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.

Thanks Lazy! The viewing appeared to go extremely well....they were here for 45mins and we even had a drink in the garden, which is one of the strongest parts of the house imo. They were already talking about second viewings to bring his mum. Wish they'd come back today as its all tidy and sparkly!

I think doing my own viewings is the way forward, I could answer all of their questions etc.

Fingers crossed!

I'm sure your new house will be exactly what you need...I don't mind being in a semi but all the 4 beds tend to be detached around here so that's likely what we will end up with.

We did our own viewing - and as nervous as I was, it was the right thing because we could answer all of their questions straight away. I think it was the ability to do this that enabled them to make their minds up quite quickly. With the best will in the world even the most invested agent won't know all the ins and outs of your property and the area in which you live.

We did compromise over the new house as I really would have preferred detached. But the detached option had a much smaller square footage and a tiny garden which was completely overlooked on all sides - whereas the new house is much bigger, has a massive south facing garden and is hardly overlooked at all.

Really pleased that the viewing went well - drinks in the garden sounds very civilised! Fingers crossed that a house you like comes on the market ASAP.

Think I need to join. Sold 8 weeks ago and now my buyer has pulled out as she hasn't got enough funds to fund the move.... so late in the day! Now our purchase will go back for sale and we start again. So annoying.

Eight weeks! Good grief.
Apparently we had a viewing on Friday. Viewer liked it and may want to look again. What's interesting though is that the EA didn't tell us about the viewing.

Oh that sounds stressful thecatnextdoor,

We have been up forsale for 6 weeks had 7 viewings which didnt amount to anything, and have reduced our house by £20,000 as we really need to move quickly, getting more viewings now so hopefully it will be gone soon, We thought we found our perfect buyers the other day who wanted it but since found out the couldn't buy it as they have to sell their house first, Which apparently they thought they would have the funds to move without having to do so, They wanted to put an offer in of full asking but as we need to move fast we couldnt accept it, Its such a shame as I really liked them and wanted them to be able to buy it!Got 3 more viewings lined up so far and feedback from a viewing on Sunday, 2 of them are tomorrow, We have started doing accompanied viewings where the estate agent comes and my husband is here to answer any questions, He said the estate agent was useless the other day, Wasn't explaining anything positive about the house just there's the kitchen, leaving out the fact its only 2 years old got all built in appliances a 2 year old boiler still under guarantee and real wood work tops, I really wish we did our own viewings before. I feel like a lot of buyers could have slipped through the net.

Cat WTF? Did your agent check for proof of funds/mortgage when they accepted the offer from her? What a nightmare - hope you find a buyer soon.

Lottie - Dragon and I were debating this earlier. Must admit I thought I'd prefer not to do viewings but in retrospect it was better that we did them because you can 'sell' the features.

Yes the funds were there (cash buyer) but I think they realised they would be putting all their money into it as a buy to let and then they won't have any spare cash for a rainy day.. why they didn't do this 8 weeks ago I don't know. We wanted to exchange in two weeks!
I'm doubtful we will get a buyer in time to keep going with the house we have purchased.
Never again!

Yes lazy, my house is all refurbished so I thought it would sell itself but my friend said to me telling people about the neighbours about the area etc.. All sticks in their minds when they go away and think about it, Which tbf I think she had acstrong point, The first viewing we did ourselves and they would have put an offer in if the could have. I hate selling houses I don't want to do it again for a long time, Its far too stressful! Making it look immaculate for viewers and not getting any where was driving me crazy. I'm praying it goes under offer this week!

Aww cat, Can you reduce your price at all to try and get a quicker sale?

Lazy congrats! It's crap not to be excited but when you've been through the mangle that is sell-buy at the moment, it's hard to keep it going. I was on the verge of mild interest last week, then some crap came out of the woodwork about right of way. I swear the God of House Buying - Zooplus or whatever he's called -is a total Cockwomble and is massively against me. Cross fingers for the next 4 weeks for you!

Morning all. CatNextDoor what a horrible situation. It is terrible that this kind of thing can be allowed to happen. I hope you find a buyer quickly.

We had one viewing eventually on Saturday. No feedback so far from that or the first one. I am starting to wonder if it might be a good idea to be present at the viewings, just to see how they're going and gauge reactions for myself.

I've been awake since 3am so suffering from severe lack of sleep. Consequently my optimism levels are at an all-time low. I've already convinced myself there will be no more viewings or interest in our house. It's only been on the market five days.

