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Original poster

Can I just have a cry on here about my house situation please?

234 replies

Cherms · 11/07/2022 20:29

Suitable houses rarely come up in my search area (once every 5 years) and one came on. We immediately put our house up for sale (literally within one day). Two weeks later we have not had a single viewing. Not one. The forever house is having its last viewing day on Friday and then by Monday all offers need to be in. We can't offer without being sold.

I'm genuinely unbelievably upset. We spent lockdown doing our house up to be in perfect condition and yet absolutely nobody wants to buy it. And that means we will never get a house in our search area (please don't suggest changing the search area. It's not possible. We'd need to stay in our current house rather than ever move outside it)

Which means if another house comes up ever again we won't get that either and I'm absolutely miserable about that. We can't sell and rent because rental houses never come up and also it could be a decade before another house comes up. We really really want this one.

It sounds like I'm feeling melodramatic and sorry for myself but I'm completely gutted. Gutted no-one wants our lovely house and gutted we'll never be able to move. I keep getting weird rises of panic/anxiety about it all.

We're on with the agent that's selling but the forever house will sell whether to us or anyone else. They haven't given actionable feedback as it's just that one room is small. Which it is but the rest is great. And it's a lot of house for the money. No viewings. No interest. Utterly devastated at the hopeless future.

OP posts:
CamoTeaLaLa · 13/07/2022 19:39

We were FTB at 35 and 45yo. Had feckless pasts so no deposit saved, but now earning well plus at an age where parents with money are dropping off their perches = inheritance = big house with south facing garden and off-street parking 😶 We can’t be the only ones, so not all hope is lost for a broad range of interested buyers at your price.

angela99999 · 13/07/2022 19:54

Frazzled2207 · 11/07/2022 20:42

Are you sure you have to have an offer on yours to offer? I mean I know it’s ideal but we had an offer accepted before having an offer to sell. Worth speaking to the agent. You never know the circumstances of others offering

but yes as others have said you may need to reduce the price of yours?

Honestly?! If there are two equal offers they'll take the one from the people who are under offer. If no bidders are under offer they'll keep showing it. If you haven't reached this stage you're "not proceedable".

kimf1963 · 13/07/2022 19:55

Bitchy comment, this is obviously causing the OP a great deal of stress, she’s entitled to cry as much as she likes and yes there are always people worse off than all of us but this doesn’t make how she feels less valid.

Londoncallingme · 13/07/2022 20:14

Doesn’t matter
it will sell with small rooms, no parking, whatever…if the price is right.
if the other is your dream house. Go as low as you possibly can on yours and go for it, even without a sale, chick a bid in, list yours low and cross your fingers. You can always pull out if you have to, but at the right price, anything will sell.

Avacadoandtoast · 13/07/2022 20:16

Good luck OP - let us know how you get on! I’m keeping fingers crossed for you!!

Lizzy53 · 13/07/2022 20:41

Have you ASKED ESTATE AGENTS WHAT VIEWERS are saying about your house?

Whinge · 13/07/2022 20:43

Lizzy53 · 13/07/2022 20:41

Have you ASKED ESTATE AGENTS WHAT VIEWERS are saying about your house?

The OP hasn't had any viewings, so asking for feedback would be pointless... Confused

IndiaRose22 · 13/07/2022 21:16

Good luck, OP! Hoping you get some viewings!

OooErr · 13/07/2022 21:18

Whinge · 13/07/2022 20:43

The OP hasn't had any viewings, so asking for feedback would be pointless... Confused

Show quote history

They do send emails to interested people though. IF the OP's house has been included they can ask what,s made them skip and not schedule a viewing?

MargaretThursday · 13/07/2022 21:29

The estate agents may give feedback. As we were preparing to get our house on the market the estate agents came round to talk. We were literally surrounded by boxes of stuff we were sorting through.
Dh asked them for any advice/quick fixes we could do to speed up sales.
We then had two slightly embarrassed young men trying to say "tidy up, this is really messy" without actually saying that.🤣 Dh explained why our floor was ankle deep in clothes and toys and that it was all going away. Once he'd said that they gave a few suggestions of things that in their opinion helped.

busymomtoone · 13/07/2022 23:32

Get a friend to phone estate agent anonymously and ask to view. It MAY be price - but could also be scheming estate agents holding out so you will accept an offer from one of their friends. One friend had this happen to her only to discover everyone was being told the house was “ already under offer”. Another friend was told to drop their house price by massive amount ( from an agency claiming to have a “ ready and keen buyer” who turned out to be invisible) - they went with another agency who did 100x better photos and sales job and ended up getting into a bidding war with it going for £50K more than asking price!!! If others have sold for similar or more I suggest some dodgy dealing / or at best v v poor selling going on - change agents!!

