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Original poster

Rubbish feedback from viewings.

26 replies

Awellboiledicicle · 26/04/2015 15:16

Three viewings so far. The feedback includes: didn't like street parking, garden too overlooked (there is a clear picture of garden which shows this), decided against this village and too small!

I'm getting exasperated. I know it's normal, but all of those things can be clearly seen or read on the details. Why waste our time (and me cleaning and getting rid of kids).

Are they being polite? Or just wasting our time?

OP posts:

WhoNickedMyName · 26/04/2015 15:32

Even though all these things can be clearly seen or read in the estate agent details, sometimes people will still view the house in the hope that there'll be something about it that will make them willing to compromise on the parking or overlooked garden or the size.

Someone will decide your house is right for them, it may just take time.

NonDom · 26/04/2015 15:37

We've had parking cited as a problem. Some people think they have a God's gift to personal parking spaces, even in a town centre with all the far superior advantages.

MadamG · 26/04/2015 15:53

We got quiet a few comments like:
Wanted a bungalow (photos clearly show stairs, floor plan shows all three stories)
Wanted a period house (clearly ours is 1970s - why look if you want Victorian).
Etc.

Fedupofallthemud · 26/04/2015 15:54

All the feed back we've had so far is that they loved house, great location etc etc. But no offers! So even positive feedback can be frustrating as it leaves you hanging on when they've actually no intention of making an offer. At least a negative you can rule them out.
Very stressful though! I'm in the middle of 2 of 3 viewings today and definitely getting viewings fatigue!

Bragadocia · 26/04/2015 15:59

I've viewed a lot of houses over the last few years. If I am asked for feedback from an EA, I'm more likely to say something definite such as problems with parking, garden or whatever, rather than 'it just didn't feel right' or 'it seemed depressing, grubby and poky'. I've also been forced by DH to view houses that I knew I wouldn't want to buy, because he was so desperate to make a purchase.

It is frustrating, you have my sympathies. Selling is a major pain.

wowfudge · 26/04/2015 16:53

Did you do the viewings or did the agent? People are more honest, then and there, with the agent if the homeowner isn't around.

I once gave feedback on a place we viewed and the agent thanked me profusely as 'no one seems to give proper feedback anymore'.

Original poster

Awellboiledicicle · 26/04/2015 17:19

We've been doing them. One of us and the other keeps kids out of way.

Dh is going to phone them tomorrow as we aren't happy with the small amount of viewings so far (it's been on for 7weeks). I'll get him to suggest that they do all viewings from now on.

OP posts:

Unescorted · 26/04/2015 17:26

If you are doing the viewings (& asking for the feedback directly) and it can be seen from the details, they are being polite.

Original poster

Awellboiledicicle · 26/04/2015 17:38

No I'm not asking. The estate agents contact them afterwards.

OP posts:

specialsubject · 26/04/2015 17:45

if you aren't getting many viewings, remember there's an election coming and a lot of uncertainty.

if it continues afterwards...I'm afraid you are over-priced.

Unescorted · 26/04/2015 17:49

Then you are with a chain who pay commission to the negotiators who meet the monthly viewing targets.
Talk to your EA and ask for their opinion - they will have one, and they will know what the problem is. Just be prepared for them to say it is because they don't currently have the buyer for your property on the books. It happens - you can only work with the people who walk through the door. I have (in a previous career) sold 4 houses in a single afternoon, just because the right people came in. However, there were times when all I wanted to day is your house is an over priced shit tip... Sometimes it was something simple like - please clear up your kids crap because I have a proffessional, childless couple who I know will not want to trip over 25 teddies to see the "guest room", but they do want a nice easy to manage 3 bed house.

The conversation you need to have is - I want to sell my house, I am not attached to it, please tell me the demographic who is coming to visit and I will dress it accordingly. What is your viewers hot spots and what do they need to see to buy my house?

Unescorted · 26/04/2015 17:50

say - not day

wanderings · 26/04/2015 17:53

"No rear access to garden" was something we often heard when we were selling. Ditto street parking. I admit to viewing houses I didn't think were good on paper, because I thought that seeing a few "less than ideal" houses would make us more convinced of the right one.

I agree about waiting until after election before discounting.

mindexplode · 26/04/2015 18:02

no one wants our house either

we got told it would sell really quickly and not to worry. we had no viewings this weekend - very disappointing. the agents were fighting over each other to get our house

EnriqueTheRingBearingLizard · 26/04/2015 18:16

They're obviously not getting the right people through the door if the negatives are all known beforehand and can't be changed.

I agree it's very disheartening.

We've bought and sold a fair few houses (about 20) all of which we were living in at the time and have accordingly been to view a lot of replacements. To be honest, apart from two, the houses where the owners conducted the viewings showed better in the main. I may have been very unlucky but for the most part the agents were ill informed and came across as fairly disinterested.

Can you make sure that for all the potential negative points the house attracts, you have a response e.g. on street parking is never a problem, neighbours are lovely and not intrusive, village is quiet/safe/good community feel/social activities etc.

Presumably you've done everything you can to change negative issues within your control (cleaning and tidying everyday detritus or whatever) so all you can do is work on the positive spin and enthuse your agent.
Is the marketing well written?

