Biting the bullet - what’s wrong with my house?

[ClaraLane]

Hi folks, I’m hoping you lovely bunch can help me work out why my house isn’t selling. We’ve been on the market since 14th October and have only had one viewing. Their feedback was that they didn’t think our balcony would get enough sun despite the estate agent doing the viewing telling them that the sun sets on that side of the house so gets full sun from about 2/3pm until sunset.

There is no picture of the 3rd room because we’ve got to do a bit of work on the bulkhead over the stairs and lockdown is making this tricky. We currently have storage heaters but have had central heating being installed in 2 weeks time.

We’re not desperate to sell as haven’t found anything we like yet but I’m starting to get concerned about why we’ve had so little interest and wonder if I’m missing anything obvious so would appreciate feedback.

Here’s the link if anyone fancies helping out: www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/98430179

Dress the balcony, plants, table and chairs, bamboo sides etc and show the study. Close up of the front door with plants. Initial blurb needs to say about shared outside space with a photo if it's attractive. And it's a two-storey maisonette or a maisonette over two floors with own ground floor entrance. Three storeys is a mad description! Agree with others, take it off and re-market when work is done.

It’s the storage heaters on the walls that put me off, it looks fine but I wouldn’t entertain anything without central heating, maybe it’s putting others off too?

If you're in no rush, why have you listed it before works are done? I'd be concerned at any estate agent not telling you that first impressions count and it would have been much better for the listing to be new displaying the flat to its full potential.

I think it looks lovely inside. I love the light and airy lounge.

I agree that the balcony could to with being cleaned and "dressed" with a few pot plant and some balcony furniture. I also agree that the first picture is rather off putting. I would put it last.

So there’s 950 years left on the lease, ground rent is £650 a year and that includes buildings insurance and maintenance of the common areas. I’m going to ring the agents tomorrow and get them to swap things round and add more information. They’ve got all these details so not a clue why they haven’t bothered to put them on. To be honest I’ve dropped the ball a bit with looking at the description and should have put more effort in so will do going forward!

Parking is on road parking, no designated spaces.

Re. window dressings - the windows are 7.4ft wide so although we’ve got curtains in some rooms they’re very expensive which is why they’re not in the kitchen and spare room.

@imabusybee

If you're in no rush, why have you listed it before works are done? I'd be concerned at any estate agent not telling you that first impressions count and it would have been much better for the listing to be new displaying the flat to its full potential.

Both estate agents said it wouldn’t make much difference listing before the heating was done and it was better to list now in case people wanted to save on stamp duty. We did ask if we should wait but they said to go ahead and list with a note in the description about the heating.

Length of lease is great. What’s the split of ground rent v service charge? Too high ground rent can be a problem with regards to getting a mortgage. Actually I assume ground rent is low due to long lease length?

It looks lovely. I can only add that you could dress the balcony - ie make it look like you use it a lot. I'd add fairy lights/chimenea for an evening pic too.

Meant to add - this is not a great time of year, especially with lockdown. I think the Spring will bring results!

It looks lovely, it's the price I'd say. My mum has sold her house in six days as it was realistically and keenly priced.

So there’s 950 years left on the lease

Definitely get this on the ad! Long leases like that were a major plus point when I was searching

(Get them to put the rest on too, but definitely this)

OP I think its the price, another 3 bed flat (with no outdoor space) sold for £138k a year ago, and the only one that looks like it got anywhere near what you're asking had its own private garden.

The other thing to bear in mind is the ground rent - does it increase over time? There is a significant amount of negative publicity about leasehold and ground rents at the moment - with yours already being £650 that could be problematic. Its a shame as its a lovely flat.

Definitely put a photo of the third room - I’d want to be have seen all rooms before I make an actual visit to view. I’d also worry that there is some problem with it, which would put me off.

Make much more of the balcony - clean it and add some furniture and/or nice things. Even a small bistro set (from fb marketplace or freecycle) and 3 - 5 potted plants would make a huge difference - a lot of people are unable to visualise what a space could look like; they need help to see how they could make it lovely.

Definitely tell them to change their spelling error. It should be storeys not stories.

The inside looks fine, with particularly light, spacious rooms.

The outside doesn’t. I would consider asking the agent to bin the outside photo, then I would thoroughly clean the balcony, add some tasteful furniture and make it look like a lovely place to eat outside or hold a barbecue on a summer afternoon.

Good luck!

Why does it say arranged over 3 floors?

Has the bathroom been photographed on a weird lens. Looks like the loo roll holder is round a corner from the loo?

What is on the ground floor though?

It's a great place if you're young - I like a living room on the first floor, imagine the views of the sunset. Mention that if you get great sunsets.

It's a lovely flat op and you've decorated it really nicely .. it looks bright and homely.

I agree it looks like it is lovely to live in. Clean and stage the balcony as others have said.

With getting a picture of the third bedroom, I'm in two minds whether to show it as home office, which is obviously what a lot of people will use it for, or to visually show that it fits a full size single bed - if it does. I ask that because we were looking at some terraces elsewhere as possible investment properties, and one had a bulkhead room that had plenty of space as a single room, but another one could clearly only fit a short child's bed which was more limiting. If you can fit a single bed in that room, it may be worth stating so explicitly.

Good luck, hope you can get the right buyer at the right price.

Ground rent includes the service charge, normally goes up about £20 a year if that.

@DobbyTheHouseElk I see what you mean about the toilet roll holder, it’s not round a corner but the soil stack runs down that wall. That’s the bit you can see sticking out.

@SwedishEdith Ground floor has the front door, coat hooks, fuse box and a Kallax unit we use for shoe storage. Also enough space to squish the pushchair in. We do get lovely sunsets there, will see if I can find any pictures to add.

Thanks for all the nice comments, it’s made me feel a bit more positive about it selling eventually!

But what is the ground rent OP? Is it linked to RPI?

I would plant a bit of a garden! Some hedging and flowers!
I might have gone a bit OTT with my rubbish drawing (see pic) but you get the idea! 😅

@ClaraLane that makes sense. It’s a lovely place. Looks immaculate to me.

I know you shouldn’t judge a book by its cover but the building itself is really unattractive. There also must be something about it that people keep asking if it is a former local authority property.
The suggestions @LolalovesLondon made would really make a difference to the overall aesthetics.