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etccarmageddon
20-08-2004, 20:26
I've had my house on the market for a couple of months now and so far it's been a bit of a farce due to the unreliablity and attitude of buyers.

So far 5 people have viewed it plus 3 who have failed to keep their appointments - is this normal? Has house hunting changed cos last time I sold a house people kept to their appointments? :banghead: There does appear to be a pattern though - the ones who make an appointment asap and to fit in with my availability are the ones who turn up!

Anyone else selling a house right now or recently sold one? and if so what experiences are you having?

Should I change estate agent?

Silent Wings
20-08-2004, 20:37
We are in the same boat.........been on the market about the same time as you and people had let us down too.........I have even taken time off work to fit in with viewings only for a call from the agent to say they've cancelled :mad: so now they'll have to fit in with me........

We are also getting people around who really don't know what they want :confused: had a guy the other day who said the garden was too big :p: now thats a first

anyway best of luck

etccarmageddon
20-08-2004, 20:43
I've made that mistake in the past - taking time off work. One of my no-shows was a bloke coming from 50-100 miles away who had to be here no later than 6pm - so I changed by working hours and skipped lunch plus cleaned for an hour at 7am. and the git didnt turn up - and wouldnt return the estate agents calls.

Silent Wings
20-08-2004, 20:49
I do feel the whole system of selling property needs reviewing, the fact you can't out an offer on a property until you have sold.......you end up missing out all the time.

Chris
20-08-2004, 23:46
I've had my house on the market for a couple of months now and so far it's been a bit of a farce due to the unreliablity and attitude of buyers.

So far 5 people have viewed it plus 3 who have failed to keep their appointments - is this normal? Has house hunting changed cos last time I sold a house people kept to their appointments? :banghead: There does appear to be a pattern though - the ones who make an appointment asap and to fit in with my availability are the ones who turn up!

Anyone else selling a house right now or recently sold one? and if so what experiences are you having?

Should I change estate agent?

Yup!

We've been on the market for about 6 weeks. We have had 4 viewings, but so far all of them have turned up! Last Saturday's was a bit too keen and arrived 10 minutes early, while the kitchen was in the kind of appalling mess that always seems to happen just before you finish tidying it. :spin:

No offers so far...we're not too worried, as the process of buying is taking a while, so we're not in a big hurry, and remember it is the summer hols. Nobody's really interested in moving house just now. It'll pick up in September.

If your estate agent is getting people through his door, he should be managing to get people round to you. If no-one is coming into the office (as ours claims is often the case just now) then it's no real reflection on how good he is. You could always send some spies down there, posing as buyers looking for your kind of house, and see what kind of effort he makes to push yours.

As for buying ... try simultaneously buying in Scotland while selling in England if you want to know what complicated feels like! :spin:

TheBlueRaja
21-08-2004, 00:58
Shut up the lot of you... ;)

You want to try being a First time buyer - its a bloody nightmare - especially in Scotland where you have absolutley no idea just how much your going to have to pay to get a house and you need to survey just to find out how much its worth so the offer you put in dosent go over the value of the house.

Even then you need to go over the survey price in order to get what you want sometimes, which leaves you with less money for a deposit on a mortgage because you have to make up the shortfall.

And all that time your wondering - is it all going to fall apart around you and get you into a mountain of debt.

paulyoung666
21-08-2004, 01:05
Shut up the lot of you... ;)

You want to try being a First time buyer - its a bloody nightmare - especially in Scotland where you have absolutley no idea just how much your going to have to pay to get a house and you need to survey just to find out how much its worth so the offer you put in dosent go over the value of the house.

Even then you need to go over the survey price in order to get what you want sometimes, which leaves you with less money for a deposit on a mortgage because you have to make up the shortfall.

And all that time your wondering - is it all going to fall apart around you and get you into a mountain of debt.


and i really feel for you , i hope you get where you want to be , i would hate to be in your situation :(

Nikko
21-08-2004, 01:09
The good thing about being a first time buyer, is you only have to do it once

Julian
21-08-2004, 01:13
As the quote under my name says... I have been very frustrated by the house selling process.

