Page 38 | Anyone else putting their home on the market in early 2025?

newhomein2025 · 2024-12-31T18:52:59+00:00

Just that really - I'm going to be putting my home on the market soon, and hoping to find something to buy too. It's due to divorce, but I'm actually feeling ready to move on and find a wee place just for me and my teenager. I'm slightly dreading the process, and all the associated hassle, and worried that I won't be able to find somewhere I can afford nearby, but excited to start again. Anyone else planning on selling and buying in 2025 and want to keep me company?

PrueCallista · 27/04/2025 15:46

Pred02 · 01/04/2025 18:17

We are deciding if to list or not to list our 2 bed flat in South London (SE5). We have no 2 on the way and our first is starting school in the fall so feels like the time is right. We had 5 real estate agents over, 3 high street ones and one independent and are trying to find the right price on the market.

Two of the chains priced quite over what we think is feasible (KFH, Mundays) like £100k over what the flats are selling on our street for. The independent is quite cautious, suggesting lower asking price to generate interest and get offers on and over.

The challenge we have that no on our street but a few street around us a number of ex-rental flats have popped up as I assume that landlords are selling up due to financial pressures. A couple of flats on our street last year sold for a good amount, however not sure if we can achieve that.

The fees quoted are 1.25% plus VAT. Questions are:

List now or wait after Easter - post stamp duty hangover and let the ex-rentals clear up
Go with independent strategy (lower and then go higher) or high street agent strategy of listing and then reducing if we have to
What term contract and fees should we push for

It's Southeast London Zone 2 period property 74 sq meter garden space, share of freehold.

How are you getting on with your listing?

rhubarb007 · 29/04/2025 17:37

My offer got turned down. Apparently there is another offer 🙄.
They want above asking price, so that's me out. I simply won't enter into this game nonsense.

On my buyer's side, if you remember I was threatened with either leaving an appliance or a reduced offer.
I said it felt dodgy so asked my lawyer to confirm buyer had mortgage offer (not MIP). Two weeks later haven't heard back, so chased again and they (buyer solicitor) are avoiding confirmation of it.
So have given them till end of today to confirm and nothing.
I guess they don't have funds after all.
Might stay in this house after all 🙈

IWasBornIn1989 · 29/04/2025 19:26

Oh god nightmare! Hope you’ve given the estate agent a stern word!

OtiMama · 29/04/2025 20:16

Oh @rhubarb007 that all sounds rubbish!

We are still just sat waiting for our vendor to find somewhere, feels like the more weeks the less we are likely to be moving 😆

rhubarb007 · 29/04/2025 20:36

IWasBornIn1989 · 29/04/2025 19:26

Oh god nightmare! Hope you’ve given the estate agent a stern word!

Haven't yet spoken to them. Tbh, they don't see actual mortgage application, only mortgage in principle. It seems quite a big gap that no solicitor checks it first either.

rhubarb007 · 29/04/2025 20:37

OtiMama · 29/04/2025 20:16

Oh @rhubarb007 that all sounds rubbish!

We are still just sat waiting for our vendor to find somewhere, feels like the more weeks the less we are likely to be moving 😆

Oh yes, the endless waiting. I don't know why it takes so long in this country to buy a house!
Could have bought at least 7 in my country of birth by now 🙈

IWasBornIn1989 · 29/04/2025 20:56

Into week 6 waiting for our sellers to find their next house. They are viewing but there is nothing they like, which doesn’t feel like a good sign.

OtiMama · 29/04/2025 21:07

To be fair I have still been seeing what's out there in case ours falls through and I haven't seen a single house I would even look at in the last month. Very frustrating all round!

IWasBornIn1989 · 29/04/2025 21:12

Yeah tbh we are the same. We got just to the point where we thought we’d never find anything, then we found it. Hopefully it’ll be the same for them.

rhubarb007 · 29/04/2025 21:17

There is hardly anything coming onto market. In my quite desirable village, there is not a single suitable one at the moment. Lots were on in October time but nothing much since.

