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Original poster

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

973 replies

InTheCludgie · 13/09/2022 14:58

Hi everyone here is the new thread for those of us who are about to, or are currently trying to, sell our homes!

So we are now back on the market and have a viewing tomorrow morning, plus one for early next week. This week is a bit tricky as it's DS's birthday so have had to say no to a couple of suggested times for viewings.

How is everyone else getting on?

OP posts:
nellyelloe · 24/01/2023 18:34

Thank you @FigandHoney
Yes that's the problem, there has been no transparency whatsoever. On Thursday last week we were told that Natwest will give them their offer within a few days. Then today, we are told they're actually going to a different mortgage provider.
I just don't know what to do. I desperately want it to go through with them as we are so close, but I can't see it happening anymore and the trust has just gone

nellyelloe · 24/01/2023 18:35

Ps. @FigandHoney how long did your mortgage offer take?

FigandHoney · 24/01/2023 19:01

@nellyelloe Well our offer was accepted at the start of June. We went straight to our mortgage broker. And we got our offer through. We then got our mortgage offer through end of August. And they made a mistake in the contract. So corrected it and got the final proper mortgage papers two weeks later. Start of September.
So that's 4 months. It was the only thing we were waiting for at the end

FigandHoney · 24/01/2023 19:03

And ours wasn't a complicated mortgage. The deposit was 60% of the property value. All the paperwork in order. Perfect mortgage case according to the broker

RidingMyBike · 24/01/2023 19:04

We remortgaged recently and it only took about 3 weeks (including Christmas and NY bank holidays!). We were astounded as we'd expected months rather than weeks.

Stayingstrongish · 24/01/2023 21:19

Have had to give our buyers a substantial amount of money (thousands) this week off as their survey came back with some problems. Wish I’d been as canny as they are when buying this place! And that I wasn’t selling at such a hard time. Very conscious of not wanting to lose the place I’m moving to as not seeing much I like the looks of coming on the market.

Original poster
InTheCludgie · 25/01/2023 07:44

@Stayingstrongish it's a definite case of being between a rock and a hard place atm with buying and selling. A year ago we would probably all be sold quickly and have better negotiating power for these situations, you're right about there not being much out there to buy, plus there's the worry of securing new buyers in this market.
When we started this process back in July we weren't keen at all to drop our price seeing as similar houses were going for 30k over asking (bearing in mind the offers over system in Scotland) but now we're at the stage of accepting offers under our fixed price, after already dropping once then fixing the price, as it's getting to a critical point for us.
I guess the good thing is our onward purchase was secured at a reasonable price (a similar property sold for 40k more just a few months earlier).

OP posts:
Stayingstrongish · 25/01/2023 07:56

@InTheCludgie sorry to hear that… it is such a hard time, the only upside has been that finding a new place hasn’t been the fast paced bidding war that seems to have been the experience of many a year or two ago.

Original poster
InTheCludgie · 25/01/2023 08:49

@Stayingstrongish indeed, six months ago I believed the hardest part of the process would be securing a new home, not trying to flog this one!

OP posts:
FigandHoney · 25/01/2023 09:27

@Stayingstrongish @InTheCludgie Same here. The market turned so quickly. We bought our new home in June/ September. Things were mental then and we decided to split the sale of our old house off as a seperate thing, so we could be chain free and would have a better chance with our offer.
Our neighbours sold theirs at the same time. They had one day of mass viewings and then the house was off the market

FigandHoney · 25/01/2023 09:28

Neighbours sold theirs for 30k more than our current asking price. If not more. Crazy

RubyPip · 25/01/2023 16:30

Similar here - my next door neighbour sold for £302k in September, had several offers and sold within a week.

My house is exactly the same layout but with a new en suite, new kitchen, all painted, less cluttered and an extra car parking space. I understood the market has changed so I listed for £280k.

I've been on the market nearly a month now, 11 viewings, zero offers! I'm quite deflated.

Crazy.

superdupernova · 26/01/2023 08:00

@RubyPip don't lose hope. We had a flurry of viewings in the first week then one or two a week. After 7 weeks on the market we got an offer close to asking from someone who had viewed in the first week. We had rejected his first low offer when he viewed then he quietly went away and got a new agreement in principle to show he could afford the extra 20k he was offering.

thunderouslug · 26/01/2023 14:49

@RubyPip It does feel demoralising. We had so many viewings (20+) that went nowhere. Lots of no shows too. My DH and me agreed one more and then we take a break and try again in half a year knowing that we'd probably get even less money by that point but just couldn't stomach the stress of viewings anymore. That last viewing were our now buyers!

Just got news that our sale is at the point where they'd be ready to exchange. I am shocked. It went from never-ending enquiries about the tiniest things to 'oh yeah, we're all done'. Now it's just our onward purchase that needs to get finalised. So far it was all lot more seamless than I feared for a chain of 5+ (I genuinely have lost track how many there are of us). I just can't believe it might actually happen soon. We only moved to this area of the country for work, but that all changed with covid. And now we are cramped in this tiny house with pets, toddler, and forever WFH without friends and family nearby. It's so hard to imagine that in just a month we will finally be 'back home'. Getting a bit teary just writing this to be honest.

