Back to the market - viewings and boxes

[needahouseindurham]

To cut a long story short we’ve waited months and months for a buyer who then allowed us to reach 2 days before exchange/completion and asked for 'a little' bit more time - til the new year! We’ve gone back on the market - we have zero trust in them.

The problem is our house is in boxes, we’ve got rid of a lot of the furniture (big house - we are downsizing) Do you think potential buyers are going to be really put off? When we’ve viewed houses we haven’t really cared about decor/mess etc but up until now I’ve very much staged my house for viewings (fluffy towels, fresh flowers etc)

How are those of you on the market finding it at the moment - I know it’s not a good time of year for viewings/offers.

It is awful time of year to sell. Our property is under offer but our buyers are being a pain. They have had 2 surveys, nothing picked up of concern and they had valuation and all ok but then they have had 3 more viewings since and each time they want to bring someone with them! I had a call last week to say can they bring a builder with them and I said no. Now they claim they need to change mortgage providers.

With regard to your questions, I like a house to be dressed/staged as I need to be able to get a feel for the house. However, we did view a house and the sellers were in your situation and there were boxes everywhere and it wasn't for us but the boxes didn't put us off. As long as the people viewing can clearly see the room size and what it offers, I wouldn't worry too much. Spring is a much better time to sell.

I have 3 friends all on the market, just came on over the last few weeks and not had any viewings at all.

Good luck!

I think it helps to have basics - a lot of people struggle to tell if they can get a bed and a wardrobe in a room for example

A lot of people would see boxes as lack of storage , so I would get them hidden one way or another

After that o don't think you will be limiting your pool

There's just no way we can hide them - we probably had 80 boxes full this time last week. We've limited them to one room and it's a big bedroom. It's clear to see it has storage and is easily big enough for bed/furniture etc.

I've battled all week around a full time job and children to get the rest of the house as good as I think it can be but even then it's quite bare because we sold a lot of furniture.

Nightmare!

No, I think it makes you look motivated and keen to get a move on. You might get disheartened can you put them all in one room and close the door?

Oops now read the full thread.

If I could go back now I'd have pulled out when they started messing around like that. You hold on because it's only 'one more viewing' or 'one more request' or 'a few more weeks'. 2 viewings is quite enough. Maybe a 3rd near exchange to measure up etc.

We sold ours in about 6 weeks when it was empty except one room which was full of boxes we'd packed. A serious buyer and a fair price will always find each other. Just make sure your photos are top notch and your front garden looks nice; first impressions count for a lot when you're shifting an empty house (having viewed quite a lot of them as well). Also make sure your floor plan has clear measurements on it. People will then be able to see exactly what sort of bed fits where (and yet so many listings don't put measurements on the floor plan, even though they've measured and put them in the description).

If your house is in good condition then it will sell. If it’s a doer upper then, from what I’ve seen here and also from my RightMove searches, it will not.

Actually, we sold our first house within a week when it was empty, too. I'd forgotten about that because three buyers made an offer after the first "open day" of viewings, we picked the most proceedable (not highest) offer and everything should have gone through in 4 weeks, except Covid happened a week later and all the conveyancers got shut down during that first lockdown so we had to then wait 12 weeks to get everything started. But the actual "I'll pay X for it" was quick.

Thanks that's more reassuring. It isn't empty - we still live there but it definitely doesn't look as homely and staged as it did for the first viewings.

We did only have 2 viewings. And 2 offers of the same price - we picked the most proceedable (so we thought!!). I'm just hoping we get someone ready to go - I do know it's happened at the worst time of year though!

If you have priced it right, there is no reason why you shouldn't sell with boxes around. You will look motivated. The only risk you run is that people may offer a lot below asking price because you obviously want a quick sale. What is happening with your onward purchase? Are they going to wait for you?
Judging by the number of threads on here about houses not selling and the number of reductions on Rightmove, the market isn't moving well and prices are heading downwards imo.

The house we were buying is back on the market. Possible we could still get it but we will probably end up renting because it's been very costly and stressful trying to line things up!

We won't reduce our house at this stage - but won't be opposed to doing so in the new year. It just seems daft to when we've only been back on the market a few days and it's a terrible time of year for selling.

Has your estate agent gone back to the other offer makers to see if perhaps they are still interested? You never know...

I'm always suspicious about people taking forever and not moving the process forward constantly- my honest view is yours is a 'it will do house' for them and they are still out there 'looking ' - better house, less money- who knows!!

In that case you are in less of a hurry and could see what happens or simply remove it from the market until the beginning of the year.

I haven't asked but will. It was a long time ago now though.

Yeh maybe. I don't think I want to be off the market at this point though - I want to feel like there's a possibility we could make progress I think!