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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:
beanlet · 15/05/2011 21:52

Oh, we've just sacked 'em. Our new EA says they've had a steady stream of deserters through their door recently. Apparently our ex-EAs don't bother to market anything properly if it's less than half a million - they just bung it on rightmove.

GnomeDePlume · 15/05/2011 22:56

Well done for sacking them. Some Estate Agents really do have an over inflated sense of their own importance. When we sold our first development house we got all the EAs in to value. DH said that it got embarassing as I got so annoyed I harangued most of them on the crapness of their details and their general approach to house selling. IMO I was simply offering them constructive advice - I should have been charging them!

The estate agent we eventually went for (and have worked with since) was a local mid range EA. I like their attitude, I like their details. The whole team is good. I would happily recommend them to others.

MrsCholmondleyWarner · 16/05/2011 09:04

The whole buying/selling process sucks!

We've accepted an offer from a chain free buyer and our mortgage is agreed (yey!) but the house we've had our eye on for a few weeks has just been "reserved" for someone else while they put their place on the market Angry

Am pretty sure the EA's have talked the seller of the house we like into it as it's double bubble for them (they're selling both). We've leaflet dropped them (and loads of other houses in the small area we want to buy in) but can't see there's much more we can do for now. Anyone else have any suggestions?

None of the other places we viewed this weekend were right for us. Either too small (and not possible to extend), too odd layout (which couldn't easily be changed) or too far from great school (with obligatory tiny catchment area)

Right, off to pester more EA's....

Housemare · 16/05/2011 10:24

Knock on the door.
Seriously, tell them you are chain free and can move when they want .
this is how I have bought a house in the past

Original poster
Pinkjenny · 18/05/2011 13:01

Well, we have a second viewing on Saturday and I am sending them round with the EA. Will feedback on how it goes.

OP posts:
GnomeDePlume · 18/05/2011 16:00

That is excellent news! I will have fingers, toes and eyes crossed for you.

MrsCholmondleyWarner · 20/05/2011 23:21

Fingers crossed for you here too, pinkjenny.

Our buyer now wants us to exchange with him ASAP despite the fact that we haven't found anywhere to buy yet, so we'll effectively be out of kilter with any onward chain. He says we can just agree a date for completion nearer the time.

Sounds v risky to me!! Trying not to worry about it until it becomes an issue but will be doing another round of leaflet drops tomorrow.

The last house that came on the market in the area was too small for us, but they got an asking price offer in 4 days Shock Doesn't seem to be any sort of housing crash around here...

Honneybunny · 21/05/2011 08:53

Got my fingers (and toes) crossed here for you as well, pinkjenny.
We are waiting to hear back from two viewings we had on Thursday (agent showing them around).

Honneybunny · 23/05/2011 20:15

so how did it go, pinkjenny ? hope it went well.

we got back feedback from our thursday viewings. both positive, but no offers for various reasons. we saw a house too on sat, that all four of us liked very much. and we are getting another viewing tomorrow. fingers crossed. could do with some good vibes.

Original poster
Pinkjenny · 24/05/2011 15:30

Update from us:

They 'love' the house, but have decided to mull it over for a few days Hmm

The house we originally wanted has had an offer on it, which has been rejected, so we're just waiting to see whether they will increase.

OP posts:
hksi · 24/05/2011 15:53

We've had a few of those!! Wait anxiously for a few days and they never reappear!!! Hopefully you'll have better luck!!

Becaroooo · 25/05/2011 12:28

OK ladies....

I have a second viewing at 2pm - cash buyer who came round yesterday and is coming back with friend in tow today. Its between mine and another in the next town....gulp.

Prayers/vibes/fingers crossed please!!!! Smile

JoJoMummy321 · 25/05/2011 15:37

Hi All,
Am feeling slightly sick after reading all your posts! We are about to embark on a move from Scotland to SE - DH new job in Fleet so we will be looking around that area.

DH new jobs starts in April 2012 but DD and I could if need be stay in Scotland until new school year starts in September 2012.

I think we are going to get the house on the market in July to give us plenty of time. Our house is lovely (IMO) however it is a conversion and wouldn't appeal to everyone.

Anyway, to get to the point...

  1. Can anyone living/selling/buying in the Fleet, Farnham say 10 mile radius, give me any information as to whether houses are selling in these areas for what I am seeing them advertised on right move at? Or are they going for less/more? Just for my budgeting...I'm getting very worried.