I will relate the story but I have just returned from a lovely meal HERE (http://www.pizzahouserestaurant.co.uk/) :drool: and will have to do it later. :)

TheBlueRaja
21-08-2004, 01:14
and i really feel for you , i hope you get where you want to be , i would hate to be in your situation :(

Well the thing is - you think - do i try and get on the ladder now - coz if i miss out thats it - im stuffed and i cant afford a house if it goes up much more.

But then if i do buy - i will be thinking - god help me if the house prices start to fall.

Lady luck needs to come a calling if im to have any chance.

BBKing
21-08-2004, 09:41
Just been considering that question too, being potential first time buyers - but for one thing we can't afford anywhere and for another prices are definitely starting to come down (if there are no buyers for people's places as mentioned earlier this suggests things are definitely slowing). People are starting to get places for less than the asking price too.

All of which means that it's more sensible to clear your debts and start saving a whacking deposit for a year or two's time when thing will hopefully be a bit more affordable.

gary_580
21-08-2004, 10:33
when you put your house on the market you get the initial flood of viewings but these tend to be people that the estate agents have had on their books for a while and are unlikely to make an offer. Once you get past these people your more likely to get offers.

The important thing is not to feel that you need an offer immediately. If you havent found somewhere to go then you dont need an offer.

We had our house on the market and sold but couldnt find anywhere we really liked enough to buy(dont just take any house because you have a buyer). After 3 months when we eventually found our ideal house we found that our buyer had dropped out without telling us. However the estate agent sold our house again within two days. But as we had found a house it was more important for use to sell this time so the price wasnt so much an issue. In the end we only lost £500 on the first buyers agreed price.

Ramrod
21-08-2004, 11:03
Well the thing is - you think - do i try and get on the ladder now - coz if i miss out thats it - im stuffed and i cant afford a house if it goes up much more.The only thing that is certain about house prices in this country is that they will always go up in the long term (even the medium term). Yes, there will sometimes be 'blips' but in general they will always rise. Five years ago people thought that prices were as high as they could reasonably be expected to go but they have almost doubled since........

ian@huth
21-08-2004, 13:03
Having bought and sold many houses in my moves around the country it can be a harrowing experience. At the moment many people are playing the waiting game to see how the increases in bank rate are affecting house prices, but this varies a lot by area.

A good estate agent can help by vetting prospective buyers and rooting out possible time-wasters. One has to be careful though if you think about changing agents as you could possibly end up paying both agents for the same sale. Check your contract with the agent before going elsewhere and preferably get the agents written acceptance that any sale after a certain date is not a sale that they can claim commission on. It is usually best to give your current agent notice in writing that they have say a month in which to get a suitable buyer or else you will end your contract with them and find another agent. The thought of losing the commission from your sale can spur them on to miraculously find the buyer they couldn't find before.

I have found that probably half the viewers that we have had over the years have never had any intention of buying or making an offer on the property. Some come just for a good old nosey at what your house is like inside, other come for decoration ideas for their own property, some have their own similar property on the market and are looking at what their opposition is like and, no doubt, some are casing the joint to see if it's worth a nocturnal viewing. Quite often you are expecting people for a viewing but they do not turn up, probably having just driven by and not liked the area or the exterior of the property so didn't bother coming to the door.

Best of luck in finding a buyer, you will probably know the right one within minutes of them coming through the front door.

Mike
21-08-2004, 14:05
We are in the same boat.........been on the market about the same time as you and people had let us down too.........I have even taken time off work to fit in with viewings only for a call from the agent to say they've cancelled :mad: so now they'll have to fit in with me........

anyway best of luck

Thing to remember is you pay a 'lot' of money to the agent to sell your house.............so get them to do some work ie showing people around !

zoombini
21-08-2004, 14:06
I'm new to selling houses as I'm selling my 1st, what I don't understand is how this offer system works.

If I want a house thats on the market at say OIRO £85k, what am I supposed to do.
Say there has been other interest & someone else has mad an offer, how am I supposed to know whether I should be offering more etc if the estate agents won't tell me?

the fact you can't out an offer on a property until you have sold
Can you explain this a bit more? I put an offer in on a house this morning & I have not sold mine yet.

