trouble selling flat

Hillbilly1

Allison_Haskins wrote: »

Only saying what would-be viewers are thinking. If you follow the advice, harsh though it is, on the forum you can get a sale.

I agree Allison, we have been asked to comment and we have. Nothing is personal - just what will help it sell.

Interestingly if you search for 1 beds with garden only 1 other comes up, only 10k less, and its a first floor. Maybe with the garden it is worth the 145?

Owain_Moneysaver

demontfort wrote: »

Hmm tough one this I've narrowed it down to 4 possible reasons

a) Needs decluttering
b) Need some tastfeful throws over the chairs and sofa
c) Needs a few bowls of pot pourri in the bathroom
d) It's £30k overpriced in a sinking housing market.

e) needs a vase of twigs :rotfl:

Hillbilly1

Owain_Moneysaver wrote: »

e) needs a vase of twigs :rotfl:

f) bowl of twig balls?

Yorkie1

OP, the twigs are an in-forum joke (so ignore those comments!)

lessonlearned

Op - your EA wants shooting. No wonder you are not getting any viewings.

Drag her or him back and get those photos done again. This time in daylight.

They have missed your flat's key feature - it's outdoor space.

Although some of the posters have been rather harsh in their comments I tend to agree that you are not showing your flat off as you should be.

It needs decluttering (coats in the hall, trolley in the kitchen etc - all the things that have been mentioned).

Then you need to dress it with your target buyer in mind.

It does look very masculine with the oversized media centre and the predominately dark coloured furniture. It also looks a little bit bleak.

It needs warmth, colour, sophistication and just a dash of funkiness to appeal to the young professional who is likely to be your target market.

I would re position the sofa, across the room, to break up the long corridor effect, then add a single statement chair - where the sofa now is. Dismantle and store the large media centre and just pop the TV on the small square coffee table. Add a rug for warmth and cosiness.

Red and black together can look very harsh, and tbh a bit cheap.

Monochromes can look very stylish and sophisticated and if done properly needn't appear cold. A couple of strategically placed mirrors would bounce light around and then add some plants to soften the look. A couple of good quality prints or posters to add sophisticated glamour.

And whatever you do - you must smarten up that outdoor space. It is your usp - unique selling point. By neglecting it you are leaving money on the table. A flat with outdoor space is a rare beast, it's an asset that needs to be flaunted.

Get rid of the rubbish, dress the patio area with a table and a couple of chairs some smart planters with architectural evergreen plants.

You need to "sell a lifestyle". In this case "urban chic". Your flat should be a "pad for professionals". At the moment it still looks a tad studenty.

Good luck.

Yolina

Have a little nosey on rightmove for some ideas on how the small flats in London are presented, such as this one for example http://www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-34901911.html which looks fairly similar in term of size and layout to yours or that one http://www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-22713792.html

As lessonlearned said, you need to sell the lifestyle rather than just a flat

lessonlearned

Great link Yolina, just the sort of thing I was trying to describe.

Op you may need to play around with furniture layouts. Your sofa maybe too large to go across the room as I suggested, you might need to keep it against the long back wall. Then add another armchair or similar, those tub chairs are good because they are quite small.

If you can I would suggest you give the walls a lick of paint. I have used Dulux Light and Space (or whatever it's called). It contains light reflecting particles which make the room look lighter and brighter.

A lick of paint, re-positioning the furniture and adding a few new smart accessories should make a huge difference. Simple changes won't break the bank.

I reckon you could do it for about £300. A tub chair, about £100, rug about £50, posters and prints about £50, a few plants and some paint - £100.

If you google Small Space or Small Scale living you will get lots of ideas.

artbaron

I took my own photos when I sold my place. Took a full day to take them and edit them but it was worth it in the end. Estate agents tend not to have the time, equipment or knowledge to take good photos so if you can, it pays to do them yourself.

googler

artbaron wrote: »

I took my own photos when I sold my place. Took a full day to take them and edit them but it was worth it in the end. Estate agents tend not to have the time, equipment or knowledge to take good photos so if you can, it pays to do them yourself.

..because most of the time involved is the decluttering, which isn't the agent's responsibility - it's the homeowner's.

The equipment is a minor consideration. Given a well-prepared room and some daylight, a basic £100 compact will be perfectly acceptable.

The main problem with the OPs photos is that they were taken late in the day or after dark. All of the issues mentioned above should have been sorted by the OP before the EA got there. It's not the EAs job to tidy the coats away, move stuff off the top of wardrobes or kitchen units....

somethingcorporate

It's just too expensive as a number of others in this thread have pointed out.

£145k for 350sq seems very expensive.