Please tell me why this flat isnt selling?

[curiouscat1987]

Posting this for a family member. Flat has been on the market for months and not only hasnt had any offers but hasnt even had a single viewing! The price was in line with the area, but has been dropped twice and agent changed too with new photos but still no viewings. Its a lovely little place, not the biggest but lovely and bright and quite modern. Im not the best at design etc so would appreciate any thoughts on what they could do to improve the desireability or improve for the photos etc to get some more interest?

Obviously they know they can drop the price, however if they drop it much more they'll be selling for what they bought for 10 years ago!

https://www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/156450941#/?channel=RES_BUY

Thanks everyone ☺️

No space for a dining table plus sloping ceilings. I live in a similar size flat so I'm used to small spaces, but it looks like that flat has zero storage space

Sloped ceiling and oddly shaped windows.

Lots of outside pictures but it is not clear what the represent : view from the flat or view the building the flat is in.

The price is too high compared with a similar property a PP has linked.

but they're not necessarily going to pay that much for a small high-rise flat.

It's not high-rise. It's the loft conversion of a house. The house in the aerial view picture.

First glance, it looks like the kitchen is in an attic.

It also screams- welcome to claustrophobia.

To even get get viewings, all of the photos need to be redone by someone competent.

I don't live in the UK. No idea on price but almost everything sells if priced correctly.

Whoever has converted this should have either made this a decent sized one-bed instead of trying to carve it into a two-bed, or even used it to make two good size bedrooms for the first floor flat so that that would be more valuable. People who want a two-bed will think this is too small, and nobody wants to pay to turn a small two-bed into a large one-bed (even though that would work much better in this space). It feels counterintuitive.

Obviously your relative can’t change that - so they’ve got to concentrate on what they can do. First of all, replace the photos of the kitchen and bathroom. They show both rooms from the worst possible angle. I can’t even see what’s in the bathroom!

Secondly, the second bedroom needs to look like one. I didn’t even realise there was one from the photos alone. Thirdly, ditch the photos of the impossible view. Not only do they set any buyers interested in said view up for disappointment, but they also put others off by creating the impression it’s a high rise. People go with their first impressions - look at the posters saying “OMG what if it has cladding?!” even though it should be perfectly obvious this is a conversion.

Photos are terrible. Worth buying new bed linen in a neutral tone etc to make room look bigger. I would suggest it needs a good photographer to style it before photos, also exterior pics too.

There are a lot of much nicer flats in the area for sale at that price or less on rightmove. No sloping ceilings, some with outdoor spaces and some with nice features such as bay windows and outdoor space.
Also as said by others why all the pictures of rooftops?

Dear God - kitchen a chef’s dream 😬
I missed this. How embarrassing is that?
Start again with another agent, op.
Between the abominable photos and the laughable blurb, you haven’t a hope of getting anyone through the door.

But be prepared for a significant price drop too.

I wouldn't bother viewing (not that I could afford the place) because the photos make it look like I'd be the only person in my family who was able to stand up in the kitchen. So I'd be stuck with all the cooking and cleaning. No thanks. Plus I don't like open plan.

It is way, way too expensive for the size. It says two bedrooms, but the lounge is crammed into the same space as the kitchen. Even more space is lost to the sloped ceilings.
If you look on Rightmove, there are far more generously-sized flats up for sale at £20K less, and many of those have a balcony or other outside space.
It's also on a main road.
If there's no viewings, it's always going to be price.

It's not in context - no photos of the outside of the flat (even from the back) or the front of the house. No idea if it's a tower block or a house from the listing.

Far too many "ask agent" answers on the listing re accessibility, parking and outdoor space and for that I probably wouldn't go any further because I would assume there's a reason it can't be put up front online, i.e. issues with the other property owners in the dwelling or the top flat has really got the bum deal and has a narrow 3 storey walk up, no driveway access and no garden access.

Pics do it no justice, it's very plain blank white and almost makes a feature of the sloped ceiling instead of standing back and showing off how the kitchen/living area is open plan etc. also can't tell that the second bedroom is a double. Looks like a pokey office.

I sold my flat 4 years ago (Manchester) for the same price I brought it for and my friend at the same time lost £50k (London). Post Covid people don’t want flats and the estate agent said flats don’t go up in price the same way houses do. Even if they sell for what they brought it for they will still make a profit due to getting back the mortgage payments

Massive TV makes the lounge look very small. The photo of the lounge in the brochure is much better.
The kitchen looks bad. Retake the photo. Remove the loaf of sliced bread, little picture above the sink and the trolley. Dress it better and take from a different angle. That’s the worst photo of the lot.
The photo of the front of the house (the one in the brochure) is very nice and would be better in the listing too. Like others I thought it was a high rise. The house itself looks nice and well kept.
The price is an issue. They may not want to drop again, but as others have said there are bigger flats with outside space in better locations for not much more. There are a couple of equally overpriced small flats when you search. I wouldn’t be surprised if those are all also not getting a lot of viewings and your friend shouldn’t be using those as benchmarks in terms of setting their price.

Working it out from the pics tells me it's a converted loft in an older house, with a dormer extension to make it into a usable space.

I'd not buy that for £50,000.

The fact that so many posters assumed it was a modern high rise rather than a period conversion of an attractive house indicates that there are other issues than price.

It looks like the photos were chosen to highlight the windows. That was a bad idea. I’m looking at that kitchen wondering how I access some of the counters at all. I’m seriously wondering if I have to be on my knees to get to some of that counter and cabinet space which I can’t imagine is reality, but that is how bad that angle makes it look.

drop the picture with the view out the window as it is just confusing.

get a better picture of the actual building that gives the person a sense of where they would be living and walking into everyday, not a wide aerial shot.

add photos of the rooms that highlight the useable space.

From the Ariel shot there seems to be a deck off the living room. Is that right?

I presumed it was a high rise flat in a tower block from the pictures.

I'm always suspicious when a listing doesn't start with a phot of the building - it is only since reading through the thread it became clear one of the outside photos was of the building.

The pictures just don't seem to match the floorplan. the 'flow' of the living area and kitchen just don't come across.

The 'not being able to see out of {most} of the windows' is incredibly off-putting before you get into the concerns re bumping your head in a lot of the space.

Although it doesn't have the 2nd bedroom, the flat @Lozzq posted a link to is 100% more appealing.

The price is extortionate (For a girl from up north)
It looks tiny and cramped.

Because it looks like it would be near impossible to use most of the kitchen worksurfaces.

Ah-ha,

So no lift then?

Hmmmm.

https://www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/153744902#/?channel=RES_BUY
www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/148634966#/?channel=RES_BUY
We've been looking at 2 bed flats lately for a family member.
There was a much nicer one than these just along from the marina for under 300,000 and the rooms were really big with corner views. Got snaffled quickly though!
Quite a few in Woodingdean for around 250, no sea views but plenty of space and parking.

I think the price could be an issue relative to space for OP.

There are only 8 photos and 3 of those are outdoor ones.

Definitely more indoor photos needed to gain a proper sense of the flat and its interior. For example, the living room and kitchen taken from different angles.

Photos also needed of the exterior and entrance/hallway/parking (if applicable)

obviously an attic apartment so what sort of access? internal or external stairs? how many? steep? is there a lift?
I think the bare windows don't help, you many not need curtains but some blinds would dress it ok
lose the loo rolls stacked up like that shouts no storage
bed dominates the bedroom again no window dressing
kitchen only that Velux would put me straight off it looks plain and bare tidy is one thing that is another try to make it look more funky and inviting is it big enough for a table a small one

You can’t change the sloped ceilings and size but the massive TV makes the living room look even smaller than it is.