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!

@Puffykins, do you have a specific house in mind to buy?

It's lovely and I love the decor- but it's too cluttered and not to everyone's taste.
Clear walls, stacks of stuff on units and window sills, have lots of floor room.
Good luck!

@ConquestEmpireHungerPlague we did - on Wellington Road - but it has since sold and I don't want to look at any more until this flat is under offer. Otherwise it's just a bit dispiriting!

No-one is criticising the OP for the way she lives, or has her home BUT this is going to be someone else's home and they need to be able to visualise how their way of living will work in the property.

Yes people have been criticising OP for the way she lives and brings up her children.

Secondly it is really not a fact or a given then neutral decor helps people visualise how they will live in a place. There really is no such thing as neutral decor. When I look at what most people describe as neutral I think 'oh ok, 2015, provincial new build' and it puts me off. Actively.

Looking at OPs flat I think 'someone with a good eye lives here. Someone who is maybe creative' and that makes me think that other people like her might live in that area and that makes me actively like it! And guess what, everybody in the whole world does this when they look at houses, or clothes or anything! There is no such thing as neutral.

Many people who can afford to buy flats like this will like the aesthetics. If you don't live like that you might find it hard to believe but it's true.

@steppemum when i bought last year, i was buying with the intention that I wouldn't be painting or doing anything to the property, but just moving. Still bought a flat with a horrible electric fireplace as I could live with it until we replaced it with a cast iron fireplace that we want. I wanted somewhere we could live well in for 5 years before doing it up.

Also surely you can't tell what would fit in a room unless you use a measuring tape. I mean, everyone has different size dining tables/desk/sofas so you can't really tell unless you measure it up. So if a bedroom has the hugest king size bed and little else, that doesn't mean it can't fit a single bed and desk and small cupboard., and could therefore work.

That's good in a way. Feeling that it absolutely must sell soon or you'll lose your purchase is a really stressful situation to be in - as you presumably know!

[quote hopingforonlychild]@steppemum when i bought last year, i was buying with the intention that I wouldn't be painting or doing anything to the property, but just moving. Still bought a flat with a horrible electric fireplace as I could live with it until we replaced it with a cast iron fireplace that we want. I wanted somewhere we could live well in for 5 years before doing it up.

Also surely you can't tell what would fit in a room unless you use a measuring tape. I mean, everyone has different size dining tables/desk/sofas so you can't really tell unless you measure it up. So if a bedroom has the hugest king size bed and little else, that doesn't mean it can't fit a single bed and desk and small cupboard., and could therefore work.[/quote]
I think you over estimate the great British public.
I think many people cannot see past the Kingsize bed, and can't see the room as a single/office etc

I feel sorry for people who can't imagine a house or flat empty. I mean, that's quite limiting isn't it? You must need a lot of spoon-feeding in every aspect of your life if you can't even envisage the size of a room given the dimensions.

@Chicchicchicchiclana

I feel sorry for people who can't imagine a house or flat empty. I mean, that's quite limiting isn't it? You must need a lot of spoon-feeding in every aspect of your life if you can't even envisage the size of a room given the dimensions.

I think it is more to do with both spacial awareness, and ability to visualise.

It isn't a given at all.

It doesn't mean that person isn't brilliant at other stuff, just not the visual type of person.

People viewing will assume it is so cluttered because there isnt enough storage space, this may not be correct but thats the impression the photos give. We massively decluttered before we put our former home on the market and most is still in boxes 13 years on!

I love it! But not many people will. Declutter and paint, and raise the price very slightly to reflect the fresh-up.

The truckle bed is a great idea. You could get one that converts to 2 singles that can also convert to a double (so both single beds are the same height which isn't always the case with truckle beds). That might be more useful as a guest bed in the future. I think most people prefer flats with only double bedrooms so you could dress the bed as a double for photos to show that the room works as a double bedroom. Unless it makes the room look to cramped, of course.

No use in terms of helping to sell but I have to say just looking at the flat makes me happy.

It has a real warmth to it. Sorry useless in terms of advice but I wanted to counter some of the negativity.

People viewing will assume it is so cluttered because there isnt enough storage space, this may not be correct but thats the impression the photos give.

I think this is a really good point re clutter. There are several framed pictures just in the floor leaving against things, that says to me that you have nowhere to put them.

@LionessRoar

OP, can’t believe you’re asking what people do with all their stuff! Do you realise that hardly anyone has the volume of stuff that you have. That’s why people are saying it is cluttered. I have never seen a house that has so many books, art, no room to use the kitchen and generally stuff on every surface. And I have friends and family with a wide range of homes and lifestyles (and none of them in dreary grey Hinch type homes). Your home and lifestyle is very unusual, which is great as it obviously works for you... but people don’t do anything with all their stuff cos people don’t have this amount of stuff!

