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Original poster

Is anyone slowly going mad with trying to sell a house?

176 replies

nikos · 04/08/2011 18:16

Seriously down about the whole thing. All agents round here are now admitting that things are just not moving and can't believe we might be here for the foreseeable. Anyone else down and how are you keeping your spirits up?

OP posts:
wideawakenurse · 23/08/2011 12:23

We have just reduced our price buy £15k. Totally changes what we can move to now, which is a shame as this really is our forever home.

I think will have to accept that it's not going to be what we thought.

SparklePrincess · 23/08/2011 13:04

Thanks all. :) We have not yet increased our offer. Already had the agents on the phone harassing us to increase. We said we'll call them back later.

Hopefully we get something tied up today finally.

Dont worry JoJoMummy321, things pick up after the kids go back to school generally. As long as your agent is being pro active & getting you viewings then you'll get there in the end. :)

mrshotrod · 23/08/2011 21:53

YES! as in am down about selling.
We get interest, and offers, but the people who make offers (three now) haven't sold theirs yet. Three of them!! We keep doing viewings in case we find that elusive 'cash' chain free buyer. We've already had a chain broken down when a buyer pulled out, HORRID (expensive) stressful time. (then a second buyers buyer pulled out, all stops again)
Now have 8 week old baby and toddler to tidy round. Wasn't even pregnant when we first went on market! Have reduced price also just to get more people through the door. Wish one of our 'buyers' could just sell theirs.

SparklePrincess · 23/08/2011 22:02

I cant believe people make offers until they are in a position to proceed. Hmm They are simply wasting everyone's time. Window shop, yes... compile a short list so they're ready to go when the time comes, yes.... but making offers is ridiculous!!

Doilooklikeatourist · 23/08/2011 22:16

A bit cross with our agents now. We had our first lot of viewers ( one and only ) on Saturday , heard nothing from the agent , so decided to turn into client from hell (mwahahahahah ! ) and get some feedback . Politely, obviously.
Only to be told " we left a message on her ansaphone , but she hasn't phoned back. , we never get feedback , I wish people would let us know what they think "
That's OK then .

Becaroooo · 24/08/2011 08:10

doi Time for a new agent???

We did get a no chain cash buyer BUT only after we dropped our asking price by £20k and he made our lives hell and caused us to lose out on our last purchase as - despite the fact we were all working towards a date he gave - he decided to book a holiday at the last minute.

No way of selling a hosue is stress free IMO and - right up to completion - I thought this buyer would pull out. In fact he was so awful we nearly pulled out prior to exchange!!!

We are now in a very good position to offer I.e. no chain, deposit etc but we would NEVER treat anyone the way he treated us!

CleanSheetsAndSmoothLegs · 24/08/2011 09:04

Doi, they sound like they need managing. Can you put pressure on them each time there is a viewing? Laying it on think right at the beginning about how important feedback is to you, in case it helps them remember to ask at the time, and chase up more proactively?

Bloody oven seems to have conked out here. What on earth do I do? Get it mended straight away? Or, if I get an offer, just leave it and cook on the hob till the sale is complete? Hmm, now I've typed out that second option it looks a lot more evil than it seemed in my head. And I would be really pissed off if a vendor did that to me.

drcrab · 24/08/2011 16:02

can I join in? I'm despairing and have almost just about reached the end of my tether.

We had previously sold/bought 2 years ago but everything fell through because the house that we wanted just didn't budge. In the end, even their EA rang and said 'drcrab, I think it's time you found another house' by which time of course, we'd lost our buyer and thought fine, we'll come off the market.

fast forward 2 years, and another baby (now 11 months), we put our house on the market in May, actually sell in 6 weeks (woman had only seen the house once, and loved it so much, she offered v near asking price!)...and then we started looking for our house. We found some we liked, but due to things like DH being made redundant (!!), we lost a couple of houses, but long story short, we finally found one that was in budget etc and we offered/got accepted. It's a bloody long chain but we heard today that the chain is complete!

