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Original poster

Help..I can't sell my house!!! Any experience of those chain-breaking companies??

22 replies

poppiesmum · 17/09/2006 19:25

To cut a long story short, we're moving, or at least we're trying to. House has been on the market since March, and as we don't have parking, it's putting people off.

Dh has already started his new job so we're apart for most of the week, and we've seen a house we like, but can't make an offer until we've sold ours.

Has anyone got ony experience of companies like National Homebuyers who buy your house? I know they pay less than market value, but what are they really like and is it worth investigating, or should we just hang on??

It's driving me crazy at the moment.

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StrawberryMoon · 17/09/2006 19:29

change agent(where are you?) or go multi agency so they will fight to get money from your sale..ask for fedback from viwers to see what you can put right..make sure no one is parked in front of house when people come and big up the garden, how quiet the area is, never had a concern for your car if they bring it up.
think about dropping price even by £500..go to nethouseprices.com and check out what other hosues in your street have sold for..get someone to ring your current agent asking about houses in your area..see how well they 'sell' yours!..good luck..i know how you fell!

Original poster

poppiesmum · 17/09/2006 19:39

Thanks strawberry - have already dropped price and changed agent (we're in Bristol). Reason for no parking is we're on a main road - which does;t help things either! Feedback has been really positive - lovely house, nicely decorated, loads of character (300 year old cottage), but sadly they didn't build garages and driveways back then

Good idea about getting friend to ring the agent - I'll try that tomorrow! On the multi-agency thing..what % do they charge if you're not sole agent?

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StrawberryMoon · 17/09/2006 19:46

well your prob out of contract now anyway, but who ever sells you just pay there normal fee..no more.good luck!

bananaloaf · 17/09/2006 20:05

dont go to the national homebuyers, was on tv and they will give you much less than market value. is there anyway you could create off street parking?

cleaninglady · 17/09/2006 20:11

be careful with multi agency as sometimes they charge a higher percentage if they dont have sole agency fees - happened to a friend of mine! otherwise can you push the agent a bit more - maybe "house of the week" in newspaper and if your really desperate maybe post it on other house selling internet sites (think some cost about £50?) people buy more houses through seeing them on the internet nowadays apparently ! another friend posted her house on a talk forum not unlike this and sold it privately so you never know..... good luck

Bucketsofdinosaurs · 17/09/2006 20:11

Big up the local public transport, don't let on if you have 2 cars - say how much money you've saved not using the car so much.

Original poster

poppiesmum · 17/09/2006 20:12

No way at all - have to park on a street a little way up the road. It's never been a problem for us, but I can see why it puts people off. Our neighbours who have drives have been generous letting us park there from time to time, but we can't even park outside our home! We have a small courtyard area outside of house, between us and the path, but think we'd be pushing it to get a car on there!

We're not looking in to National Homebuyers as we've seen the press about them too, but there are lots of similar companies around.

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Original poster

poppiesmum · 17/09/2006 20:16

Thanks cleaninglady - I did think they charge more for joint agency. I'll look into private selling (just if anyone is interested in buying a beautiful character cottage in a lovely village just 7 miles between Bristol and Bath, pls let me know !!!! )

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LIZS · 17/09/2006 20:18

Probably the contract just rolls on though, Strawberry Moon. Our sale just fell through and we expected to be able to start over again and reserve the right to go multi but we're actually still tied in to 4 weeks notice.. Have been trying to sell since January.

tbh I suspect all such companies are out to make a quick buck so you will not get anywhere near your current asking price (their profit margin). Can you find a new hosue where the developer may do part exchange ? As to the OSP/garage thing - are ther any nearby to rent. Even if you don't have it now if you can suggest how much it may cost to get somewhere close it may help. Also have any other houses in the street applied to drop the kerb and create OSP, setting a precedent ?

Original poster

poppiesmum · 17/09/2006 20:25

Thanks LIZS - loads of great ideas, but as the road is an A road (it just gets better doesn't it!) then OSP is unlikely, but I'll look into it, everything is worth a try.

Good luck with re-selling your home, it's so depressing isn't it? I can see why it's one of the top 3 stressful things you can do - along with having a baby!!!

