Listings, viewings and offers thread 2!

[drspouse]

We've filled up the old one! (maybe someone on a mobile device could add a post with this link though?)

Hope everyone has had a successful weekend. We're waiting for our second viewing on Thursday but unless we massively have a change of heart I think we'll put an offer in straight after. Can't stop imagining myself in the kitchen (tragic as that sounds, I like cooking)!

Small piece of feedback for anyone looking to sell their house; don't adorn your property with political posters!

Just done a drive-by of a couple of properties we were potentially interested in (wanted to see what parking was like on a rainy bank holiday evening when everyone's home...). One of them was adorned in 'vote UKIP' posters and signs on sticks in the front garden, as was their next-door neighbour. "I can't live next door to that" says DH - who is a foreigner and would not be welcomed by a UKIP supporter.

Each to their own, however be mindful you might be losing potential buyers before they even step inside your home....!

Xanders

Still no bloody viewings. Spoke with agent on Friday. Apparently market is stone dead quiet. Hope to God she's right. Pinning my hopes on things picking up post-GE as DH and I were speculating that the uncertainty over the election might be stalling nervous FTBs.

Feedback from our viewing on Sat was v positive... except they just heard back from their mortgage company and can't afford anything close to the sale price :-(

pauldacres yes we too are hoping market picks up after the election. But only have 3 weeks before we lose the house we are buying!

Nothing here either. Also hoping it picks up after the election.

We're hoping for an offer this week since a couple have gone away to work out how much they can afford...but I have a feeling it's going to be low.

At this stage I think I'd regret accepting an low offer with the election so close - it's only 10 days away now things might pick up then. No more bookings made but hopefully some will call tomorrow.

Can I join?! House is been on for 8 days, had 11 viewings and got a second viewing tonight. We've found our dream house but can't offer until we've sold which is driving me insane. Crossing everything for an offer tonight.

Looks we are all falling into the same boat. We've now got now viewings lined up and no offers. Feels like a long slog. Back at work next week after mat leave which is going to make it harder to fit in viewings as well

How long has everyone been on the market for?
8 days for us.

Since Feb!

Oh no koalas! Have you dropped the price?

Yes from OIEO 220k to 210 at the start of May. Its worth £225k market value. We have revised the listing twice and changed photos 3 times so really can't understand it. Though we are very unlucky people anyway!

Oh no Koalas that's a long time. What feedback have you had?

We sold quickly but there's so little on the market we're trying to make sure we're not just offering on a property out of fear we'll lose our buyer. Thursday we'll make our decision but then they'll need to find somewhere. I had hoped to be moved by September but before Christmas may be more realistic.

My cousin just moved in the States and it took 4 weeks!

Morning all, we have another viewing booked in for tomorrow - 7.30pm bit of an awkward time but needs must.

I'm going for a 2nd viewing Thursday for the house I really want - nervous waiting incase we miss out but we need to know how much we can afford first and hope they take a really low offer :/ it's all counting on a massive amount of luck !

Koalas - would it help if we tool a look at the listing see if we can spot anything / offer feedback ?

Most of the feedback is stuff we can't change - they want something more modern (ours is victorian) or they don't like the bathroom being downstairs (though EA has pointed out you could convert the 3rd bedroom to a bathroom). We also have an old fashioned access route through the garden for fire but its never used - that has put people off. And lastly a couple of people said the said 100ft garden is too big!!!

Tbh I think the photos aren't brilliant. I know if we had the money and time that painting the house magnolia would help but its v hard to do with a 2 yo running around. Plus DH doesn't get home til 8pm and I work 2 nights and 1 weekend day a week.

Am worried about posting a link in case it messes up the tracking on online views we get! Am so depressed and upset. Know we are going to lose the house to buy and we will be stuck here.

badgercat hopefully an evening viewing means they are keen and don't want to wait until the weekend though!

Koalas we can give you a few pointers if you PM us the link?

We've had very similar feedback - ours is an ex council house from the 50's we've added a modern kitchen extension to and all the feedback we had was the rest of the house needs TONS of work. There were 2 rooms with the old wallpaper, one painted white but still had a raised pattern and one a minging floral mess. In a strop one week I striped both back and painted the rooms white and one of the next viewers put in an offer.
I think if you can pre-empt their concerns with a solution maybe it will cut them off before they dwell on them? Draw some plans up for another loo upstairs or costs for removing the access rights ? One thing Ive learned through this process are people really struggle to see the possibilities for themselves!

I know! Its shocking people can't see past some things. I think the access thing is a legal issue we can't do anything about sadly. The EA have explained about moving the bathroom but yes maybe we could get some costings etc.

Have already done a lot on advice from EA when it didn't sell after 5 viewings. Lots of decluttering cleaning and moving stuff around. Without spending a lot of time and money I'm not sure what else we can do.

Taking it off the market if it doesnt sell by end of June. Will try again next year and maybe do some bits in the meantime. We bought the house as desperate FTB as we were getting priced out of everything else but the market is very different now.

Well, the lovely family who offered on ours on Friday have pulled out over the weekend. I don't think they are as lovely now. This is actually the second time they have done this to us and we have now worked out that they have done similar on two other properties.

We have told the agent that if they change their mind again they can take a running jump. Gah!

m0therofdragons - our last home was in Texas; when you put your offer in, you say 'X price and we'd like to close (complete) on X date'.

You agree or negotiate the price and date, and off you go. Everyone knows where they stand. We sold our last home within 3 weeks, for full ask, and closed within a month.

I've heard from the solicitor that searches are currently taking 8 weeks! I'm not patient enough for this. Not moving for at least 20 years after this!

I am massively confused about how much work to do on the place.

For example the house badly needs to be painted. But it would cost a fortune and no way am I forking out that much. The windowsills are particularly bad though as the paint has just melted off the cement whereas the walls are pebbledash and have held onto the paint better.

So do we paint the window sills only? DH says not to bother, if they want the house they'll buy it regardless. But I think we're gonna have to do them.

What did you all do with your exterior?

m0ther I said we'd never move again after moving into our last place (13 years ago). But actually the move itself this time wasn't that stressful.

Elspeth I'd paint the windowsills if they look awful. We didn't do anything but it had recently been painted.