ALSO

Anyone selling in Scotland with any advice/information?

Thanks very much and sorry to barge in....

noddyholder · 25/05/2011 16:32

We are about to sell. Agent says we will have an offer within 2 weeks Yeah right. May print this off and show him

tyler80 · 25/05/2011 17:55

JoJoMummy321 go to nethouseprices and look up sold prices for past couple of months for that area and compare them to asking prices on rightmove

Honneybunny · 25/05/2011 18:03

noddyholder
that's what all the agents that came to value ours said as well.
well.. 3.5 months later...

JoJoMummy321 · 25/05/2011 18:08

Thanks for your comments. Honneybunny I hope you have some luck soon. It's such a gamble isn't it.

Noddyholder - you never know!! You could be one of the lucky ones!!

noddyholder · 25/05/2011 18:12

I am generally lucky but think they are all liars really I just don't trust them.Mind you 4 houses sold in this road and next overnight last month but I am still not counting my chickens

SparklePrincess · 25/05/2011 21:34

Im another one bashing my head against a brick wall. Angry House been on the market 8 weeks now, 2 viewings & no offers as yet. Ive reduced the price by 5k last Friday & got the agents to tweak the details, but still NOTHING!! Im a serious seller, I priced to sell from the beginning. Im now 20k under the only 2 real comparisons in the area. Its driving me nuts!! If anyone wants a nice, deceptively spacious 3 bedroom Chalet bungalow 10 minutes from the station & an hours train ride from London with excellent local schools in a lovely location for under 200k please let me know! We can do a good deal without the agents. Wink

Becaroooo · 26/05/2011 10:50

I feel your pain SP We only sold after dropping our price by 20K so we wouldnt miss out on the house we really wanted....

There are houses the similar to mine but not as big (we extended 4 years ago) and they are on for ridiculous amounts...like £40k over what we sold for!!!

Really hope you get a buyer soon!

openerofjars · 26/05/2011 11:00

Hi, this thread strikes a chord!

We've been on the market since March 2010. Our house is not lovely but it is very cheap. We are at the bottom of the market round here: you can't really get 3 beds for cheaper unless it is a ruin or under a flyover. We are hoping to sell to a buy-to-let landlord or first time buyer or, well anyone, really.

However, because it is a buyer's market, we are getting offers a) from the woman across the road who want all her kids living on the same street as her but seems to think we'll accept 20k under our already tiny asking price b) from sad divorcing men in their sixties who don't fancy negotiating our steep staircase in ten years' time but really need a chat - one stayed for an hour - and c) from nice young couples who take one look at our ancient kitchen and think "there goes our holiday budget for the next five years.

It is a 3-bed terrace and one couple asked us where the second bathroom was.

So, we are going to do up the kitchen now. There goes our moving deposit...

SparklePrincess · 26/05/2011 11:39

Thanks Becaroooo. I think if get nothing this weekend im going to ditch my agents & start again with some others. Glad you got the house you wanted in the end. :)

Sorry to hear youre in the same boat openerofjars. Are you taking your house off the market now then? I really wouldn't spend much money doing anything to the kitchen if you still plan to sell, buyers will still offer the same regardless. Big hugs. :)

Becaroooo · 26/05/2011 12:41

open Have you thought of just maybe new flooring, new doors on your units and a lick of paint in your kitchen??? There are loads of companies that will come at replace the cupboard doors and kick boards a a reasonable cost....dont spend too much! Kitchen tiles can be painted (we did it - its a pain but they do look better afterwards)

SP Thats what we did...the first EAs were a joke! They were sending people round to view who wanted things we dont have!!! (garage for example...) but the worst was sending people to view whose houses werent even on the market yet!!!! aargh.......

We went with another more local agent who knows the area well and we did get 2 viewings at the higher price but tbh they were both 1st time buyers and would probably only have offered the price we have agreed on anyway...

Original poster
Pinkjenny · 26/05/2011 13:20

SP - 8 weeks? We've been on the market since last July!

Our Estate Agents told us it would 'sell like that clicks fingers' when they came to value it.

OP posts:
myron · 26/05/2011 16:52

Now, would any of you on this thread accept 6% below asking price from a no chain buyer cos we've just had our offer refused 'emphactically.' (bitter)