Anyone else had viewings today?

[Chanel05]

I had 4 viewings today.

First time buyer, couple that have sold to a first time buyer, a first time buyer and a couple that aren't yet back on the market but they had sold and their sale had fallen through.

Anyone else had viewings today? How did they go?

Ooh exciting! I’ve never had a post deleted before. I never imagined it would be over something so banal as house viewings. I think it just reinforces my point!

Well, I was jet washing the backyard in the rain this afternoon - and been scrubbing and touching up paintwork this evening. Feeling very nervous about the whole thing.

Good luck @Flensburg !

Thank you! "Just" doing a thorough tidy and clean through now. Will be so glad when they have gone.

We had a message first thing saying our viewing is still going ahead at 5pm but its a long day, I've had so many people cancel previously!

Wasn't sure if I said upthread (maybe in my deleted post?!) but there are two very similar houses for sale in this road/road that we back on to, I know one of the people selling - they're both with different agents. Would it be terrible to knock and ask how are things going with viewings? Then if they are both doing well maybe it's just me? Or vice versa of course.

@@GoingDownLikeBHS good luck today!
I'm autistic ans wouldn't mind if you asked me, but don't know how other people would react. It depends if they view you as a competition, I guess.

Don’t think it will hurt as they most likely are in a similar situation, if you don’t want to knock I’d call their EAs and speak to them.

i went to a house on my road there on for the same price as mine, before it went on market as a neighbour knew them, it def helped as I could see how much work it needed doing. What they were being told by the agents, etc

Does anyone know anything about Purple Bricks? Good or bad. As h has thrown me a curveball this morning and suggested we think about selling our house using them.

Not used them but lots of people say they're terrible.

@BirthdayRainbow not used them myself but someone who wanted to buy my house is locked in with them - you have to pay something like £1700 fee if they don't sell your property within a certain time limit. Make sure you check the small print.

There's no way I'd use an online sales agent in this current market. You want someone who cares enough to try and move things forward. And you definitely want a no sale no fee arrangement, or to be able to pull out whenever you want without penalties.

Thank you @BG2015 and @79andnotout . No doubt I'll have a battle with the h but tbh a couple of negatives is enough for me. I liked the agent today. If he could have afforded it I think he would have considered buying it!

@BirthdayRainbow I agree with the others, don't do it! Having a good agent is actually really worth the money. It's not just about getting on Rightmove, getting viewers etc. There's also often (as you'll see with the buying & selling watiing room thread) all kinds of complications that agents can help with - especially when you're in a chain, the agents in the chain will be talking to each other to try and keep all their sales in place. There might be things particular to your area that buyers need reassuring on and all kinds of soft stuff that just holds the deal together.

They went bust recently I believe and got bought out for next to nothing, that tells you all you need to know, selling houses is easy in a property bubble/mania, all you need to do is provide the webpages to allow people to list their house, in a downturn much harder, most agents working today have never experienced a proper property downturn.

"And you definitely want a no sale no fee arrangement, or to be able to pull out whenever you want without penalties."

Yes, they need to actually do something beyond telling you the house is worth a silly number just to get you on the books, then taking fees for your house sitting there unsold.

You sold with them then @CrashyTime? or anyone else?

We had our third viewing this afternoon. I parked across the street as I had nowhere I really needed to be and usually they are in and out in 15 minutes - typically they took longer than 15 minutes.

They were in the house for 35 minutes and then stood outside talking and pointing to my house and another house up the street that's for sale.

All immaterial if they don't offer!

Frustrating, but hopefully the 35 minute means they are at least seriously considering it!

No viewings this weekend, but being on the market is an excellent motivator for fixing all the little bits and pieces I've neglected until now. Stairs, bannisters and various skirting boards are now freshly sanded and painted. Absolutely no one will care, but at least I feel I'm doing something!

Bannisters and skirtings are the bane of my life! Ideally the hall needs painting but we’ve spent so much time and money already, then I keep seeing more things to do …

@BG2015 that seems promising?

@BarbaricPeach it certainly gets you doing those little niggly jobs doesn't it.

Our front door has been sticking for months and months. Finally paid someone to fix it.

Also fixed the broken blind in our bedroom.

We have a few niggly things I'd like to fix because they might put off buyers, but it's not practical if we'll be living here a few months yet. My son has rubbish looking paper blackout blinds in his room and I'd ideally remove them and touch up the windowsill. But I don't really want to spend the next few months with crap sleep!

Lol - Crashy gives out a lot of advice for someone who has never bought a property themselves. Most of it wrong but no one’s perfect.

Though we do occasionally agree about stuff & choosing a “no sale no fee” EA (especially in a difficult market) is one of them.

I'm still frustrated with our EA, they are local and no win no fee but tied in to exclusivity for 16 weeks!. I sent an enquiry from right move on a property they have just listed at the start of the week and heard zero back from them! I am worried that they are doing this with our potential viewers! So I've got a family member to send an enquiry to view my house to see how long it takes them to come to me with the viewing.

I'm going to collate a list of the aspects I'm not happy with and ask for a call next week if nothing improves. I can't work out if they're just slow or overworked, they sell the most properties in out area and reviews are good so I don't understand it.

Generally, there has been an increase this year in the number of properties being listed compared with the last 7 years or so, so perhaps they are busier than usual.

The agent has valued the house. I'm so confused. I've had four valuations. Two very similar. The other two similar to each other but £100-150k more than the first two.

viewer cancelled 20 minutes before appointment. I’d finished work early to accommodate them. Oh well, @CrashyTime will be celebrating tonight!