Listing, viewings and offers thread 3!

[Fortheloveofscience]

We filled up our old one, hoping I'm not posting out of turn by starting the next, it's the only thing keeping me from going nuts with the endless cycle of no viewings - viewings - feedback - no offer - no viewings - viewings etc!

Hope this is the thread where we all sell and get our dream houses. I'm working from home and doing 'backseat cleaning' - nagging my poor OH who has the day off to do everything for our second viewing this afternoon from the only couple to have shown serious interest.

Can I join in? Had a verbal offer weeks ago, then they messed around again and again about coming in to sign it off, show ID etc. Asked for a second viewing...heard nothing since. Wondering if that isn't a good thing. If it took them 5 weeks to show ID, that doesn't bode well for the actual sale, does it? Meanwhile our agent stopped actively marketing the property, we lost the house we liked...

Ooh Squashed, how frustrating. Black mark for your agent as well - it should have been obvious to them from the moment that the messing about started, that they should have kept marketing.

I now feel like I have jinxed us - after being very sanguine about losing the dream house because "of course there will be other houses"...but there aren't! Christ alive I feel like Goldilocks - everything is either too big, too small, wrong location, or massively overpriced.

After being very calm with DH I am now privately starting to worry because there is literally nothing out there. The market is so quiet (so I can confirm to those waiting for viewings that yes, it really is dead!). We went to see one yesterday that looked promising, until we realised that the vendors have been greedy and squeezed an extra bedroom in when they extended. The consequence of which is that you cannot fit anything other than a standard double bed in the master bedroom [shocked]

We have another one which we did a drive-by on and looks nice from the outside. Photos also look good, but I'm worried because it's been on the market for ages (over a year) and the vendors have steadfastly refused to drop the price. I think it's overpriced for the area - possibly a case of them focusing on all the work they've done and overlooking the fact that every area will have its ceiling price. But I'm worried that if we like it and reach an acceptable compromise on price that we'll still be paying too much.

I'm getting to the stage where I am overthinking everything and actually am getting a bit tearful even as I type. I honestly thought that the hardest part of this process would be finding a buyer. If we can't find anywhere then we'll have to rent but we REALLY don't want to - our numbers are so tight it feels like wasted money. I'm also worried that if the Bank of England raise rates - which is going to happen sooner or later - then mortgages will be tightened again and we could potentially end up stuck in rented not being able to buy.

Hi all, photographer is coming over next Thursday and EA expects we'll be on the market by the weekend. I'm a mixture of excited and anxious at the moment . We spent yesterday decluterring and packing away everything we don't need, continuing today (and I'm guessing everyday until the house is sold...). Can I post pictures later for your fresh eyes? Husband already thinks our kitchen doesn't look like home anymore (but that's the whole point, right?).

Two 1-bed flats within 50m of us have sold within 2 weeks of being on the market, but the 3 beds on the estate seem to be hanging for longer - there's one that's been on the market since March, they've just changed estate agents and dropped the price a bit. Fingers crossed our EA is better than their two!

Lazy hang on in there, the right one will come along. I really feel for you, it's so hard.

Lina absolutely. I was worried I'd gone too far with decluttering but we had really good feedback on our photos, so it was the right thing to do. The balance that you're aiming for is like an IKEA set - things in rooms, but only the nice looking stuff!

Buckingham thanks. I am so shocked at how little there is on the market - the housing stock simply isn't there. No wonder we've all been sitting on this thread wondering where the viewers/buyers are - nobody can bloody move because there's nothing to move onto! I'm getting worried because our buyers are FTB and very keen, so we need to get cracking because they want to move in ASAP and I don't want to keep them hanging.

Is a rental period out of the question?

I fully appreciate not for everyone, for us, we only had DH, DS16 and myself so it wasn't too difficult. If you have tinies or school catchment area stuff to think about then it's harder. For us, it forced us to consolidate what we really needed - went from a modern 5 bed townhouse to an apartment so It really helped me rationalise the crap I didn't need to keep. It then put us chain free behind us and although we then had a bad few interactions means our move will be easy now.

Is it a feasible option for you? Just to hold on whilst the market stabilises?

I have tinies and renting fills me with dread. Too much upheaval, their sleep would be atrocious. I would literally pay full asking to avoid it.

Lina the whole point is that the place doesn't looks like yours. A potential buyer has to feel it looks like THEIRS! Our house looks basically like a show home. Everything is gone from the mantelpieces, no personal photographs - our EA strongly recommended taking down photographs. He said that fundamentally it's about depersonalising the property. We got a skip and threw out all our clutter in a week and that was a massive help as it cleared space in cupboards and wardrobes for evidence of our daily lives to be hastily tidied away.

We have plastic crates and are basically living out of them. One plastic crate with all our bathroom stuff and toiletries currently lives in the bath. We shove it up high in a wardrobe during viewings.

We also have a couple of sofas with storage under the seats where all our winter coats are now squashed. And we also bought those vacuum storage bags for storing clothes under the bed. Big things like the clothes airer are up in the attic. The washing line goes in and out of the shed.

We have zero items on the kitchen counter except the microwave, toaster and kettle. Even the coffee is in the cupboard now. Anything to give the illusion of endless counter space!

And needless to say, absolutely nothing left on top of wardrobes or in the hall as it screams "there isn't enough storage in this property for them to be able to clear me away"

@ElspethFlashman our EA said to leave photos up, although the thought of my DC being on Rightmove doesn't sit well, will probably leave few not so obvious pics up, they said it wanted to look lived in but with space, I will declutter I will fill conservatory full of crap as tbh is needs knocking down so don't want it on pictures, that's already factored in the price. But totally agree on shifting stuff from work tops , window sills etc! Creating space as again if a place looks busy it makes me wonder about storage.
Shows how differently we all view, as I prefer a lived in, I don't like too see magnolia walls.

