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Original poster

Anyone else put off a house because it's listed with Purple Bricks

28 replies

Bells3032 · 01/07/2020 12:45

I see houses listed by PB and they are always waaaaay over the norm. I got so excited to see something in the exact area I want in my price today and then looked at it and was so disappointed as it was tiny. For that price i'd expect at least another 500 square feet. A bigger property on the same road went recently for nearly £200k less. Think they are nuts. I always find this with PB. So overpriced.

In addition it makes me think it'll be impossible to get a viewing and negotiate properly and also that the buyer is frugal and will skimp on things like decent solicitors too so will hold everything up.

Just me?

OP posts:
NotSuchASmugMarriedNow1 · 01/07/2020 12:55

It wouldn't put me off no.

It's the seller who decides the price that the property will be listed for, not the estate agent.

Thecazelets · 01/07/2020 13:08

I tend to agree OP. I don't know about pricing, but it makes me think they'll have skimped on other stuff and that it'll be difficult to get viewings and progress a sale.

Mildura · 01/07/2020 13:09

It's the seller who decides the price that the property will be listed for, not the estate agent

Perfectly true.

But, due to PB's charging model there is an argument they are more prone to giving high valuations.

RoseTintedAtuin · 01/07/2020 13:23

When we were buying a few years ago we thought purple bricks was quite good as you are in contact with the seller and are often shown the house by them. There’s some drawbacks to that but as DH and I both work it meant we could view after work rather than the normal 9-5 Monday to Friday that estate agents stick to (perhaps different in different regions).

flirtygirl · 01/07/2020 15:20

No that's a stupid thing to be put off by.

romatheroamer · 01/07/2020 17:05

I posted on another thread about why I switched from PB to an ordinary agent.
For the record the PB rep certainly didn't overprice. The three agents I had value it afterwards all agreed with the price. I entirely refute "the must be tight, won't negotiate, must have skimped" argument but in trying to sell you have to keep the field broad and cater for any prejudices. The main point is PB don't market the property so their only answer to no viewings would be lower the price.

Archie1989 · 01/07/2020 19:55

I would be put off. Brother in law works in the industry and said they hike up prices to get people to go with them. I believe fees are paid to them upfront...so they make money off this method.

My brother was taken in by it and put his place up for sale...he ended up getting about £50k less than they said.

sunrainwind · 01/07/2020 20:06

I was put off after making an offer on a house up for sale and they were using PB. It was not a good experience and dragged on so we cut our losses and went for a house for sale via a more traditional agent.

SilverLiningSearching · 01/07/2020 20:19

There is a house near me that’s had a PB for sale sign in the garden for 3 weeks, and is still not on RM, Zoopla or even their own website.
They do seem sketchy, would prefer not to deal with them, but if I really loved a property I guess I’d have to..

jodesxx · 01/07/2020 20:26

They are the opposite on my Estate. Really disagreed with the value they gave ours and two others have put up with them. I deffo think they are worth 10K more than asking. I work in property as well so have good knowledge.

I would be wary with purple bricks for a house we are buying but if it was what we wanted wouldn't put me off. Their solicitors are a nightmare however and cause so many problems and charge a fortune!

notso · 01/07/2020 20:29

Our friends bought and sold through Purple Bricks and were really happy with the whole process.

We went with a local agent because we wanted them to do the viewings as we had already moved out of the house.
They gave us an option of paying upfront or a percentage of the sale. As buyers we tried to view two properties through PB and couldn't successfully book a viewing.

Raella50 · 01/07/2020 20:29

Yes i definitely was! Also I really don’t like being shown around by the sellers.

ZigZaggyZoo · 01/07/2020 20:35

I couldn't contact them (after my offer was agreed) to arrange a day for the survey to be done and lost out on buying the house. Puts me off for sure.

RubyViolet · 01/07/2020 20:50

I don’t want to shown around by the sellers so yes, it is off putting.

Original poster
Bells3032 · 01/07/2020 21:34

@rubyviolet

I agree. Deff don't like being shown by the sellers. I like to be able to imagine myself in a home. I also like to be able to say to my dp that I'd change this and that etc. Having the owners standing there makes me feel awkward and like I have to compliment every aspect.

OP posts:
RubyViolet · 01/07/2020 23:20

Yes Bells, it is really difficult to communicate if the owner is in the room. Discussion about damp patches, rotten window frames, horrid bathrooms and kitchens. Noooooo not happening in front of a seller. Viewing is pretty much impossible.

user1487194234 · 02/07/2020 06:14

It would put me off

LazyFace · 02/07/2020 16:52

It wouldn't put me off. It's always the seller that decides on the asking price. Estate agents give you a valuation but every seller decides what they want to market their property for.
I come from a culture where people still prefer to sell their own houses, I totally understand not wanting to fork out thousands more on top of stamp duty.
I also prefer to see sellers, we usually have lots of questions that estate agents have no clue about.

pilates · 02/07/2020 16:55

No it wouldn’t put me off
Agents fees are extortionate

Bluntness100 · 02/07/2020 16:59

It would certainly not put me off a house if I was interested in it. That would be silly.

My friends sold via purple bricks. And personally I think they went on far too low. However it was all very smooth.

I also dislike being shown around by the sellers, but I’d stomach it if I was interested in the house.

The reason I don’t like being shown around by the sellers is you need to be polite and say it’s lovely. You can be much more honest in front of an agent.

Jumblebumblemess · 02/07/2020 17:04

Purple bricks always puts me off. They are a pain to deal with and they have no incentive to push the sale through as they have had the sellers cash up front so they don't really care.

BeanbagMcTavish · 02/07/2020 17:04

Imo they are a bit shite, but that wouldn't put me off buying.

Yes, there are downsides like being shown around by the seller and the generally shitty service from PB and their solicitors.

OTOH there are upsides as well. We bought our current house from a seller using PB. We made a cheeky offer well below asking price and they just accepted it. Any traditional estate agent would have bargained us up a bit.

Would never use them myself, but it can be handy for your seller to have a crap agent.

SirSamuelVimesBlackboardMonito · 02/07/2020 17:09

I don't know about pricing, but it makes me think they'll have skimped on other stuff and that it'll be difficult to get viewings and progress a sale. I would also think this.

And

There is a house near me that’s had a PB for sale sign in the garden for 3 weeks, and is still not on RM, Zoopla or even their own website.
This has been my experience too.

All in all I'd definitely be put off, unless it was my dream house.

MissFritton65 · 02/07/2020 20:55

We are in the process of buying with an online agent (not PB but HS), it's been a nightmare! 2 weeks ago, they told the sellers we'd pulled out and us that that the sellers had decided to put it back on the market! I recieved an alert from Rightmove with it on as new listing!!
Thankfully the sellers have our phone number and rang to ask why. Our response was ???? You put it back on the market! Both completely wrong... seller rang agent and it was marked as sold within 30 mins.......looked like quickest sale in history!
That's just the latest drama .........it's been a nightmare!

FlamingoAndJohn · 02/07/2020 20:58

@SilverLiningSearching

There is a house near me that’s had a PB for sale sign in the garden for 3 weeks, and is still not on RM, Zoopla or even their own website. They do seem sketchy, would prefer not to deal with them, but if I really loved a property I guess I’d have to..
There was one in my street that had a PB sign in the garden but wasn’t online for 4 months. Given pretty much all the do it stick it on RM I thought that was shocking.
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