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Original poster

Sellers roll call part 2. Who is still on this treadmill?

980 replies

MovingThisYearHopefully · 08/08/2018 14:50

I thought it was about time to start a new thread as this one is close to 1000 messages.

Who is still here & what is your story?

Heres me: I have been trying to move since April last year. Had a buyer, buyers lost their buyer in October & still haven't got a new one. We remarketed at a low price in November in order to continue buying the house we were at point of exchange with, but were unable to get enough to move on & lost the house in February.

Prices are definitely falling here in Surrey. Realistically we're looking to get 10% less than our original asking price, if we're lucky. Getting viewers has never been an issue, regardless of price. This process has been stressful beyond belief & almost split me & DH up. Surely our luck must change soon?

One thing that seems to be helping us get more interest than other properties is that we have now agreed to go chain free. Is this a possibility for any of you struggling? If offered significantly less than asking price then as far as I see it you are within your rights to say chain free was based on near to asking price & not affordable at a significant amount under! Worth considering perhaps?

OP posts:
twinkydink · 10/08/2018 07:24

Here in South London it is the norm for the agent to do the viewings but also agents charge extortionate fees so I would expect it otherwise I really dont know what I am paying for! it's crazy isn't it how the market is so different across the country. From the estate agents we had round fees ranged from 5000 to 11000 which I think is between 1 and 1.5% of the house price. I only do the viewings if someone is desperate to do it after 6.30but most of ours have been on Saturdays.

notknotweed1 · 10/08/2018 08:56

Sorry really slow reply from me!

@Moving the ww2 air raid shelter could have been quite cool but unfortunately the knotweed meant we couldn't disturb the land in the garden for 5 years. The main reason we were buying that one was for the amazing garden and all the things we could do with it, so there was no hope. We've increased our budget slightly since then so I think we're going to find something better - it's all meant to be.

We went on the market on Monday with a cheap local estate agent and we have 5 viewings with proceedable buyers tomorrow! When we went on a few months ago with one of the pricey agents we never had that much interest so I'm glad we didn't go back to them. I need to do some serious cleaning tonight once the toddler is in bed, then ship him off to his grandparents tomorrow morning. Would be amazing if we got an offer after just one day of viewings, but I've learnt not to get my hopes up.

flamingofridays · 10/08/2018 10:40

we've a viewing today so lets see how that goes.

think we're going to give it until the end of our contract and if we haven't sold then maybe take it off the market, do the garden and wait a couple of years and try and sell again. Try and overpay the mortgage as well so we have a bit more equity to play with.

Hercy · 10/08/2018 10:46

My house is going on the market today and have a day of viewings lined up for tomorrow! We've also sold a rental property this year so have a good appreciation of the current market. Our house is going on for £25k less than it was valued (by the same agent) earlier this year. Hoping we're being realistic enough to generate interest, but time will tell.

@ Moonie I don't suppose you're looking in Beckenham? If so, there's a lovely 2-3 bed house coming on to the market later today Grin

Hercy · 10/08/2018 10:48

Sorry, wasn't clear - the viewings tomorrow are all for our next property. Would be bloody impressive if we had a whole day of viewings set up before our house had even gone on the market!

Lilmisskittykat · 10/08/2018 12:13

I love an escorted viewing over a vendor one. You can look properly not feel ackward and ask questions or point things out to each other.

I find The small talk with vendors is distracting. Sometimes they can be too chatty so you walk out having felt you just did a home visit and not looked at you potential next home. Other ones you cannot get out of 🙈

However I like a second viewing with the vendor as then you get a vibe about the person you will be dealing with and get to ask qs...

So doubled edged I think

Alexalee · 10/08/2018 12:27

Hercy what price are you on at?

jgm · 10/08/2018 12:29

What surprised me about the escorted viewing I’ve booked for next week is the agent didn’t have any appointments available for 7 days (that’s the agent, not the house) which would annoy me as a seller. Maybe that’s just a rubbish agent though!

Alexalee · 10/08/2018 12:36

Jgm I have had the exact same issue. Is it because they have let staff go so more properties per agent

flamingofridays · 10/08/2018 12:38

I haven't had any trouble in respect to that to be honest, they have more or less been available to show us round within a couple of days and at a time that has suited us.

Hercy · 10/08/2018 13:24

@Alexalee it's going on at £550k. Are you interested??

Alexalee · 10/08/2018 14:09

Not for me but I know someone who's looking there but I think their budget is 500k

Original poster
MovingThisYearHopefully · 10/08/2018 14:47

Fingers crossed for everyone having viewings. Gutting about the 5 year wait to do the garden notknotweed1. I knew it was serious, but never realised it would render the garden unusable for so long! Sounds like your new agent is doing a good job for you. Hopefully one of these buyers are the right one.

