Experience as buyer? Purplebricks, Doorsteps, Yopa, Strike and other non high street estate agents?

[BakeOffRewatch]

As per thread title, interested in hearing people’s experiences as a buyer? I scroll past, it’s such a fraught process I think estate agents on both sides are needed. But perhaps I’m missing out! I did request details from one the other day and it asked me to pick a time slot to request a viewing and sign up and it felt like too much leg work. I make phone calls to local EAs, get to know them and ask them to send me houses based on lifestyle, get an idea of seller’s situation. But like I said maybe my old fashioned phone call based ways are holding me back!

I would presume, 'offers over' means don't under-offer or expect to negotiate.

I wouldn't take too much heed of this. Just make your offer and even tell them why. If they turn you down, then it's up to you. Reiterate why you are not offering the asking price.

Let's face it, they haven't been offered the asking price so far, have they ? Or it wouldn't still be on the market.

Thanks both - I think you’re both right!

I guess we’ll wait and see till tomorrow. They’re definitely not motivated to sell as seriously houses going like hot cakes at the moment round here. It would be so perfect for us though even though they have horrible taste in carpets

Confession: I have a penchant for 1960's/1970's carpets. What I call, 'bed and breakfast carpets' i.e. the average cheap b&b still have these carpets.

The carpets in my house are nice and they are plain.

I like dreadful swirly pattern carpets because they remind me of home. Especially if they are the colour of red coloured boiled sweets.

However, I digress. Good luck with your home buying endeavours.

We are buying through Strike at the minute. The viewing process and the process of putting an offer in is really easy and efficient- don't need to speak directly to anyone its all done online.

However, they are a nightmare to get hold off once an offer has actually been accepted. You're constantly on hold and once you eventually get through to talking to someone its not the agent (or negotiator as they call them) that is selling the house, its just a random administrative assistant.

I really wouldn't bother with them, we are constantly chasing them up and spending endless amounts of time on hold and repeating the same question ten times over without getting a definitive answer.

@ToffeeNotCoffee I admit I quite like those too - my nanny and grandad has a beautiful swirly brown and orange carpet when I was growing up

This house however has bright red, practically fluorescent carpet in the hallway!

@ToffeeNotCoffee @JackieTheFart you will love this house, it’s like a museum show piece www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/79439493

Sorry that’s not the one I meant to attach - here’s the one with swirly! www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/90316078 @JackieTheFart @ToffeeNotCoffee

If it wasn’t 200 miles away and £200k over budget

@BakeOffRewatch Similar house in Liverpool in a very good area would be £180 or less because it needs updating.

@BakeOffRewatch

Yay to the hall and stairs carpet. That's what I mean !

We recently purchased through Purple Bricks. The agent did the viewing and took our offer to the owner, which was accepted. He then put us in contact with the owner via WhatsApp and we muddled through the sales process together. As a buyer, it made very little difference to me as we had a reasonable seller, but as a seller I expect he benefited from a substantial saving on fees!

Just returning to update on my experiences of enquiries, as a buyer, which I started this thread for, rather than experience as sellers. Not viewed anything with an online agency yet.

PurpleBricks out in Kent - really helpful and informed local agent. Knew the area and was able to tell me stuff beyond what I asked. Was honest about things like garden size (why I didn’t go view).

PurpleBricks London - had a few call backs, they seemed nervous and inexperienced? Didn’t really get conversation going, didn’t know vendors situation or able to answer my queries about area, schools etc. I didn’t push for viewing as I thought argh I don’t want to deal with this.

EXp UK - this EA sounds on it. Very knowledgeable on area. I was enquiring after a 50k price drop after months on market (was very over priced).

There was another one (can’t remember which and don’t want to guess) where the person called me twice with the same “script”. I was like err you called me earlier about this exactly, already. They said whoops sorry, marketing have put you twice on my notes.

A lot of them just sent an email link to book viewing, which you have to create an account for. Didn’t get any call. I want to ask questions before booking a viewing cos could be a waste of time otherwise.

So basically

1. hugely depends on the local contact
2. seems like vendors go for online if high street EAs aren’t giving them the price they want
3. bits of the business process are segmented, could work better or worse I suppose, 2 call backs are better than none

I just looked up the eXp person, they actually live in the area they’re covering and are a long term local. Looks eXp is more a network of individuals like this.

Not buying/selling but we did try to let a property via Purple Bricks a few years ago. Bloody awful service to both us and tenants when trying to sort out references and deposit. I ended up making a formal complaint and taking the tenants on privately. Got all my money back from PB thankfully, despite them doing their best to pass me around every department possible to avoid the refund.

@BakeOffRewatch I'm getting emotional seeing all these types of homes coming on the market, esp if 'no chain' and guessing what probably carried them off
All the Christmases and birthdays and joy and challenges the families had while living there. Sad

Ah no, @daisyfraser, hope you’re ok? Don’t imagine the worst, sometimes the vendors are moving in with family or nearer to enjoy grandkids, moving abroad and enough cash to be “no chain”, or new relationship etc.

I saw a house with a Yopa For Sale board, but couldn’t find it on Yopa’s website. I rang Yopa’s office and they knew nothing about it. I rang the local Yopa agent and got an answerphone message saying he was on holiday for the next week. I didn’t want to wait that long, as most houses sell very quickly here.

In the end, I knocked on the door and spoke to the seller. They weren’t impressed with Yopa, saying they’d “done nothing to advertise the property”. They were also rethinking putting the property on the market as they couldn’t find anything suitable to buy.

You get what you pay for. I would always use a reputable local estate agency.

@InFiveMins
I've just had to sack my 'reputable' agent. Wont' bother with all the details. But am very tempted to try one of these new online firms.
I've organised my own open house tomorrow just to see what happens - obv distanced, masked (if anyone turns up).
High time these charlatans got some competition.

@BakeOffRewatch Thank you. I don't know why this year I'm really noticing the empty wing-backed chairs - they always seem to be in pairs too.

Am buying (in the North-West) from a seller using 'SELLMYHOME'. Their agent is impressive ; on the ball, professional - has knocked a few heads together, to move things along - and kept me in the loop. Am so impressed, I feel he deserves first dibs at selling my place, when I finally complete on my purchase.
ps. The 'national' estate agent I booked to come and value my sale, didn't even turn up (or even phone to say why they hadn't).