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Original poster

Selling a flat what would you do? help please LONG RANT ALERT

34 replies

KangaMummy · 10/10/2004 12:54

DH AUNT died jan 2004 leaving flat east sussex, overlooking sea. Estate is between RNLI and CANCER, solicitors are exectutors, DH only relative left.

Solicitors got 3 values £75,000 to £82,950. They chose estate agent to sell for £75,000.

EA website is awful BUT he says no one looks at them anyway, and that he has never sold house/flat because someone saw on website!!! Given how bad theirs is not surprized.

Did you see your property on website then go to see it?

He says we need to put it down to £69,950 otherwise we will not sell, but as it going to charity we do not want to do this. We feel it is wrong. It is obviously chain free and we are not in hurry.

He says the market is falling!!! IS IT???

He says he has had numerous people in to look which we do not believe anyway BUT why did they not make an offer if they liked it but it was too much?

If we agree to put it down will it get knocked down anyway?

BTW we have never bought or sold a house before as we live in the house DH grew up in.

The EA was really rude to DH yesterday and was trying to bully DH to agree with him.

What would you do? Ask solicitors to change to another agent?

Drop the price?

Ask if they are showing someone round that they can make offer?

Would you look round a flat that was above your price range and then try to get it cheaper?

How important would night storage heaters be to you? Would you want to rip them out for CH? I thas UPVC windows. The bathroom and kitchen could be updated but are OK to live with.

The EA had not got anyone to clean it before taking people round so DH got the key and cleaned it. We live over 100 miles away.

Although it has great views of sea and coast EA refuses to put the photos on website or in literature. WHY?

Sorry have just realized this is sooooooo long

OP posts:
WideWebWitch · 10/10/2004 12:57

Change agent. They are crap and giving you a crap service. Go to another who will market it well and sell it for you.

Lisa78 · 10/10/2004 12:59

Agree, get another agent and quick

foxinsocks · 10/10/2004 13:01

I can't give you advice on everything but we went to look at a house that had been left to charity. The estate agents said it had been on the market for ages - we actually bought the house next door and the 'charity' one stayed on the market for ages! These estate agents were quite good but I think because they don't have 'clients' pushing them - asking them feedback from viewers etc. they don't take it as seriously as a 'normal' sale.

Personally, I would put a rocket up the agent's backside and if there's not improvement, get the solicitor's to change agents. I do know that round here, the agent's have had to drop prices but in my opinion, the prices were never that realistic in the first place. The market is definitely not as good as it was last year.

SoupDragon · 10/10/2004 13:02

Definitely change agents. They are supposed working FOR YOU ffs!

We bought our house after seeing it on the agent's website (actually either rightmove or findaproperty rather than the specific agent).

And agents round here always mention "far reaching views" if applicable.

CleanKittyCat · 10/10/2004 13:04

Right so DH's aunt dies and left flat to DH? Or willed it to be sold and proceeds to go to charities? If latter as Dh is only living relative doesn't he have choice over agents used? Solicitors not necessarily wanting best deal only to get it over and done with quickly so going for smaller price. If you disagree you can get it changed.

If flat is in good condition and is now obvoiusly cleaned EA has no reason not to put in on web site unless he has nothing but this kind of property on his books.

Storage heaters are liked by some people. I personally like CH but I work from home o need heat all through day.

anorak · 10/10/2004 13:04

I don't understand why the solicitors chose the lowest valuation. It is normal in such situations to go with the middle one.

I certainly don't see why your dh should tolerate rudeness and abuse from the agents. I would definitely ask the solicitors to change agents. This agent sounds totally rubbish to me.

You might find that the solicitors and agents work together (they do sometimes have an arrangement where they pass customers on to one another). But I assume the solicitors are acting under your dh's instructions, so if he tells them to change the agent that is what they have to do.

However if the solicitor is the executor then why is your dh involved anyway? It is a shame the aunt didn't appoint your dh executor so that he could ensure the charity receives as much as possible. Perhaps she didn't want him to have the hassle.

GeorginaA · 10/10/2004 13:06

Yes, because we were moving out of area, we heavily relied on websites (mainly rightmove) to choose properties to view. I would class website advertising as important for other out of area viewers. Then again, if the likely market for the flat is for an elderly person, then they would be less likely to do research on the internet.

It does appear to be a very slow market at the moment, at least it does around here. Perfectly good houses near us have been on the market for months now - just no interest. I think you are going to have to have the added value to sell in this market - keeping it clean and appealing I would say would be high priority. Doubt the storage heaters would have as much impact, tbh.

I agree that you'd be better off with a different estate agent, although I doubt you'd find one that is prepared to coordinate cleaning. Perhaps arrange for a cleaning agency (such as Molly Maids) to go around fortnightly? They're usually fully insured and can be trusted with a key. A good estate agent may be able to recommend a local firm that is trustworthy and organise a key copy with your authorisation.

Original poster
KangaMummy · 10/10/2004 13:07

thanks I will tell DH when he gets home, this agent was so rude yesterday but we don't really know anything about houses so felt he had upper hand IYSWIM

So is the normal thing for, if someone comes to see a flat/house that the agent should ring up and say what they liked or didn't about the property?