ScoobyDoesnt · 30/04/2025 07:42

Also nearly 6 weeks in waiting for my sellers to find somewhere. Agent keeps saying they’re actively looking, but the wait is hard. Also my worry is what if they find somewhere and those people need to find somewhere.

My buyers ideally want to be in by end July. That’s now only 3 months away.

Eastie77Returns · 30/04/2025 10:29

Am I correct in thinking that legally an EA has to convey all offers to a seller regardless of how far they are below asking?

EA held an open house for viewings on Sat and Sun and told us he received mutiple offers, 'a few at asking price and several below' but we have no information beyond this. He said he is busy checking which ones are genuinely proceedable which is fair enough but the app that is supposed to log all buyer feedback and any offers is empty despite there being 15 viewings booked in. When I sold my flat with this agency before, the information was available within an hour after a viewing so the lack of clarity is really disappointing.

I asked the EA what the offers below asking were and he briefly replied that there was no point in going over that as he already told those buyers that we were not interested in anything under asking so they need to improve the offer. In fact, my sibling and I have stated that we will listen to offers below. I am worried that this kind of gatekeeping is weeding out buyers who we would consider and may be proceedable but the EA is exerting so much control we have no visibility over what is going on and we end up with the buyer he has chosen (if that makes sense).

He suggested a call this week to go through all the offers but has now gone silent after I put forward the days and times we are available for the call.

Twiglets1 · 30/04/2025 10:37

Eastie77Returns · 30/04/2025 10:29

Am I correct in thinking that legally an EA has to convey all offers to a seller regardless of how far they are below asking?

EA held an open house for viewings on Sat and Sun and told us he received mutiple offers, 'a few at asking price and several below' but we have no information beyond this. He said he is busy checking which ones are genuinely proceedable which is fair enough but the app that is supposed to log all buyer feedback and any offers is empty despite there being 15 viewings booked in. When I sold my flat with this agency before, the information was available within an hour after a viewing so the lack of clarity is really disappointing.

I asked the EA what the offers below asking were and he briefly replied that there was no point in going over that as he already told those buyers that we were not interested in anything under asking so they need to improve the offer. In fact, my sibling and I have stated that we will listen to offers below. I am worried that this kind of gatekeeping is weeding out buyers who we would consider and may be proceedable but the EA is exerting so much control we have no visibility over what is going on and we end up with the buyer he has chosen (if that makes sense).

He suggested a call this week to go through all the offers but has now gone silent after I put forward the days and times we are available for the call.

Yes legally an EA is supposed to tell you about any offers even silly ones (apart from if the Seller has specifically said they don’t want to hear about offers below a certain level which I imagine is unusual).

I think your EA may be assuming you only want to consider the best offers since you had several. They are doing due diligence to find out which ones can proceed.

I would press them again for a meeting by the end of the week to go over all the offers. Explain you want to be told about every offer, not just the ones he considers the best. Though also bear in mind this is his job so he hopefully is good at sifting through multiple offers to present the seller with the most attractive ones.

Eastie77Returns · 30/04/2025 13:20

Twiglets1 · 30/04/2025 10:37

Yes legally an EA is supposed to tell you about any offers even silly ones (apart from if the Seller has specifically said they don’t want to hear about offers below a certain level which I imagine is unusual).

I think your EA may be assuming you only want to consider the best offers since you had several. They are doing due diligence to find out which ones can proceed.

I would press them again for a meeting by the end of the week to go over all the offers. Explain you want to be told about every offer, not just the ones he considers the best. Though also bear in mind this is his job so he hopefully is good at sifting through multiple offers to present the seller with the most attractive ones.

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Ok thanks. I was sure it was a legal requirement so was just a bit taken aback when he said there was point sharing the information with me (he didn’t mention jf they were silly offers, just that they were under asking).

I’m confident he knows what he is doing. The marketing has been very professional. Just wish he could be a bit more communicative! My sibling is completely disengaged (“just let me know when it’s sold”) and none of us live in the property so I think EA has taken charge of the situation and doesn’t feel the need to provide regular updates.

