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Original poster

About to put our house up for sale.. anyone else?

995 replies

DomusAurea · 14/03/2022 08:24

We are taking the plunge and it's happening - we are selling our house (and relocating 200 miles away but that's another thread I guess) - anyone else? I could do with a collective handhold!

This is where we are now:

  • finishing the last small jobs such as painting a ceiling
  • having meets with estate agents for valuation
  • nervously searching rightmove for possible houses in our relocation area (there isn't a lot!)

Are you going for sale soon? Tell me how it's going!

(we are in the South East)

OP posts:
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8
JurasicPerks · 06/05/2022 07:23

Did some maths last night. We are going to try and progress with purchase on a massive mortgage without using the equity from here. We might be owning 2 houses from a bit. Not much on the market in current town, nothing we would consider buying in New town. Hopefully we can sell quickish..... Benefits of living in a cheep place!

Chemenger · 06/05/2022 07:40

sorrynotathome · 06/05/2022 07:11

I didn’t think you could do that in Scotland?!

Show quote history

You can if you draw out the drawing up of the formal offer as long as possible so that the acceptance isn’t signed off. What makes it worse is that she made her initial offer conditional on us not going to closed bids so that we could proceed quickly and we had to drop another interested couple who were not ready to offer.
Apparently she wanted to do some alterations which she has discovered would be too expensive ( not that she’s had builders round to look or anything so it’s a bit mysterious how she has a price for the work). She’s very sorry apparently.
We’ve got a viewing today and a few other people who had asked to be informed if the offer fell through.
We’ve already started moving stuff (we bought the place we’re moving to a while ago) so the house looks odd in places, empty bookshelves and missing furniture (exposing the very moth eaten carpet).

sorrynotathome · 06/05/2022 09:59

Oh that's annoying Chemenger Well at least you've learned how sneaky some people can be - and you've got other interested parties so hopefully one of them will snap it up. Perhaps even that couple who weren't read to offer might be ready now! I'm one of those embarrassing "plenty of viewings but not a single offer" vendors...

Alexahelp · 06/05/2022 10:24

On closer inspection round me, doer uppers priced 20-30k below ours are still selling quickly. Ours has absolutely nothing to do expect redecorate, if you want. Despite the fact we’re not getting any negative feedback on price, our agent is going to dig to see if people feel like they’re waiting for a ‘bargain’…which considering the price of building work, they’re actually not getting.

Doubleraspberry · 06/05/2022 12:03

I'm really hoping you guys find new buyers quickly. It must be so hard to have to go back a step and worry about your own purchases.

@Alexahelp one of the reasons I'm hopeful of the new agents is that ours is similar. There's one bit of fairly straightforward building work you could do that would mitigate the main drawback (dark middle reception - knock through the front room) but otherwise you could live in ours comfortably, whereas people are looking for full projects to 'add value'. The new agent told me she's very clear with buyers like that they should think very hard, given rising prices and less availability, about how sensible and doable that actually is right now. I guess I tend to think that everyone knows that, as it's been in the media/online etc but apparently plenty of people have failed to realise what a shit show getting work done has become!

Original poster
DomusAurea · 08/05/2022 11:37

Hi just wondering how is everyone doing? On our side, silence, waiting and occasionally being asked for money from the solicitor 🐲 - I guess it's no news, no good news but also no bad news. The looooooong waiting game of house selling

OP posts:
ThisMustBeMyDream · 08/05/2022 15:20

Well my week did pick up somewhat! Viewing on thurs, great feedback, was honest with them and told them the price I'd sell at and take off market. They wanted to offer but their max was 8k under that price. Told them I'd certainly consider it so they offered. Further viewing yesterday offered 3k under what I'd like, so that is the most promising. Just had a call 2 hours ago for a viewing tonight. Funnily enough it is someone I've recently provided care to in my professional life. They're in for a shock when they turn up 🤣. There is another viewing on weds too. So all in all, 100% offer rate vs viewings on this round. Let's see what it brings. I'm certainly feeling brighter anyway! I've just had to leg it home from swimming pool with kids, and get my hair washed (I normally don't dunk my hair in as it is very long and a PITA to wash/dry but today I decided to as I'm teaching the kids to swim after waiting on a list for lessons for over a year and getting nowhere). Typical. Now I'm just waiting on the Mr to shepherd my kids and his out so I can sort downstairs. They are banned from upstairs right now as I've made all the beds and hid the crap once again. And then breath....!

TheLadyDIdGood · 08/05/2022 17:18

Update so far: viewed several houses over the bank Holiday weekend and offered on one. Wasn't expecting offer to be accepted but it was and now I've got the vendor's EA on my case. They are relentless, I hadn't appointed a solicitor because I hadn't had an offer accepted yet. So no point in signing up for one & then a sale/offer falls through & I'm lumbered with legal costs.

ThisMustBeMyDream · 08/05/2022 18:42

Well, that's me hopefully sold again! The viewer was shocked to see me, but also very pleased as we had a nice professional relationship (I was her midwife!). They walked in with that look on their face when you know someone wants the house. And yep, they do. Offer discussed and sorted before they left! They were more than happy to offer what I want. I know they are motivated sellers (their own house goes on the market this week) so I'm happy to allow them a week or so to see what interest theirs gets.
I do hope it goes through as I really like them and I know this house would be perfect for them 😁.
Oh lordy, what a whirlwind this has all been. I really need my dream house to show up now though...!

JurasicPerks · 08/05/2022 19:49

Congrats, Dream. And thank you for the positive story. Have you done anything different to get the flurry of interest? I don't think you have, but might be miss remembering.

