Theguardian iconTheguardianAug 8, 2026

‘The market is dead’: why aren’t flats in England selling?

The first-floor property is in "immaculate condition", Young says, thanks to the £15,000-£20,000 spent on renovations. And, perhaps most crucially, it is a freehold flat, so is untainted by the controversies associated with the discredited leasehold system.

‘The market is dead’: why aren’t flats in England selling?

Share this story

Send the public story page.

Useful takeaways from this story.

The first-floor property is in "immaculate condition", Young says, thanks to the £15,000-£20,000 spent on renovations.

And, perhaps most crucially, it is a freehold flat, so is untainted by the controversies associated with the discredited leasehold system.

Figures show most leasehold flats in England do not find a buyer within six months, despite slashed prices 'The market is dead for flats," says Susan Young*, who has been trying for some time without...

Building the complete brief

The page is ready to read now. The fuller skim-friendly version will appear here automatically.

The useful part

The first-floor property is in "immaculate condition", Young says, thanks to the £15,000-£20,000 spent on renovations. And, perhaps most crucially, it is a freehold flat, so is untainted by the controversies associated with the discredited leasehold system. Figures show most leasehold flats in England do not find a buyer within six months, despite slashed prices 'The market is dead for flats," says Susan Young*, who has been trying for some time without success to sell her two-bed flat in a popular Devon seaside resort.

How it works

  • Figures show most leasehold flats in England do not find a buyer within six months, despite slashed prices 'The market is dead for flats," says Susan Young*, who has been trying for some time without...

Keep reading in the app

Open the app view to save this story, compare related coverage, and continue from the same source.

Open in app