To not be able to deal with the pressure of house viewings?

[Wozzzzz]

Our house went on the market 8 weeks ago. The estate agent said in the beginning that it would be snapped up as there is huge demand in my area, but for whatever reason, this hasn't happened.

The original plan was 2 weeks of viewings, followed by 2 weeks of bidding and then sale agreed within a month of going to market (this was all from the estate agent's mouth), but here we are in week 8, still dealing with a steady stream of viewings, on average 2-3 evenings a week.

I'm finding it very stressful!! Despite keeping my house relatively clean and tidy on a day to day basis, I find the extra cleaning involved before a viewing very hard to deal with. All the worse as we are in Scotland, so the 3 DC are now on holidays, making it harder to clean and prepare. I also find it's unfair to them to have to stay in all day while I clean, and then be ferried out of the house while the viewings are on.

I don't want to face into the whole summer holidays like this. I'm on the verge of taking the house off the market because of it. I know IABU. Tell me how to make this process easier please!

Thanks for the well wishes. We need around 15% over HR. I agree that things have cooled, but I've asked the EA a number of times if it's achievable/if we're being realistic, and he keeps saying that we are. We did go back to previous bidders with a fixed price, but the interest hike had spooked them in the meantime so they wouldn't stretch.

We can't accept lower than our bottom line amount because it wouldn't make any sense, we would only have the budget then to buy a similar sized house.

We can't accept lower than our bottom line amount because it wouldn't make any sense, we would only have the budget then to buy a similar sized house.

It makes complete sense, but remember that a house is worth what people want to pay for it, and what banks agree to mortgage, not what the owner thinks they should get.

Yes but what I mean is that it wouldn't make any sense for us to do this, and therefore I would rather take the house off the market. No point taking a lower offer and going through the stress of moving just to be in a similar house.

I can accept that the house may be overpriced, but then why won't the EA just admit it?

Because they want your money

EAs ALWAYs overvalue and over egg their confidence about a sale price

Relax ! You do NOT have to present your home as if it's in a Perfect Homes magazine. You WANT viewers to see it as a family home being lived in by real people, free marketing of its USP.

No smells or loud noises.

No poo. (sight or smell) Flush the lavs, shut the lids. Keep the bathrom windows slightly open to eliminate niffs. Remove garden dog poo and litterbox cat poo.

If you've just had dinner, open the windows to let out cooking smells.

Resist using airfreshener.

No smoking , audible music or noisy screen games during a viewing.

EA will say whatever it takes to get you to sign up with them. They will wait for you to lose heart and have it come from YOU that you insist on lowering the price (to what it should have been priced at to begin with) because they wont admit they overvalued. It doesn't matter if the other house sold, the market is constantly shifting.
It's very rare that you get such a high amount for your house that you can buy better, usually it's to downsize in a better location or go further away rurally to get a bigger house. People who move on to bigger and better usually add more money like inheritance, bigger mortgage...
I would also do open days and second views for serious buyers only.

No, in Scotland it just means the closing date hasn't been set yet so any interested parties are NOT going to name their offer until that day.

Must be on too high if no offers?
We saw a house 2 weeks ago.
Made offer.
Offer accepted.
It sounds very stressful op.
Definitely let agent handle the viewings. That's what they're being paid for. In my experience as a potential buyer, dealing with the agent rather than the owner was more relaxed as you could be a bit more honest and not offend anyone.
The tidyness of a place people can see beyond. Its the bricks and mortar people want to see and the feel of the being inside the house.
Obviously if its looking a total tip is then you're shooting yourself in the proverbial foot.
Presumably the online photos showcase your house at its best. Viewings are for people to assess different things like traffic noise, railway noise, busy roads, parking on road, The Neighbourhhod and The Neighbours ....
If you're totally stressed out for July viewings then take it off and put back when kids at school in August.....
It only gets more stressful from here so I am told, so build up your personal energy for a time when you're up to it.
Good luck

@Wozz We did go back to previous bidders with a fixed price, but the interest hike had spooked them in the meantime so they wouldn't stretch.

If that bidder was me, I would feign refusal and bide my time, because changing from "offers over" to "fixed price" told me you were under pressure/panicking; and in a couple of weeks you might be willing to accept even lower than your fixed price.

The fact you're getting regular views means the price your EA suggested is the right one to attract buyers to that property.

