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Original poster

Sod it, I'm flyering houses on the dream street. Your tips?

67 replies

Ilovesnacks · 21/05/2023 20:27

Did anyone pop flyers through to houses on streets they'd like to buy? I've thought a lot and gone back and forth but sod it, there's nothing to lose. We are under offer ourselves and flexible. But this is London where it's dog eat dog.
Would you put your cards on the table and mention budget? What other tips do you have? If you're someone who received one and was a bit curious, what was it that peaked your interest?

OP posts:
Junebug22 · 21/05/2023 20:43

This happened with my husband’s grandparent’s house. A little different in that grandparent had passed away but basically someone local put a letter through the door enquiring about the possibility of a private sale. No price was on the letter but husband’s family contacted them and a price and private sale were agreed. So they got the house due being a bit ballsy/proactive and family avoided the hassle of estate agent fees, viewings etc. I imagine the price agreed was competitive for them not to go on open market!

(I will say they waited until after the funeral!)

Original poster
Ilovesnacks · 21/05/2023 21:47

@Junebug22 Oh wow that is punchy. That must have been quite a sensitive situation too - I hope noone was put out!

OP posts:
Nestofcrowes · 21/05/2023 22:00

We did this after we lost out on a house in the street six months before. Just left our email and asked if anyone was considering. We ended up getting an email from a neighbour stating that their neighbour had sadly passed away and the house would be up for sale soon. So we were ready and then swooped as soon as it appeared on right move. So the flyering worked well for us!

GoodVibesHere · 21/05/2023 22:01

Urggh we get flyers through our door quite often which is annoying as it's our family home and we have no intention of moving. Sorry but it is annoying and pointless. If we wanted to sell we know how to go about doing so, we won't be persuaded by a flyer from a stranger.

ChrisPNoodles · 21/05/2023 22:13

When this happens on Location Location the deal never seems to go through. The flyer attracts the attention of home owners who aren't really serious sellers but just happy to test the market. The buyer sees, offers an acceptance is made and then the vendor pulls out.

But that might just be because the people want to see their house on the telly.

Gotta be worth a try hasn't it?

OnTheHamsterWheelOfDoom · 21/05/2023 22:21

GoodVibesHere · 21/05/2023 22:01

Urggh we get flyers through our door quite often which is annoying as it's our family home and we have no intention of moving. Sorry but it is annoying and pointless. If we wanted to sell we know how to go about doing so, we won't be persuaded by a flyer from a stranger.

Just bin them then, you're not the target audience. I get letters from estate agents suggesting I use their services (only moved in 6 months ago), double glazing (nothing wrong with mine) and suchlike.

Like all forms of marketing for big ticket items, they're irrelevant to most but occasionally they catch the right person at the right time. They're not trying to persuade you to sell if you had no intention, they're just hoping you'll get in touch if you were thinking of selling.

PurpleBananaSmoothie · 21/05/2023 22:23

We got a leaflet through that properties similar to ours had sold recently in the area and they had more clients looking for our type of property. It started the conversation to get ours valued with a view of if we needed to do anything to it. However, it was a year after that we went on the market because that was when we were ready. We didn’t contact anyone because it had been a year and assumed they’d found somewhere. We also didn’t market with that estate agent because I deeply disliked the branch manager who came out to do the viewing, I didn’t get a good vibe from him at all and didn’t trust him. I was prepared not to tap into this list of clients to not deal with him.

If you are lucky and someone is seriously considering moving but is in the stage of decluttering and not gone to an EA yet or there’s a probate property, you might get lucky but I don’t think it’s a guarantee.

Iizzyb · 21/05/2023 22:34

Used to happen a lot where I live. Definitely worked for 2 families just say if you're thinking of selling please let us know

Monty27 · 21/05/2023 22:42

I've had it and invited a young couple round to discuss. They simply couldn't afford it. So make sure you're upfront or know that you can afford it.
Don't waste people's time nor your own.

Grimbleton · 21/05/2023 22:51

I did this during lockdown. 100 postcards in a town I wanted to move to. Postcard so it didn’t have to be opened and was clear it wasn’t a circular/estate agent and I posted rather than hand delivered. Got about 6-7 responses and we ended up buying a house that was just getting ready to go on the market. Saved the seller the estate agent fees and we avoided a bidding war as was an off market sale.

WheresTheForum · 21/05/2023 23:00

I sold to someone who asked an estate agent to flyer the street where I lived. I was intending to call an estate agent to come round and value the house on the very same day the flyer came through the door. We agreed a sale the next day and it moved out 6 weeks later.
The flyer, a letter really, just said that they had a client who really wanted to buy on our street and if anyone was planning on selling to let them know. Worked out perfectly for all concerned!

Tiredmummaoftwo · 21/05/2023 23:04

Yep. I did it to two houses I really liked and one came back to me straight away. One didn't reply. Didn't end up going for it as if was too much money but I think you'll be surprised. There's really nothing to loose.

peachespeachespeaches · 21/05/2023 23:05

My sister sold her house to someone who put a note through her door. It was about a year later so a punt that they'd still want it but it paid off for both of them.

