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!

I love the bathroom, though I can see that some wouldn't.

Is it a council estate? There is enormous prejudice against those, though its a brilliant way to get a good sized, reasonably modern place in a good area. I live on an estate in Kentish Town, and my flat is larger, better designed and £200k cheaper than the ones in terraces nearby.

Your post worries me, because I'm thinking about selling up too. I think a lot of people who would have jumped at places like ours a year ago are now working from home and don't feel so much need to be central.

I wonder if marketing it towards first time buyers who might otherwise have bought a 1 bedroom would be worth a try. For a couple who are both working from home but don't have children, it would be ideal, and about the same price as a 1 bedroom in a terrace.

Also, although the garden is communal, it is a plus point in these times, and should be made more of.

Good luck!

is that a washing machine in the bathroom? never seen one in someone's bathroom before

I really like it. I wonder if your style is fitting in with the area though - I would expect to walk into a cottage in the shires and see that.

I think it is gorgeous. It is clearly a very unique and eclectic taste though. When I’m looking at houses, I like to imagine my own furniture etc in the rooms. With these photos, I can’t do that at all. Perhaps that is a factor?

I think you have a great location. Ex council flats are well built and usually more spacious than newer private apartments. So there is all that going for it.

I like your style, it’s warm and inviting. However it’s highly personal.

Probably the ideal way to stage your home would be “mid century modern” to appeal to millineals and match the exterior. But that’s not practical, so just put a bit in storage and store the rugs too. If you have lovely communal gardens, perhaps add a picture of those.

You are a bit unlucky in that there is a trend away from flats in central London. After lockdown, outer suburbia and market towns are suddenly looking appealing. I’m sure the London market will come back, but you have a growing family and can’t easily wait.

I wish I had the money, I’d buy it with my teenaged daughters in mind!

Firstly, ignore the clutter remarks! There's nothing wrong with the way you have decorated your flat, and it's a well put together. But it does make it difficult to visualise other decorating styles. Better to neutralise it so it looks anonymous.

It gives me a headache just looking at it, are those magazine stacked in the bedroom up to the ceiling? De clutter and paint the bathroom white. Less it more when selling a home, people want to see themselves living there.

Firstly, ignore the clutter remarks!

Considering that's the vast majority of those who have posted, including many who love the flat I don't think that's particulary helpful advice.

Yeah its cluttered the floor plans look great but then the pictures make it look tiny as theres to much everywhere

Even if you carry on "decluttering" please make sure you keep the cushion on of the bedroom chairs. "Too much of a good thing is wonderful" really sums up your lovely flat!

Sorry but the photos made my eyes bleed!
I’m sure it’s a lovely place but Lordy Lordy you can hardly see the flat for all your personal stuff
People need to be able to image their things in there and I tried this and didn’t have room for a teaspoon

@bellocchild

Firstly, ignore the clutter remarks! There's nothing wrong with the way you have decorated your flat, and it's a well put together. But it does make it difficult to visualise other decorating styles. Better to neutralise it so it looks anonymous.

You miss the point quite well. The reason people mention the 'clutter' is that it's a huge factor in being able to 'visualise'

There seem to be a lot of posters who think that staging a home to sell has to be all or nothing. There is no need to depersonalise a home to make it sterile, just remove the excess clutter where it doesn't have a home. That's all.

Many TV prgrammes talk about "dressing" a home. I think that this place just needs a little undressing.

There seem to be a lot of posters who think that staging a home to sell has to be all or nothing. There is no need to depersonalise a home to make it sterile, just remove the excess clutter where it doesn't have a home. That's all
I've heard that people who point out this fairly obvious point lack any knowledge of style or taste and must have awful, clinical houses with no books.

OP asked why the flat is not selling. Some of us have said what we think.

I love the flat, looks inviting and warm. But I could not see myself living with so much STUFF! But I can see beyond that, others might not be able to it so much.

@Scoobydoobydo

Sorry but the photos made my eyes bleed! I’m sure it’s a lovely place but Lordy Lordy you can hardly see the flat for all your personal stuff People need to be able to image their things in there and I tried this and didn’t have room for a teaspoon

That is someone's family home!

You can offer constructive advice but there's no need to say something as offensive as "it made your eyes bleed".

I've heard that people who point out this fairly obvious point lack any knowledge of style or taste and must have awful, clinical houses with no books.

'bless this acid house' print ! not the best framed print as a selling point 🤷‍♀️

Can I suggest that you read up on the effects of clutter if you happen to have a Feng Shui book laying around in the massive book collection?! The belief is that clutter is very emotionally draining and can hold you back from what you are wanting to achieve in life and lead to health problems etc. Whether you believe this or not, these books often give you great tips on how to go about the daunting process of decluttering.

Your living room looks a good size to me but there is not an inch of wall space uncovered, hence the pictures resting on the floor. Most potential buyers won’t have the imagination to see past all your bits and bobs and imagine their own possessions in the property. I love your living room rug. How good would that look in an minimalist room with white walls! You have some lovely bright items but just too much of everything.

I think 99.9% of adults would want to get rid of the bathroom mural and would be concerned about the cost of re-tiling/work involved so perhaps paint over that if you can.

Outside doesn’t look very attractive and conjures up images of a rough area but at the same time, people are going to be suspicious of zero outdoor photos so perhaps your estate agent needs to try and portray the outside space in a better way with some clever photography.

Good luck with the sale.

@maureen17

'bless this acid house' print ! not the best framed print as a selling point 🤷‍♀️

Do you mean that people viewing it might see an obviously tongue in cheek print on the wall and then be worried that actually they're trying to buy a crack den?

I'm not a huge authority on drug dealing but this isn't what springs to mind when I try to visualise a dealer's house.

@maureen17 it is by the Turner Award-winning artist Jeremy Deller, produced as a fundraiser for Refuge - so it has a wonderful backstory.

I'm not a huge authority on drug dealing but this isn't what springs to mind when I try to visualise a dealer's house.

puffykins I have no idea of the origins of acid house and if I haven't nor might a buyer.

@Terrace58

We had to put 1000s of books and dvds(this was a while ago) into storage when we sold our last house.

The books just have to go. You can keep 3 each for the adults. The kids can have a full bookcase worth . Also the crockery on the counters and the leaning paintings.

We actually never ended up unpacking all the books. We were in temporary housing for 6 months during our home transition and kept them in boxes. We learned to embrace our kindles and never went back. I still have them boxed up , taking up a large storage space that thankfully exists in our home, but have no desire to unbox them.

How sad that your books are boxed up.

Hi OP. I am an actual potential buyer in your area so unlike some posters I am not surprised by washing machines in bathrooms, clutter / art (it’s Notting Hill 😂), ‘council estate’ vibes etc.

What would concern me is the evidence that you haven’t done anything to upgrade the place while you’ve owned it. The kitchen, wardrobes, bedroom dressing table etc are all clearly dated. The doors aren’t fully painted. The kitchen needs tiling. It needs a proper shower. I would have to spend quite a bit of money just updating it. That would put me off far more than the ‘clutter’.