Twiglets1 · 30/04/2025 13:29

Eastie77Returns · 30/04/2025 13:20

Ok thanks. I was sure it was a legal requirement so was just a bit taken aback when he said there was point sharing the information with me (he didn’t mention jf they were silly offers, just that they were under asking).

I’m confident he knows what he is doing. The marketing has been very professional. Just wish he could be a bit more communicative! My sibling is completely disengaged (“just let me know when it’s sold”) and none of us live in the property so I think EA has taken charge of the situation and doesn’t feel the need to provide regular updates.

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Sounds frustrating… like you I would want to know the details of every offer even lower ones because it all helps to understand the picture of how much interest there is and what price you should ultimately accept.

IWasBornIn1989 · 02/05/2025 18:05

Our sellers have had an offer accepted on a house with no chain 🥳

IWasBornIn1989 · 03/05/2025 20:07

How much is everyone paying for a RICS survey these days? Our last guy was extremely good value for money (we paid £450 two years ago for Level 3) but has now retired 😭

OtiMama · 03/05/2025 20:09

@IWasBornIn1989 that is great news re your seller!

We haven't got to survey point, still waiting on our seller to find. We have the same EA, he said today he is confident he will find somewhere but then also said we could look at other properties...doesn't fill me with much hope!

IWasBornIn1989 · 03/05/2025 20:25

Oh that’s a bummer. If it’s any help, all this week and up to 5pm yesterday I was looking on rightmove for other properties, thinking we may not be able to move, wondering if we’d lose our buyer. By 6pm everything had changed.

TheWheelOfTime · 03/05/2025 21:12

IWasBornIn1989 · 03/05/2025 20:07

How much is everyone paying for a RICS survey these days? Our last guy was extremely good value for money (we paid £450 two years ago for Level 3) but has now retired 😭

I paid £650 for a Level 3 survey which took place on Friday for a 2-bed split-level bungalow.

Gunz · 03/05/2025 21:52

IWasBornIn1989 · 03/05/2025 20:25

Oh that’s a bummer. If it’s any help, all this week and up to 5pm yesterday I was looking on rightmove for other properties, thinking we may not be able to move, wondering if we’d lose our buyer. By 6pm everything had changed.

I am 10 weeks in 'under offer' and I still look at RM and retain a long list of properties I would consider as options if the worst case scenario happens and someone pulls out in the chain.

OtiMama · 03/05/2025 22:03

Thanks @IWasBornIn1989 that's a positive way to look at things too.

I have been looking on RM anyway and there isn't anything I would even view, so that makes me feel better as it's not like I've got anywhere to go instead anyway...for now 😂

IWasBornIn1989 · 03/05/2025 22:13

Oh yeah I still look on RM every day, it’s my hobby 😆

BunnyWilliams · 04/05/2025 09:09

IWasBornIn1989 · 03/05/2025 20:07

How much is everyone paying for a RICS survey these days? Our last guy was extremely good value for money (we paid £450 two years ago for Level 3) but has now retired 😭

Ours was £800 for a level 3 on an old property (300 years +).

BunnyWilliams · 04/05/2025 09:16

We had what felt like quite a positive viewing yesterday and have had an enquiry for a viewing this coming week (although we've had a few enquiries that never turned into actual viewings). Neither have sold theirs yet though.

We reduced our price yet again a couple of weeks ago. It's now on for 425 and the original listing was 475.

Our vendors are STILL waiting for us. I can't quite believe it to be honest. We've been back on the market for about 8 weeks now.

We've said we'll give it another 10 weeks until the children break up from school and will then probably (sadly and reluctantly) take it off the market until the autumn.

I've said it before but I echo what everyone else is saying about the slow market. It's painful. If we lose our onward purchase, there's really nothing else that would suit us. I'm looking in the bracket of 475 to 700 and only one house has come to the market within a 5 mile radius in the last 1.5 months!