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Original poster

Is anyone else trying to sell a house and feels like poking themselves in the eye with a sharp stick?

283 replies

Pinkjenny · 04/05/2011 14:37

House has been on the market since July. We have changed estate agents, which obviously made no difference as it's not a new instruction. Am sick of it all, sick of the pointless viewers, sick of the useless feedback, sick of always being pipped at the post, sick of the market, sick of my house.

OP posts:
Fimbo · 12/05/2011 17:05

We had that feedback PinkJenny, then ours was the only one they came back to for a second viewing and they bought it. Don't give up on them yet.

Housemare · 12/05/2011 18:43

Also, people always think they can do better then after seeing a dozen often realise they can't and come back to yours!

QueentessentialExcel · 13/05/2011 07:56

I also think it takes a lot longer to realize that a particular house is the "right" one, if they have to use their mental abilities and imagination (or lack thereof) to strip a house bare, redecorate and mentally add their own furniture. With a minimalist house, bare of clutter, this process is easy, they can see it straight away. Househunting is such an effort, that if a vendor have done half the job for you, ie stripped their house down to bare essentials, it is easier to see both how big it is, and how their own style, furniture will fit. Personally, I have a hard time seeing past books, clothes, clutter, laundry, toys, etc.

Original poster
Pinkjenny · 13/05/2011 10:53

My house is not cluttered at all, honestly. I can't stand clutter. I'd link to the details to prove it but I'm not that brave Grin

OP posts:
Original poster
Pinkjenny · 13/05/2011 10:54

mathanxiety - I agree with your assessment, tbh.

OP posts:
angel1976 · 13/05/2011 11:26

We are about to exchange on our house sale (fingers crossed!) but I've been there... On the market for 4 months before we go an offer, and it's taken another 4 months to get to exchange stage. And are now waiting for the people we are buying off to pick a f**king date Still, I'm not counting my chickens before they hatch!

We live in SE London and the amount of useless feedback we had... Too far from the station (look at the freaking maps you fools!) is a common one as house is truly as immaculate as you can get with two little ones! And the number of people who don't bother showing.

Housemare I agree with you. We saw the house we are buying very early on and made a low offer as we felt it was vastly overpriced. We then saw quite a few more houses in the area and realised our first offer was really too low and we went back with a higher offer. In the end, we got it for what we think it's worth. But it took us seeing a few more houses before we realised what we could compromise on and what we couldn't and that was the best house we could get for our money!

I don't want to get into a house price debate but London does seem to still exist in a bubble of sorts. Where we are looking is very popular with young families due to the excellent state primary schools and transport links and with areas like that, houses seem to still fly off the shelf despite their rather hefty tags...

Go on pinkjenny. Post it, you know you want to! Grin

GnomeDePlume · 13/05/2011 11:42

I can confirm that PJs house is completely clutter free!

Original poster
Pinkjenny · 13/05/2011 12:42

I would post it, but because I want to move so much, I bloody hate it, and it's so far removed from how my new house will look

OP posts:
angel1976 · 13/05/2011 13:06

pinkjenny Don't be silly, you wouldn't be moving if you love your current house right? [grins]

Original poster
Pinkjenny · 13/05/2011 13:36

Angel - have PM'd you.

OP posts:
angel1976 · 13/05/2011 14:06

Thanks pinkjenny! Made me day to have something to nosey around... Grin I think it's a lovely house in that it's a perfect home for a young family but I guess therein lies the problem, they are the people who can't get a mortgage etc. I can't comment on price as I don't know your area as well but a house like that round where we were would easily cost 3x that! While I am excited at the prospect of us moving into a new house soon, I am so not looking forward to our new mortgage ... Hmm

mathanxiety · 13/05/2011 15:56

'...I want to move so much, I bloody hate it...'

Try not to let the living in limbo aspect of it get to you. It is a horrible state of affairs to have to put up with. Very stressful, as you will realise once the deal is done and history -- the stress creeps up on you.

Original poster
Pinkjenny · 13/05/2011 15:59

Grin angel

math - that is the problem. I don't want to do anything to it, because we are losing enough on it, so I just hate it, because there are so many things I would be doing if we were staying iyswim

OP posts:
GnomeDePlume · 13/05/2011 16:12

Pinkjenny do you have to move? A move is going to cost you around £5000. What would you do to your house for £5000 and would it make you want to stay there?

Original poster
Pinkjenny · 13/05/2011 16:15

We will have to move by the time dd goes to secondary school when she is 11, otherwise we will be outside the catchment area for the secondary school that most of her primary friends will be going to. So, as she is only 4yo, we have a 7 year deadline.

So, no, we don't have to move right now, we just want to. And I think that because we have found the house that we want to buy, and I have moved in inside my head and decorated every room, that is making it feel more urgent.

OP posts:
Honneybunny · 13/05/2011 21:33

feel your pain !
same here: i already know where all the furniture will go in my dreamhouse Grin
how about we send some good vibes eachother's way then pinkjenny? might work?

i do actually really love my house, particularly now it is nice and clean and crisp. it is looking the best it has looked since we moved in. this makes it even harder to understand why no one else seems to love it quite as much...
also do not need to move. we are actually in the catchment for the secondary school (ds 7 and 5), but we have seen and fallen in love with a great house with a lovely garden that would be a great improvement on our current house, and the forever house, and within our budget (with a bit of luck).

