Has anyone tried advertising a rural property themselves - flyers/adverts in London or similar?

[KarenG]

We would like to sell our Exmoor property, but we're not sure that estate agents locally will hit the right group of buyers, who I'm thinking are likely to be from outside the area. I know that some agents have London offices as well, but we did flirt with selling once before and they didn't really produce many leads. It's a large Victorian property in a village and I'm hoping it might suit someone with a big family who works in the city part of the week and from home the rest of the time. So I was thinking about handing out flyers at Paddington Station. Has anyone done this or done their own advertising in London? Did you have any success? Thanks.

If you go with a Devon estate agent, it'll go on Rightmove and then any prospective buyers from anywhere in the UK (if not the world) will see it.

Hi, yes, thanks, Bluestocking - I realise this, but it was more the active promotion of it that I felt was lacking. With Rightmove, buyers have to find it, like it, and get in touch. Or, walk into the office and have it suggested to them. As it's a bit unusual it's more the sort of property you'd need to be led to, IYSWIM. On paper(/computer screen) it looks too big for a family, which it's not really, but this could be off putting for some... Anyway I might try flyering before going back on with an agent.

There are companies (on line agents affectively)that will put it on Rightmove for you, cheaper if you find a buyer but not if its on the market for a while. Targeted city marketing is an expensive prospect and usually only done for developments of a certain size or very expensive properties.

I got a flyer though my door yesterday about "The Move To The Country Show" supported by Country Life 13 May 2015 London SW3 it was from a local estate agent Michael Graham (i live in Bedfordshire) I don't know if they are a nationwide chain? so there is obviously a need to put country property in front of London buyers.

Thanks, will look into that.

I know what you mean about wanting to target London buyers, OP.....

When we were selling our large-ish rural house in Wilts last year we fully expected our target market to be the same demographic that you're thinking of. In fact as a project (long story, we bought intending to stay long term then had change of heart so did high end F&F that we love but also would appeal to London buyers) we had that in mind pretty early on.

However, when we approached one EA (jackson stopps) that seemed to be ideal, they were very snooty saying as our home was on a main road their London buyers wouldn't be interested - they declined to even value it!

We ended up going with an EA that had a London office, but in the five weeks we were on the market no viewings were forthcoming from that quarter (although we did have one set of viewers from Herts and another from Kent, but they were from RM) and in the end our buyers came from less than three miles away.

Flyering does seem like a good idea, but personally I'd want to do it in tandem with normal advertising as opposed to a stand alone method of attracting buyers.

GL with your sale btw!

We are Londoners who want to buy a rural retreat but aren't finding anything we like on rightmove - we want suffolk off the beaten track - but there is a gap in the market.

You will find that anyone from London wanting to find a rural property will definately look on rightmove. You should get a good local agent who will take some good photographs in order to show the best qualities of the house and a floor plan so prospective purchasers can see the layout. I don't think handing out fliers at a station will result in any leads. The agents should be able to inform enquirers of any potential the house has.

Thanks everyone!