Support thread for house sellers

[Spirael]

Just what it says on the tin, really! I'm sure there must be other stressed house sellers out there? Hopefully we can band together and get some small joy of (hopefully?) seeing our houses sell so we can get a move on!

This is a thread of hand holding and mutual support for the EA dealings, weeks of silence, frantic house tidying, no-show viewings, silly offers and tough decisions. This is not for house bashing and price slating. There are plenty of other threads for that!

I've been trying to sell for a year now. Had a surge of viewings earlier in the summer making the right noises, but all has gone quiet for the last few weeks.

However, we have a viewing booked for later this afternoon from someone who has sold their house and is able to proceed - wanting to move before Christmas. Currently swinging between pessimistic and optimistic, while trying not to look at the house we want to buy!

Anyone else out there? :)

And if I'd really thought the one offer I've had was my best chance of getting a sale, I would have taken it.

It would still have seen me recoup most of the renovation costs, but I had 2 EAs say they thought it was a low offer and the knowledge that similar properties on neighbouring streets & my street had sold recently for more. So on that basis I rejected it.

I feel like I'm getting a bit 'lady doth protest too much' at this stage...if we get another similar offer soon I think DH will want me to accept it (it's my house, not his, he's already sold his flat). We can take the financial hit if need be, so I realise we're in a lucky position, just my pride at stake!

marshmallow you're not sounding 'lady doth protest too much' don't worry! I think it depends really what price you put on avoiding a long commute and your pride. We just needed the stress of the sale out of the way quick (and a seller flexible on move date) so we can just concentrate on having our first baby and know that we would be able to have him / her in the amazing hospital up here. I guess we could have hung on for a few extra k and had the psychological boost of making a 'small profit' but we didn't value that as much as the peace of mind we have now.

Haa... Profit. We're £20k down already and haven't sold!

Well, not sure what to make of this one. We have a viewing for tomorrow afternoon, it's a woman who previously viewed our property ages back. But like everyone else, she decided that she preferred a different property.

However, her sale fell through or something and once she found a new buyer the house she was getting had already gone to someone else. So she's coming back to take another look at ours.

Does that even count as a second viewing? I'm guessing it's more likely just going to be confirming to herself that ours isn't right.

Regardless, looks like I get to spend my evening tidying again... I was going to do some laundry, as it's getting out of control after last weeks fruitless viewing mania. But I can't now as I can't leave it hanging up. Argh!

At least the flowers we got for the Felinophobic and Son are still good. And apparently this is our 20th Viewing! (Is there a trophy?)

Spirael I think it would be great karma if this lady decided that after all, yours is the house for her. On the plus side - it sounds as though she might be as sick of trying to buy a house as you are of trying to sell yours! Wishing you soooooooooooooooooooooooooooo much luck.

Put on a wash as soon as she leaves - it'll be dry by the end of tomorrow and you can always do what I did (and dump slightly damp washing back in the laundry bin) if you get a last minute viewing.

You deserve a good offer now - you've surely paid your dues to the house selling gods!!!

I have had lots of joy and use from my home. I'm not interested in making a profit, just recoup my costs.

If you had a wonderful holiday or a beautiful dress or a fantastic restaurant meal, would you still be looking to recoup your costs? Of course not - you've had your money's worth.

You've had your money's worth from your house too. It's kept you safe and warm and dry, sheltered your family, made good things possible for you and your kids. If you'd rented (which you probably would have done in most countries across the world) you'd have paid for all this with no thought of recouping your costs.

Owning is pretty much exactly like renting, except with security of tenure and the privilege of being able to decorate and customise to your tastes. Security of tenure alone is worth paying for. How much would you pay for peace of mind? How much would you pay for a year of happiness? I bet you it's more than you've "lost" on your house.

1605 I know, I know. Feel like a broken record now. See my second post - we can afford to take the hit, if someone makes an offer I'll probably snap their arm off now, but I do think the house is accurately priced based on what's on sale/has sold on neighbouring streets. If we do get an offer that leaves me with a small loss the only really big damage will be to my pride.

Marshmallow I feel your pain - I really do and agree with everything you have said. Spirael - you never know - repeat visit woman could be the one. I've just changed the teenager bedding in readiness for the viewing tomorrow (before it walks off). One batch of flowers is still hanging in there and I've treated myself to some nice roses from M&S. I've just walked past the two houses we like with DD2 who also really wants to move too - I can't get these houses out of my mind! I'll need to get up at 6.00 am to clean the house. Just hoping London people like it. Still haven't heard anything at all from the second viewing on Sunday.

