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Original poster

Should I drop a letter through potential letterboxes?

39 replies

cooperbug · 26/10/2020 20:47

We are at the point where our house sale is near completion and we are about to move into rented house in next two weeks. We have had no luck with the three houses we have offered on since June.

The market here is pretty quiet and I don’t think things will pick up until the new year now.

We are considering identifying potential houses we like and posting a little note through the door?
Is this cringe or has anybody had any luck with this?

OP posts:
DespairingHomeowner · 26/10/2020 21:07

There was a thread on property board about this recently: people seem to have had success

TheLastStarfighter · 26/10/2020 21:15

Doesn’t it put the price up massively? We thought about this - there are only about 10 houses in total that I would like to move to - but DH reckoned it would put the asking price up at least 20%

22WR · 26/10/2020 21:16

We did this a few years ago and the sellers contacted us. We'd previously viewed and offered on it but they'd rejected it. A few months passed and we posted letters through houses on the same estate. A neighbour told the vendors who contacted us through the estate agents. They accepted our original lower offer and we still live here now :-) At the time my husband thought it was cringed but he admitted defeat when it worked!

ShaunaTheSheep · 26/10/2020 21:17

Why not, nothing to lose. You may strike it lucky with someone considering moving but not quite ready to go on the market.

Original poster
cooperbug · 26/10/2020 21:44

My husband thinks it’s cringe too but I think we have nothing to lose. Going to give it a go and see if it get us anywhere 🤞. So fed up of this house hunting now!

@TheLastStarfighter I guess it would put the price up a bit but we would be willing to pay a bit more if it got us what we wanted (not 20% more though!)

OP posts:
2catsand2kids · 26/10/2020 21:59

We did it successfully. My husband also thought it was a bit cringey but I wanted to give it a go and it worked out really well for us. I would definitely say it’s worth a try.

WaxOnFeckOff · 26/10/2020 22:02

One of our neighbours bought like that, we've had a few notes through our door from private folks and a few from Estate Agents specifically targeting us too. If I wanted to sell I'd maybe see what they had to offer.

Isit2021yetplease · 26/10/2020 22:05

We did it and it worked! Hand wrote about 45 letters and posted to all the ones in the area and we now live in the most perfect beautiful house which never even made it to market. The people had been vaguely thinking of moving but we gave them the nudge they needed to get on with it. The days of cramped hand following the writing were more than worth it!

LittleOverwhelmed · 26/10/2020 22:14

This reply has been withdrawn

This has been withdrawn by MNHQ at the poster's request.

KoalasandRabbits · 26/10/2020 22:15

I think its worth a try as you've nothing to lose by it. We've had them in the past, we liked getting it even if we weren't interested which we weren't due to timing but if it had landed at the right time we would have replied and if could have agreed a price would have taken it forward.

LolaSkoda · 26/10/2020 23:00

I don’t think it’s cringe!

If I got a note like that through my door, I would be flattered that people liked my home that much! If I was thinking of selling I would respond.

I say go for it.

Mapletreelane · 26/10/2020 23:33

We did too! Identified about 15 houses in a specific area and wrote a hand written letter. Got a call from one a few days later, and we've been here 3.5 years now.
Go for it.....you have nothing to lose!

Willowwood45 · 27/10/2020 05:24

What do you write? Do you tell them what your budget is? What if you don't actually like it once you see it? So many questions about this!

GiraffeNecked · 27/10/2020 08:21

It’s got lots of advantages for the seller. We sold privately in a similar scenario, not a letter but an approach, it meant we didn’t have to show the place or keep it tidy. Also people often wait till after Christmas to put on market so you might just get in ahead of that.

We nearly did it but I’m glad we didn’t as the houses I thought I wanted wasn’t actually the one I did!

Gasp0deTheW0nderD0g · 27/10/2020 08:32

Good luck, OP. It wouldn't work with us as we have no plans whatsoever to move, but I wouldn't be in the least offended.

I was just a little rattled to get two letters from estate agents in the last couple of months saying (more or less) 'You've had your time in that house, we've checked the Land Registry and it's been over 20 years since you bought it, get out now and make way for someone else so we can get the commission!' This did not work. I suppose if we had been thinking of downsizing or re-locating it might have given us a nudge, but not to use that agent specifically, more to contact several or look into internet selling.