Unescorted · 26/04/2015 18:17

Some of the ones that don't look right on paper are really good houses for other reasons. The particulars are written by someone who is trying to sell to as meany people as possible. A good EA will sit down with everyone who walks through the door and ask them waht is non negotiable and what they can live without. It is impossible to do the job without having an understanding of what will sell to the people who you know are looking for a house want from their next house.

If an EA just knows that they are looking for a 3 bed property that has off street parking, without knowing that they have a kid and the 3rd bedroom is for a parent who is part financing the move and the off street parking is because it is increasing the insurance on the car then they discount the 2 bed with a granny flat in a cheaper area. However if you know that they don't expect the parent to live long and they are looking to move again in the next 2 years when they are hoping to have another kid then you start showing them the 3 beds with good schools. It isn't what they have asked for but it is what they will need - the job of an EA is to show people the possability of what is on offer. It is about understanding what the viewer on the day wants. As a vendor you have to understand that the person looking at your house is not you and your requirements will be different - when they say it isn't right don't take it personally.

EnriqueTheRingBearingLizard · 26/04/2015 18:24

Very true unescorted, one of the houses we bought was a house that I would never in a million years have even gone to view had the Agent not insisted.

It met none of the criteria I'd specified, but the Agent had got to know me and knew it would be an absolute match. It was one of the best, quickest and fuss free transactions I've ever made. I've given more thought to a new mascara.

That was a brilliant Agent who really knows his stuff.

Pico2 · 26/04/2015 18:31

We viewed at least 15 houses before picking this one. Some of the houses you might think we shouldn't have viewed as they didn't match our spec and the feedback might sound like that. E.g. There were at least two where we the kitchen was too small. But the full feedback would have been that the kitchen was too small and the shape of the garden meant that we couldn't extend it or the layout including supporting walls made it impractical to rearrange the rooms to give the size kitchen we wanted.

Equally the house we bought didn't match our spec - we wanted a kitchen diner, there isn't even scope to knock one through here, and it was above the price range we were looking at.

Ragwort · 26/04/2015 18:35

It's so hard to give constructive feedback sometimes, I've been to houses which looked good on Rightmove but just didn't have the right 'feel' about them, and you can't really say that can you - I always struggled to give helpful feedback - if someone wants to make an offer they will, I gave up asking the EAs for feedback when we were selling.

Original poster

Awellboiledicicle · 26/04/2015 18:46

I know. I'm sure we did the same. I'm just frustrated. Mostly because the viewings are so spread out. And I seem to spend forever tidying each time. The house was what I would consider spotless. Ever room was cleaned from top to bottom and decluttered.

OP posts:

RaphaellaTheSpanishWaterDog · 26/04/2015 19:23

Whilst I agree that a lot of people seem to prefer the EA conducting the viewings, we have also found from personal experience that it can often go the other way.

Last house we sold - admittedly an attractive refurbed period house in an AONB but also on a busy A-road - our EA was supposed to do the viewings, but in the end out of the five/six we had during the five weeks before accepting an offer, the three we did ourselves all resulted in offers.

The (asking price) offer we accepted was actually made by the viewer to us at the end of the viewing, they didn't even wait to contact the EA.

Otoh, the viewings our EA did all resulted in relatively odd feedback - they said the brightest room in the house was dark, for example and that the attic bedroom ceilings were too low - the latter was clearly shown by 'reduced head-height' comments on floor plan and it was a 200 year old house with thick stone walls and small windows for god's sake so it was never going to be the best lit house!

I'm convinced that (at least) the first viewer we had was someone the EA had on their books that they convinced might be interested in our house, when in actual fact they wanted something small, modern and easy to manage inside and out.

Our house was none of the above! I just think it's what EAs do and it's a bloody pita having to get the place to showhome standard for a viewing that may be a waste of everyone's time, but in order to sell it's what we have to do.

Hope the OP - and everyone else trying to sell - has positive news soon!

wobblebobblehat · 26/04/2015 21:37

You've only had three viewings.

I personally don't like it when the vendor does the viewing as they usually find it very hard to shut up. I need to walk through and take it all in. Also, it is very hard to talk honestly with DH when they are watching your every move...

wanderings · 27/04/2015 07:43

If you show them round yourself, then I would suggest taking them round once, then inviting them to wander (if you're worried about viewers nicking something, put valuables away; I suppose this is one reason estate agents take every viewer's name and address).

Also, what can happen is that someone makes an offer really early because they're afraid of losing it... then after some consideration, or perhaps because their other half who wasn't consulted has an objection, they pull out. When we were selling, we had this happen twice; very frustrating. So I would say beware of offers which are made very soon after the viewing.

(When buying anything, I find the process of choosing so arduous that I tend to grab the first thing that looks vaguely passable, including big things like houses and cars! This is misguided I know, so I always bring someone with me for important purchases.)

magimedi · 27/04/2015 07:56

I far prefer being shown round by the owner. They know the house & the EA doesn't.

I remember being shown round one place by an EA & asking him if it was on mains gas & he didn't know!!!

I would certainly want to meet the vendors before proceeding with a sale.

Moreisnnogedag · 27/04/2015 08:09

I prefer for the vendor to show us round then bugger off for a bit!

Our current house didn't look right on paper and had a lot of things I would have said were non-negotiable but we loved it anyway.

I must admire the estate agents we met were nothing like the ideal described here - I got the impression because we weren't looking at the high end of houses they couldn't be bothered with us really.

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