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Original poster

Anyone fancy starting a Sellers support thread?

912 replies

Sooperswooper · 21/07/2015 17:30

Just that really! Grin

OP posts:
paddingtonbear1 · 15/11/2015 16:45

Well, we got an offer today :) Not sure if we can accept it though because it's a lot lower than the offer we previously accepted in July (buyer pulled out after 3 weeks). We trust these new buyers wouldn't let us down, and they've offered the max they can afford. It would mean we'd need to ask our vendor to drop their price as well though.. watch this space..

paddingtonbear1 · 15/11/2015 17:41

Have decided to turn down the offer as it's just too low. The wait goes on...

goldenlilliesdaffodillies · 17/11/2015 18:15

I'm glad some people are starting to have better luck.

I am utterly fed up. House viewing number 50 is booked for Saturday. Let's hope these people are serious. Estate agent keeps telling us that a couple who viewed our house twice are going to put in an offer. 2 weeks later they still haven't. It's so frustrating.

This may sound silly but what are people going to do about putting up Christmas decorations? We normally love decorating the house but don't know if that would put people off (assuming people are still viewing houses in December).

paddingtonbear1 · 17/11/2015 21:06

Much sympathy goldenlillies. Viewing no 50?! Shock
Fingers crossed you get an offer soon.
We might actually have sold our house.. got a higher offer today. Not quite high enough, but they can't offer more. DH is going to ring our vendors agent tomorrow to see if she will accept 6k less! Here's hoping..

paddingtonbear1 · 17/11/2015 21:09

Forgot to say! We were thinking of taking our house off the market from December-Feb. Otherwise though, we would still put up our xmas tree and decorations, as normal. If I was viewing a property it wouldn't put me off.

Bearbehind · 17/11/2015 21:17

50 viewings!

OMFG- i would have lost the will to live by now.

Decorate away- it can't put people off any more than whatever is currently putting them off offering.

newhouseplease · 18/11/2015 11:38

hello all, so nervous as we have a second viewing today, he seemed keen on the first so hope it's right! Then EA just called and she's got another viewing booked in straight after! Fingers crossed!

Does anyone else look up their viewers on facebook or google? I've been checking all of ours out!

paddingtonbear1 · 18/11/2015 20:31

Fingers crossed for you newhouseplease!
We sold our house today.. the first sale fell through, so am hoping it's second time lucky!

Bearbehind · 18/11/2015 20:56

Does anyone else look up their viewers on facebook or google? I've been checking all of ours out!

Er- no!

Why would you do that??!!

newhouseplease · 18/11/2015 21:02

Are you not interested to see who they are? I suppose I live in a smallish town so interested to see if we have connections.

Bearbehind · 18/11/2015 21:09

Sorry but that's mad stalker behaviour IMO Grin

House buying and selling is stressful enough without stalking every prospective purchaser on social media.

MummaGiles · 19/11/2015 10:30

Congrats Paddington! Fab news! We have the packers here today, moving tomorrow. Can't believe it's finally happening Grin

orchidnap · 19/11/2015 15:12

Our mortgage has been withdrawn! :(

We applied with HSBC onine, provided all the details, had a valuation survey, and got an approval within a week. Borrowing less than the maximum they would lend.

2 weeks later,(on tuesday) they then said it had been passed to an underwriter who wanted some p60s as there is another house my partner owns which is rented out. It was disclosed on the applicatioon, and all the figures given. Its self sufficient, as in the rent more than covers the mortgage and any other outgoings, and its a repayment mortgage rather than interest only, and he overpays on it each year.

Today we got a call saying the underwriter has reviewed it, and it now doesn't meet the affordability criteria.

LaFlottes · 19/11/2015 15:30

Orchid - that's terrible I am so sorry to hear that. Does it have to be HSBC? If I was you I would go straight to a broker and see what they can suggest. I think they are often faster than applying direct too so hopefully they can get you back on track asap.

orchidnap · 19/11/2015 15:57

Hi, I know I cant believe it! they'd gone as far as sending the mortgage offer to the solicitors and everything, only to then withdraw it?!

We actually had been planning to go with a broker, but DP decided it would be quicker to go with HSBC as he already has a mortgage with them and accounts etc and got impatient and applied online. We have now just spojken to a broker who has recommended a different bank that should accept it fine, and will also sort it in time to keep to planned exchange date.

