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Flat not selling

133 replies

Ham94 · 09/10/2021 19:37

Hi all,
I’m trying to sell my flat. We’ve been on the market for 4 months and only had 3 viewings! Any advice or feedback on our ad?
High Street, Walton-On-Thames, KT12
www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/110512439

OP posts:
friendlycat · 09/10/2021 23:13

The EA isn’t doing you any favours with the opening photo.
Your flat looks lovely but I think you do have to be honest with yourself and recognise that the market is difficult at the moment with flats.

Big negative that you can’t do anything about is that you are situated dead opposite traffic lights on a busy junction when I do street view and I’m guessing this is putting people off viewing.

I counter this by saying my first flat was in Clapham South on the south circular so I’m not being pokey in my comment, but rather stating a fact as to why people aren’t rushing to view. At the end of the day you only need that one person. I wish you luck in finding them but I think you need better photos that are also angled better.

1990s · 09/10/2021 23:16

@Terminallysleepdeprived

Over £1k of annual fees is a lot to find and would put me off.

The remaining lease is only 123 years, means resale would be effected. Can you afford to try and extend the lease?

It is super expensive for what is a very small 1 bed flat (albeit beautiful). I know the area so it's not necessarily overpriced, but a 1 bed is going to be first timer market and with a lot of the help schemes more first timers are jumping straight to a house.

Good luck OP it is stunning

£1k annual service charge is very standard, if it was less than this I’d be worried about what was not being maintained.

123 years is plenty on a lease. Extending becomes more expensive below 82.

WoodchipNightmares · 09/10/2021 23:19

At first glance I, too, thought it was above a pub. No fucking way would I buy above - or next to - a pub due to the noise.

I suspect you're a victim of people wanting outdoor space post-covid, and also being more wary of leasehold properties in recent years. My parents - at every opportunity - have told me to avoid leasehold like the plague due to the issues. They can't be the only ones with that opinion.

SqueakyPeaks · 09/10/2021 23:24

I think curtains would soften the look. Blinds are crisp and tidy, but as others have said, it could look more cosy.

Ham94 · 09/10/2021 23:25

@Puisanceel

Honestly OP I'd lower the price if I were you. Once we dropped ours we sold it in less than a week and we had three offers.
We’ve dropped it twice so it’s now one of the cheapest on the market! We can’t buy anything else if we go lower so just hoping that a better ad combined with the cheap price will help
OP posts:
friendlycat · 09/10/2021 23:26

The other problem sadly is that when you refer to others in the block selling for £300k etc this presumably was when they were like you new build with the premium and now they drop in value when selling on as “secondhand” as it were.

I do think that often the new build price is over inflated and this is what you are also up against especially when compared to the flat down the road above Dreams that is slightly set back from the main road but is cheaper, better presented and still difficult to sell being on a busy main road.

Ham94 · 09/10/2021 23:27

@friendlycat

The EA isn’t doing you any favours with the opening photo. Your flat looks lovely but I think you do have to be honest with yourself and recognise that the market is difficult at the moment with flats.

Big negative that you can’t do anything about is that you are situated dead opposite traffic lights on a busy junction when I do street view and I’m guessing this is putting people off viewing.

I counter this by saying my first flat was in Clapham South on the south circular so I’m not being pokey in my comment, but rather stating a fact as to why people aren’t rushing to view. At the end of the day you only need that one person. I wish you luck in finding them but I think you need better photos that are also angled better.

It’s a good point about the opening photo! We’ll definitely open with an interior shot for the new ad. Thanks for the support!
OP posts:
VanCleefArpels · 09/10/2021 23:28

I live near this

No parking
No outside space
A bit of a schlep to the station for commuting
Above a shop

All reasons why it’s not an attractive prospect.
Price can always be used to persuade people to disregard one or more of those shortcomings

Generally, the usual target market for small one bed flats are now looking for places further out now hybrid working is a thing. Rental market quite strong though and though I wouldn’t usually recommend being an accidental landlord it might be worth you looking into?

PassTheDutchyUpYrLeftBackside · 09/10/2021 23:33

I think it's presented well, OP - if I were looking for a flat in your area, the decor wouldn't put me off one bit.

Is it correct that it has no parking? That would need to be significantly reflected in the price for me.

Also the lease ie 100% fine and the service charge is CHEAP. Don't know what people expect leasehold block properties to be?????

Rossetti47 · 09/10/2021 23:38

[quote AnnaSW1]@Ham94 Re the fees I was initially going to add in my previous comment that the service charges for your flat are pretty low! Just adding a London/SE perspective. I wish my service charge was that much! Mine is hundreds per month. [/quote]
Same! I was surprised a previous poster thought it excessive.

Ellmau · 10/10/2021 01:37

One bed flats without outdoor space are hard sells at the moment. Plus being above a shop is going to put some people off, and it looks very small. Looks like no parking as well. Those are all issues you can't do anything about, unfortunately.

Best of luck.

BasiliskStare · 10/10/2021 03:24

@Ham94

Do those double doors lead out to a juliet balcony or a proper balcony - I think people are quite realistic about having outside space but if you could fit a tiny chair / stool onto the outside bit that would make it better for me - but other than that if the area is nice then it is just a question of waiting and seeing or if no interest - sadly price. It looks like a fabulous FTB place to me but depends where you can commute to.