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Sunnysideup · 17/09/2006 20:48

Poppiesmum, we got to thinking about the Homebuyers thing as our house took ages to sell; they pay way less than market value; I believe they would have given us around £135,000 and our house was up for £185,000.

You won't want to hear this but I think when a nice house is up for ages and doesn't sell, it's a price thing.

We dropped our price £15,000 in the end but at the new low price it sold within 3 days! and had been on at £185, then £179, reducing to £175 for MONTHS.

OK, maybe you could say it's the road putting people off, the parking or whatever; but bascially if it's a bargain someone will buy it. I'd go down the road of knocking a chunk of yourselves rather than the homebuying companies as you will get way, way less.

It all depends how desperate you are to sell/how much you have to clear on the deal....best wishes, I feel for you as remember the stress!

Original poster

poppiesmum · 17/09/2006 20:52

Sunny - I don't disagree with you - however, our agent is happy with the price, and feedback from viewers is that it's not the price that's the problem, but yes, I'm sure if we reduced it to a silly price it would sell - another consideration! Agghhhhh - nightmare!!

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cleaninglady · 17/09/2006 21:01

our house is on an A road and one of the reasons we bought it as no neighbours and no kids playing outside so theres always someone will want it no matter what - everyone can cope with a compromise its just finding the right person and if the price is right already then it will go eventually! If you dont mind me asking how much is it on for? could you offer to pay stamp duty as an incentive maybe?

cleaninglady · 17/09/2006 21:03

forgot to ask! do you have a car and if so where do you park it? or when you have visitors/deliveries etc where do they park?

Sunnysideup · 17/09/2006 21:12

poppies, that's EXACTLY what we had from our agent - they continually said the price was ok and that no-one had mentioned in their feedback that it was too expensive........

but I'm sure your house would sell eventually, it's just that we HAD to get moving to get to our new area so that DS would be in the catchment for his new school and couldn't hang around any longer. If you can wait then why not!

Saturn74 · 17/09/2006 21:16

We sold our house by email last year! We sold it to a housing association. Worked out well for us, as we were going to replace the kitchen and bathroom before we sold, but we lowered the selling price instead and they did it! We contacted the local council, who gave us a list of housing associations. After a bit of negotiation over price via email, they visited the house, agreed a sale, and it was all done within 6 weeks. They had their own in-house legal team, which meant it all went through quickly. Might be worth a try?

cleaninglady · 17/09/2006 21:18

apologies poppiesmum - read your early post about parking - well at least theres an option of somewhere to park!

Original poster

poppiesmum · 17/09/2006 21:19

Cleaninglady - we do have a car and park it on a street about a 2 min walk along the road. The hous is on for 199,950 - difficult to see what other houses sell for in the area as they vary on size and accomodation so much, and there's been little movement lately. The detached house next door but one (also on the road but with osp) has just sold for 299,950. If you want a house in the village, ours is the cheapest!

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Original poster

poppiesmum · 17/09/2006 21:20

Humphreycushion - not thought of that one! Cheers!

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cleaninglady · 17/09/2006 21:31

well its better to be the cheapest in the best area rather than the most expensive in the worst! has anyone looked at your house objectively who would give an honest opinion ? IME i wouldnt trust estate agents as far as i could throw them!

StrawberryMoon · 18/09/2006 09:47

how about auction then?..near us there are many agents who sell and auction properties..one comes to mind - kieth pattinsons- and think theyre national??

roadrun · 25/10/2015 16:27

Just came across this thread because my Aunty has just had experiences of a lot of the companies mentioned and while she had not good dealings with most of them she did have dealings with one not mentioned.
My Aunty inherited a Apartment in Liverpool, she put it on the market to sell and it sold quickly, but the sale fell through as there was an absentee Freeholder, she approached some of the above mentioned companies and one called 365 Property Buyers, who didn't offer the most.
She went with one of the above mentioned companies and they messed her about, so went back to 365 Property Buyers who did not mess her around, kept to their word and paid what they had offered in just 14 days.
So although some of these cash buyer companies are scam artists this particular company offered a good service.
Funnily enough she looked at the auction company you mentioned, who will auction it for free, what they didn't say was the buyer needs to pay £6000 fee!!!
365 property buyer didn't charge a fee and also paid my aunties legal fees, so don't knock all of these companies there are good as well as bad.

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