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

- URL: https://talkfuse.com/story/the-market-is-dead-why-arent-flats-in-england-selling/
- Published: 2026-08-08T09:00:42+00:00
- Updated: 2026-08-08T09:33:28+00:00
- Original publisher: The Guardian (publisher lean: Left)
- Original article: https://www.theguardian.com/money/2026/aug/08/flats-in-england-not-selling-slashed-prices-buyer
- Topics: Business, UK, World

## Key points

- Flats are taking longer to sell, even after price cuts.
- Leasehold uncertainty is weighing on demand and values.
- Some sellers face losses, failed deals and delayed moves.

## Summary

Flat owners in England are struggling to sell, often after cutting asking prices and enduring repeated failed sales, despite some properties being renovated or in desirable locations. The situation is limiting people’s ability to move, including families needing larger homes, and is prompting some sellers to consider withdrawing properties or renting them out instead.

Guardian readers described long waits for few viewings and significant reductions: one Devon seller cut a freehold flat from a £300,000 purchase price to £280,000, while a London owner saw a proposed sale of a £200,000 flat fall through at £145,000. Zoopla said UK house prices had risen 43% since 2016, compared with 10% for flats, linking the weaker performance partly to uncertainty around England’s leasehold system; most flats for sale are leasehold.

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Summarised by TalkFuse (https://talkfuse.com/). Quote the original publisher for the reporting and link this page for the summary and discussion.