow
It’s a communal garden, the same as going to a local park.

It’s so full of things!

I love the brutalist architecture but the interior is so jarring. It would be so much better with a mid century type style... but that’s costly to replicate. But you do have lots and lots of potential.

Strip it out significantly but keep some of your big books, some of the art and some of ornaments as you will be able to style it beautifully from what you have.

Personally, the red rug with the red wall/cabinet and the clutter is migration inducing. Take the books and pics off the floor. Pull up the rug. Place a nice small table there and add all the big glossy arty books. A candle or two.

Furniture in part is quite heavy and dark and antiquated in shape. It doesn’t go with the bones of the light and angular flat. Can you remove some of it?

I think it would look so much better with a more sparse feel.

Couple of plants and 40% less stuff.

Come back with new pics to share!!

Although I didn’t have as much stuff as you put on display when I moved, I had to remove a lot of stuff! It needs to look neutral to an extent and look like its ready to be someone else’s home.

You need to hide things and utilise all dead space. I absolutely filled up under the bed, every single cupboard and draw (I was shoving books in the cutlery draw!) My airing cupboard was bursting. I worried initially but then every house I looked at, on close inspection everyone had done the same! Full up all chests of drawers and wardrobes with the bits and bobs, towels can go under bedding while people look round just for that extra tidy look. Ultimately you want to show how much space there truly is and it doesn’t matter if the draws are bursting because they’re going with you!

Of course you don’t put everything away but you need to show how much space there is - so books on a book shelf, fine - books on top of other surfaces, no. Kitchen worktops ideally as clear as possible. Some pictures on wall, yes. Walls totally covered, no. And ideally a few holes filled in. I love throws and cushions but even these make a room busy so I had throws hiding under my duvet and bought a basket for excess cushions. A couple of things on window sill is ok. You just need to make it more minimalistic.
I don’t think the exterior photo helps much. It will give people a prejudgment, even though I know many lovely flats are hidden in those old style concrete buildings.

It is hard, I hated having to have my old flat ready for viewing! Having to clean it every single morning in case of last minute visitors and remembering where I had put things - but remember once it’s sold you can put things back while you wait to move. It’s temporary to get people in and interested.

I love the bathroom.

@narcdad45 thank you for the warning. They've said that they want it but don't answer emails. It's so irritating because i genuinely feel that returning it to social housing stock would be the morally correct thing to do, but.... the only reason I have it is because the council failed to get their papers in order in time 10 years ago, when it had been repossessed by the bank who wanted a super quick sale.

But I'm not relying on the council. Hence also having it on the market.

The books and pictures everywhere, too personal and too many.

Amazing view but the balcony is horrific likewise the picture of the outside of the building, pretty it is not.
Get rid of both photos as they do not enhance your listing at all, if anything they put people off even looking at the rest of the advert.

De personalise, de clutter, box up and store books, clear everything you can away for pictures, even if you box and just remove from the room temporarily for the photos and put back, just leave basic things like towel in bath room on rail, kettle and drinks canisters in kitchen but remove anything else that distracts the eye and contributes to the busyness.

Remove the bookshelf from the kitchen as it makes it look smaller.
Remove deer head and goats(?) heads from living area
Box up and store the mountains of books in your bedroom
Bathroom,/ paint over jungle and remove anything that doesn’t belong incl books, replace that area with rolled up towels, clear everything behind the sink

All superficial and personal to your family, but many wont be able to see past it all

How is a communal garden the same as going to the local park? I lived in a flat with a communal garden. It’s secure and only the residents can go in. They’re often not very well used, so you can often have it to yourself.

I think you look like interesting folk and I'd like to meet you!

Gasping at the price as a Cumbrian though.

I wonder too whether everyone isn't looking to move out of London with covid and permanent wfh. My sister thinks she can move back up here home and go down once a week.

She can sell her tiny little flat in Crystal Palace and get herself a detached cottage here.

I love it, it looks so interesting.

As pp have said 90% of books/pictures/magazines have to go into storage.

All windowsill clutter has to go, have a couple (at most) pot plants.

Kitchen bookcase should come out. Re-tile, it doesn't cost that much, box in whatever that pipe is coming out of your worktop. Clear out everything above the bookcase.

Living room, one rug, get rid of the other two, it looks like a trip hazard as they don't lie flat. Iron your tablecloth, I realise it may be part of the style but it just looks messy. The deer head has to go, it would put off a lot of people.

Bathroom I like it but many wouldn't. The doorframe is unfinished, people notice these little things. Clear away all your toiletries around the sink and bath and give it all a good clean, you can see the marks from the toothbrushes on the counter. All you should have out is soap/hand wash next to the sink. Get rid of the towels behind the door.

Both bedrooms look really nice and would look great without all the clutter and books.

I really like the hallway and it is the right place for art.

If I were you I would take it off the market, have a good clear out, fill all the picture holes and paint it so it is fresh and give everything a good clean.

Get the estate agent round to take more pictures. Get them to send them to you first and pick which ones you want.

I hope you have a dedicated Library in your new house.

Good luck

I think it's lovely and there are a lot of fucking rude people on here! No doubt unsophisticated provincial Mrs Hinch followers with dull neutral homes and no books. And I love the Rousseau mural in the bathroom - take that panel with you! BUT the flat is so colourful and personal that it must be hard for potential buyers to imagine themselves living there. So I guess you might need to depersonalise it if you want to sell.

I really find it strange that so many people can't see past other people's clutter/decoration when they aren't buying those things, especially as the first thing so many people do is go and redecorate the whole place anyway, changing kitchen and bathroom. At least that's what I see so often, someone moves in and next thing there is an old toilet and kitchen worktop sitting on the curb and new tiles and things delivered and piled up outside.