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 ☺️

after someone up thread said they downloaded the brochure, I did too and the front of that house is beautiful. What an absolute tragedy it has been broken up into flats. It would be an amazing full size home.

missing point of the thread I know.

This would put me off too.

It makes the place look terribly enclosed and not light and airy. Also the sloped windows and blinds are not a great look.

Finally of the 8 photos on Right Move - 3 of them are taken from the flat looking out to the neighbourhood. It's not of the flat itself.

It's not cluttered but if I were them and I could afford it, I'd move out of the place so that it's completely empty of my belongings. That way any new photographs, the potential buyers could picture where they want to put their stuff. It's hard to picture where I'd be putting my stuff when the ceiling is so low and making me feel very enclosed.

Yes, chalk and cheese (apart from neither of the vendors knowing how to make a bed or declutter a kitchen).

I know it's probably the area, but that is the same price as my house is worth - and that's a 5 bed house on the seafront! Are you sure the price is right for the area?

1. No storage - even to hang a coat
2. the slope ceiling in kitchen seems like an average height person could not stand at the sink
3. the hob/cooker is in the middle of the room with no ventilation
4. 3rd floor … stairs (starter home no one carrying baby or chihuahua etc up all those steps)

Not anyone’s forever home …. Rental income only.

I quite like it, especially the skylights, but that's a massive price for a tiny little flat.

https://www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/156127352#/?channel=RES_BUY
There's a lot of competition offering more space for a much lower price.
I'm not sure how they'll be able to avoid dropping it again really.

Half the photos are views rather than the actual flat.
The internal photos seem to focus on the sloping roof, rather than a broader look at the rooms.
No wider context about the type of building it's in.

Eaves in every ? room will be off putting to many slightly tall people.

I found this property on the Rightmove Android app and wanted you to see it: https://www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/157427714

This listing is better - you start by seeing the actual building the flat is in, then 25 pics in total showing exactly what is being sold

Brighton seems off the charts expensive!!

Share of freehold means there is no lease. The residents jointly own the property

The prices for smaller properties haven't changed much in recent years...there's been a lot of bobbing up and down and they've only gone up slightly. I sold a flat in a very sought after area in Cambridge a couple of years ago and only made about 20k. There were still bidding wars in 2013 but not anymore so that makes a big difference. People aren't investing so that leaves first time buyers. That said, I don't think it's a bad flat. The kitchen could do with a bit of contrast...the floor is nice but the units, and walls are all a bit white and grey which clashes. The kitchen units look cheap too.

The add could do with a proper picture of the outside of the building perhaps? Good luck.

As others have said:
Too many photos of the view
Poor photo of the kitchen - take it from another angle
No photo of front of building
Second bedroom should look like a bedroom/study, not just a study/storage space
A few more homely touches? (Not clutter though)
Any outside space/parking?

It's the price. The photos aren't great but the price is a good £50k over where it will sell.

For that price point, the other 2 bed flats are bigger, airier - higher ceilings, some have outside space, some are mezzanines.

It will sell at the right price

Agreed. I went back to take a look at the brochure and there are some photos taken in the lounge that make the place look bigger.

Also bedroom 2 doesn't look big enough to be a bedroom as it's being used for a home office.

That said, the two seater sofa does show you that that's all you could have in the lounge.

It's not a large flat and for the price (excluding the bathroom, you're paying £100k per room in the place - £100k for bedroom 1, £100k for bedroom 2 and £100k for the living room/kitchen area. The bathroom is a snip at £20k!

That's very expensive when you look at it like that.

There will be a service charge if the leaseholders want to maintain the building!
What if the roof leaks, or there's damp, or the gutters need cleaning or the communal hallway needs cleaning and/or decorating, not to mention the upkeep of fire alarms etc?
The leaseholders will either decide among them to set up a fund, or appoint a managing agent to manage it.

According to the estate agents, it is a 'chefs dream' 😂

I can’t see the sales history but similar properties nearby are listed around 220,00, more in line with what I’d expect for a two bed flat with sloped ceilings. A 100,000 mark up seems crazy. I’d expect that in London but is Brighton really that crazy expensive? I live in very expensive part of south and that’s more expensive than our 2 1/2 bed, reasonably spacious house.

If they paid close to that I’d say they got ripped of but then the property market can be a crazy place.

I actually think it’s quite a cute little place and like the look of it but, as it would be more appealing to younger first time buyers I don’t think it’s in the price range of the people it would appeal to.

Remember people usually search with a price filter. I think people liking the 300,000 plus range would be looking for at least a small third bedroom and/or full height ceiling.

Service charges are payments to a freeholder by a leaseholder. This doesn’t apply here. As you say, the freeholders may voluntarily choose to set up a general maintenance fund or they may split the costs as and when. There will be a payment for buildings insurance but that is likely pretty tiny of split between several flats.

the price isn't the main issue, its the bloody terrible photos.

they do not take you on a journey through the house, you can't even really tell where the kitchen is, even after looking at the floor plan. Its not obvious that its open plan.

The EA needs to go back and try again. 8 photos are not enough and if the EA is limited those were the worst 8 to choose.

You’re in my neck of the woods! How exciting! To PP commenting on how expensive Brighton is, yeah, tell us about it!

The stupid aerial photos need to go, and be replaced with photo of house frontage.

It would seem to be slightly overpriced, but I think £300k is a fair price for it. It’s such a popular area of the city, and has the share of freehold.

I'll probably be echoing everyone else but here goes.....looks cramped, no storage, what about parking/access to outside space? However it all comes down to one thing PRICE.
Lastly the description is laughable, full of fluff. The kitchen is a chef's dream? I asked my chef husband, he laughed me out the house!

they've clearly just chat GPT it and not even bothered to proof read. classic charm? there is not a single classic feature.

Reasons I wouldn't buy it, it's one big loft conversion, on street parking needing a permit that might cost £200 a year with a possible waiting list to get one. Lots of properties like these have been converted into flats and are rented to students.

So quite a lot of homework to do before even considering it, given the price tag I wouldn't bother and just move on to the next one.