I do wish you well - many years ago I had to sell a house for less that I bought it for - if it gives you hope I was glad to get shot of it and never looked back.

ChristmasPlanning · 10/10/2021 04:35

Loads of good advice here! Hope it sells

Silkieschickens · 10/10/2021 04:53

Presentation of flat looks fine, looks a nice high street but I would be put off as looks very noisy from first photo, I initially thought was above a pub. Obviously also size, slightly long walk to station and no parking but presumably those are reflected in price.

Silkieschickens · 10/10/2021 04:55

The market for flats is difficult though, we lived about that distance out and there was a big shift to houses with gardens when wfh increased and lockdown. How long that will last who knows though.

Hothammock · 10/10/2021 05:42

The market for one beds is a problem and there is a cheaper, more spacious flat with much longer lease on the market around the corner.
It seems a shame to lose money on the flat. Can you not consider renting it out instead?
I would be cautious about going overboard and cluttering things up for the new photos.

Universe1969 · 10/10/2021 06:28

No outdoor space abd slack of a second bedroom to wfh

AlphabetAerobics · 10/10/2021 06:39

You’ve given me quite a trip down memory lane as I used to work there about 30 years ago.

Anyway, I’d say location. My first thought was “fuck me, that’s cheap for London and it’s a gorgeous area”.

But if people are going to be WFH maybe they’d rather want “all in” or “all out” - that area is very much on the outskirts.

It’s just a bad luck time to be selling I think as it looks lovely IMO.

I do say all of the above as someone who lives in the middle of fucking nowhere and peruses flats in Mayfair for kicks… 😳

Honestly, it’s lovely - it’s just it’s a flat and it’s the “wrong place” if people want to be wfh. It’s nothing to do with potted plants - although I do very much agree with a previous comment about “I’m not buying your tv” - surprised the agent didn’t photograph the inside of your medicine cabinet…

Kuachui · 10/10/2021 07:11

For me I like it but definitely needs alot of plants And I don't like the lounge shape although could live with it

SunLovingMum · 10/10/2021 07:38

I actually live in Walton. Wondered what these flats looked like so thank you for sharing. I live in a house and it is my 4th I Walton. I know curchods vey well. They’re the best I tow, followed by Martin flashman.

The coffee shop/cafe downstairs and the run of restaurants just down from you are a great draw, as is proximity of the river. You’re so close to the cinema too.

Downside is parking. Do you have designated parking? Where do you park? You’re surrounded by flats that have parking (the heart, those along the river, those by the halfway etc). Your next issue is the huge amount of new flats going up with balconies, closer to the station and with parking.

Point being, it is not how your flat is in these photos per se. They’re lovely photos and the place looks great. You have a great agent. It’s the competition in town and price /situation compared to that competition.

Simonjt · 10/10/2021 07:46

I know people have already mentioned the photos, but a lot of agents photoshop furniture etc into properties that are in a very poor state, so viewers may be concerned about what the pictures are attempting to hide.

Oneapennytwoapenny · 10/10/2021 07:50

Not much you can do about it, but electric heating would put me off.

Also if you’re marketing to landlords, most will not consider a property with an EPC below a C. Are there any minor improvements you can do to get to a C? www.google.co.uk/amp/s/www.thisismoney.co.uk/money/buytolet/article-9932959/amp/What-does-EPC-C-energy-efficiency-target-mean-landlords.html

Silkieschickens · 10/10/2021 07:51

I think the outside picture would be better just showing one side of the building, otherwise it looks like there might be a noise issue from lots of shop and on a quick look appears like a pub underneath you.

Cardboard33 · 10/10/2021 08:26

I also live very close to Walton. You have the issue there that people have to choose whether to live near the station or town as you can't have both, but that's an issue with the location and you can't do anything about that... Like others have said, you've actually got it on with one of the best local agents (we bought and sold with them) so I doubt you'd do much better with another one, sadly.

As everyone else has said, you need to sell why you bought it. Have the windows open - can you open the Juliette balcony and make a little "garden area" ... Or show how you've easily been WFH etc? Just looks like there's a few sofas and a TV in the reception room? Why don't you have a little bistro table to eat/work from? Or do you do that from the breakfast bar? I'd also consider moving the furniture so that one of the sofas is in the middle of the room and getting a rug so it's clear there's enough living separate space.

You've also mentioned storage elsewhere - that needs to be included with a photo if possible. And again, where do you park your car, if you have one? Even if you don't have a car then a passage about the (hopefully) ease of access for parking permits/private underground car park or whatever wouldn't go a miss.

Aside from that, now just isn't a great time to be selling a one bed flat within commuting distance of London. If you can even call 20 mins walk to the station "within commuting distance" - I wouldn't. People who need to use the train won't look at it as they'll think it's too far away and then people who don't need the train are moving further out to the coast/north and ditching the previous London fringe hot spots all together, where they can get more than a small one bed flat for their money. But aside from holding out and/or selling at more of a loss there is nothing that you can do.

WhatAWasteOfOranges · 10/10/2021 09:14

Those saying your with the best agent in the area - do they mean for flats? Where I recently sold there was a best EA for houses and best EA for flats. The well regarded house agents didn’t really put the time into selling flats as wasn’t really in their interest in terms of commission compared to the mil+ houses