Those trying to sell - how's it going?

[Housemum]

I'm hoping for reassurance here! Been on the market for 4 weeks now, 4 viewings and no offers. It just seems v quiet - I would have expected more people through the door, even if they are timewasters! I know we only need one buyer, but how is everyone else finding it?

Pricewise, we are the same as another similar-sized house, and 20k more than others of the same size without the loft conversion and with less parking space. (Lofts round here cost £25 - 30k to do)

Been on the market forever (um...beginning of Feb). Two viewers, no offers. Viewer 1 wanted 4 big bedrooms (and presumably hoped that our clearly described "box room" on our specs was actually a secret 4th double bed), viewer 2 was relocating and didn't want to live in this village. Viewer 3 tomorrow and am struggling to find the energy to tidy.
Loads of for-sale signs round here, no solds whatsoever.

On market 2 weeks. About 8 viewers so far with more coming on saturday. No offers though. We're a bit cheaper than closest rival but not in such good nick so hoping someone will not mind doing a little bit of work.

Our house in south east sold (touch wood) within 2 weeks in March The EA said property in that area has been moving fast since January. Unfortunately, we cant find anything to buy in the area we now live (yorks). Its very slow around here.

Viewer in 20 mins. Wish me luck! House tidy but not freaky-tidy; haven't laid the table or anything weird.

House sold in six weeks (Berks) but we had to reduce it by £15k to secure a buyer.

Very little on the market to buy, but luckily we found one property that fitted the bill and hoping to complete at the beginning of May.

Good luck .

Good luck Boogeek!

We had an offer on ours yesterday, it had been on the market since January with no viewings until we dropped the price and then had 2 viewings and an offer yesterday.

So what they say is true, it really does only take one.

Hmm, sounds like it is just slow going then. Not much new stuff coming on, I keep checking rightmove website. Loads of 3/4 beds seem to come on and sell in the 250k - 300k bracket (we're in north Hampshire) - where do all those people go???? Surely they can't all be going up to 400k+??

Housemum, we're in s Berks so v close to you! We sold a 3 bed for £350k.

Only been on market since last Friday & only advertised since Monday. Had a viewing booked for tonight but they cancelled this morning. Had hoped we might have got another viewing at least since it went in the local paper on Thursday but not yet.

Desperate to move as sharing bedroom with DS who is 8 months. Not that there is much in our area that would tick the boxes for us.

Looked at a lovely house yesterday on the internet with a fab breakfast kitchen that had been dropped in price nearly 20k & fell in love with it. Then DH pointed out that there were no windows in the kitchen and due to the direction the house was facing it would be pretty dark inside and you would probably need lights on all day !

So feeling pretty fed up at the moment as I feel life is on hold at the moment until we move and need to move soon so we know where to put DD's name down for starting school next year .

Well, he didn't show . Why do people do that? A whole morning of tidying and 3 hours of reining in my prechooler's natural tendency to mess, for nothing!

Soz, a long one!!
We put our 3 bed house in Scotland up for sale 8 weeks ago with well known national estate agent brand. Valued at 90K, placed on market at offers over 86K (we are in Scotland).

After 5 weeks of marketing (including 3 weeks in local papers), no viewers at all, I called the agents to ask what was going on!!!! They said better to change to fixed price (of 86K which we did.

After further 3 weeks I called them again (they never ring me)yesterday for them to say that they still had no potential viewers.... FFS. Said that they had 89 enquiries/contacts (which I cannot believe) as not one of them had wanted to come and have a look/nose at the place!! Their advice is this time is to drop to 80K fixed price.

I think we made a mistake going with an agent 5 miles away (they don't have a branch in our town). I know that most people will check the internet for properties they are interested in but maybe window advert in local (smaller) agents may have been the way to go!! with local passing trade and people can visit within 5 mins walk.

Anyway:

When speaking to agent yesterday said that we would look to continue marketing with them up to 12 weeks, then give the 28 days notice as stated in the contract. Agent said Ok just need that in writing and I would need to pay 150+vat quid to terminate the contract. WTF

I've reread the contract and not sure if it reads correctly, heres the wording I have problems with:

"The agent will have sole selling rights for a minimum period of 12 weeks from the date of the agreement. The agreement will continue after after this 12 week period until the expiry of 28 days written notice given by either party to the other to terminate."

At the bottom it states that In the event that the agreement is terminated by the vendor, the vendor will be liable to pay the agent 150 pound+vat

My gripes are

a) They havn't even sent us ANY viewers
b)Despite paying 292.58 Marketing fee and 198.58 for newspaper advertising, they want another 150+vat to get out and go elsewhere, if not stay with them and get zero viewers!!
c) I could see if I wanted to go before the 12 weeks and 28 days but I don't, I want to give them up to that time to pull their fingers out of their arse and get me a buyer or at least some viewers!!

Am I being unreasonable to write at 12 weeks give the 28 days and tell them to go and run for their 150+vat

Do I understand you correctly? You've already paid them nigh on £500, and they haven't arranged you a single viewing?

Name and shame, for fuck's sake! I would be hopping mad, and I'm bewildered by the need to pay them - maybe it's different in Scotland, but we put our house on the market (in London), and they marketed it in their window, put it in the free property paper, and in the local magazines, but we just paid a % fee of the eventual purchase price to them at the end.

Maybe get them under trade descriptions! estate agent - from the Latin agere = to act, put in motion. Yours, however, have done bugger all!

Ours has been on the market two weeks now and not one viewer. Panicking will need to drop the price as we have put it on at the price all the estate agents came up with.

Mrmayo- what percentage did the estate agent give you when you agreed to go with them. As in, what percent of your sale price did they and you agree that they would get if they sold your house.

I have sold a few houses in scotland but am now trying to sell one in england. I can remember in scotland paying for advertising of house in newspapers etc. but cannot remember ever paying extra on top, apart from the percentage of the house sale price.

If you have already paid them the newspaper advertising fees then I would also get other estate agents in and see what they will charge you.

I presumed you spoke to other estate agents in your area. What were they going to charge?

Sorry but I never left an estate agent after going with them, so never read small print to see what/if they would charge for doing so.

Our house has been on the market since last September. Loads of viewings but not one offer. Changed Agents 2 weeks ago. First lot to look round last week made an offer, which we've accepted.

The day after we accepted the offer, all the houses round here and on right move that have been up for sale for months had sold signs put up. Doesn't help us at all, but shows the market is picking up.

no luck here, 3 views since oct.
going to change agents (to ones who might be arsed) and drop the price 5k after I've got th ekids back to school

should add sh been made redundant so very recently so if we got a buyer now would really have to think about what we did as insurance paying mortgage and wouldnt be able to get a new one.
My life is very up in the air

Having left 2 phone messages on Saturday for our agent and not hearing back, have given them a week's notice and will try one of the big chains as they seem really pushy (knew someone once years ago who worked there who said they were target-driven by head office, and so they had to get off their butts and get selling rather than waiting for the phone to ring)