Flat not selling, low viewings, thinking of changing to Foxtons?!

Better_Days

Your living room could do with a bit more co-ordination. The stripy rug, beanbag and cushions clash with the check curtains. Get some lined neutral (cream) curtains with matching cushions. Put the cushions neatly on the sofa for the photo's. Remove the black and white cushions, rug, lampshade and beanbag. Remove the clutter from the window sill.

Photo 4 is a nice angle, move the picture over the sofa to the other wall as the silver thingy looks a bit lost where it is.

The lampshade in the kitchen doesn't match and appears to be squiffy. Remove the clutter on top of the microwave. The shelf over the microwave also appears cluttered.

The bedroom needs making look special. Get rid of the clutter under the bed. Get some nice bedding possibly with a matching bed runner and cushions. The red wall is very 'in your face'. Either paint it or at least tone it down with a picture. Remove the clutter on the windowsill. Draw the curtains evenly.

Bathroom is nice but add in a nice coloured towel on the side of the bath with a matching bath mat. Remove the clutter.

You have also been advice on the price.

GL with your sale.

keystone

Its probably too small for those that can afford it (unless its an elderly person now on their own downsizing but then being top floor without a lift in the location its in mitigates against that market).

Its probably too expensive for the younger person looking for something that size.

Its the wrong side of the railway.

Its not going to sell quickly tbh. You have to be patient and that means months until someone comes along that will buy at your price.

Changing the agent isn't going to do anything for you. If Foxton's or any other agent had a buyer lined up at your price you would have had a flyer through the door by now.

Cheers

dimbo61

Foxtons are very expensive and will want you to drop the price.
Please read the contract very carefully from them !!

Fire_Fox

Loads of people are taking a loss in the recession, that is the nature of investing in property - it's great long term but can go up or down short term. Your flat is worth what buyers will pay unfortunately, have you research sold prices for the block and area?

if the linked flat is yours:
- why three pictures of the outside, none of them are showing a garden?
- lose the first picture of the living room, looks like you cannot get in the door for the oversized sofa
- Lose the picture above the sofa, it's bright enough as it is!
- no storage in the living area and table in front of the heater makes me think the place is too small
- is that kitchen light legal? Tidy up the shelf clutter in there
- what is at the other end of the kitchen?
- Induction or ceramic hob? What appliances are included?
- large pale/ neutral picture on bedroom wall or paint over the bright wall and add a cheerful print, clear out under the bed!
- are the wardrobes fitted? If yes say so
- Patterned bed linen or add a 'runner', plain white looks like you didn't make it
- add some basic wall mount bedside shelves
- no storage in the bathroom? Get some and tidy up the toiletries. Towel storage?
- no sizes of rooms/ loft on the listing, good floor plan tho
- how long is the lease? How much are the ground rent, buildings insurance, service charges? What band for council tax? All should be on the listing.

Overall it looks a strange mix of bare, like you just moved in and didn't finish buying furniture or are a student. And cluttered, like you don't have any space which can make buyers think it is too small. You are selling an aspirational lifestyle, someone's dream first flat, not the drudgery of your daily life.

Mobeer

Too many photos of the outside
Captions don't match photos
what's with all the asterisks in the key features
Kitchen should be on a different row to reception room and be clear it is a separate kitchen
Lounge is an odd mix of different colour reds, curtains that don't match rug
Get rid of the clutter

The price isn't bad, maybe a little close to a 2 bed price?

cstreet

Hi all,

Thanks for all the comments and feedback. I think I'll get the agent to do new photos. There is currently a tenant in there so I will ask them to have a tidy up!

An identical property has just exchanged for £167k, they had an asking price of £179k - good old Foxtons!!! (it will appear on Zoopla soon but takes a few months for sold prices to appear).

As for the window in the bathroom - yes that is definitely a plus point, especially with all the new builds around that dont have windows in the bathroom!

Thanks again.

googler

How will you sell it with a sitting tenant, other than to another landlord?

How will you guarantee that the tenant will leave before completion?

PasturesNew

If you think not having a window in a loo is unusual.... here's a nice looking place for £100k elsewhere.... then you realise the only windows are unreachable, in the roof (I've always wondered how you'd get out in a fire).
http://www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-30139471.html

chewmylegoff

googler wrote: »

For £167,000, I would hope it would have windows in every room.....

Seriously, is this some special feature of London properties, to have a windowed bathroom?

well....quite a lot of london property is 2 or 3 story terraced houses converted into flats. my experience is that the ground floor flat often has the bathroom in the middle of the house, and that bathroom is often completely "landlocked" and has no window.

this has its downsides. a few years back a friend ignored our advice not to lock the bathroom door as the lock was very tempramental. she got stuck in there, with the hinges on the outside and the entire locking mechanism on the inside of the door, and no window to climb out of. had to call the fire brigade out in the end...

still don't have a window in the bathroom in our current flat, which is a newbuild. although there is a sky light. which doesn't open.

bagpussbear

Hi cstreet - I sold my 2 bed flat in KT3 in July - was on the market for 6 weeks, and I used Barnard Marcus, they charge 1.5% maybe best to try them or someone else that charges less, I think 2.5% is alot personally. Advertised at 210K but I accepted the third offer of £191K, so be prepared to accept a fair bit less than the agent will convince you its worth! Hope that snippet is helpful to you.