Another RightMove advert to critique

buggy_boy

Looking around the area there seems to be quite a few 1 bed flats in similar condition, similar size for around £230k, I dont really know the area, but just search rightmove including sold withing 1/4 or 1/2 a mile and I think you will find you may be around £30k over priced which is probably why you are having problems.

Nothing over wrong with photos etc, looks a bit cluttered but that would be my only real criticism of the marketing.

MeltingSugs

I don’t like not knowing which flat I’m looking at. I can’t tell which it is from the photos. Also dislike th desk and multiple lounge shots. I get it, there is a lounge! 1-2 photos of it is plenty.

thelem

Aylesbury_Duck wrote: »

A quick look through and these are the things that leapt out at me:

Garden needs a general tidy-up, not just the wood treating. The foliage needs cutting back, grass mown, etc.
Picture 7 is odd on the RHS. What is that? Could it be shot from a better angle?
Lovely bay window with a delightful view of....three wheelie bins!
No need for picture 8. It doesn’t add anything to the other two shots of the room and actually makes it look very narrow.

We've already cut foliage back a bit since those photos. Grass we were a bit late with the last cut of the year so it's not great condition but nothing we can do until it starts growing again.

Picture 7 - The hallway has an area under the stairs for the flat above. We use it for storage - what you can see is a piece of hard board, and there are plastic drawers behind it. It could be boxed in but we've found it makes good use of the space how it is. I might get a quote for that though, because doing that and getting a new carpet would make the hallway look better.

thelem

Red-Squirrel wrote: »

Living room is too cluttered, having two dining tables in there (one as the desk) really shrinks the space too. I'd declutter, keep that nice window clear and then take your photos again with better angles.

What's going on with the kitchen workspace on the left in the first picture? What's on there? Looks weird anyway, clear it!

Your bedroom looks so tiny that you can't even walk past the foot of the bed properly. Is it a bad photo or is it really that cramped?

It's a tray in the kitchen, I'll hide it next time.

The bedroom is as small as it looks unfortunately. It doesn't bother me too much because the lounge makes up for it and I spend more time in the lounge.

lika_86

What is at the end of the hall? A cardboard box? Would it be possible to put the desk there? Move the dining table to where the desk is and move the sofa closer to the window for a better use of the space and also the chance to show the other end of the living room in a photo?

Also, who has use of the shed/building at the bottom of the garden? Would it be possible to paint it white? The breezeblock look isn't one I'd go for personally. Maybe with a nice coloured door?

I'd leave the carpet in the hall though. Waste of money replacing it.

thelem

JoJo1978 wrote: »

Is it also comparable in terms of price per square foot, or does yours come up more expensive on that basis versus the 300+ ones you mention?

I'm also wondering if being raised ground floor (steep front steps?) puts off those with a baby or older buyers? We drew attention to our houses big weakness in the write up so it wasn't a surprise to viewers and anyone it wasn't suitable for rejected it at the research stage.

Rug in hall as cheaper fix? Remember your first agent hasn't sold it though so take their advice with a pinch?!

How many months and which months have you been on, and was it with one agent? We got tied in for three months with one agent, no offers. Took it off for two weeks to rest it then it got three offers in a week with our second agent. New photos and write up even if you think OK. Our photographer moved large furniture out of shot although we kept it as we had it for viewings. For our second agent we only agreed to a six week contract.

We actually sold to someone who had viewed with the first agent and had been watching it and other houses - buyers are becoming cautious and some will now hold off until more stock is listed in spring. We also had ours revalued (if you've been on for months price may be too high now) and scrapped guide price in favour of a single asking price. We accepted an offer within 2% of that.

You don't sound in a massive rush if waiting for warmer weather to paint. In which case take it off the market until that time?

You don't say what the feedback from viewings has been? If you're not getting it, ask your agent why. If changing agents ask for a list of leads and viewings from the first. It will help if later disputes about who introduced a buyer.

I'll have a look at the price per sq foot comparisons.

Yes, it's raised ground floor, hopefully anyone put off by the steps can see from the photos? Steps don't seem steep to me but I'm young and fit, not ideal for retirement.

