Page 37 | Thread 2: "Anyone not being picky - and STILL can't find anything?"

RidingMyBike · 18/03/2022 18:09

We asked an EA to @Paddingtonthebear - they offered when we registered with them so I told them 3-4 roads we were interested in. Since then one house has come up for sale there (with a different EA!) so no idea if it made any difference. Or if they even did it!

RidingMyBike · 18/03/2022 18:12

I seem to be receiving more property alerts so I think there's more coming on the market. There's nothing though that we'd have wanted to view! Which is making me very glad we did put that offer in two weeks ago.

3 weeks ago one EA told me there would be loads coming on in 4-6 weeks so brace yourselves!

dubyalass · 18/03/2022 18:31

It's definitely picking up here. I'm feeling a bit more positive than a few weeks ago.

thefatpotato · 18/03/2022 19:04

@RidingMyBike

I seem to be receiving more property alerts so I think there's more coming on the market. There's nothing though that we'd have wanted to view! Which is making me very glad we did put that offer in two weeks ago.

3 weeks ago one EA told me there would be loads coming on in 4-6 weeks so brace yourselves!

Interesting. Our agent we're using for our sale (who isn't into upselling and my Spidey-senses were saying 'no bullshit detected' with him) said they have a heap of people cancelling valuations and even he has no idea WTF is going on. I'm feeling a little more positive today after those two new ones coming on, that at least these are the lovely houses which are in budget which I thought we should have been able to get.

We're booking in as part of an open day on the 26th, feel a bit ill it's going to go for way over asking 😭 I drove past it this afternoon and it's really lovely!

thefatpotato · 18/03/2022 19:06

www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/121235171

This is The One.

If we don't like/get one of the ones we're seeing over the next two weekends it's going to be tricky as we're going abroad for a month over Easter!

RidingMyBike · 18/03/2022 19:54

Ooh that looks lovely @thefatpotato fingers crossed for your viewing!

I can't help wondering how much the rising price of everything is putting people off selling - it's expensive to move, they may not want to get somewhere bigger because of utility bills going up so much.

LennyFitz · 18/03/2022 19:55

@Paddingtonthebear Funnily enough I tried that this week. First batch (40 letters) posted on Weds, and today we've had 2 friendly responses along the lines of no thanks, but good luck, and 2 positive responses from people looking to sell. Despite seeing several threads about how this has worked well for people, I'm still surprised and chuffed at the result so far. Too early to tell if anything will pan out, but I'd certainly try this again in the future.

@thefatpotato That looks lovely! If I still lived in London, that'd be making me check out the South East area!

Paddingtonthebear · 18/03/2022 20:16

Oh really how did you word your letter? I’d be a bit conscious of giving my email or phone number but I guess I could set up a different one

AddictedToVinted · 18/03/2022 21:28

We tried the letter through the door thing and only got one response, which was friendly but just confirmed they were never ever going to move as they were in their dream home... eh, thanks for that I've been considering doing it again but I don't want to seem like I'm harassing people. It has been a year since the last time. It does definitely work though - our neighbours bought that way (for a bargain) buy it's a seller's market at the moment so people may want to test the open market to see how much they can get.

Nothing suitable on here 😞

Starseeking · 18/03/2022 21:48

@Paddingtonthebear
I wrote letters to houses I like the look of from the outside. I cross-referenced them to Zoopla to see when they'd last offered their house to market, and prioritised those which were not sold in the last 4 years. One person replied and pretty much said thanks for the approach, but they all stay on that road until they die!

Another person replied from another road, and said actually they're going on with a local agent in a couple of weeks, however they would let me view this weekend! If I like it (which I think I will), I know I'll need to offer enough for them not to take it to the open market. It's going to be priced at 12.5% more than it was on for 2 years ago, so it's a bit toppy (and close to my top budget despite being smaller than I'd ideally like) but in this mad market, I may just have to go all out.

@thefatpotato that house is lovely, I hope you are able to view it quickly and secure it!