LaFlottes · 19/11/2015 16:12

Oh phew - sounds like this will be a bump in the road rather than a deal breaker then. That sounds really bad that they had sent the offer to the Solicitor already. Glad you're nearly sorted. We are waiting for more news after our buyers had our house surveyed on Tuesday. The wait is really getting to me.

goldenlilliesdaffodillies · 20/11/2015 16:24

Thanks Bearbehind! Yes 50 viewings (will be 52 by the end of the weekend) It is a huge strain on the family. I am so sick of it. Most weekends since the summer have been dominated by them.

The thing which apparently is putting people off is the road. We are on the edge of a village and on a corner. However we are set back and it has never been a problem to us or the neighbours all who have lived here many years. The garden backs straight onto farmland. It isn't a busy road at all and all traffic stops at night and isn't constant or even that noisy. You can't hear anything inside. We're not over priced and are lower than the Zoopla valuation. It is a very distinctive, extremely old character house so not everyone's cup of tea. I wonder how many people are just being nosey and time wasters. Nothing seems to be selling much round here.

Orchid- how frustrating!

Why is it so hard to buy and sell a house? It's ridiculous.

JT05 · 20/11/2015 18:41

Flowers, Wine to all. We are selling the family home, 3 decades of living in it. Hopefully are on our way to exchange. Viewings have driven me to distraction!

Yes, it is on a road, yes it has a garden and it does have trees, yes it has two upstairs bathrooms, no it does not have an en suit, the bedrooms face the directions that they face and cannot be resited to face a different direction, and as it has four double bedrooms you four children and elderly parents probably won't fit in!

Rant over, but know you know why I'm nearly insane. Fortunately we already have to house we are going to.

Good luck to all

Bearbehind · 20/11/2015 19:30

golden I really feel for you- 52 viewings must be a total nightmare but the problem has to be the price.

Everything will sell at the right price- your house isn't worth what you want to the people who are interested in it.

Zoopla prices are a load of rubbish as it's based on extrapolation of prices over a period but doesn't actually take into account a lot of important factors - like price ceilings in areas.

The house next door to us which is identical is on Zoopla at an estimated £200k more than ours just because it hasn't changed hands for 15 years.

Have you had any offers? Even any really low ones?

goldenlilliesdaffodillies · 20/11/2015 21:45

Yes we had 2 offers- one ridiculously low (£200 grand below!) which we turned down. There was a second offer which we accepted but the buyer pulled out so it had to go back on the market. The agent said a couple who viewed 2 weeks ago keep saying they are going to make an offer but they still haven't. I assume the would have done by now if serious.

There are many houses in the area of different types and they have all been on the market for months and months too. Nothing much is shifting and all the near by houses are continually dropping their price (as we have done quite significantly).

DH has decided that he will be here for the 2 house viewings this weekend to find out what the agents are actually saying/doing. I am not sure if this is a good idea but this situation is so soul destroying.

Bearbehind · 20/11/2015 22:02

I know its a real hassle but I'd always do my own viewings.

We didn't persue a house we viewed once as the estate agent had no idea about the property at all.

We ended up buying a different but similar property which was shown by the vendor.

If you have a massive stumbling block like the road, you need to get across the reality of the situation.

An offer of £200k under asking really does indicate it's way over priced for the current market.

If nothing is selling in the area its beause its all too expensive based on the demand in the market.

You really only have 2 choices, drop the price or hang out for the elusive buyer who really really wants your house.

goldenlilliesdaffodillies · 21/11/2015 18:02

We can't drop our price anymore as we then can't buy the next house (and the agent advised against it). We'll have to keep trying.

DH ended up doing todays house viewing as the people turned up early and the agent hadn't arrived.They only stayed 20 minutes and the husband declared he didn't like old houses and they were too much work. Why come and view a Tudor house then and waste our time?!

Bearbehind · 21/11/2015 19:20

I don't mean to sound harsh golden but haven't you realised that after 52 viewings- you are not going to achieve the price you want for your house?

The fact you've only had one very low offer indicates the price isn't even in the right ball park- if it was you'd have had some sensible offers.

Houses that are priced correctly sell very quickly in most areas. 52 viewings is absurd.

It sounds like the house would be worth the price if it weren't for the road (you wouldn't get so many viewing otherwise) but you can't change its position hence you need to change the price.

I appreciate you need a certain price for this house to allow you to buy another one but unforuntately it doesn't work like that- your house is worth what it's worth, not what you need it to sell for in order to purchase your next property.

MummaGiles · 21/11/2015 22:30

Golden we had nearly 50 viewings for our house, and that was for a big standard 3 bed semi in suburban Manchester. We accepted an offer at the price we wanted, even if we did then have some knocked off post-survey. Sometimes it happens like that. You're right to let your agent guide you.

MummaGiles · 21/11/2015 22:30

Bog standard, not big!