0 viewings, your advice would be appreciated

axisofunity

Hi all,

Recently we took the plunge to sell our flat. It's our first transaction as sellers in the market and with current conditions we know that selling (or buying) is very difficult.

Our background is that we bought a repossessed property around 2.5 years ago, did it up quite well and now wish to sell and move to rental before finding a bigger place for us to raise a family in close to my parents.

We love our flat but have tried to be reasonable with the pricing and decor (neutral). There is another, smaller flat for sale in the building for £20k more so we thought we'd scoop up the viewings they had as well as generate more ourselves.

Listed with housenetwork, based on the generally positive views here we were pleased to save money on agent fees. However we now wonder whether this was a good idea. After being listed for over a week, not a single viewing request. We'd expected perhaps a few lite-weight requests, but at least we'd get some practice with those. Instead zero.

Can anyone look at the ad, and tell me what turns them off about it? The price is firm (I know I'll be told that if I lower it then I can get a sale, but would like to try other tactics first).

As a new user I can't post a link, but you can use Rightmove to check BR1 1RP at £299k (The reference is 30921752 and it's the Premium listing), it's the split level 2/3 bedroom flat in the Grade II Library.

BitterAndTwisted

It's either not well-presented, not being marketed properly or over-priced.

GRM

Picture 1 is a terrible angle IMO. All blank wall and vertigo.

abankerbutnotafatcat

Hi, please could someone post the link as I wasn't sure how to find it.

mrcow

You've done it up really nicely.

Personally I wouldn't buy it when could get a three bedroom detached house round the corner for only £40k more.

DVardysShadow

http://www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-30821752.html?premiumA=true

This is a truly dreadful listing. You are only selling an interior, judging by the rightmove presentation. The exterior should be presented on the listing, no matter how dreadful. People are buying not only an interior but also the connection of that interior to the exterior.

Catblue

Here's the link.

http://www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-30821752.html?premiumA=true

Honestly think you should retake all the photos. Makes it look like there is practically no natural light in the flat (which I am sure is not true).

The angles of the photos also make the rooms look like odd shapes.

cassidy0111

Exterior picture is an essential for me.

FireWyrm

Good grief! HouseNetwork took those photos? What did you get, the work experience kid? I'd demand that they come back and retake the photos. The down shot of the living room makes it look like a tiny box, there's something really really wrong with the perspective on the landing and the top bedroom with the arch looks like a victorian tube station. Urgh.

On the other hand, the market is depressed so dont expect massive amounts of viewings. This is true of traditional EA's as it is of HN. Traditional EA's wouldnt be doing anything more than you are doing already which is marketing via the internet. They might have the odd prospective buyer on their books, but the days of them queuing up for a viewing are long gone.

abankerbutnotafatcat

I would appreciate a sqm as well as the sq ft as I only understand metric.
I noted a slight typo finer instead of diner.
I thought you didn't need to put that it was newly repainted or decorated in 2008 - the condition of the property speaks for itself.
Generally, I thought it was a little wordy.
As for the house around the corner for £40k more - it's horses for courses and a conversion of a beautiful (internally anyway, who knows about the external atm!!) building with original features, high ceilings and character will attract a higher price than other flats.
I think the flat looks spectacular although I did wonder about the biggest room just being a study and whether there was at least some communal outdoor space if no balcony.

celyn90

I agree with GRM, the first photo isn't good. I wouldn't even click through on that. I must admit, I don't actually think your photos show the place off well at all - they make it look really small and the ceilings upstairs look low. No external photos either.

I don't think that the order is great either, are photo 3 and photo 10 different ends of the same room? You have two photos of the oven. The bedrooms are an odd shape, but the way the bed is arranged in photo 7 make a character point look like unworkable.

I think your description is too wordy - I'd move the bullet points about the rooms to the top so you don't have to read the waffle if you don't want to.

But it is beautiful - you've got a real eye for design and I like your decor/style a lot

I think your market is quite restricted though, to people willing to take on a character property.

I don't know anything about house network - it's on rightmove; so I don't think exposure is your problem. Can you see the click through rates?