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Property/DIY

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Original poster

Have you ever bought a house that you found by putting letter/leaflet through door?

37 replies

BellaI · 25/05/2013 18:32

Really frustrated with lack of decent properties on market in my area. Thinking of putting letters through doors next week as really wanted to move in time for dd starting reception in Sept. We are in rented with nothing to sell. Looking for hints/advice from those who have done this!

OP posts:

TravelinColour · 25/05/2013 18:37

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

huhpuh · 25/05/2013 18:43

Yes, I did. It was about 12 years ago though. I put leaflets through the doors on the 3 streets I wanted to live in - probably about 150 houses and got 3 responses and bought one of them. The leaflet just basically said "if you're thinking about selling, please get in touch. We're first time buyers with a mortgage arranged and can move quickly."

Misty9 · 25/05/2013 18:59

My brother and his family did this as they had very specific areas in mind. They started the process of buying one of the two houses to respond, but in the end it fell through as the owners weren't exactly motivated to sell it turned out. This is the main risk I think, but it's worth a shot definitely.

Misty9 · 25/05/2013 18:59

They tried a year or so ago and were in rented too

LovelyWeatherForDucks · 25/05/2013 19:03

My parents sold their house this way a couple of years ago...had a note through the door from a nice family, and were considering moving anyway, so this gave them the incentive to get on with it (and save some money too as they did it without estate agent fees!) so worth a try!

hellohellohihi · 25/05/2013 19:15

We were just about to d

hellohellohihi · 25/05/2013 19:16

Oops...

.... Just about to do this after 15 months looking. Then dream forever home came up and we didn't need to.

Nothing to lose, go for it I say!!

And come back and tell us if it worked!!

HaveToWearHeels · 25/05/2013 19:52

A colleague did this after their purchase fell through. Leafleted the rest of the street and bought one. I think it is a good idea in this market as a lot of people are put off having to keep their houses immaculate and could be waiting months for a buyer. Might give someone a kick up the bum to get moving.

MacMac123 · 27/05/2013 20:55

Bought my first flat this way

Original poster

BellaI · 27/05/2013 21:48

Going to start putting letters through doors this week! Will let you know how it goes!

OP posts:

MNHQ

OliviaMMumsnet · 27/05/2013 22:12

YY I know people who have targetted specific streets for this.
Good luck

Parietal · 27/05/2013 22:15

We are possibly selling to a buyer who approached us via leaflet. They said they got 4 replies from 100 leaflets. Worth a try.

pinkje · 27/05/2013 22:49

If you do this, how do you go about agreeing a fair price?

I ask because we've been approached by a friend of a neighbour who would like us to offer on their house (knowing we want to buy in their street)

aPseudonymToFoolHim · 27/05/2013 23:39

it was on location x3 tonight, and had a positive outcome!
They put up a notice in a corner shop :)

Good luck!

HaveToWearHeels · 28/05/2013 11:31

pinkje same as you would any other purchase, you decide what you want to pay (you must have some idea of what you want houses are going for if you want to buy is a specific street) and the vendor must have some idea what their house is worth. They could get 3-4 valuations from estate agents if not and let you know what they came in at.

knittedslippersx3 · 28/05/2013 11:35

I know someone in the process of buying a house after posting leaflets. If someone put one through my doors would respond. Would love to move but putting house on market etc seems like to much hassle.

IEatCakeInBed · 28/05/2013 13:21

We leafleted 100 houses about a month ago - and got one response from a house already on the market that we hadn't actually dropped a leaflet in (lovely house but just a bit too far away for us). We're also in rented, mortgage agreed in principle etc...

We thought it was worth a try, and I'm definitely glad we did it - but I hope you get a better response than us if you do do it!

ajandjjmum · 28/05/2013 13:25

We sent letters to around 6 properties in 1996 - and we're still happily living in one of them!

DewDr0p · 28/05/2013 13:54

My next door neighbour did this. Dh was quite interested until I pointed out that we need to live in our house lol! Actually 2 of the neighbours were interested.

Turnipinatutu · 28/05/2013 14:02

I'm planning on doing this.
Trouble is we're looking for a fairly rural property and the prices seem to be all over the place, depending on how much garden/land there is, how old/ characterful it is and in what condition.

Do people try it on with price if they know you're likely to be interested?

OnFoot · 28/05/2013 14:15

Recently bought a house by doing this. We were cash buyers, in rented accommodation. The purchase was very straightforward. Much easier than dealing with an estate agent in this case. We had the phone call for the house we bought within an hour of putting the letter through the door. Arranged surveys, EPC etc in the normal fashion. As long as you exercise usual precautions I can't see that you've anything to lose.

I have since had acquaintances/school mums who are house-hunting in the same area look at me with narrowed eyes when they ask which house we bought and then they say "but I never saw that one on rightmove or at the estate agents". I feel mildly smug saying, "no, it wasn't!" Some of them act like you've "cheated".

OnFoot · 28/05/2013 14:22

Turnip - I was slightly concerned that vendors would expect more money if you'd leafletted but in our case they didn't. I imagine it depends on how fast property moves in your area. We sold in a fast-moving area and I think no-one would do it there and it would cost you a premium. But we bought in a slow moving area and the first figure from the vendor was below what comparable properties were on rightmove for and we settled at about 12% below their first figure. They were very happy with it as they got an instant sale whereas other properties locally have been on the market for up to 2 years. And they saved estate agent fees and the hassle of lots of viewings etc - they were an elderly couple and I think lots of strangers in their home was a concern for them. It did help that we were cash buyers.

CatherineofMumbles · 28/05/2013 14:24

Some of them act like you've "cheated"
I think this is a brilliant idea! I wish we had thought of it, would definitely give it a go.

shaktar · 28/05/2013 20:12

My parents did this - had one specific road that they wanted to buy in and leafleted 100 houses. 3 'interested' responses and they bought one of them. If the area you would consider is relatively small then you've got nothing to lose and may always regret it if you didn't - imagine if you bought elsewhere and then one in the 'right' place came on the market..

Original poster

BellaI · 28/05/2013 20:42

Yes I'm very particular about roads, the alternative in the central location i want is a big period semi on busiest road in village or a 1960s but modernised house on an estate. I would be gutted if something came on in Autumn and I had already bought! But eventually a decision has to be made!

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