7to25 · 14/05/2011 19:31

I'm sorry to be nasty, I know that selling is horrible, having sold seven houses in various financial climates, but the valuation is not what any surveyor or estate agent deems it to be, it is what somebody is prepared to pay. What have comparable properties sold for in the location? Actually sold. And what are comparable properties priced at now?
I have a few tips for selling after getting the price right:
When viewings occur the house should be absolutely pristine....I have six children and if I can do it then anyone can! Note that I said during viewings.
Put about a third of your furniture into storage.
No children's toys on view.
No photographs on display.
No unfinished DIY
No pets or children in the house, have the agent show it while you go out with the dog and the pram if needs be.
Lose the bright/strong wall colours
Two items only out in the kitchen
I realise all these things are very petty, but then so are buyers and they are also lacking in vision or imagination

pinkytheshrinky · 14/05/2011 19:39

I am trying to buy a house and honestly it has been a nightmare... so little on the market and pipped to the post by a cash buyer twice! I feel your pain ladies it is a long and arduous process.

siasl · 15/05/2011 14:06

The inability to sell a house is almost certainly about one factor: price. Same as any other asset.

As a current cash buyer (my DH and I have two other houses but we need a family home), pots of freshly brewed coffee and a few sticks in a vase isn't going to have any impact on financial decision. I don't care if it's a bit messy ... I'd much prefer a few more percent of the price thanks!

GnomeDePlume · 15/05/2011 14:46

I'm not sure I entirely agree with you siasl. Having recently bought and sold a couple of bungalows I think there is also a 'something else' in the mix. That something else will depend on a number of factors:

  • age/health of the potential buyer. If someone is older or infirm they tend not to want to do things themselves so will be attracted by a completed house more than a bargain wreck. This is about comfort and convenience.

  • relocators want a house that is ready now

  • location. It doesnt matter how cheap a house is in a particularly bad area it wont sell in a normal house market - chances are it will only sell as a rental machine

  • mortgageability - a wreck may be a bargain but wont sell except at a builder's price if buyers cant mortgage it.

Take the last house we bought. It needed complete renovation. For us price was important but so was the speed of transaction. We wouldnt have accepted a £2000 reduction if there had been a long chain.

When we sold the house it wasnt the cheapest on the market instead it offered something which could be perceived as good value and also convenience. The chain ended with us. As a comparison there is a bungalow a few doors down which has also been renovated by the owner. It is on for the same price as ours was on for. We sold within a month of going on the market, theirs is still for sale. The difference was that ours was empty. Price isnt the only thing.

I think the length chain is important in this market. We are starting to talk about downsizing when the children leave home. I expect that we will buy something, renovate it, move in and then renovate this house and sell it empty. It does remove a huge amount of the stress if the chain is starting or ending with you.

SybilBeddows · 15/05/2011 14:57

I'm sure presentation makes a difference. I agree price is the main thing but we are not purely rational creatures.

lots of the elements of choosing your house are about irrational things like the 'feel' of the house, and such things as smells operate at a subconscious level. Obviously if a house is 10k overpriced, you're not going to convince a buyer to pay that by sticks in a vase and ground coffee, but if you have a visceral reaction against a house (eg one we looked at with pets in every room and consequent poo in cages etc) it is hard to convince yourself you really want it even if rationally you feel it is a good deal.

siasl · 15/05/2011 15:34

Gnome: I was beng a bit flippant. The factors you discuss are valid. In some cases they can be reflected in the price but in other cases a factor like speed of execution can be the priority.

However, I find that people really seem to believe some of the "property porn" shows (Kirsty Allsop etc), and that a pot of fresh coffee, a few vases with flowers is somehow going to add tens of thousands of £ to their property value.

I'm sure there are gullible people who might fall for these tricks but generally speaking I couldn't give a damn. My DH and I own two houses (rented out) but need to buy family home. Neither of us are very sentimental about houses (I don't get the idea of "falling in love" with a house ... its just bricks and mortar). As cash buyers we're just looking for the best deal that ticks the boxes.

GnomeDePlume · 15/05/2011 20:13

siasl I agree with you about being pragmatic about houses. I have never got the concept of a 'forever house'. I have moved too often for that! I think the trick is finding the happy medium. It's important to be 'best in show'. Different people will value different things.

Are you registered with (and cuddled up close to) estate agents in your area? Our last house never even had a 'for sale' board up when the estate agent asked us if we were interested in viewing. They handle a lot of probate property and this one needed to get sold quickly. Interestingly the EA didnt even bother putting a 'sold' board up.

beanlet · 15/05/2011 20:23

Just had to share the dumbest feedback we've had in 18 months of trying to sell (apart from "where can I build my loft extension" - the ad says it's a LISTED building, people!).

Woman failed to show up for her viewing. EA rang her and she said that she'd driven past and "there was no parking" so she decided then and there not to bother with the viewing.

If she'd bothered coming in we would have showed her the private parking round the back...

GnomeDePlume · 15/05/2011 20:59

Errr... before the viewer I would be taking the horsewhip to the EA. What the clucking bell was the EA doing! EAs are hardly rushed off their feet right now. The EA should have explained the private parking and been there to show the viewer the way.

Some estate agents are good but some really are a waste of clean underwear.