FigandHoney · 26/01/2023 15:01

@thunderouslug Congratulations that you are nearly at exchange. Very exciting for you.

@RubyPip Just try to remember that it only takes one person to fall in love with your property.

The person supposed to be viewing our house today never turned up. Our estate agent called them. They said they forgot. But didn't want to rebook as they decided they want to rent instead. I don't believe them one bit. They only just booked the viewing on Monday. Who forgets that fast.
I hate time wasters. We wasted time this morning getting things perfect. And they wasted our estate agents time. What is so difficult about calling to cancel?

Karmatime · 26/01/2023 16:04

That’s really shoddy behaviour by your non-viewers @FigandHoney. fingers crossed for imminent exchange @thunderouslug.
We were supposed to exchange 2 weeks ago. My buyers are ready to purchase but there’s an issue with the lease on the flat they are selling which is in the process of being sorted but no firm dates as to when it will be. To be honest I’m getting to the stage where I don’t believe it will ever happen but I’m probably being over-pessimistic! I’ve been told around 2 weeks but possibly longer.

Original poster
InTheCludgie · 28/01/2023 09:05

@FigandHoney this process has definitely shown me how shitty people can be when it comes to viewing properties. About a fifth of our viewers so far haven't responded to the EA when they've called them for feedback. EA tries each viewer three times then leaves it, it's frustrating when you go to all the effort of tidying, getting kids out the house etc for the viewers to just ignore the EA calls after. If they don't like it then why not just say, it's not like we're going to go after them with pitchforks because our house isn't for them!
Anyway on a more positive note we have four viewers booked in for late afternoon today. Hoping one will want to offer as we've been getting a bit of pressure from our vendors solicitor and I'm worried they might remarket soon.

OP posts:
RubyPip · 28/01/2023 12:51

Hope everyone is progressing well, and thank you for the reassurance!

@InTheCludgie I know what you mean, I've had one give feedback out of all my viewings. One person had three viewings and now is silent, and another said he was going to offer but didn't. Every house I've viewed I have left feedback for, I didn't know so many people don't bother!

Had a viewing this morning, they definitely won't offer. House was too small for them. I'm going to leave it on as it is until we move out (towards the end of Feb) and then when it's vacant, if still no offers, I'll drop the price...

FTStheFirstTimeSeller · 28/01/2023 13:04

I have to admit we didn't leave feedback for 3 houses we viewed because they were absolutely terrible, agents were useless, particulars full of lies, and price was way too high especially for the one with crack in wall you could put your hand into... i did say something along the lines of "you joking mate, aren't you" when agent kept going on about how great nick the property is in in a house full of damp and mould🤦
I just ghosted that agents after that.

But when you see owners put their time and energy into presentation, clean for you etc, it's rude to just say nothing. Is it possible people are not communicating after because they are worried agent will keep calling asking if they are interested?

KimmySchmitt · 28/01/2023 17:07

@FTStheFirstTimeSeller Is it possible people are not communicating after because they are worried agent will keep calling asking if they are interested?

I think this is very possible tbf. We're buying a new build this time round so didn't view but when I was looking to buy my first flat I was only 26 and didn't tend to call the agents back with feedback partly because I didn't want to draw attention to myself and get pestered, but also because I was busy and it wasn't a priority for me. Now having been a seller I see it from the other POV and would always make a point to leave feedback in future, but as a FTB I don't really think you understand the importance. I wouldn't take it personally, as annoying as it is. People are flakey.

We moved out last weekend and legally sold the house yesterday! Just awaiting transfer of funds, and only a couple of weeks before we get the keys to our new house. It's been a long and stressful journey, and ours wasn't half as complicated as most on this thread, but hang in there. Hopefully it'll all work out and be well worth it.

Leftoverssandwich · 28/01/2023 17:08

When we were house hunting plenty of agents never asked for feedback. We were a bit surprised.

RidingMyBike · 28/01/2023 17:50

Feedback often isn't useful anyway. We got feedback from about two thirds of the viewers for our sale but it was all stuff about the third bedroom being too small or the size of the garden. Both of which could be seen from the pics and floorplan!

So even if you do get it, it might not be much use. I have found it awkward as a buyer leaving feedback - often the house just wasn't right for us, but that's so vague it's no help to anyone. I have given specific feedback if I felt the description wasn't accurate - pointed out to one EA the whole place would need rewiring judging by the state of the sockets and he seemed surprised!

RubyPip · 28/01/2023 18:36

I think you're right, the feedback wouldn't be helpful anyway if they dislike things I just can't change.

What I really want is an offer 😅

Stayingstrongish · 29/01/2023 03:40

Don’t quite understand this about not leaving feedback. My agent got feedback as they were showing them round so could then pass it on to me immediately after. Seems easier than having to make follow up phone calls.

A few of the agents phoned me for feedback after I looked round places but I gave them the same comments I gave the agent who showed me round at the time.

wisbech · 29/01/2023 08:01

Eh - not sure I would give feedback to the house owner, rather than the agent. If the house isn’t right for me, then telling the agent will help them narrow the search of houses they put forward. But how does it help the seller? Of couse, likely the agent will pass on the feedback anyway

if the feedback is ‘it is too expensive’ then that feedback is going to be via an offer anyway