Viewings / coronovirus?

[wholechocbargone]

Are you still have viewings of your home with current situation with the virus?

We haven’t had anyone book in a viewing since last weekend. Our estate agents emailed yesterday to say they will most likely cancel viewings in the future as the situation progresses.

We also haven't had any viewings in almost 2 weeks. We are moving out (this is a rented flat for us but it is being sold) in one week so I am not going to allow viewings if requested until after the move.

We had a viewing today and have another on Tuesday.

My viewers were a no show on Thursday without explanation, the viewing agent waited 40 minutes for them :( I had wiped every surface and door handle in preparation for their visit, soap and kitchen towel in the kitchen.

We had 2 viewings yesterday. Someone had used one of the toilets and not flushed properly and left a big dirty hand mark on the new white towels I put out for show . So I guess at least the agent was here still waiting to hear if indeed the viewings did take place.

However, now the advice is to socially distance as much as possible I think there won't be anymore viewings. I guess the agents might have to let most of the staff go and close and maybe just see existing sales through.

I'm in a real pickle as our buyer pulled out last month after messing us around for ages when we had had other really good offers 3 months ago who are now "suited." We had even arranged to go into rented to speed things along and had packed and paid out for storage and solicitors and were about to sign a rental contract. We had 2 really silly carpet bagging offers ("due to corona virus uncertainty") last week but need more to buy on ourselves and the house is/was keenly priced for the area/size all pricey structural extensions possible done "turn key ready".

We love our house and the area but sadly decided to sell the house as erratic self employment and ill health/family emergencies/tragedies over the past few years have meant we were constantly dipping into dwindling savings to pay the mortgage and can't seem to get slaried posts (get down to final interviews and lose out to younger folk).

We are screwed, won't be able to pay the mortgage soon and some of our current work and also work due to come onboard in the summer have been "put on hold." I'm worried some of our completed invoiced work won't get paid. Our business was wiped out in the recession 10 years ago due to non payment and we moved city and downsized to here and are now having to downsize again. I'm really worried and stressed that we will be foreclosed and end up homeless and given our ages not be able to get full time work again . I feel we can't catch a break.

I know it is nowhere in the same league as losing a loved one to illness or the vast crisis the country is in with no end in sight but it is a constant stress on top of everything else. I 'd like to just hunker down in my home, like others but it just feels like a terrible burden at the moment.

We had about 8 viewings last week, and had at least 4 people cancel (I mean 8 people did actually turn up, and 4 didn’t)
Our agent thought that we’d have an offer from a couple who came for a second viewing on Sat and stayed 45 min, but haven’t heard anything since.

@SapatSea hugs. That sounds like an awful situation. I really hope things work out ok for you.

Thanks tigerbear. I don't usually post anything so personal but it helped just to write it down. I hope you get an offer. We had many cancellations when we first had the house on before the virus, often with no or very short notice. One person cancelled 3 times before finally turning up.

Where I live we get a lot of people who "are thinking about moving here from London" (for the schools, lifestyle etc) and so they just want to check out the area and houses but aren't serious buyers (as yet).

I think some people are playing hard ball. We had a couple (who put a very low offer in after initial viewing and who indicated they would look to increase it) who have come 3 times more in the past 2 weeks and want to view at times outside the usual (8am, that was fun getting my 6th formers rooms aired and them out of bed and in the evening which the agent accommodated) in hopes of an increased offer to no avail.

It's tricky because until we have a firm offer we aren't really in a position to offer on a place for ourselves as we aren't "proceedable". I have noticed today that a few places that we were considering looking at have reduced their asking prices.

None at all (been on 11 days..this is out in the sticks). But interesting to read that some viewings are happening. The agent said this am that they were still doing acccompanied viewings with precautions.

We went on the market yesterday and apparently have 2 viewings this Saturday.. fx’d! It’s an empty house so I don’t know if that helped lessen people’s anxiety but will not be surprised if they cancel

My agent just emailed to ask if they could come round tomorrow to take a video tour of the house, to send out to anyone interested, instead of viewings.
Good idea, but my DD just came back from her dad’s house yesterday after 6 nights, and he has come down with the virus overnight.
I guess there’s the chance that DD could also have it, so prob not best for them to come round??

Well I have cancelled any viewings at my house (selling) from viewers who are not even on the market themselves. Nothing like a pandemic to focus the mind and get rid of speculative time wasters.

I manage around 80 rental properties for my boss. I also do sales on our new builds.

Tenants have been told that any inspections etc are cancelled until further notice, I won't be carrying out any viewings for the foreseeable either.

Interesting though that a few properties I was watching (in the London area) have now gone under offer. This must have been since the virus really flared up and the new measures were announced.

Just posted a thread. I'm in london and have a viewing booked for this afternoon. Really dont know what to do. I'm desperate to sell.

My agent has just phoned. They are shutting up shop and working from home for the forseeable and will NOT be doing any viewings for at least the next 12 weeks. They expect all the other agents in the city to follow suit. So that's that then.

I'm going through a separation just now & ex-P has refused to sell (even though he doesn't have legal recourse to).

No chance of selling now. And there will be no equity to fight over either. Plus the mortgage rate is going up by £400 a month as the fixed term comes to an end.

Bloody great.

@HouseElfy - did your viewers turn up yesterday?

@Glass you should ring your mortgage provider up and ask to be put into a better rate, they should do this for you.

Waste of time trying to sell during a pandemic, we were getting ready to put our house on the market, decided against it. No point in having a valuation when there will be a likely drop in house prices, some media reporting up to 20%.

@permana - I have - but all the deals they have involve arrangement/exit fees if you leave before the end of the deal - and I don't want to sign up for another 2 years of this!

So it's the standard variable rate.... which they haven't reduced - and possibly might not.

We had 4 positive viewings yesterday - wait till tomorrow to see if they lead to anything

@GlassOfProsecco have you tried asking a broker to look into it for you? They can get better deals - explain you don't want to pay a big arrangement fee etc.
I wish I had done this years ago - it took me 5 years to get divorced from my ex-arsehole!

@permana - yes & can get a better deal. But I don't want to share financial information with him (it's Scottish cohabitation law does I don't need to share finances on separation- just the equity in the house).

I would rather pay extra than do another joint application with him. The laws here mean it must be resolved within a year so don't want to tie in (already nearly 6 months in to separation).

So lucky to live in Scotland! Hope it all goes well for you.