Any experience of selling a house ‘off market’ (or buying off market)

[ScoobyDoesnt]

I’m fully intending to sell up (or at least put my house on the market) in early spring. I’ve currently got a few tidy up jobs to do - for example, already booked to clean out the gutters once leaf fall is done, have booked a driveway weed/clean/re-sand, and have booked a gardener to come and trim back all the hedges / trees I can’t reach and don’t have the equipment to do.

Inside, the last job has been done (painting of doors) and other than needing a good thorough clean, inside is good.

I don’t want to put the house on the market officially right now, but would be happy if an agent found a buyer just by knowing who they’ve got looking for a house like mine. Obviously would still pay them a fee, but right now they wouldn’t need to do photos, or a floor plan (the agent I’m planning to use sold me the house 4 years ago, and the floor plan has not changed) - and there’s a valid EPC from then for the house too. Nor would they have to put it on the 3rd party sites.

Basically I want it quietish for now. If they find a buyer, great - if not, then full throttle in spring.

Is this a usual thing? Would it put you off looking at a house not really being marketed? I am committed to move (I can’t move until 1st March for various reasons, but tbh even if I got a buyer tomorrow, that’s only 4 months away). I would even potentially not have to have found my onward purchase as I can port my current mortgage up to 6 months later.

I’ve not actually asked the agent I want to use if they would do this - who has been around and valued the house as I wasn’t sure whether to sell now because of potential stamp duty implications in the budget, or wait until spring.

The reason for not actively marketing now is more because of time of year, and if I get lucky I get lucky. It’s not the end of the world to wait until spring.

Yes a good agent would do this - keep it out of their windows and off rightmove.

however I would suggest having photos and floorplan though so they have something to show purchasers as most people wont arrange to look at something they have no idea about - unless you are in a very beautiful, grade II listed, old and very much desired property.

If you get agents round to value and sales pitch at you, they are going to have you on their radar. Likely if someone contacts the agent and wants a house just like yours that agent is going to call you up and say "are you still thinking of selling because I have a lead..."

You could end up with a lower price with just one buyer and no competition. Plus most buyers could assume you aren't committed to selling and are just testing the market.

My parents bought their house off market but not via an agent, they were looking to move closer to my grandparents, my gran worked in the local nursery. One of the parents mentioned they were looking to move soon and my gran is they had a 3 bed family home which is what my parents were looking for. She mentioned it to both, my parents went and visited and they did the sale/purchase through solicitors with no agent or agent fees.
I've only seen what you're suggesting with when it's a highly sought after property usually a high value one

We are pretty much doing this with DM's house and will market it properly in the NY. We are having a brochure some though. Partly because it's a crap time of year to sell, partly because it's a difficult property to value, so we'll get feedback on the price.

If I was looking to buy a house now, I would not want to wait until March for the vendor to commit to selling.

The agents can keep your details 'in the bottom drawer' until the spring and advertise as 'available soon' nearer the time but you would still have to sign a contract with them to do this.

I am committed to selling - what I meant was I can’t physically move until 1st March. Given that’s 4 months away, even with an offer tomorrow, by the time it’s worked its way through the legal system, that’s probably about right?

So if I had an offer now, I’d be happy to sell.

I just don’t want to formally market it right now.

Thank you - I do have a floor plan (or rather the agent does), which hasn’t changed since I bought it.

Thanks for all the comments.

House is not high end and definitely not pretty in terms of period and listed.

But I’m lucky to live in an area where 4 bed detached seem to fly. My neighbours a couple of doors down (identical house in terms of floor plan) went on the market in July, had 2 offers in 2 weeks, and sold with chain complete in 5 weeks, at asking price. They’re moving in a couple of weeks.

My house is move-in-able in terms of there’s no major work like kitchen or bathrooms to be done (albeit appreciate tastes vary, but nothing garish here!), new floors, new boiler and hot water/radiator system, neutral decorated throughout, and no grey to be seen! Nice garden although untidy at the moment due to the fact I back onto woods, which is lovely, but not at this time of year when I am forever raking.

Lots to think about.

Where are you moving to OP, are you selling your house to buy another one or would there be no onward chain?

We bought our house like this. No photos, no floor plan. The agent knew we wanted a house on the road and had a buyer for our house. We exchanged and completed in 7 weeks.

@WallaceinAnderland I’m intending to move to the coast about 4 hours away! I will buy again, but I have access to accommodation down there from early March, hence if necessary, I don’t have to have found my onward purchase. My mortgage is able to port for 6 months (which is good as I’m on a fairly low fixed rate).

@Gunpowder thank you, good to know! These houses genuinely sell really quickly where I am if priced correctly and in good order. It’s also the ‘desirable’ estate of the town as it’s older, but well maintained with lots of open space, trees, and literally backing onto woods and fields.

We kind of bought off market - we had seen the house advertised previously but not been in a position to buy, six months on we were and called the estate agent to ask what it had gone for etc, only to find that sale had not gone through and the owner was away for the winter and planning to remarket in the spring. We asked to view it and put in an offer the next day.

There were thus photos and floor plan available. I have to say that we would have found it difficult to go through the process without a floor plan - you can take photos at a viewing, but you need a floor plan to deliberate over before & after.

If there is no onward chain you might be lucky then and find someone who will wait until March.

Thank you. I have a floor plan from when I bought the house, and it’s not changed at all. And a valid EPC. Photos from then would be useless as it’s had a new kitchen, en-suite, bedroom built in cupboard, and a re-decorate, but I’m planning to use the same agent who sold me it, and would hope they would be clear not to rely on the old ones!

Thank you - even if I accepted an offer next week, it’s only 4 months; a friend of mine in a chain of 5 is still waiting to move after nearly 5 months!