Anyone bought privately by putting a note through doors?

[Ladyof]

If so how did the vendor contact you and how soon after you posted the note did they contact you?

Did they get valuations but not put up via estate agents? Did it work out ok, any issues?

We posted on an estate we love 2 days before Christmas but not heard anything yet, I'm hoping I will!

A friend of mine did this. He’d worked out exactly which flat block he wanted to live in, and which flats within it he was interested in. He posted notes through the doors, and shortly afterwards an old lady got in touch saying she wanted to sell but had been putting it off because she couldn’t face hordes of people traipsing through her home viewing it. Each party got independent valuations from estate agents, and they worked out a price they could agree on. All very civilised, stress free and they avoided estate agents fees.

Ooh I’ve just posted about this! Can I ask what you included in your note? We’re seriously contemplating this.

We had a lovely note put through the door of our previous house. I didn't keep it, which was stupid. The note said something like:

Dear sir/madam,

I hope you won't mind this letter. We have always admired your house and wanted to say that if ever you decide to sell up we would very much like to hear from you.

I listed my old house after an estate agent posted a speculative letter on behalf of a prospective client. That particular interest fell through because the house was too small for them, but we got another two offers within 4 weeks and that was during the start of Lockdown.

Sort of. We contacted the landlady of a rented house, she was interested and had her house valued but ultimately decided to keep renting it out. Then the house we ended up buying we were in agreement to buy without it going on the open market but couldn't sell ours so it did go on the market, then the sale fell through and we ended up with it anyway.

Contemplating doing this myself- a house we want to buy was listed last year , we viewed it and several others were interested but all went stand still with lockdown1 and then was pulled from the market. I contacted the estate agent and told it’ll be relisted in the new year - for a higher price I’m guessing. Now I am so so tempted to write a letter in the door , what is putting me off is that it’s an elderly person living there and that they may think it’s cheeky and tell the estate agent which will make me look bad when it is relisted ( like Iv been trying to undercut the estate agent or something).
I hope you get some responses!!!

I lit a bite through a door once around 19 years ago. Still waiting ! Would still buy it.
I’ve also had notes through my door re a property I own. It was in the most ‘respectful’ terms - the writer had clearly thought carefully about it. I phoned them to say no plans to sell but that I would keep their details and good luck.

Lit à bite. !? Sorry all ‘put a note’

Do a search of this forum. Topic comes up regularly with plenty of replies

We did this, posted 16 letters in 3 roads we liked (looked up houses on right move before hand for old pics and prices etc) then it payed letters. Ended up with 6 replies in total, though some were a few months later. Purchased one so worked for us!

I always hear tales of people getting lucky like this so tried it last summer as our first choice area is a group of 1980-2000s estates so lots of more mature families/empty nesters and houses go under offer the minute they're signed up with an estate agent. We hand delivered about 200 fliers but had no replies!

We worded ours along the lines of we are a local family looking to settle in the area near our daughter's primary school, seeking a 3-4 bedroom detached house and looking to buy either privately or through an estate agent. Perhaps try something different though considering our hit rate of 0!