EA said yesterday if we did not agree to drop price he was going to take it off market and put on again in spring so does that mean that it can then go off with him and then on with another?

OP posts:
anorak · 10/10/2004 13:09

How outrageous Estate agents are supposed to act on your instructions not lay the law down to you.

This one would be getting a large slice of tongue pie from me by now. How the hell do they stay in business?

GeorginaA · 10/10/2004 13:18

Thought of another option. It might be worth hiring an EA who also has a rental management arm on the side. Partly because they can also arrange maintenance on the property while waiting to sell it (the cleaning side) and partly because quite often they will recommend properties on the market to their buy-to-let contacts. It's in their interest to push the deal through because not only will they get their commission for the sale, they'll then get their fees for managing the property while it's being let out also.

Original poster
KangaMummy · 10/10/2004 13:22

OK I seemed to have caused some confusion. I was trying to make it short.

DH is the only relative so the estate is partly to him but mostly to charity. she thought DH had enough on his plate with work etc that her solicitors should look after everything she was not an "OLD" person she was very young at heart and did not expect to die ie she was not ill but then suddenly had stroke.

The solicitors are hopeless as well and insist on spending money ie paying to have locks changed instead of waiting for DH to post the keys to them.

They have agreed with DH that DH can liase with EA about the flat.

We just want the most money as it is our aim to fund a research prodject for CANCER and to buy new equipment for RNLI and the more money the more we can buy.

OP posts:
Original poster
KangaMummy · 10/10/2004 13:26

The flat is up 2 flights of stairs and the other flats [2] are owned by one man who rents them out but does not want to buy the top one.

The flat is now clean as DH spent a long time cleaning it.

It is empty ATM just curtains and carpets etc.

OP posts:
JJ · 10/10/2004 13:37

KangaMummy, are those large charities? If so (and even if not), you might try asking them for help. Lots of large charities have an arm for dealing with gifts from estates, so they might have experience with this sort of thing.

Are the charities called "CANCER" and "RNLI"? Sorry if I've got the wrong end of the stick.

Original poster
KangaMummy · 10/10/2004 13:48

Yes JJ one is Cancer research uk and the other ROYAL NATIONAL LIFEBOAT INSTITUTE.

So yes they are very big charities.

they have given us a list of research prodjects that need money [cancer] and a list of places that need equipment for the boats and crews, and what the equipment is so that we can choose.

We are hoping for about £50,000 for each one.

DH share is a tiny fraction of that but she was a very charity orinenteered person. So we do not mind as we know that is how she lived her life helping others.

OP posts:
Original poster
KangaMummy · 10/10/2004 13:49

Do you pay the price of a property or do you go to see one above your price range and then try to get it cheaper?

OP posts:
anorak · 10/10/2004 13:53

I would try and knock the price down a bit. After all, if you are dealing in thousands of pounds it is a lot of money to save.

When I bought the house before the one I am in now I knocked it down 10% and the vendors agreed because they wanted it sold.

With the one I am in now we paid the full asking price. The vendors had two or three other parties interested and we wanted to make sure they were going to sell to us.

pixiefish · 10/10/2004 13:55

change agents KangaMunny

pixiefish · 10/10/2004 13:55

kanga MuMMy I meant-soz

Original poster
KangaMummy · 10/10/2004 13:58

anorak did the agent suggest offering a lower price or did you?

Does it make a diffence if it says Or Near Offer?

pixiefish

OP posts:
Original poster
KangaMummy · 10/10/2004 14:02

How easy is it to change agents? Do you just say take off market to 1 and then ask another to put on market?

What is average time that should take?

I don't know if the solicitors have deal with this agent or not?

I also do not know if the EA is "FRIENDS" ie you scratch my back and I'll scratch yours.... with solicitors. I don't know how we could find that out.

OP posts:
pixiefish · 10/10/2004 14:05

Just instruct the solicitor to change EA- the solicitor shouldn't have signed anything to promise exclusivity- scratching backs shouldn't come into it as I spose it could be classed as illegal... or definetly bad practice

anorak · 10/10/2004 14:09

Normally there is a contract with the EA for a fixed length of time, ie, 1 month. After that time has elapsed you are free to change.

I am not sure but perhaps you can sever the contract earlier with written notice.

It was my idea KM to offer lower amount. Some agents will suggest it if they think it is the best chance of a quick sale but a lot of the time they don't since the lower price means lower commission for them. At the end of the day, they do have to get a sale though.

If these agents are as rude to buyers as they have been to you how do they hope to get a sale?

anorak · 10/10/2004 14:09

ONO implies that you are open to offers. But you can still haggle if ONO isn't mentioned.

Original poster
KangaMummy · 10/10/2004 14:12

That is what I wonder anorak

I am thinking of asking one of my friend that lives in neighbouring town to pretend to be a client to see what happens, how he treats her. esp if she says she saw it on website.

OP posts:
anorak · 10/10/2004 14:14

Why bother. Just change agents.