Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Protection built in.

Meet the Other Phone.
Protection built in.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Property/DIY

Join our Property forum for renovation, DIY, and house selling advice.

Original poster

Sellers roll call! How many viewings are you gettingin this stagnant market?

974 replies

Pixiedust1973 · 15/01/2018 14:45

I thought it would be nice to update each other with our progress as I seem to of lost the other sellers thread!

My house has been on the market on & off since April last year. We found a house we liked, got a buyer before putting in an offer. Had a low offer but managed to negotiate them up & the house we want down to an acceptable level, just! Turns out after many months that their buyer can't proceed so we decide to cut off from our old agents & start afresh with a 25k reduction for quick sale, making us without question the best house in the area for the price! Comparables being 40-50k higher! Im in an expensive part of Surrey btw, hence silly money for very little!

Been on 55 days now & had 11 viewings, 2 cheeky try their luck offers we can't accept because they're 30k below our asking price already reduced by 25k. Id say that given how stagnant the market is we're getting a reasonable amount of interest. Getting lots more hits online since the new year & hopefully its only a matter of time. The viewers we are getting are proceedable viewers, mainly chain free. Probably explains the low offers! Hmm Had a second viewing on Friday & awaiting their feedback today. Thought they were keen but the later in the day it gets the more nervous im getting!

OP posts:
BeauticianNotMagician81 · 01/08/2018 13:29

Thanks so much for all the feedback on my house it's been really helpful. You are a lovely bunch on here.

Auntpetunia2015 · 01/08/2018 22:40

Can I join ? House been on the market 3 weeks 4 viewings 1 lot of feedback too expensive which I agree with always thought agent was pushing it but others in the estate had gone for similar so had to try. Reduced it last Monday after 2 weeks and got 1 viewing this week on Friday.

I’m chain free and desperate to move. House being sold after divorce. Will be chasing agents tomorrow to see where we go from here.

flamingofridays · 02/08/2018 11:21

hi auntpetunia! I hope something positive comes from your viewing on Friday

for the first time we have absolutely shite all lined up.... depressing!

estate agent says shes doing all she can but that seems like shit to me....

I am about to launch my ad on facebook!

flamingofridays · 02/08/2018 11:51

I have just messaged her again and all she is saying is reduce it, no mention of new pictures, or in fact any other ideas.

she is clearly too busy posting about how many awards shes won for being such a great estate agent. all this shit is why I went with her but im not actually getting award winning service at all.

Lilmisskittykat · 02/08/2018 12:57

@flamingofridays I'm not suggesting that your estate agent is awesome but realistically there is only so much they can do. August is usually quiet anyway I believe

These days if it's on right move that's all you need, a had a friend advertise her house on Facebook just got lots of time waters - no agent to vet out the tyre kickers. But some people think they will save them selves a few grand and fair enough - it didn't work for her she went with an agent and after 15k reduction sold... I wouldn't view a house without an agent involved - I feel they are vital

Buyers are nervous at the moment, interest rate rise been rumbling and happened today, Brexit on the horizon.

I hate to be a party pooper but there's two opinions sit tight and wait (worked for me though took a year) or reduce to move on

twinkydink · 02/08/2018 13:21

@flamingo be very careful about what your contract says too. Even if you happened to sell through Facebook they may have something in their contract that says you still have to pay them fees regardless if it is within a certain time frame.

In terms of them not doing anything, I feel your pain there. I really dont think my agent does any thing proactively. it's all replying to requests through rightmove, I'm not sure that they actively approach any potential buyers. I dont know if it would make a difference but it would make me feel better!

flamingofridays · 02/08/2018 14:20

I am advertising on FB but still pointing viewers to rightmove/ estate agents website i'm just essentially doing the advertising for her

I know I would still have to pay her commission and that's fine :)

Auntpetunia2015 · 02/08/2018 14:23

Well my quick phone call about where we go from here at 9:30am resulted in a call back at 12 with another viewing for tomorrow. So that’s 2 a week in the three weeks it’s been on. My bug bear is the lack of feedback. People last week spent an hour and left v positive and then zip ! Why it’s just rude. Anyway onwards and upward. I will reduce again in a fortnight and if and when my flat is ready I’ll move out and leave it empty ..

jgm · 02/08/2018 16:36

We have a viewing arranged for Saturday, they haven't sold their house though so a bit pointless really. Also had someone knock on the door the other evening, but I was in on my own with two kids and a dog and the house was a state as we'd just got back off holiday, so I asked them to arrange through the agent. Not heard anything else from them.

MovingThisYearHopefully · 02/08/2018 21:16

I hate those weekends Flaming. So hard to know what to do for the best. You could wait it out, because summer is a quiet time & you've had so many viewings already, which in my mind says the price is fine. If you're impatient & want to get going then reducing could work, as long as your EA knows your bottom line. A 2% reduction would bring your Rightmove AD up to the top again & have it re sent out to everyone within that bracket, including those who previously may not of looked because of price.