We should have used the personal approach when we were looking a quarter of a century ago as we knew exactly which houses in this area we were interested in and the one we're in now was one of them. Our vendors could have saved a fortune selling directly to us and avoiding commission. The estate agent did sod all to earn it other than putting up the For Sale board.

lazyakita · 27/10/2020 08:38

@Willowwood45

What do you write? Do you tell them what your budget is? What if you don't actually like it once you see it? So many questions about this!
I would like to know, too, as it's something we might have to do in future as so little comes up for sale here.
2me2u2u2me · 27/10/2020 08:42

hi OP, my friend recently went on Location, Location, Location and this is how they work. They find the area that you are interested in and the researchers go around putting flyers through all the letterboxes, they know that a lot of people are thinking about putting their house on the market but just not got around to it yet, that's why you hear Phil and Kirsty say we got to it before it went on the market.

Also, I recently found a house I loved, by the time I was in a position to put in an offer they'd accepted an offer and not showing anyone else around, I was gutted. So, I put a note through saying I loved their house and if it fell through please contact me, a week later they phoned me to say their buyer had dropped out as no mortgage offer so did I want to view, I went the night after, put an offer in and it's now all going through. So, I would definitely say go for it, nothing to lose, everything to gain. Good luck Smile

needanewidea · 27/10/2020 08:43

I don't think saying what your budget is, is a good idea. I would just say something simple like I'm house hunting in the area for a house like theirs for our family home and if they're considering selling to give me a call.

I'd include the info that it's a family home I'm looking for so they know I'm not a property developer looking to negotiate myself a bargain.

WaxOnFeckOff · 27/10/2020 08:44

The ones I've received never mention money. Usually headed up with something like "looking to sell? " then basically a bit about their circumstances and what they are looking for.

Hi, we've recently sold our house in x area and are now actively looking for a 4 bed in (y area or street or whatever). If you'd be interested in selling then we'd be interested in saving you estate agent fees by doing a private deal.

If you'd be interested please contact me on.... Email and phone number.

2me2u2u2me · 27/10/2020 08:49

@Willowwood45
@lazyakita

you start off by introducing yourself, tell them you are looking for a house in this area and apologising for the direct approach. Then compliment them on their gorgeous house, it's just what you're looking for, it looks like you take a lot of pride in it, blah blah, and are they or would they consider selling. Then obviously your contact details.

I wouldn't look at offering in a letter at this stage I would see what they come back with, also, do you can find out online what houses are worth, you could also ring the estate agents in that area as they should have a good idea.

WaxOnFeckOff · 27/10/2020 08:55

I'm presuming that a valuation/survey is done to determine value and negotiation goes from there.

bigchanges2020 · 27/10/2020 09:00

We sold a house to someone who put a note through our letterbox. We where considering selling, his note offered 1k more than the house across the road had just sold for plus no agents fees. Win win.

KoalasandRabbits · 27/10/2020 09:13

Ours just said we are looking for a family home in your road, if you are interested in selling please contact name on phone number. Thank you. Price not mentioned which I think is best. I would have got valued by estate agent and looked at similar sales if I'ld be interested and assumed would have got 95% or so of the estate agent value. Though would alter if surveyor valued lower.

xyzandabc · 27/10/2020 09:18

I did this. Any house in our town in several roads that mostly had 4 bed houses. About 100 in total. Got 4 responses, 3 weren't selling but wishing us luck in finding something, 1 invited us to view. That one ended up being too expensive for us though now 3 yrs later, they have done it up a bit and it's on the market for a fair bit less so think it was overpriced at the time.

It's definitely worth a try. You've nothing to lose except a couple of hours of your time.

inchyra · 27/10/2020 09:34

I know several people who have done this. One sale was a ten-figure house in W8 which is London’s most expensive area - the estate agents must have been sickened Grin.

I’ve heard you should mention the price you’re prepared to pay. Many people who bought decades ago probably have no idea, especially in the country where some houses have never sold on the open market.

A lot of private sales happen among parents at school and among neighbours, so put the word out that way too if you’re wanting to stay local.