Clymene · 21/05/2023 23:12

Absolutely fine to do if you just make it clear you're interested and are good to go. What makes me cringe is getting a note from Tom and Jessica with Lucas aged 3 and Tiffany 2 1/2 and they'd love to live here because Tom is in the film industry and Jessica is in marketing and it's super convenient for their jobs and also in the catchment for the lovely infant school.

I don't care.

Mosaic123 · 21/05/2023 23:16

We did it , we wanted a bungalow, and saw a few but nothing worked out.

I hand wrote a letter and photocopied it onto bright yellow paper to be more noticeable.

No envelope and I made it look unsophisticated as I didn't want it to be mistaken for an estate agent's marketing note.

We even had a couple of calls more than 18 months after putting the notes through doors so people did hang onto them.

I didn't mention budget.

Good luck. You have little to lose and possibly a property to gain!

Cupcakequeen75 · 21/05/2023 23:19

We got a letter through the letterbox at my late parents house and it made us so angry that we made sure they didn't get the house when it went on the market.

Context - Dad died and mum had to go into a care home but we kept the house as the rental income helped with fees and anyway, we had an idea to move in ourselves one day (family home, M&D bought it in the 50's and it had a huge, private garden).
3-Years later mum died and we gave the tenants notice but then the letter appeared. The people lived along the same road (in a similar house) but wanted this one due to the huge garden. As it happened we weren't selling at that time as we were moving in ourselves (while our new house was being built) but they can't have known this.
Anyway, come the time to sell they were first through the door and when it came to B&F they offered the most but we just couldn't do it and the house went to a couple who offered £5k less.

Don't know if they knew mum had died and they were trying their luck or maybe it was a complete shot in the dark (just bad timing) but it left a bad feeling and there was no way any of us wanted to sell to them.

Lampan · 21/05/2023 23:20

I agree with @Clymene
I couldn’t care less that they have kids and want to be in a good catchment area. The trouble is, these attempts to win sympathy are a stab in the dark when you don’t know the target audience. I’d be more sympathetic to certain other reasons for moving, but that’s just me.

If you do write a note, keep it polite and to the point and don’t include irrelevant details such as details of family members or kids etc. I do get a fair few letters like this but they just make me laugh as I have no intention of going anywhere! But nothing to lose I guess.

Lampan · 21/05/2023 23:27

Actuallly having read @Cupcakequeen75 ’s post I’ve changed my opinion that you have nothing to lose. I would feel the same under circumstances like that

SwedishDeathClearance · 21/05/2023 23:34

I get at least 5 a week for my flat

Best one was for my house- 2 pages of foundation pen handwritten telling me why they wanted to buy it.

Honestly it just makes me aware that there is a real demand and no way would I sell without going to last and final offers on both.

whenindoubtgotothelibrary · 21/05/2023 23:36

We get these through the door quite often (London) and I'm never remotely annoyed by them. It's actually quite nice to know we haven't bought a complete lemon!

I'm not sure I would follow up on a private sale though, because I'm not sure I'd trust the process re: agreeing a price. Probably depends a bit where you live, but there are no recent comparables on our road, which has 3 or 4 different types and sizes of period house in different states of done-upness. The estate agent in our last sale more than earned his fee on that alone.

TrianglePlayer · 22/05/2023 06:05

Make sure you hand write the letters and don’t just type and print as I think that makes them stand out more. If you really want a house in a certain road spend the time writing a proper letter. As PP have said don’t go into too much detail about your family as it might put some people off.

Maireas · 22/05/2023 06:33

This seems to be increasingly common . We get these all the time, sometimes it's about the catchment school and the future of their children, sometimes it's about the dream location or whatever. I just bin them. I suppose it wouldn't hurt on the off chance. The worst was an elderly neighbour kept getting them and she said she felt it was like vultures swooping! One said "you must want to downsize"!

MexicanDrinkingWorm · 22/05/2023 06:43

We wrote one to about 40 odd houses on an estate we liked, only had 2 replies, both not wanting to sell but admiring our approach.
so there is nothing to lose, just be prepared for nothing to come if it

thimblgattle167 · 22/05/2023 06:48

I sold my house to someone who put a letter through my door. They offered a chain free sale and £1000 over an estate agents valuation.

We had been half thinking about moving so thought why not. Lovely people. Still there 20 years later

Hollyhead · 22/05/2023 06:51

Have no idea why people would be put out, letters like this aren’t sent to persuade @GoodVibesHere just to say that if you were to be selling here are some interested people. I live somewhere desirable and it happens at least once a year. We’re not moving so I just pop them in the recycling, but if I was thinking of it I’d definitely contact them!

And @Cupcakequeen75 I think you allowed your bereavement to lose you a good deal and selling to people who loved a house. How bitter and cruel.