Selling woes!

[Saffy110]

Ok so it's only been 4 weeks on the market which I know isn't that long, but we've had 11 viewings and not even a cheeky offer or request for a 2nd viewing, I just have a gut feeling we're doing something wrong, or the EA is?

We've spent every weekend so far making ourselves available for viewings and put our lives on hold as a family, cleaning and tidying from top to bottom, the EA is never available to do viewings for us because they say they are so busy at the weekends, so we feel like we're doing all the work for them, and we're obviously not doing a very good job! Or maybe we need to relax about it a bit?

I do feel like they're just sending people round for the sake of it and hoping to get lucky with an offer, rather than sending us people who are genuinely interested, I've already asked them to mention to people our garden backs on to a fairly busy road through the village, and that it's also close to the railway line, we've priced ourselves 20,000 lower than like for like properties up the road without these drawbacks, yet people coming round seem surprised and immediately put off when we show them the garden, and so I'm guessing the agent hasn't actually mentioned this after all?! Feedback is always the same, lovely house and area, but garden is too close to the road and railway - why are the agents wasting all our time sending people round and not telling them this? Can anyone offer any advice?

[wowfudge]

Do the details clearly spell out the shortcomings of the garden/position? That's the first thing to make sure is right.

Then with viewings try not to be too full on and keen - makes you look desperate and is off putting. One of you show the viewers round and the other take the kids and dog (if you have one) out. Show the viewers round and point out the pros of what the house offers and the things you have done to improve the place if relevant.

Do not bombard them with information and don't over personalise - this is a double bedroom, this is a single bedroom, not X's and Y's bedrooms. Then let the viewers look round on their own, tell them where you'll be and encourage them to ask you any questions.

One thing is missing from your OP: what feedback have you received? If you are not happy that the EA isn't conducting viewings - tell them and tell them you want them to.

[MiyakoOdori]

Is it on right move? I've found mumsnet is great for being honest about properties and saying what viewers are too polite to say.

[wowfudge]

Sorry - I missed that all feedback has been that the location isn't right. I suspect that's an easy thing for viewers to say without being critical of you or the house. Be brave and post a link to the listing and you'll get honest responses which may well be helpful.

[puggymummy1]

I have refused to do any viewings. I'm paying the EA enough (or I will be). Time goes so slowly when you're on the market. I'm only just over two weeks and it feels like forever. We had a second viewing a week ago but they've disappeared and have not given the EA any feedback.

[Twitterqueen]

Sounds like you have the wrong EA. They should speak to the potential viewers in detail before sending them round, and set accurate expectations.

Also, I don't buy the "too busy to do viewings at the weekend" bit. That's their job! It's what they're supposed to do!

[ClarkL]

As a buyer i'm surprised how rubbish many estate agents are, hardly any ask our position before agreeing appointments - we could be anyone!
Getting weekend appointments are tricky because they claim to be busy - they use that line on everyone it seems, however the one we are currently dealing with and having issues due to a useless seller is great. The only time we could view the house with our builder was last minute on a Friday and at lunch time. They abandoned their rules of 2 people in the office, one lady met us there (ate her lunch) whilst we looked round. She's been chasing the seller pretty much daily for us. If your in Lincolnshire I'll happily let you know who they are because whilst we haven't completed they appear the most professional and willing to earn their money

[wowfudge]

When we were selling our house there were only a couple of viewings in the week the whole time it was on the market. The majority were at weekends.

When you are working full time the most efficient way of organising viewings is to have several on the same day and for both of you, if you are a couple, to go together. That's exactly what we did as buyers.

The best EA staff aren't actually the ones who conduct viewings ime - they are the ones who deal with sales progression. We pretty much wrote our own sales particulars because the EA just fell back on the usual meaningless crap. But they did conduct all but two viewings of about a dozen.

We decided not to use one EA when we found out their sales progression team, although inhouse, were in a call centre servicing several branches rather than in branch.

[KittyKrap]

I went by reviews for my EA and chose a slighter higher end one than I should have. It sold in less than a month, this was despite a leak appearing in a ceiling which then fell down. The house was empty btw! They followed up every viewing with me and suggested recommendations. Utterly brilliant.

When we were viewing to buy the one we ended up with it was like an empty show house, you couldn't believe a family lived here.

[ThroughThickAndThin01]

I wouldnt worry about ea sending inappropriate viewers; if I wanted to look at a house near a busy road or railway line and the ea pointed it out, I'd still want to look to see if I could live with them.

Hang tight OP, it hasn't been long.

[nonicknameseemsavailable]

I think people nowadays expect properties to sell in a very short amount of time.

out of interest it might not be so much the location, is it possible do you think to do more in your garden to erm not cover up the proximity to the railway line/road but to disguise it/lesson the impact of it? Could you put in some bamboo (ideally not the sort that spreads like wildfire) or brush screening type fence (is that what it is called? kind of looks like a woven mat) with something pretty in front of it - lessen noise pollution, make it look nicer? You might have something like this already but it was your comment that when you show them the garden they lose interest that made me think perhaps you aren't "dressing" the garden the best you could. Imagine you are on one of the property programmes and what you think they might say.

[wowfudge]

OP - I replied to your pm.

[thesnailandthewhale]

Top of my sons requirements for our new house is backing onto a railway line - he has asd and is train obsessed, your house would be his idea of heaven, so hang in there, someone will come along