The decluttering, cleaning, vacating, pandering, nailbiting antics of the stressed out house sellers continued...

[CuddyMum]

Thought I'd better start a new thread... :)

Thanks CM. So have you set a moving date?

23rd May! Three weeks! Aargh!

May I join in?

Two houses on market.

Offer accepted on house we want today.

Can go ahead without selling but will be tight and 80 per cent mortgage so obscenely expensive. Hopeful though.

That's great cuddy. Are you off all weekend to do so more packing?

We had 5 viewings in the first week on the market followed by no viewings at all this week.

Does anyone else feel they don't get much in the way of feedback? Of the 5 who have viewed we just haven't heard back from 2. 2 raved about the house and said they loved it but haven't booked second viewings or made an offer. The final lady is the only one who has been honest enough to say it wasn't for her.

I just wish people would say what they really think so I could assess whether the house is overpriced or whatever.

Whoo CM, we are hoping to move that week, but maybe we are being too hopeful?

Excellent news Cuddy!

Pasta - I feel the same as you re feedback. But I read on another post somewhere an EA saying that it can be really difficult getting constructive feedback from viewers and often they don't even return calls after a viewing. Bloomin' annoying tho.

I found out yesterday that my EA is shut Sunday and Monday this weekend - what?! A prime weekend in the house-buying year and they are shut for most of it. Great.

Oh yes, monkeytennismum I'm sure it's not a lack of effort on the agent's part. The EA said often people just don't return calls. Surely it is far ruder to ignore calls and hang up than it is to just say 'it's not for me'?

Pasta, when we viewed houses ( about 11 before we found the one we are buying), not once did the EA ask us what we thought. Even when I expressed why I would not pursue a property any further they seemed not to be interested.

We've been asked for feedback on all of the properties we've viewed including one that we didn't view because the EA cocked up
We viewed a property owned by the EAs parents and gave very honest feedback that frankly it was way overpriced, neglected and needed serious work - EAs response was to take us off their mailing list. You've got to love the professionalism.
In contrast the agent for the property we are buying has been fab, knowing we were relocating and have to find a property in the area he seemed to take us on personally, doing viewings with us to make sure people could accommodate us in our tight timeframes for viewings, suggesting properties and phoning us personally for updates. It was nice to have a personal touch and it wasn't as if it's a tin pot agency that had no other customers, they are quite large in the region. He has also enabled good conversations with the vendors re negotiations on our offer.
On our house it sold too quickly (v popular area/shortage of properties) to get any feedback but if it had taken longer I would have got a weekly email collating all feedback from viewings.

We have officially exchanged on our sale! Just need to crack on with the paperwork for the purchase!

Re feedback, our own agent showed us around some properties and wasn't at all interested in getting proper feedback and indeed when we tried to offer/negotiate just wasn't interested at all. We viewed the house we are buying through Taylors and normally they are young sales types (well our local branch is like that). However, this was the Bedford office and they are a mature and professional team who so far have been more than helpful throughout.

Congrats cuddy what a relief!

Our valuation for the mortgage has been done, but we haven't hear anything yet.

We've had fairly good feedback via the EA - always a call or a conversation about how the viewing went and our two offers have been provided in writing too.

WE'VE GOT A BUYER AND HAD OUR OFFER ACCEPTED ON NEXT PROPERTY!!!

Apologies for caps but am rather excited!

My rational side is saying 'calm down' but I'm just going to enjoy this feeling tonight. I will revert to being cautiously optimistic tomorrow!!

Cuddy that's great news, as is yours dog :) I think you should both break out the champagne!

Ghost I'm due in a few weeks time and counting down the days as I'm so uncomfortable.

With regards getting feedback, our EA has been pretty good at obtaining it from viewers but very poor at passing it on We only seem to get it if we ring for it, or if they are calling about arranging another viewing in which case they might pass it on. I don't think they've ever actually rang and just provided us with feedback. I wondered if it was because the feedback we've had hasn't actually been negative (i.e it needs work, it's overpriced) so there is nothing we can do to make a difference to get a sale if that makes sense.

Had another viewing today at last minute but nothing yet booked in for the weekend unfortunately.

Cuddymum has a new home! Congrats!

Netguru- how come you are selling two houses? Double the stress.. ugh.

Wonkylegs - The EA whose parents' house you viewed sounds... ehm... interesting.

Pasta - about feedback: We have viewed a lot of properties in a short time (we were in the are where we want to move to for only one week) and only one of the four Estate Agents we viewed with even asked us for feedback! We told her that the first house we viewed with her was too small for us, and that we liked the second one a lot and wanted a second viewing in it. Now that house is our favourite still, and we'd like to put in an offer, but we have not been in a position to do so yet. And that is three months ago now, and the EA has not contacted us since. So what I'm trying to say is that even though you hear nothing, that might not mean the viewers are not interested.

Doglover - Congrats to you too!

We just had another viewing - at six, which turned out to be a very inconvenient time for us! We carefully avoided using garlic for our evening meal but still had to open all the windows to get rid of cooking smells.
When the viewers came with the EA my son and I just hung out at the neighbour's house - we are lucky that she is so tolerant and kind- and my partner stayed at home and tried to be in the rooms where the viewers were not. It was easier when we did our own viewings.
How do you people do that?

The viewers said they liked the house... we'll see.

I have my house and my morher's to sell she lives with us in an annex now.

We go out when viewings happen. Weekend mornings we bribe children with McDonald's breakfast otherwise shopping or school etc.

I get feedback after every viewing in case there is something I can fix. I insist on it. The EA selling mum's house found this a little difficult to get used to but we've got there with a few polite reminders.

Cuddy, doglover - congrats.

Aarhgghhh! Hit a problem. All is fine with the chain but our buyers do not have their mortgage offer yet and seller's offer expires on 31st may. We can do nothing but hope they get their offer Tuesday !

Wow Dog! That's a result. How things change so quickly.

I'm not cracking open the bubbly just yet as we've still to exchange on our purchase (risky but eek!) and yes we could end up homeless!

We finally got hold of the fixtures and fittings list for the new house only to discover that the mystery items of furniture that would be included as part of the sale were not mentioned. Have chased this with the EA and she has confirmed that any items of furniture are available for sale only. I've just sent her an email to remind her that she definitely said when we submitted our best and final offer that the vendor said he would include some items of furniture and some soft furnishings. In subsequent conversations she indicated that he would be leaving the dining room furniture and indeed we have gone ahead and sold our modern furniture. More fool us for not getting that information in writing at the time but we were swept away in the excitement of it all. Anyhow, I await her response but I don't want it to be a deal breaker or cause any hard feelings. It has put a bit of a downer on my evening though. Off to eBay I trawl to search for suitable dining furniture and a massive farmouse pine table and chairs for the kitchen!

Ah Cuddy did you wAnt a 7x 5 foot pine table!??

We may well Augusta - and chairs...

Ours has been great - but a pain to clean!

We kind of need something in keeping with the rustic kitchen. The dining table that we sold was a modern oak table and it showed every finger print.

Posted yesterday about scraping the weetabix off it with a fish slice ! Will be buying a more modern table when we move !
Seriously am very peed off that our buyer may hold everything up. Been a bit of a pain throughout and I have a horrible feeling it will all go wrong...