Selling frustration thread anyone?

[kiely32]

Anyone want to share their selling frustrations as I feel the need to sound off and I'm sure I can't be the only one!!
My list of frustrations so far...
But first I will start with a bit of info on the house. It's a 3 bed mid terrace in Hertfordshire. The house has been renovated to a high standard but has no driveway - or potential to create one as We are down a steep bank.
We only put the house on the market 3 weeks ago.
So far we have had an EA show people around when he hasn't even seen the property himself.
Cancellations that we haven't been told about - three times!
Having to chase feedback.
On the open morning I waited outside for 30 mins for text to say the viewings had finished, for the text never to come!
Windows being left open by the EA.
And my number one frustration is that when I have finally received the feedback I am told all 7 viewers loved the house but really wanted a driveway 😠

I'm feeling really low today 😔 we are coming off the market in just over a week and have no viewings booked in. I thought the EA would be trying to give it one last push but I haven't heard from them since last Friday. It's starting to dawn on me that we will not be relocating for at least another 6 months now.

I have to admit i have hated this experience and have vowed to use an online agent next time. I would say 70% of our viewings have been people talked in to viewing the house by EA and not really interested. I know that in theory this tactic can work but i think it would be easier to only have the people who are genuinely interested my property. I have also hated not being able to control the viewings. Monday nights and Sunday mornings are ideal for me to have viewings but as this doesn't work with the EAs hours it is more likely that I get stuck with a pita time that really doesn't suit. (Think, kids hanging out in the car, while I'm looking at my watch and wondering how on earth I am going to manage to feed them before swimming/gym/tutor...).

My next mission is to source the best online EA before starting chapter 2 in March...

I do have tons of sympathy PooPoo and Haunted about timing of viewings. EA no. 2 has tended to do them all at 5/5.30, which is a terrible time when you have children. I've found myself spending a small fortune in nearby cafes while viewers are looking around. Back in June, Saturday 9 o'clock in the morning viewings meant we had to convince the children to leave the house by buying them breakfast, an expensive habit we quickly learnt to drop! In more recent weeks I have just driven round, had everyone sit in the car, or gone to the park.

Haunted
It is so dispiriting, I know. We are on the point of being very nearly sold now, but both me and DH are not the slightest bit excited. We are exhausted, stressed, and feeling conflicted about accepting quite a bit less for the house than we thought we would get.

It's not over till it's over though - it seems that EAs often pull a last-minute buyer out of the bag.

Haunted . I sort of feel the same. I think our EA preferred Saturdays for their super expensive clients and we are getting the shit times! But I've now said no viewings on Fridays as that's mine a dd2 time while dd1 is at school and so I'm taking back some control

We also said no viewings tomorrow (long story) and it's bloody lovely to have a break from this malarkey

Think next spring will work better for us but while it's on the market you still feel like you've got a chance.

After my last post we had a ray of light...
One of the couple's who had previously said they liked our place, sold! Cue excitement!! I contacted the EA who said yes they were still interested but wanted to view a few others first. I got a call this morning asking if they could do a second viewing. Of course I said yes and set about making the house in to a show home.
Fast forward to the viewing this evening. They turned up 15 mins late, went inside for no more than 5 mins and left without a backwards glance. 😢
I think the EA knew they were no longer all that keen because on previous 2nd viewings the 'head' EA has come along. This time, not only did he not come but nor did the EA that had previously shown them around. This junior EA didn't even bother to feed back to me after, just waved and got in his car and left.

So annoyed at myself for getting my hopes up!

How is everyone else getting on?

Haunted That's gutting. Had the EA talked them into the second viewing do you think? It's a hard line for an EA between pushing people to view and understanding that people can't be chased into buying a house. Wasn't there a second set of people who were also keen. Are they still not sold?

We accepted the offer we had at the weekend. It's lower than we wanted, but it puts an end to four months of agony of the type you describe: spending hours and hours polishing the stainless steel, buying fresh flowers every week, not letting the children get anything out unless it goes straight back! Already, our place looks a mess as there is no impending viewing. Going house hunting on Friday. Trying not to view too many houses, for the reason you describe: getting people's hopes up when the chances of us buying it are not huge.

I have finally had the feedback - after chasing and they have now decided that the parking is a problem. I think they only came back to get the EA off their back and the EA clearly knew it was a waste of time!

No the other couple still haven't sold but the EA has tried contacting them to see how things are progressing but has been ignored. So I guess that is another dead end.