We decided to say we'll go chain free & im kinda shitting myself about it because we have a garage full of stuff & a cat to think about, so it won't be easy finding anywhere suitable to rent within budget. I'm hoping it doesn't come to that tbh. We have a viewing tomorrow & another on Saturday, plus a possible viewing when DH's workmates wife comes back from a business trip next week. Fingers crossed for us all.

MamaOotie · 03/08/2018 11:11

Well had another viewing and they seemed really keen. Told the estate agent they'd want to do another viewing as it was a strong contender. Then EA phones this morning to say they have changed their minds as they want a shop in walking distance. So frustrating. Sad

EA keeps saying things will pick up in September. Don't know if I believe that.

flamingofridays · 03/08/2018 11:59

moving yeah I don't know what to do to be honest! my step dad suggested enlisting a 2nd agent when the contract is up and having them both so there is a bit of competition to actually try and sell the house. I am thinking about it but contract not up till 19th sept so its a long time to wait and it might not even work.

I am tempted to just reduce and cut my losses and see what happens.
We don't HAVE to move and I wouldn't be totally miserable if we didn't (though we would have to make the parking into a garden because the front garden is small and I want more outside space) but I just think our quality of life would be better if we did. and we can afford it, what if prices rise in the next 2 years, I don't want to be priced out the market. (that's prob a bit silly and wont happen but you have to consider every eventuality!)

she's trying to book a viewing in on sat but wants me to do it even though I have said about 3 times I don't bloody want to because that's what I am paying her for!!

12.30 as well. I've said no!

flamingofridays · 03/08/2018 12:03

they have just said they will do it. why not offer in the first place!!

Auntpetunia2015 · 03/08/2018 14:47

Well my two viewings for today have both cancelled. One has apparently driven around the area and doesn’t want to live here ..think she was the one yesterday who slowed down so much my elderly neighbour glared at them after the 4th drive by did look v dodgy ! And the second has had her buyers pull out...oh well one more on Monday

flamingofridays · 03/08/2018 15:09

oh no that's crap petunia

we just have this 1 viewing tomorrow

dp doesn't want to reduce and I do cos I am so bored of this shit now

but will reducing even mean it will sell... who knows

jgm · 03/08/2018 17:51

Tomorrow's viewers have just cancelled, they've had an offer accepted on another house Sad.

Auntpetunia2015 · 03/08/2018 18:43

Oh jgm that’s frustrating

jgm · 03/08/2018 20:11

Thank you Auntpetunia2015 - they wanted to come yesterday afternoon but we were out, I can't help but wonder if they would have liked ours if they saw it before the one they viewed and offered on today, but who knows.

Good luck to everyone this weekend - have we had anyone on this thread go SSTC in the last few weeks or so? It feels like we're all struggling!

flamingofridays · 03/08/2018 20:16

Sorry to hear that @jgm . Does seem like were all having a shit time of it.

HopefullyMoving · 04/08/2018 08:36

@jgm we went SSTC end of last month.

HopefullyMoving · 04/08/2018 08:36

June, I mean.

MovingThisYearHopefully · 04/08/2018 09:18

It will cost more money in commission to go dual agents Flaming, plus it makes you look desperate. Definitely better off reducing if necessary. Your agent does sound like crap though, so I'd think of switching to a new agent rather than going multi.

How frustrating Mama, Auntpetunia & jgm. Hows things going Hopefully? Smoothly I hope. Hope to join you soon.

We had a man come over yesterday & he came back with his wife in the evening. They seemed very keen, loved the area etc. Went away to do sums & get quotes. Another viewing this morning. This whole process has been so stressful. Yesterday afternoon DH was saying he wants to divorce me & take half the house money. If that happened it would be a fight because I need more than half & I put in way more than half. Thankfully we made up & he said he didn't mean it. Shows how stressful this gets though after 18 months! Sad

HopefullyMoving · 04/08/2018 10:47

@MovingThisYearHopefully we are hoping to exchange late next week or early week after. Completion is on track for end of August. Fingers crossed!

jgm · 04/08/2018 12:20

That's great @HopefullyMoving, good to hear some positive news! (just realised I've been confusing you and MovingThisYearHopefully)!

I've just worked out the the couple who wanted to view our house on Thurs but I couldn't do until today offered on one that only came on the market yesterday - can't help but think of the what ifs... Let us know how today's viewings go flamingo and MovingThisYear.

MovingThisYearHopefully · 05/08/2018 20:07

Fingers crossed for you HopefullyMoving. It is a bit confusing jgm lol. Gutting for you about those viewers offering elsewhere. Sad

Had more news from the agents about our viewers from Friday. They were looking in other areas on Saturday & will come back to us on Monday if they want to go for our place. Saturdays viewers liked the house, but still looking elsewhere & yet to sell their own place. We have DH's work mate & his wife coming over tomorrow. Could get awkward if Fridays couple want it & they do too. Hopefully at least one of them does!