Well done em, great news!

The semi sold, I was glad as the semi vs detached was playing on my mind.
I think I would go with a semi set back from one another but not flat together.

Another viewing Tuesday but I think it's just going to be a no go, I may even cancel, they have put it up with another EA that loves himself ( independent) to much, I won't be listing with him for that reason and it's really put me off. Just can't seem to settle wanting to deal with them tbh. Silly yes but is a lot of money & I've got a feel for the EA in the area now after dealing with a few an he's a pretentious prat and it's more on principles unless it was absolutely perfect I must see but this isn't.

Agree nothing coming up I want, may even put off looking till next spring, fed up of being disheartened, may do my own up in hope off adding a few extra pennies ( conservatory kitchen ) as our price reflected the work, no biggies but give me something to do at least!

What Elspeth said about decluttering. So I left my kettle and butcher's block out in the kitchen, but put away all the pans, dish drainer, utensil holder etc., that would also normally sit on the counter.

Buckingham we're so reluctant to rent if at all possible. Our numbers are tight so two sets of moving fees would eat into our deposit - plus we have pets, so I suspect that the deposit and letting agency fees would also be pretty steep. If we have to then we will, but it's not so much plan B as plan Z!

Thanks for the reassurance that we are (probably) doing it right . Another day of touching up paint and putting stuff in the loft.

Hope the weekend was good for everyone having viewings!

Still nothing here, still depressed about it!
Do we move EA? What can a new one do that the current one can't, especially if it's just the market?
All the others are a lot more expensive.
And any new photos would be with the house empty.

Drspouse is anything moving in your area at the moment? If not then the market generally is quiet so probably not worth moving agent as it will be beyond their control. As I mentioned upthread we are finding (as buyers) the market to be pretty dead at the moment. There is hardly any new stock coming on. My agent told us when we went live that the school holidays tend to be very quiet and then things suddenly kick up a gear again in September.

There has been such a lot of stuff going on - Brexit, the general election result, market uncertainty about the economy - that things may have just quietened down a bit earlier than normal. Hopefully it will pick up again - when people realise that the sky hasn't fallen in and life is going on as normal!

I am drowning in paperwork here. The forms - oh God the forms. Did I mention that I am never moving again after this?

How have you all chosen your agent ?

I have one local for foot fall in a busy mall 5. Minutes from the house, professional photography, really good at chasing and keeping people in the loop, been great with me but they are trying to get my business.
Pay on completion ( 2.6k vs 220 house valuation! ) but I feel 'safe' it's my first sale and they have been great. Premium listing on internet. Probably a bit of haggling I can get them down.

Another 995 week on completion, not so great at ringing, good sale rate but under value for sale, Hence people who don't research probably loose out, I've added 15k if I went with them. Valuer does pics. Have to pay for epc. Further in next village so no footfall or pop in to register details etc.

Should I pay extra ? I think I will get more buyers with the 1st we are selling with a short lease ( often done as bungalows and we are all around 60 years ) bungalow got about 10 offers on a 60 year lease in two weeks I phoned agent tonight , another local agent ( bungalow on my road ) so they are selling with low leases.

Think I'm aiming for retired end of the market
Wwyd?

I chose my agent on the basis of their instruction to completion rate. The other agent (both local) was slightly cheaper - and consequently had a slightly higher instruction rate. But my thinking was I don't want someone to sit with it on their books - I want it sold! I also paid extra for the photos - and it was definitely worth it as opposed to going for the standard 'taken on an iPhone' agent photos.

Look at their conversion rates and the average instruction to completion timeframe, as well as the sale price % of the list price (our agent achieves 97%). Who is going to shift your property the quickest and for the closest to your asking price?

We put in an offer this morning.

It's on at 365, which is quite overpriced. I was talking to our own EA yesterday and sent him the link and asked what he thought of offering 5% under which would be 347 and would that be cheeky?

He laughed and said to offer 10% under! I was shocked. He retorted that nothing over 300k is ever cheeky. That my first offer should be a reflection of what I think the property is actually worth and in that area their EA will know to expect to be on for 6 months or more. To offer 335 with a view to going up to 345/350.

DH was appalled at the idea of offering 30K under the asking price as being too cheeky so we agreed this morning to offer 340, which is still 25K under. We don't expect them to accept but I guess the EA is right - it sets out our stall. Its really not worth more than 345.

So now the waiting begins!

Anyone available to send positive vibes please?
Mortgage application went in last Tuesday and we were told it'd be a week before we heard.
Is no news good news? Would it have been refused straight away if it was going to be a no?
Aaarghhh x

Offer of 660 has been accepted! Praying this one doesn't flag up bad searches. I'm well aware now of how things can go tits up.

We've offered on somewhere, but below FAP as the property is massively overpriced (and has been on the market for donkeys). Currently waiting to hear back...

Any news your end @PaulDacresFeministConsciounce?

Ffs I can't spell today @PaulDacresFeministConscience

Koala it's me - I NC a wee while back, as I do periodically!

I haven't posted for weeks, but had an offer this week! First one, 6 months and 6 viewings... it only takes one person.

Well done Jazz - hope you have a hassle free sale!

Can I join you all? Our listing went live today and I'm feeling like a bag of nerves. I'm so desperate to sell so we can buy in catchment for DS's next school.

I've really got my hopes up and am already trying to prepare myself for disappointment. Our neighbours sold in just over a week last month but I daren't hope for that kind of luck.

D'oh sorry I missed the nc!! I am currently up to my eyes in paperwork going for a record sale lol. Really pleased to hear you have buyers though :-) hoping you find somewhere to buy soon!