Not receiving any feedback must be incredibly annoying, CuddyMum. We've at least received feedback from each viewing within a day or two, so can scratch them off the list.

Well, the house is tidy. I even put some fruit out decoratively this time! (Oooh...) We had fruit arrive in our food delivery yesterday, so I figured I may as well.

I managed to get some of the laundry through the tumble dryer last night, so we're not overflowing the baskets anymore. Unfortunately I can't get any more in until we get home from work this evening (EA's doing the viewing this afternoon) but hopefully if I get it washed ASAP then I can hang it up before bed.

So, we'll see. We won't hear anything before tomorrow at the earliest anyway, and I'll be surprised if it's not another "Thanks but no thanks" response. But if they could at least not give us a completely damning review this time, that would be appreciated!

I've just finished cleaning the house top to bottom and have processed some of my clothes mountain. Have hidden the clean washing in a wardrobe and have disposed of elderly peaches from the fruit bowl. The sun is shining and everywhere looks and smells great. They'd better turn up!! Good luck with your viewing today Spirael.

Hopefully should get feedback as they are viewing two more with the EA (on our downsizing shortlist!). One is semi-detached and very dated and the other just an average estate house that is empty but needs decorating. Am hoping they want something spacious that they can just move in to!

Following our sale price reduction, the EA rang last night to say someone wants to view our house :). I'm staggered but really not that hopeful that they will want it. Massive clean up at the weekend for the viewing early next week.

That's good news Duchess. It could be the start of a whole new bunch of viewings.

Eek, fingers crossed everyone! Our viewers from earlier have made a first offer that is slightly below what we can go with. We've countered with a suggested offer that we can go with and will start throwing in furniture/curtains if necessary.

They must be keen to have offered so quickly, right?? Currently crossing everything and chewing my nails off that they increase their offer to something we can proceed with.

OOh, how exciting Spirael! Hope you get the figure you are after.

I have been lurking but not posting-not had any more viewers and we are about to come off the market (had to give two week's notice). I have seen quite a few price reductions in our area lately so it would definitely have been on the cards next. We might try again next year at a lower price but at the moment (with uncertainty over the prices of where we'd buy as well) I don't feel we have enough of a 'cushion' should things go wrong. I think I would pick an online agent next time too as the commission they charge for what they do doesn't seem deserved.

Anyhow, you have given a lot of hope after being on the market for so long!

That's amazing! Hope they increase their offer :).

Our second viewers from Sunday aren't going to move now but said they loved our house. I've said to the EA that I'm not going to waste time on people who are not on the market.

The lady today came from London and her husband was supposed to meet her but couldn't get out of a meeting in Milton Keynes. She is only looking to live here for three years. On the plus side she didn't like the other two houses. I can't think there's anything else she could have looked at round here. Not holding my breath though.

Hope we get another viewing this weekend so I can get my money's worth out of my flowers :)

We are now under offer!!!

DH is in charge of solicitors, I've just submitted a cheeky opening offer on our dream house.

Hopefully it'll be a short chain; the people buying our house have got FTB's buying their house. If we can get our dream house, we terminate the chain as it's empty.

Is there still chance to be in before Christmas??

OMG! I'm so pleased for you!!

Congratulations :) I think I managed to be in by Christmas once with conveyancing starting about now. Good luck :)

Congratulations. So pleased for you

de-lurking Spirael (shouldn't be on this thread as I've sold and am now one of those awful buyers ) to say a HUGE congratulations!

I hope it is the start of a spate of sales for mumsnetters!

Congrats Spirael! & hope all goes smoothly from here!

We are away for a long weekend so had to do whirlwind packing AND cleaning before we left, to leave things tidy for weekend viewings (1 booked in so far).

Leaving the house spotlessly tidy when we aren't even there makes me feel a bit of an uber-hygiene freak like Kim & Aggie, but hey, it's a good habit to get into.

De-lurking to say congratulations Spirael!

Following this thread with interest as finally planning to put my flat on the market in the spring.

1605 I like your attitude. Houses are rising but flats are falling in value in my neck of the woods. Have been feeling gutted but you're right, I have definitely had my money's worth.