Complete silence here since rightmove relisted us.....

ThisMustBeMyDream · 08/05/2022 21:39

No, nothing other than switching agents so it comes up first on RM. The listing and photos are the exact same. To be fair I had far more viewings in a much shorter space of time last time. But these ones have been a better calibre of viewers tbh.

deadlyseaurchin · 08/05/2022 22:09

Tbf re buyers pulling out it's not helped by the crazy market in some places. We have looked at a total of 4 houses but only ever 1 at a time & then it's sold. You can't do the usual see 4 houses in one weekend, do some additional viewings, weigh it up & then put an offer in. It's see a house when there is nothing else available, view it for 10 minutes & the next day it's best and final.

TheLadyDIdGood · 08/05/2022 23:21

@deadlyseaurchin you're right about buyers pulling out a lot more than before. I'm seeing a lot more reductions and relistings than before which I hope leads to more realistic prices. Banks are more reluctant to issue mortgages for inflated priced houses now. So there are more properties being reduced and more being realistically priced to start with.

deadlyseaurchin · 09/05/2022 00:04

I also think some buyers are pulling out because of mortgage down valuations.

Melminiani · 09/05/2022 09:59

Permission to join a little late in the day? My house has been on the market for just over 3 weeks, and despite the EA’s enthusiasm and conviction that so many people would be really interested in my house, I’ve so far had only 1 viewing. They then took a week to offer me over 10k less than the asking price, which I declined, several more days to come back with a better offer, only to withdraw that offer half an hour later. I also have the feeling that my EA haven’t been doing their best for me.

I have a viewing today but am already feeling concerned that nobody will want to buy my lovely house. And it is lovely; de-cluttered and buffed up it looks great. The main issue is parking (it’s a town-centre location) but even that isn’t impossible. There is a place to park 100 yards down the street - it’s not guaranteed, but I’ve lived here for 15 years and I can count on one hand the number of times I’ve not been able to park there in that time…

Sorry, this is longer than I’d planned, but I’m selling this on my own and it just feels so big and also lonely…

RidingMyBike · 09/05/2022 11:04

Hi @Melminiani did you see several EAs and did they vary in the value they suggested? Sometimes EA suggest a higher value to win your custom, then end up having to reduce it.

We had 3 valuations done with £100k between them! It ended up selling at the exact midpoint so £50k above the lowest and £50k below the highest.

Chemenger · 09/05/2022 12:44

Three viewings since we went back on the market and a new offer 🎉, at the same price as the one that was withdrawn. This is somewhat alleviating my growing annoyance at the woman who withdrew...but not entirely since we would have been moving next week if her offer had been genuine.

Melminiani · 09/05/2022 13:57

Thanks @RidingMyBike I got two valuations and there was only 10k between them. Although the lower estimate EA was happy to try starting at 10k higher, I went with the higher estimating EA as the tie in period was half that of the lower estimating one, and they included VAT in their fee. They also had really good reviews locally. But I just don’t feel like they’re trying that hard to advocate for me or my house… but also, maybe that’s EAs nowadays…

Lindisfarne1 · 09/05/2022 19:54

Was ladyNell name changed

After months of deliberating whether to go on market I had the estate agent back after their last valuation in February and they've valued it 10,000 more.

Signed paperwork guess that's it now.....🤔

Original poster
DomusAurea · 10/05/2022 16:12

Hi @Melminiani - welcome

and congrats to @ThisMustBeMyDream and @Chemenger for the new offers, hopefully all will go well for you!

Still waiting here 🙁

OP posts:
Original poster
DomusAurea · 10/05/2022 16:13

just to clarify, we have an offer on our house, which we have accepted; and our offer on another house has also been accepted: so we are in the slow process of house conveyancing. No mortgage needed on either side so this should make things relatively easy. I hope. I hope. I hope and... I hope.

OP posts:
Crikeyalmighty · 10/05/2022 18:15

@TatianaBis Interesting you say that- we are moving back to uk next week and will be renting via Savills- their communication, flexibility in doing online viewings and general efficiency in procedures have been impeccable .

ThinkAboutItTomorrow · 11/05/2022 15:10

Hi, I was on here at the very start but have had much less luck than most of you.

We went on the market on the 10th March and despite 30+ views and one price drop we've only had one offer that's now been withdrawn.

It's really confusing as the market is apparently pretty hot here and everything else that's gone on in our size, price range and condition seems to have been under offer in under a month.

We're looking at switching agents. Any experience of that from anyone? Or other ideas?

Doubleraspberry · 11/05/2022 15:15

ThinkAboutItTomorrow · 11/05/2022 15:10

Hi, I was on here at the very start but have had much less luck than most of you.

We went on the market on the 10th March and despite 30+ views and one price drop we've only had one offer that's now been withdrawn.

It's really confusing as the market is apparently pretty hot here and everything else that's gone on in our size, price range and condition seems to have been under offer in under a month.

We're looking at switching agents. Any experience of that from anyone? Or other ideas?

Hi, fellow failure!

We are in the same position as you and about to switch agent. I've done it before in a similar situation and it has been successful. You can see my posts upthread, so I won't repeat myself, but it feels gutting to have one of those houses that has clearly been designated 'too expensive or no good', which I don't think is actually true!

ThinkAboutItTomorrow · 11/05/2022 15:50

@Doubleraspberry thanks for the reassurance. Fingers crossed it works.

Our listing is great, we had the place repainted and new carpets before marketing. Kitchen is past it's best but not dreadful. It's still solid wood custom built with granite worktops, just needs a respray.

The agents have no ideas and just want to drop the price again.

It's very disappointing when in March they were talking about bidding wars.....