Guttedbuyer · 18/03/2022 21:52

Been there, done that with letters!

Personally I feel it's the wrong market for it. It will be a very limited number people who don't want to go onto the open market at the moment with prices as they are. Even if you say you'll give them more than market value tne I'll want to take the chance. Not saying it doesn't ever work and I understand it does help you feel you are doing something.

I can't believe how awful it is trying to buy a house right now. I just can't.

Paddingtonthebear · 18/03/2022 22:03

Yeah, I don’t think we will do it. We are now 2 weeks away from a whole year of house hunting so guess just feeling a bit desperate

Starseeking · 19/03/2022 08:06

I'd go for it if I were you @AddictedToVinted, although I wouldn't send letters to the same houses you did the last time if you got no response. The worst thing that happens is nobody replies, the best thing that happens is you secure a decent house in the area you like.

In my personal circumstances I've already had one sale collapse at the last minute due to the vendor deciding not to move after 7 months of conveyancing. I've been looking for almost a year now, and lived with extended family for 8 months, so anything proactive I can do, I'm doing it. The market is absolutely brutal at the moment, and I'm lucky that if I need to pay a bit over the odds, I can do. I realise not everyone is in that fortunate position.

At the same time I'm on with all the local agents, ringing them weekly and refreshing RM and Zoopla about 10 times a day. I'd say I'm an extremely motivated buyer, so will set all of that to my prospective vendor when we meet.

Hope to be updating on here in a few days with good news, otherwise I'll have to duke it out with the masses if they decide to list it!

Coffeesnob11 · 19/03/2022 08:39

@Starseeking

I'd go for it if I were you *@AddictedToVinted*, although I wouldn't send letters to the same houses you did the last time if you got no response. The worst thing that happens is nobody replies, the best thing that happens is you secure a decent house in the area you like.

In my personal circumstances I've already had one sale collapse at the last minute due to the vendor deciding not to move after 7 months of conveyancing. I've been looking for almost a year now, and lived with extended family for 8 months, so anything proactive I can do, I'm doing it. The market is absolutely brutal at the moment, and I'm lucky that if I need to pay a bit over the odds, I can do. I realise not everyone is in that fortunate position.

At the same time I'm on with all the local agents, ringing them weekly and refreshing RM and Zoopla about 10 times a day. I'd say I'm an extremely motivated buyer, so will set all of that to my prospective vendor when we meet.

Hope to be updating on here in a few days with good news, otherwise I'll have to duke it out with the masses if they decide to list it!

I am in a similar position, I am staying with family, have written letters, ring 22 estate agents weekly etc. I have lost out on a couple of houses to cash buyers from london.Very few come up and those that do are going for way over. There is a joke that people only leave in a coffin. I am in the south east (not London or surrey) and have been told my budget is not enough (500k), I should consider looking elsewhere or that I am being too picky by wanting more than 1 bedroom and a garden for my son and I.

KathieFerrars · 19/03/2022 12:16

Can I gatecrash and ask for advice as we are in a quandary and you guys are now experts on trying to buy a house and the market. I hope I don't piss anyone off by asking. We are in the SE between Surrey and Sussex. Travel links can't get much better to essentially anywhere. We have a four bedroom house with long house width garden. House built in esrly 1930s and still has original features. It needs work in redecorating, and likely a new kitchen. There is scope for an extension. Husband and me are not retired but want to within a couple of years. We could do with releasing some value to enable this. One son now left home, other son will be living with us for a bit. We've seen a new build in a different area that would work but we don't HAVE to move. We are rattling around a bit but we like the area, neighbours are great. We don't know if we should do a bit of tarting up and bung it on the market to see while there is a dearth of housing. Would you be put off by a dated (1999) kitchen? Are people really so desperate to move. Would you be put off by seeing slight water damage in paintwork (leaking roof, now have new roof; leaking bathroom, now have new bathroom) - we are hoping to get this decorated but trying to pin down a decorator....
I'm just wondering if we should sell now while prices are high or whether the reality is that if we wait for two years we won't really lose that much. I worry that our house won't appeal in times when people can be picky - it's homely, with character but isn't shiny, grey, all done out.
Apologies again if I have intruded.