So ever onwards, may the god Zooplus look beneficently on us all today

I really hope that Zooplus is going to reward my weeks of endless nothing, with a smooth and stress-free sale. I doubt it!

My mortgage broker wants to know everything including my inside leg measurement (OK, not really, but it bloody well feels that way!). I am already fed up of being asked 11 billion questions, having 37458454 bits of legal paperwork and forms everywhere and being pestered to death with phone calls for valuations etc.

I know I am being unreasonable. But I hate being stressed - and I suspect that the real stress is yet to come. I also hate having to rely on other people to do stuff and having to wait when they miss deadlines or don't deliver. I'm pretty organised so if I say I'll do something by X date , then I'll do it or I will keep you updated if there is an issue or a delay. The whole house buying thing seems to work on the basis of paying huge sums of money to various people, who then spend weeks either avoiding you or fibbing to you about things being 'nearly ready'...

I can't believe that people do this every 2-3 years! WHY?!?!

Lazy - because they are mental? I really don't understand it either. Sounds like you are dealing with a bunch of fools there. Horrendous.

We're still getting viewings but it's a trickle now. Honestly I am sick to the back teeth of selling now. I wake up every morning and I'm blissfully happy for about 10 seconds - then I remember that we have a house that we cannot sell and my stomach goes into it's usual round of knots.

I'm so fed up with it to, Especially with people coming round to time waste, It takes so much effort to have my house looking immaculate with four kids and when you get people coming round who want a south facing garden and can't live without one I don't understand why they are looking at my house? Its a massive waste of my time.

I really feel for you both. Fingers crossed a buyer turns up soon. I know it's not helpful but everyone (including both agents I'm dealing with) is saying that the market is dead at the moment - hardly anyone is moving, enquiries are down and it's very very quiet. Both are hopeful that things will pick up soon - as both said they think that the GE and all the political uncertainty hasn't helped at all. So by the sounds if it the problem isn't your houses, it's the market being so quiet. Again I know it's no comfort when you are sitting in limbo and having to keep everything viewer-ready!

Just popping my head back in to say congrats Lazy. Hope it all goes well for you.
Am pushing for a v quick sale and everything is done except for searches so just waiting for those to come back. Aiming for 3rd Aug for completion so just getting removals quotes. I feel like we need to start sorting and packing but I don't want to jinx it!

Oooh brill Koala. Out of interest (because I am trying to work out my own conveyancing timescales) when did you accept your offer and how many weeks in are you?

Does anyone have any advise on negotiating agent fees? Instead of commission it's a fixed priced but the agent I like is the most expensive, I can see why, but would it be cheeky to ask ? I know it's the norm with say 3% vs 1.5 % you can haggle, very new at all this!
The same thing but they all talk money not percentages
Thank you

Thanks lazy we accepted the offer 12th June, so 4 weeks today. Hoping to have moved in just 7 weeks from accepting offer. Within 2 weeks I had all the paperwork for our sale done, inc the TR1 and signing the contract and also arranged all insurances and had our mortgage offer through on the purchase. Our mortgage company were exceptionally fast though - they valued the house within 4 working days of our application and issued the offer 3 days later!! So now we are waiting on the searches. We have FTB one end though and buying an empty house so it is a small chain. The sellers seem a bit slow which is annoying but I believe they are divorcing so i assume a lot of back and forthing through solicitors there. I just want in now!

I heard that too lazydaily I wish I would have put it in the market a few months earlier than I did, I don't think I would have had such a problem with selling then.

I had a couple that seemed to love it this afternoon so fingers crossed something comes of it.

Crazylazy yes its worth haggling. Good luck

No word about our offer! We offered last Wednesday I think. Flipping hell, what's the deal? If it's too little just tell us! It was only an opening offer, we're prepared to go higher!

What worries me is that if we have to wait this long every time we do the back and forth of negotiations, we won't be sale agreed for weeks, and we'll end up renting.

The frustration! I just want to get on!

Wow that is a long time, Did they have more viewings Elspeth?

Can't really drop the price of mine otherwise it wouldn't be worth moving really. It's also the cheapest 2 bed flat in the area anyway!
Not heard from the estate agent we are buying off and the house isn't yet back on the market.
So stressful

Oh and Elspeth it took our seller 19 days to respond to our offer and it was because he had it as help to buy so needed to get a Rix's (?!?) survey and wanted the outcome of that first so it maybe something like that?