Why Has Nobody Made An Offer On My Property

googler

steve2005 wrote: »

They are dehumidifiers, yes, but they were for my asthma due to having carpets everywhere and 3 cats.

I'm sorry, but if you said this to me, as a buyer, if I were viewing your home, I'd run a mile. It makes no sense to claim that a dehumidifier, a device for removing moisture from the atmosphere, is being used to hoover up dust and spores from carpets..... you use a vacuum cleaner with fine particulate filters for that.

pmlindyloo

Lazy, lazy estate agents! Get rid asap.

I get the impression that they think 'it's London so will fly off the books' and do s*d all for their money.

Agree with everything that has been said.

For very little money you can tart the place up and add a few homely touches.

Three weeks isn't long but is probably a life time in that area.

googler

The photos are grim, but even if you were to bring in a professional photographer, I get the impression that properly lighting the rooms, and getting the colour balance right, would just reveal a whole other world of problems.

It looks run-down, depressing and (knowing there's two cats in there) probably a festival of cat hair.

Everyone's blaming the EA for the photos, but really - did the EA go into the WC and lift the lid on the WC to make it look bad, or did you leave it that way before he arrived, and not even bother to think how it would look?

Did the EA place the dehumidifiers there, or did you leave them there, without a thought as to how it would look?

Much of what's amiss with the photos could have been remedied by you, the owner, having a good look at your home, and thinking about how it would look when photographed. It's not the EA's job to spruce it up for you.

Up to one-third of potential buyers, it has been said, are either allergic to, or don't like, dogs and/or cats. Since the photos can't tell us what your flat smells like, I'd suggest you find a trusted friend, ask them to walk in off the street, and tell you honestly if your flat smells of cat. The answer may well explain a lot.

googler

Prothet_of_Doom wrote: »

There's no floorplan, the rooms are depressingly dark, the toilet seat is up, (I'd sack the agent for that)

WHY?

Do you think the EA deliberately lifted it? If not, then who left it up? Could it have been the owner?

If the owner left it up, why is it the EA's fault? And why should the EA be expected to put it back down? More to the point, if you were the EA, and you didn't have your marigolds with you, would you?

ConfusedofYorkshire

What smell smell does a cat make? Unless it lacks bladder control I tend to think they are odourless. Am I deluded?

time2deal

steve2005 wrote: »

All the advice given so far has been great. You guys are awesome.

Things to do this weekend then:
1. Take better photos, with a real camera - not during daylight where the sun glares in.
2. Hide dehumidifiers
3. Take better photos with a real camera....... :P
4. Get the garden sorted out
5. Give my EA a kick up the back side for not thinking of these things.

6. And a floor plan.

I don't look at houses without floorplans. This is one of the worst presented 'why isn't my house selling' flats in a while! Get some much better photos and I'm sure it will be a totally different story. Do it when it is sunny, just do a better job without letting the camera set it's light meter using the bright exterior. If that doesn't make sense, find a friend with a DSLR. They will LOVE the chance to show it off.

As an aside, I live in a basement flat in London, and the word 'damp' has never been mentioned, as it look bright, spacious and well maintained. People focus on damp when things look dreary, and especially if you have dehumidifiers around the place. I'd remove them for viewings too.

time2deal

googler wrote: »

Everyone's blaming the EA for the photos, but really - did the EA go into the WC and lift the lid on the WC to make it look bad, or did you leave it that way before he arrived, and not even bother to think how it would look?

Did the EA place the dehumidifiers there, or did you leave them there, without a thought as to how it would look?

Much of what's amiss with the photos could have been remedied by you, the owner, having a good look at your home, and thinking about how it would look when photographed. It's not the EA's job to spruce it up for you.

Bit harsh googler. The EA sells houses everyday, presumably the OP doesn't. You are paying for his/her advice and expertise, so they should advise on how to present the property for best results. Not everyone is a property presentation expert - which is why they hire 'professionals'.

googler

time2deal wrote: »

Bit harsh googler. The EA sells houses everyday, presumably the OP doesn't. You are paying for his/her advice and expertise, so they should advise on how to present the property for best results. Not everyone is a property presentation expert - which is why they hire 'professionals'.

It doesn't take a 'property presentation expert' to see the obvious.

googler

ConfusedofYorkshire wrote: »

What smell smell does a cat make? Unless it lacks bladder control I tend to think they are odourless. Am I deluded?

On their own, very little. The non-allergic may not notice at first. Those who are allergic will probably notice their throat and nasal passages constricting before an actual 'smell' ....

If there's litter trays around, the residual smell will depend on the efficiency of the owner's cleaning regime. If cats regularly miss the litter tray, that's another matter....

Bella73

I don't know your area but for me we looked at photos on rightmove when we were looking and I wouldn't even have come round to view your property.

It looks sad and abandoned. Either take out all of the furniture, we bought an empty house with no furniture in the pictures as the owner had passed away or if you are going to leave the furniture you need to make it look lived in. As it stands it just looks depressing.

I would be wondering why no photos of the bedrooms, a proper one of the bath...?is it gross. No pictures of the garden or parking...again would worry me they are horrendous.

I guess it is different in your area but we would never buy with shared parking/garden but that is just us, I'm sure plenty would.

Kitchen shouts needs money spending and lots of it.

We could only afford where we did because like your place it needs a new kitchen and bathroom plus decorating throughout of which we have done some, but at the same time we paid approx £30,000 less than neighbouring properties that would not need this doing...does your price reflect this?