And my buyer's now threatening to pull out. WTF?!?!?!

anyone knows why???

hksi · 24/08/2011 16:32

I feel your pain drcrab. We put our house on the Market in Feb and sold in 4 weeks. Our buyers actually were 2nd to view before we were even on internet but then their first buyer pulled out. Agreed price on house we want to buy. Forward 5 months and we've had 2 other buyers which we found when their chain broke over and over. Back with original ones and within a whisker of exchange but they go on hols next tue for 2 weeks so if all ends not tied up soon will be another wait........ Every time my phone makes any type of sound - call, email or text run like a mad thing to see if it's news!!! Feel like I'm turning into a nutter!!! Hard to enjoy anything properly as it's always there!! Finding buyer is just the start!

SparklePrincess · 25/08/2011 01:08

I feel for you drcrab. I should imagine they are threatening to pull out because its such a long chain & the chances of it all going t**s up is quite high im afraid. :(

drcrab · 25/08/2011 08:20

I fear that they've really pulled out now. Oh well...it turns out the chain's not complete (!??!) because I spent 3 hours yesterday afternoon tracking the whole damn process (something which my EA seem to not be able to do, or come back with the wrong answers)... not impressed. but I guess because my chain's not complete maybe it's ok that my buyer's pulled out... I have time to remarket!

I think it's time to have a re-haul of the way we sell houses in this country. it completely doesn't make any sense.

SparklePrincess · 25/08/2011 11:55

:( Long chains are hidious.

I agree, the system needs a major re work. Its crazy!

Still no word on my own offer. The agent is "working on it" Hmm

Becaroooo · 25/08/2011 15:37

Tbh after our (limited) experience with house buying I would not consider a house with a massive chain....we have had a sale fall through with only 2 other people in it!

drcrab · 25/08/2011 16:04

I think it doesn't help either that in this current climate there are fewer houses to choose from. Perhaps in previous 'boom times', it was ok to wait for house to sell before you go and view because you know that there'll be lots to choose from when it's time to buy...

anyways, we've got a viewing on bank holiday monday. fingers crossed!!

Becaroooo · 25/08/2011 16:08

Thats certainly our problem drcrab

We need to live in a certain village and there is very little up for sale in our price range/that dh will consider.

Also, a lot of houses there are bought by buy to let landlords and let out.

We offered £5 under asking on 2 properties over the last 2 months and were rejected on both Hmm

Looks like we are in rented til spring at least....

CleanSheetsAndSmoothLegs · 25/08/2011 17:16

Literally £5 under? Or £5k under??

Doilooklikeatourist · 25/08/2011 19:58

We had feedback on Tuesday , apparently it's the first house shes seen that she likes, but thinks the rooms are too small ...SHE'S DOWNSIZING .... Thats what happens.
However I now know where she lives ( evil stalker ? Me ? ) and it's a beautiful house in own grounds and I would find it hard to leave somewhere like that .

JoJoMummy321 · 25/08/2011 20:16

Doilooklikeatourist - well at least you got some feedback which is good and the lady liked your house. Might just be that she has to see some more before she starts to get a feel for what her "downsize" should be. You never know, you may see her again further down the line!!

Becaroooo · 25/08/2011 21:59

Blush £5k under!

Doilooklikeatourist · 25/08/2011 22:09

Seen her driving past s l o w l y the other afternoon !

JoJoMummy321 · 26/08/2011 19:16

Another viewer today but not sure....will have to wait and see. Nothing else booked in now so back to waiting for the phone to ring. I guess the bank holiday might slow things down.

I hate this process!!! Feeling quite down....

CleanSheetsAndSmoothLegs · 26/08/2011 19:25

Sorry becaroo, I thought that wa what you meant, but I had a moment of bizarre uncertainty!

Another viewing here today, which the estate agent completely failed to warn us about. Normally I wouldn't care that much, but as DP and I are both on leave from work this week it could have been embarrassing! Luckily DP had got his foul morning poo out of the way some hours before, and miraculously remembered to open a window. Our pants were drying on a drying frame in the sitting room though Blush

drcrab · 26/08/2011 22:35

I have a viewing tomorrow and one on monday!! hopefully one of them likes it! We really like our house (been here 8 years) - we just need to move as have only 2 bedrooms (and now have 2 kids!).

Becaroooo · 27/08/2011 09:11

clean EA sending people round and not telling you???????

Shock
Doilooklikeatourist · 27/08/2011 13:10

A viewing booked for tomorrow morning , busy afternoon planned hiding all our crap lovely bits and pieces.