Have you had any notes of interest?

Are there any obvious issues like a glorified closet described as a bedroom, no room to put a pram in the hall, no way to get from front to back of the house except through it, extraordinary decor?

This.

I don’t think people appreciate how much prep goes into house viewings. The cleaning and tidying etc. YANBU.

why do you say that? I bet most posters have gone through it.
I have several times, with baby and toddler, which is even more fun.

Living in what is basically a show-home for weeks is not fun.

Put it on at the fixed price you need and move to Sunday afternoon viewing (like it was in olden times).

Phil Spencer's golden rule is "kitchens and bathrooms sell houses". Installing a brand new bathroom or kitchen (if yours is old) doesn't mean you'll get more for the house but it means it will fly off the shelf and be sold for asking price and the buyer will seriously commit. I know this is true from experience. Maybe you could alternatively do a cheap makeover e.g install a new ceramic floor and paint the walls white and put in new taps so it gives the illusion of being newer.

Estate Agents don't suggest to put houses on the market at an asking price any higher than reasonable like you'd assume they would as they make commission. This is because they'd sooner sell five houses in a month and rake in the percentage commission of all five than sell one and rake in a marginally higher percentage commssion for that one and even risk not selling the others at all. This suggests to me it is the correct asking price.

I feel for you as it's stressful having people in your personal space. It seems you have had a lot of interest I hope it gets sold soon!

No extraordinary decor or glorified closets.
here, the whole house was renovated 6 years ago with an extension added and new bathrooms and kitchen installed. It's a very calm and neutral space (when I'm not rushing around stressing got get it being ready). We've also hired a storage unit and have moved a lot of 'stuff' out already so it definitely isn't cluttered.

As for the offers, as I've already said, none are high enough to accept, and there has been piecemeal bidding but it's going so slow, and bidders keep dropping out with new ones picking up. It's very frustrating.

I was hoping for more advice on how to stress less about the whole thing, but have mostly gotten advice to accept an offer or that the house is overpriced 😁 Will have to ask EA again, I imagine he'll say that it's not, but I do agree that it seems as though it is.

We opted to buy a new house and move in so we could redecorate our empty flat and do viewings once we'd moved out. We had 2 under 5s and keeping the house decluttered for viewings just wasn't possible. Only possible because we had other funds we could use as a deposit for the new house.

In terms of viewings I would either pick one or two days a week you're happy to accept viewings, or do an open house with a short closing date for bids.

Ooh I'd love to be able to move out and then sell this as empty! Unfortunately it's not an option for us though, even the rental market where I live is nuts, and you can't rent a 3 bed for love nor money. 2 bed rentals are ££££

@Mumtothreegirlies · Today 19:12
My husband runs an estate agents and he says the agent has probably over valued your house

That is unlikely in Scotland. Every seller in Scotland has to provide a detailed Home Report by an independent chartered surveyor, which includes his professional valuation of it. The surveyor, not the estate agent, values the house.

Every viewer has free access to the HR and surveyors valuation. The HR valuation is a natural brake on whatever price the estate agent suggests.

https://www.mygov.scot/buying-a-home/home-report

From the other side I've been viewing a constant stream of houses for months and couldn't be less interested in how tidy or show-home like your house is. In fact I find it a bit off putting as we're so messy I find it harder to imagine what it will be like when our chaos and clutter move in if it's too perfect. I'd relax a bit and let them take you as they find you. It probably won't really make any difference to whoever buys it in the end so you may as well give yourself less stress to deal with.

They wont admit they overpriced it, they will wait until you give up and insist on reducing the price. This is their tactic.

Just tell the EA viewings once a week only.

How much time do you get to prepare for a viewing? If you're rushing around trying to prepare, is your EA giving you enough time?

Trying to sell a house when there are children living in it is a miserable experience. I second the suggestions to have viewings only on two specific days per week so you can feel more in control of your life and the DCs don't get too discombobulated.

Going by what you have said keep the price as is. If someone wants it and is happy to pay then great. If you aren’t in a hurry limit how many inspections you will have until school goes back. Don’t worry if it’s not perfect, just make all the beds, give it a quick surface clean and get a box you can throw all the random crap that gets left lying around in hide it in a cupboard. Once it’s over you can tell your family anything left in the box goes in the bin that night. Sit down, feet up with a cup of tea and enjoy 10 minutes of having a clean house.