Rug is a good idea.

Since October, so a little over 3 months but that does include Christmas. Sole agent. There was lots of interest early on but it's been quiet since the end of November, around the time the Estate Agent office has lost their senior member of staff.

Thanks for the reminder about getting the list of viewings from the first agent. We've already got that covered but it is important.

I'll definitely be discussing value with the new agent. Their initial thoughts are that the asking price is about right if not a little low.

There's nothing that's forcing us to move, we'd just like to be enjoying our new, larger property as soon as we can. I'm hoping the new agent will kick start things, the painting idea is just a fallback if that doesn't happen (hopefully not too many weeks until its warm enough to paint anyway).

Feedback has been varied. Shared garden. Internal bathroom. Bins out the front. Small bedroom and lack of bath haven't been mentioned.

TBagpuss

It's not just the tray in the kitchen, it's the plank of wood, too!

I agree with those saying de-clutter the living room - I'd remove the round dining table, set the 'desk' as dining table and remove the office chair and computer for photos and viewings.

The description mentions 'views over Brighton' - it that' correct, take a separate photo of/out of the window. If it isn't then rewrite the description. (and meanwhile, re-take picture 9 on a day the bins aren't out there!)

I'd get rid of pic 8 - the piping at the bottom of the boiler, and the weird hallway dominate the picture and I don't think they are helping you.

Might you get a better picture of the hall if you took it from the front door? Maybe worth getting a rug for the hall - as it's the first thing people will see when they view you want to make a good impression.

thelem

EachPenny wrote: »

The shared garden rings alarm bells for me.... how does that work? Is there a gardener, or do you take turns to do the maintenance. The 'less than looked after' feel of the garden then becomes more significant - am I going to be expected to do all the work in the garden myself, and what happens if the other flat owner doesn't agree to any changes I want to make or contribute to the costs?

The other flat owner hardly uses the garden. We do the maintenance, but also get the benefit. For us it feels like a private garden, but obviously we can't advertise it as that.

The shed in picture 2 doesn't enhance the garden (painting it green or brown would make it look better). Also the grey rectangle (neighbour's house?) behind looks strange - almost like the picture has been photoshopped to hide something I'd be inclined to forget picture 2 and re-shoot picture 11 from further back - perhaps standing just inside the shed to maximise the depth effect of the garden.

The grey rectangle is the side wall of the house behind. Photoshopped to look brighter, but not to hide anything

Like Aylesbury Duck, picture 7 stands out - presumably that is the hallway/landing? If you had a door there I'd suggest closing it, but it appears there isn't one. The space looks small and pokey, and I can see carpet and kitchen and immediately think 'keeping it clean'. Unfortunately it (and the boiler pipe) distracts from an otherwise really nice kitchen - perhaps taking the picture again from a higher position (to hide the boiler pipes) and looking further to the left to reduce the proportion of the doorway in shot (currently nearly a third of the frame).

Thanks

Finally, it is not clear in picture 1 which building the flat is in. If it is the one right of centre then are the steps meant to be green? If it is algae then I'd give them a clean. If yours is the one with red steps then you need to make it a lot more central in the picture. Try and make the centre line of the flat in the centre of the picture.

It's the green ones. I think I know a friend with a pressure washer...

thelem

Thanks for all the other replies. Sorry if I've not replied directly to a post, but I am reading and taking it all on board.

Cyclemonkey1

That's quite toppy for what is a small one bedroom flat when you can get a larger one bedroom in some areas of London for similar prices or not much more.


I think that small bedroom will put off couples - imagine two of you inching around each other everyone morning and evening.


No bath in the bathroom may put some buyers off as well, people like the choice. Also as per the plan does the bathroom door really open up right opposite the front door? - that might be a bit awkward!


May be you could get some better pictures of the kitchen, the lay out looks awkward to me - I imagine hitting my hip on the bit of the unit that seems to stick out by the door but it is hard to tell. Just a personal thing but the fact the splash back tiling doesn't go up to the bottom of the wall units is really annoying, it makes the kitchen look cheaply done, which is a shame it is a rather nice kitchen.