I easily have that many books, probably more, and pieces of art. Mine are all on shelves and (all over) the walls. I’m in a two-bed house. Bearing in mind there are four people living in the OP’s two-bed flat, with no garage, garden shed, loft or cellar, there’s actually not much stuff - if you discount the books and art, which is part of the style. I think she does have to clear some of it out, though, for sale purposes.

The advantage of the truckle bed is that as a single bed it makes the room look larger in photos, but then any visiting viewers will see 2 singles in place which makes it clear that a king size bed will easily fit (as it is 30cm narrower than 2 singles pushed together)

I agree with you martysouth A friend of mine has just sold her small quirky interior house (admittedly less stuff in it but still plenty illustrating her style) in Walthamstow very quickly indeed. At first glance Puffykins interior was a little disconcerting but some people lack imagination and can't look beyond 'stuff'. I also used to write about fashion and interiors so yes a lot of books needed for reference!

The flat is in a great location and apart from the bathroom (great idea for kids but maybe needs painting over now?) is perfectly liveable in. Good luck OP.

What a beautiful apartment! Love your 'clutter' and your taste. However, when you sell, you will still have to pack it all away, so you may as well start now. I have just sold my house and the amount of packing I have to do is absolutely unreal. I complete in 17 days and I have a huge loft and two garages to empty. So start putting it all into boxes now - it will save you so much stress!

I feel sorry for people who can't imagine a house or flat empty. I mean, that's quite limiting isn't it
You must need a lot of spoon-feeding in every aspect of your life if you can't even envisage the size of a room given the dimensions

Whereas I feel sorry for you thay you seemingly can't grasp the fact that dimensions are only part of the story when getting a feel for a room and a property so feel the need to make rather silly and foolish claims that people need spoon feeding in every aspect of their lives.
🤷‍♀️

This is a property forum. We all have different tastes. I love the look of this flat. The op has amazing taste. Personally, I couldn’t live in it with so much stuff but I accept that that’s me and it’s rather wonderful. Puffykins has clearly accepted that some treasures will need to be stored.
We’re all supposed to be helping and not slinging insults......that’s not helping Puffykins sell her flat.
I have an active thread at the moment. People have been wonderfully helpful. I just don’t get why some people like Janegrey actively seek conflict. On my thread she even accused me of not being who I said I was! And suggested there was something suspicious! I asked for advice on my kitchen!
She’s being somewhat aggressive on this thread too when an overwhelming number of people are trying to be helpful. I actually find her posts really amusing. Sorry, Jane. I know you mean them to be taken seriously.
I know it’s Mumsnet and some conflict can be quite fun but on the property forum? Surely not.
Good luck, Puffykins, your treasures will look fabulous in your new home where I’m sure you’ll have more room to show them to best advantage..........I’m a Timorous Beasties fan too and have their wallpaper in the cloakroom.

I'm a bit late to this, but I do love your style. I wouldn't style it that way myself but it does look lovely and homey.

However to sell it you need to declutter.

The other reason it's not selling could be because most people with enough money to buy a half million pound property are hoping to escape the city so you buyer market is shrinking

I think it’s a mistake to think the flat is only for first time buyers or millennials. It will/should appeal to downsizers wanting to leave the outer zones and move back into central London.

Secondly it is really not a fact or a given then neutral decor helps people visualise how they will live in a place. There really is no such thing as neutral decor

I'm not suggesting neutral decor nor a stripped back soulless empty shell but OP's house is crammed full of stuff, it's everywhere, chairs overflowing with cushions, books piled to the ceiling, walls totally covered so you cant see any actual wall, there isn't a surface in the property that isn't covered in stuff, pictures leaning against beds, radiators, etc., because there is nowhere to put them and THAT is what your eye is drawn to in the photos, not the actual rooms, their size or their potential, you end up just looking at the OP's possessions.

People want to visualise themselves cooking in the kitchen, where they will put their kitchenalia and all they will see is a tiny overflowing room with no space for anything.

The Op has great taste and clearly a good eye for items but needs to pare it back and make the place look tidy, give the impression that there is plenty of room for 'stuff'. Let potential buyers see the flat, have a clear view of the rooms and how they would work for them and not have them distracted by looking at all the OP's possessions.

I don’t know why some posters are getting upset about posters’ critique of the flat.
The Op is having problems selling the flat and wants advice. Posters ( including myself) have said that the flat is cluttered and therefore looks smaller and appears to lack storage space.
It’s about doing what you need to do in order to sell the flat.
There have been many posters who had been unable to sell their properties . However, after posting the property and been willing to accept some uncomfortable truths have managed to sell their properties soon after

[quote Puffykins]@themethodicmeerkat I didn't really approach it with any sort of strategy. It's the first house I've ever tried to sell. I write about interiors sometimes, but they're never in houses that are for sale - so my experience is in interior decoration and styling etc. Rather than selling. Interestingly though, every single estate agent (I got 4 valuations) said that they didn't think that the stuff/ clutter was a problem. [/quote]
That's because they wanted your contract.

As for what do people do with all their stuff when they're on the market, we took out storage and moved a load out. It was the only way.