Where I live we have the EA do the viewings, unless its out of hours. The amount they charge they bloody want to do it lol. Some EA are so crap the vendor could undoubtedly do a better job though. As a buyer I much prefer to be shown around by an EA. Its so hard to be honest with a vendor. We learned this when we were on with Purplebricks for 5 months & did the viewings ourselves. I'm sure that because in effect we had no EA representing us it cost us a sale. With an EA representing you properly, you get immediate feedback too.

OP posts:
flamingofridays · 10/08/2018 15:18

well apparently todays viewing went well and the couple loved it.

their only hang up was they wanted to fence around the garden (fair enough!)

seems positive but not getting hopes up just yet!

Auntpetunia2015 · 10/08/2018 15:32

Nothing here all week and just did my weekly what’s going on a right move check and a house 3 roads away that came on same time as mine for my original price has sold...gutted! Is it my agent what? Damn I’ve reduced once and had hoped the slump was summer holidays but ..argh!!!

jgm · 10/08/2018 15:53

There's suddenly been an influx of properties going on the market in our area after a few months of hardly anything, not sure if this is good or bad as it could mean more buyers but also means more competition!

BeauticianNotMagician81 · 10/08/2018 15:53

We still haven't had a single viewing and hear absolutely nothing from our agent. Our house estimate has recently gone up on zoopla. I don't think that means anything though. Loads of housing trying to sell around here at the moment as despite wanting a petrol station for so long they now don't want it Confused. I think the market is just pretty stagnant in my area. I'm taking the time until our contract runs out to look at suitable EA/online EA. Also trying to decide on a realistic price that will get us sold by Christmas hopefully GinGinGin

Hercy · 10/08/2018 16:02

@Alexalee Ah so close!

It only went live on rightmove etc a couple of hours ago and there's already been interest, so that's a positive sign, and hopefully indicates it's been valued realistically. Although in this market, who knows...

flamingofridays · 10/08/2018 16:42

hope you get some interest hercy

beautician have you asked your agent what they're doing in terms of actually selling if - have they a facebook page for example? or could they put it as one of the featured ones on rightmove? facebook has been good for interest for us.

jgm · 10/08/2018 17:52

Just had a call from the agent of the house we wanted to offer on, it's now sold Sad. Showing someone round here shortly but I'm so tempted to take it off the market now and reassess next year. We don't neeeed to move, I always said I would only move for a house that ticked all our boxes and that house really did, nothing else has so far since we've been on the market.

To be honest I'm thinking about booking us a holiday for next year with the money we'll save by not moving haha!

jgm · 10/08/2018 17:56

...and now this evening's viewer has cancelled!

Hercy · 10/08/2018 21:34

If you're the sort of person who believes in signs, that seems fairly clear cut!

My worry would be that if the market stagnates further, you could be stuck where you are for quite a long time. But it doesn't sound like that's an issue for you? Even if you saw another house you loved in a couple of months time?

Thanks Flaming! Hope all goes well for you too!

Original poster
MovingThisYearHopefully · 10/08/2018 22:03

Sorry to hear that jgm. A holiday does indeed sound like a good idea. Sounds like a positive viewing there Flaming. Everything crossed.

We don't have any viewings tomorrow. First time in months. Im hoping we don't get a call first thing booking someone in so I have to run around like a blue arsed fly lol. I'm holding out hope that our potential buyers awaiting their own buyers status to be clarified will indeed come up with their promised offer on Monday.

We're looking at a house tomorrow that we initially ruled out because its almost 40K over budget. Based on location & recent sales it is (in my opinion) priced to sell, so less room for negotiation, if any. As we have so few options & its now been on for a couple of months with no offer I felt we have nothing to lose by viewing & taking a punt with a one-shot low offer if we like it! It could be a great deal in a falling market if we can get it within budget because it has options to add value by improving the kitchen & a bit of redecoration.

Good luck this weekend all. Flowers

OP posts:
jgm · 10/08/2018 22:06

I think that's my worry @Hercy, what if we take ours off the market and then the right house comes up again? We can extend our current house, it just wouldn't give us everything we want, but equally what if we finally sell and can't find anywhere to move to?!

Good luck with selling yours - what are your reasons for wanting to move?

flamingofridays · 11/08/2018 08:13

Sorry to hear that jgm. We're going on holiday on the 24th and I cannot bloody wait. Will be next to relax finally. Have booked next year's also but only a mon - Fri on the Norfolk coast in anticipation of needing money to spend on a house. Ha! Maybe that won't be the case but never mind.

We're not in a rush now anyway considering next doors fella has moved out. If we've not sold when we're back off holiday were getting a fence put up round the garden and will get new pictures and then just... wait. Our equity will go up over time also so we may not be in quite ad tight a position.

Estate agent should be in touch today about the second viewing tomorrow but well see.