So after 3 months, 22 first viewings and 3 second viewings we are officially done! I am going to ride out the brexit storm and wait for the market to pick up again. My dreams of life in the country will have to wait.

I wish you all the best of luck with your journeys. Xxx

sorry to hear that Haunted

We are up to about the same amount of viewings at 5 weeks but no second viewings.

We had two viewings last night and the EA said the first lot were going to offer on another house but now want to offer on ours. I am not getting my hopes up as people say whatever they can to get the EAs off their backs.

DH was home yesterday while I was in the office and had a taste of what it's actually like getting the house ready. He text me to say I'd left my nightie in the bathroom (and implied how dare I!). I leave the house at 6.20 am and they are all asleep and he's asked me not to go back in to put my nightie away previously!

It's also school holidays next week and both dc will be home so I've said you can have one day for viewings as multiple days would probably send me round the bend and needing lots of

Just going to add in the drama we’ve had trying to sell my DM’s house.

As a bit of background, my DF passed away last year and my DM has been struggling to cope with finances/ general life maintenance on her own. She decided to sell the family home in June ’16 – about a week before the Brexit vote. Since it went on the market, she’s had at least 50 viewings, possibly more. Plenty of stupid offers from people trying to get a bargain post-Brexit, a few that were accepted and then pulled out.

Early this year (when the house was temporarily off the market for Christmas/ New Years etc.) she had a call from the estate agent about someone who was desperate to buy the house. Cue him putting in a generous offer which was accepted, then weeks and WEEKS of being told she’d be exchanging ‘tomorrow’, and of course, it never happened. She was also told by her EAs that this guy wanted a quick completion from exchange, so she sold all her furniture (bar her bed and one sofa).

Of course the guy pulled out at the last minute, she lost over £4k in fees and is now in her house with hardly any furniture and most of her belongings in boxes. She’s also lost at least £100k on it since it first went on the market.

I am NEVER buying a house!!

Oh wow fatbottomedgal - that is awful! It is a very unfair system to allow money to be spent with no commitment. What the hell was this joker playing at!!! I wish her better luck in the future.xx

Can I join please? Had ours on market for four weeks now. Three viewings, no second viewings. We missed out on a house that we loved and viewed twice. And we're totally gutted. However my DREAM home has came to market today and I spoke to the owner who is giving us the first viewing on Saturday! We also price dropped slightly to get more interest in ours.
So feeling a little positive.
Reading everything that's gone on with you guys is quite disheartening.
We live in Scotland and it is a bit different here. The seller gets a survey and that is distributed to potential buyers so they don't each have to survey. Also guzumping is illegal here. I think it does make it slightly less stressful tbh.

how did your viewings go Two, did lowering your price help?

I've just had a call with our agents to tell them we're going to take it off the market. It didn't go well, we've only been on 6 weeks but it's over priced and DH won't lower it.

We've had over 20 viewings and only 1 second viewing. I'm busy at work, juggling childcare this holiday and quiet frankly fuck off with the whole thing.

We will put it back on in Spring at a more reasonable price looking at you DH and hopefully I'll be more mentally prepared for it. I have friends who've sold in one day up to 2 weeks and I had hoped the same would happen.

Spring is I think the best time to sell PooPoo and Haunted. Where we are, April seemed the best - things seemed to be moving pretty briskly then but are torturously slow now.
The price thing is hard but it seems like you have to be pretty pragmatic, and then see if you can't pass the hit on to your next purchase. Good luck everyone.

Perfectly the viewing was amazing. We are in love with the house, the garden, everything. I spoke to the EA today and the sellers won't accept an offer unless we are under offer. Which is what I suspected. I have a feeling the house will go quickly.
We don't have anymore viewings booked to our house, but a couple of estate agents asking us for feedback on viewings we have done said the next two weeks seem to be really busy before quietening down again so fingers crossed.
I did also think about taking ours off as of mid September until spring again but not sure what to do. Do you feel better perfectly about it? A bit less stressed?

We will leave the UK when we sell as we've decided it's time to move closer to family so I think we may be a bit relieved now.

We thought we'd sell and buy a bigger house in London but that would mean committing to at least another 10 years here (with the insane prices in London) and the selling process has helped us work this out.

I feel sad we're off the market as I want to sell, but we're not quite ready to leave London. It's bitter sweet.

I hope you get your dream house. It's so stressful and I think we're lucky we're not buying again. But OK I'm still a little bit addicted to rightmost