CactusBlossom · 14/07/2022 00:13

Get another estate agent in - it might be worth going for joint agency if it means you can sell your property. At the very least, get another valuation.

It could also be the wording, and what they chose to highlight as key features.

As for pricing, it might fall just the wrong side of a price bracket that people are searching.

Do you have a "for sale" sign up - that can trigger enquiries?

It's possible the vendor needs to sell quickly. Don't forget that purchases can fall through, so don't despair, your ideal house could be back on the market if it doesn't go through straightaway

I had problems with an estate agent last year - I counted 24 errors on the floor plan of the house (then I stopped counting!)...

Original poster
Cherms · 18/07/2022 14:54

The house has gone to someone else.

OP posts:
Noblojoforbojo · 18/07/2022 15:09

Sorry to hear that @Cherms. Similar thing happened to us and ‘perfect’ place came up but we weren’t even allowed to view it. It’s the only place that’s come up on the target road in our price range for over a year.

The main reason people could afford these crazy prices in the past was due to a)lots of equity in their existing homes and b)cheap credit.

Mortgages we have looked at have more than doubled since last year (in terms of interest payments).

The high asking prices across the board are surely not sustainable with the soaring cost of credit.

We were told that even in a very high price bracket, people were opting to take out mortgages rather than pay cash entirely.

I have everything crossed that the market will settle and that some good stock comes on for you in the coming months.

Will you still go ahead and try to sell yours or get an offer on it?

Squiblet · 18/07/2022 15:28

I'm so sorry... that is gutting. House-buying is a rotten business. There's always "one that got away". But often another good one comes along when you least expect it...

Original poster
Cherms · 18/07/2022 16:18

Thank you both. I had multiple viewings in the end with the changes recommended by kind and helpful MNers. I did get onto someone's shortlist to buy mine which was positive but ultimately unless they offered £25k more than my initial asking price (never mind post 5% drop) I couldn't have made a competing offer.

OP posts:
Violinist64 · 18/07/2022 17:50

Cherms, we are house hunting at the moment and every so often one comes up that looks ideal for us. However, other people obviously have the same idea and they go before we have a chance. Our view is that those houses were not meant for us and the right one will come along eventually. I know you had set your heart on this particular house but you never know what might come along later. You might find another ideal house or this one might fall through - it’s a strange market at the moment.

yzed · 19/07/2022 00:01

so i suppose what you need to do now (once you've dusted yourself down and taken a breath) is:

  1. look at the kerb appeal aspect: what's actually wrong with it and what if anything) can you do to improve it;
  2. work out what else you need to get in place for when the next ideal house comes onto the market, and make yourself a plan of action so that you're ready when it does (eg not a sole agent) OR
  3. consider what (if anything) you could do to this house to make it into your dream forever home. good luck
Original poster
Cherms · 19/07/2022 19:01

yzed · 19/07/2022 00:01

so i suppose what you need to do now (once you've dusted yourself down and taken a breath) is:

  1. look at the kerb appeal aspect: what's actually wrong with it and what if anything) can you do to improve it;
  2. work out what else you need to get in place for when the next ideal house comes onto the market, and make yourself a plan of action so that you're ready when it does (eg not a sole agent) OR
  3. consider what (if anything) you could do to this house to make it into your dream forever home. good luck

You're absolutely right. I've had some great advice on this thread and in my messages which I can take forward to put us in a better position next time.

OP posts:
user143677433 · 19/07/2022 20:01

Good luck for next time OP

Dishwashersaurous · 19/07/2022 20:25

That's disappointing op but at least you know that you can't afford your perfect house etc etc.

Therefore you can think about what to do next

Original poster
Cherms · 19/09/2022 17:15

UPDATE if anyone's interested!

It was the price (yes yes 🤣) but also room proportions and I finally got a low offer on it. That meant I could only put a low offer in on the dream house. Which got trumped by a considerably better offer.

Which then didn't actually materialise! My buyer stayed interested (at that price no wonder!) so I put my low offer back on the table and this time it got accepted!

So sometimes dreams can come true (and usually involves the difference between the two properties being acceptable) even if on paper it looks hopeless!

OP posts:
Violinist64 · 19/09/2022 17:34

Lovely update. Enjoy your new home.

purpledagger · 19/09/2022 17:39

That's great news, well done.

UserNameNameNameUser · 19/09/2022 18:12

That wonderful news!!! I am so very pleased for you. (Name changed since previous posts 😀)