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.

So we're revisiting our dream house. It's got several offers on it from buyers still waiting to sell (as are we for now). However, we'll be solely cash buyers. Is it worth adding our offer to the mix or waiting until we've sold ourselves to give us extra weight?

Rainsbow I really don't think there's a lot of point in offering when you're not proceedable - you just lose bargaining power. I'd call the EA and say you're interested and won't need a mortgage, but don't make an actual offer.

We've just had a viewing booked in for tomorrow morning...

Look at all these viewings just between today and Tuesday

Just joining thread today. Went on the market on Wednesday afternoon and got call to arrange viewing first thing Thursday morning. Sadly EA got confused over viewers availability so now on hold until next week once work shifts known. Why do I expect phone to be ringing non stop with people desperate to buy!

Our viewer never turned up. Ignorant. Just ignorant.

borntobeamum just rude.

After two hours of frantic gardening, photographer texted to say it was too overcast. All that work for nothing! We even took down the washing line! Ugh.

Meanwhile I bumped into my solicitor and got a breezy "I'll be in touch next week".

We had a second viewing yesterday who said they were putting in an offer, we've got another second viewing today who said similar and another 5 others today. If we don't get an offer on Monday I'll lose the will.

Sounds very promising rainsbow

How frustrating Elspeth!!!

Fingers crossed everybody.

Is anybody getting RM stats from their agent on number of views? We know our Zoopla stats because we can see them ourselves.

We get a weekly report from our EA via email PaulDacresFeminist

Thanks Koala I have heard naff all from our agent so I might give them a call.

Can I take a poll. Would you choose?

Bigger house or
Better location

paul same here - we get a weekly email from the EA that sets out how many people have looked at the summary/detailed page on their website, and Rightmove stats.

Everything they've said just makes them sound horrendous - when you call and ask why you've not had viewings what do they say? How much longer's left of your exclusivity period?

We've just showed a viewer around, but everything the EA told us about their situation was wrong .

Science I'm beginning to worry now. They're a local agent who have a decent reputation. I had both local outfits in for the valuation and went with our agent out of the two, because their sale conversion figure was slightly better and time from advert to sale was a bit shorter.

Ours also suggested things like paying for photos rather than relying on the free agent ones, because we'd need the 'edge' in trying to sell a flat because they're normally a bit more difficult to shift. This resonated as I'd already seen the agent photos from the other lot, and they looked so dark and horrible (a property in our building sold 4 years ago with the other agents).

I've rung and left a message asking for them to let me know what our RM stats are. If people aren't searching for flats in our area then there's not a lot that we can do - if there isn't a buyer pool there then all we can do is wait until there is. But if people are searching RM for flats in our location and we're featuring in search results, then I want to know how many people are clicking through to our listing. Then I want the agent's opinion on why those click-throughs aren't translating into enquiries.

We're locked in for 20 weeks . 4 down, 16 to go. DH says that depending on what the agent says when they ring back, we may push to re-negotiate the contract and do a multi-agency listing. It will mean the fees will be higher - 2k instead of 1.6k - but that's still cheaper than knocking 5k off.

Have you done some basic analysis of your own from zoopla? What are your 30-day views like compared to similar properties in the area? Not that you should have to, but it might help judge the accuracy of what your EA says.

I call our EA sales director for a catch-up roughly once a week. He updates on the local market, if we've had viewers whether they've gone on to view/buy elsewhere, what they're doing to try and push our sale and if there's anything else relevant going on.

At a month with no viewings I'd be on the phone frequently to find out what their thoughts are and what they're planning on doing about it - it also helps to put you onto the 'serious sellers' list in their minds, because there are people willing to just leave their property sitting on RM indefinitely until someone happens to bite.

Rainsbow It depends (sorry I know that's not helpful!). I'm not a fan of having more rooms than we need, so I'm not interested in having a 'spare room' - so a bigger house isn't necessarily a draw for me. However if you are planning on having visitors over, of you have DC who might want a playroom/teenage hang-out room, then a bigger house might be better. Gardens also tend to be bigger as well which would be a draw for me.

I'm a big believer in finding the up and coming area and then looking for the best value house that ticks the boxes. This way there's a much better chance of benefiting from added value - which is a safety net in case circumstances change and you have to sell in the future.

What's starting to improve? What are the transport links like? What are the crime stats like? Get in the car and go there, walk about. What do the streets look like? Is there rubbish and graffiti about? What do other properties look like - are they well cared for? Is there evidence that people are spending money - driveways, tidy gardens, conservatories and extensions? What's the voting demographic like? I would be put off by somewhere with a high UKIP result for example.

What are the shops like? If it's a parade of bookies and charity shops then that's not a good sign, but if there are some independents and there are signs of positive life on the local high street then that's very positive. Have a look on Trip Advisor - look at the local pubs and restaurants and coffee shops and read the reviews.

We're getting more views in last 30 days than two other places - one more expensive, one cheaper. However both have been on for longer than ours so I don't know if that makes any difference.

One SSTC (cheaper but not as nice) went on at the start of March and has had over 300 views before selling. However at their price point it will have almost certainly sold to an investor so I'd expect that to be quicker sale anyway. Our price point is out of investor territory (using the basic yield calculation) but we were assured by both valuation agents that our proposed asking price should be achievable given the location and the standard of finish.

It's a good point though to ask the agent about what's going on with their sales - so if people are viewing other flats are they going on to buy in the area within that price bracket? They shut at 1:30 so it will be interesting to see if they ring me back today or not...

Do not all agency's out properties in zoopla? I can't find my house on there.

Five - no, not all of them do. Our agent does - which is one of the reasons we picked them because they had a greater 'reach' - but the other agent only lists on RM and their website.

RM gets more viewings than Zoopla listings, but only the agent can see the stats o RM - whereas you can see your own page views on Zoopla, so it's handy to have both.

Aaand it's after 1:30pm and the agent is now shut and my phone hasn't rung. Quelle surprise!

Rainbow I'm the opposite of Paul in that I love a bloody big house. Actually a bloody big house is what we're looking for. 5 bed, and wouldn't turn our noses up at a 6 bed. As many reception rooms as possible! Big fuck off garden that's not overlooked!

But we have the same quandary as we're moving outwards from town in order to get that in our budget BUT those houses tend to be in the middle of nowhere.

I have to say though that "good location" isn't always as great as it looks. We're in such an amazing location that all our friends think we're nuts moving outwards, but they don't have to live with sirens going off day and night and parties waking us up. And being terrified of the kids running into the heavy traffic and having to get in the car anyway for lots of things as it takes so bloody long to walk down endless twisty narrow mediaeval streets that are virtually impassable with a buggy.

We've had three offers today!! Two asking price and both have sold, one over asking price but still on market

Fantastic Rainbow.😊

Rainbow that's wonderful news. Get one of them accepted, get on the phone to the agent for your dream house and get an offer in!!