DesertStorms · 19/03/2022 12:20

I would redecorate the bits with water damage. New people will want the kitchen done to the way they like it, so just make sure it’s clean. New bathroom and roof will be good sales points. Cleanliness, lack of clutter and tidy garden all plus points!

Starseeking · 19/03/2022 12:50

@KathieFerrars you've come to the right place!

As PP, you need to make sure any indications of problems or signs of requiring repair are not there by the time you go to market. So all the water damage needs to be gone.

Don't bother doing up the kitchen, even if it was new, a lot of people would want to put in their own. As long as it's functional, clean it nicely, and clear worktops for pictures and viewings as much as you can.

Do declutter the whole house ruthlessly to show your house in the best possible light, and how much space there is. It sounds lovely!

KathieFerrars · 19/03/2022 12:57

@Starseeking Thank you. I think we will do all of this anyway. It's needed decorating for a bit but I had a blob of cancer and by the time that was done covid came to call. We are working on the clutter... trying to get husband to actually DO something rather than just talk about it. You are right, it is a lovely house - just like how a child draws a house but with shutters! Am currently sitting in the living room in a pool of sunshine. Better go chase a decorator.

Paddingtonthebear · 19/03/2022 14:21

Where I am sellers aren’t doing any work before going to market and houses are still selling quickly and over asking. I’ve viewed over 20 houses in the last year and maybe two of them were what I would consider “market ready”. (I used to work in an estate agency and they used to encourage all our vendors to get everything sorted before having professional photos taken).

I think those days are gone and most properties I’ve seen have either not been refreshed for years or there is something still half finished - downstairs “done” but upstairs untouched, a kitchen or bathroom that is half finished /not painted/untitled, the odd cracked window pane, garden full of crap etc. It’s such a sellers market

DesertStorms · 19/03/2022 15:27

We are intending to sell soon and I’ve cancelled the painter I had booked to redecorate. Just doesn’t seem like money well spent.

AddictedToVinted · 19/03/2022 16:14

We have a painter coming next week. Probably money down the drain in some ways but I was getting fed up with some of the tattier bits. Also most of the higher properties here are still going to market in beautiful condition.

Agree to replacing a kitchen though - don't. Ours is getting a bit scruffy as it's now 15 years old but it would be a massive job to replace and may not be to someone's taste. Clean and decluttered is what we'll do with it.

AddictedToVinted · 19/03/2022 16:15

Also our painter is charging £750 and we've spent £350 on materials. We're getting quite a few different bits and pieces done for that so quite happy.

Doubleraspberry · 19/03/2022 20:08

Waiting to find out on Monday whether today’s ten viewings (total viewings 28 now) results in any offers. It’s not feeling like a seller’s market to us!

Eastie77Returns · 20/03/2022 11:31

Best of luck Doubleraspberry

@KathieFerrars as others have said, declutter and try to get rid of signs of water damage and I think you’re good to go. A lick of paint won’t hurt but I wouldn’t bother updating anything else. I must have viewed 30+ houses in the past year and saw some with kitchens and bathrooms almost falling down that sold above asking within days Conversely I saw vacant houses that had been “refurbished to a high standard” but they were not to my taste so would have ripped out the new bathroom and kitchen etc. I eventually bought a house that has lovely features but is a bit of a wreck (think worst house on a really nice street) and am now paying £££ just to get rid of junk in the overgrown garden so if you can declutter your buyer will thank you!

dubyalass · 20/03/2022 11:52

I'm not interested in houses that have been done up to sell - I would rather take on something that needs work than be faced with new stuff that's not to my taste or done cheaply. My budget accounts for new kitchen and bathroom, carpets, redecorating etc, I'd rather do it to my own taste.