BBKing
21-08-2004, 14:39
but in general they will always rise

So does everything else of course, due to inflation, the certain thing in the housing market is that it's cyclical. Inflation has only recently been kept low in this country. If inflation is low, house prices are rising faster than wages, and the cost of borrowing money is rising, then it's obvious that this can't continue as too many people will be unable to buy, thus reducing demand and prices.

If I can't afford to buy anywhere, and between us we're on a fair salary, then things are really overpriced at the moment.

etccarmageddon
21-08-2004, 22:21
I'm new to selling houses as I'm selling my 1st, what I don't understand is how this offer system works.

If I want a house thats on the market at say OIRO £85k, what am I supposed to do.
Say there has been other interest & someone else has mad an offer, how am I supposed to know whether I should be offering more etc if the estate agents won't tell me?


Can you explain this a bit more? I put an offer in on a house this morning & I have not sold mine yet.

here's my advice and it's only an opinion...

never put an offer on a house until you have at least someone who has put in an offer on yours and you have accepted it - otherwise you're wasting everyone's time.

I would also steer clear of houses advertised as 'others in the region of' and go for ones where there is a price without bull**** terms like 'offers around' etc. OIRO sounds to me like they are looking for people to bid against each other and perhaps gazumping etc.

When considering putting in an offer first ask the estate agent clearly "is this house still for sale. is it currently 'under offer' - as they may try to sell you something which is currently 'under offer' to use you to get the person who has "offered" to up their bid.

when you make an offer tell them it's on the condition of being a 'lock out' if accepted - ie. if they accept your offer then they must refrain from marketing the house - in particular allowing further viewings from other prospective buyers.

if you make an offer below the asking price then look for reasons why - e.g. a similar house a few doors away for £5k less or 'cos the house needs new windows and state this when you make your offer.

the 'offer system' has no legal basis so any rules are just curtesies.



check out some stories here folks

http://moveit.whichnow.co.uk/stories/stories.php

MovedGoalPosts
22-08-2004, 01:08
My tuppenceworth:

The Estate Agent is there to sell the property. Thus they act for the vendor and not the purchaser. Confusion however arises as they need to establish the status and desires of potential buyers, in order to match them to property on thier books. The estate agent though should pre- vet applicants to ensure they are reasonably genuine buyers before sending them round so that noone is there to just "case the joint". Even so vendors are best advised not to have the family jewels on show!

Ensure all viewings are by appointment throught the agent. Check the agent's working hours, especially weekends when most people may be looking, and whether the agency deal they offer includes accompanied viewings when you can't be there. Some buyers may not want the seller to be there, so they can freely discuss the property as tehy walk round without feeling that they are upsetting the seller.

The estate agents job is to properly market the property to the widest possible range of genuine potential buyers, to get the best price offer. Any offers that are made, should be advised to the seller. There is no reason why someone cannot make an offer on a property when they still have to locate a buyer for their own, however most agents would classify such an offer as "currently unable to proceed". Where many buyers are interested the vendor will undoubtedly choose the buyer who will give the best price, with least potential fuss.

To get best exposure, where and how does the agent advertise? They must use local papers and freebie property magazines widely available from many agencies? What about the internet, not just the esate agent's own site, but some of the more general property web sites for maximum coverage. Are there extra costs to you the vendor for any of this? What is the quality of the adverts? On the internet, can the potential buyer get a realistic impression of what the property really is. A vague description of 2 reception rooms 4 bedrooms, kithcen and bathroom, doesn't really cut it.

Buyers need to do their own research on the market, to decide what is good value or not, and what offer to make. Thus it is inevitable that some will view a large range of property to get a feel for things. However, when viewing you must be prepared to give feedback to the estate agent, who should pass this back to the seller.

Beware of the agent who seems to give a high asking price, high actual sale value (the two are not the same) appraisal. They might be "buying in" your property, and a few weeks later come crawling to you saying we need to reduce the price. Get valuations from at least three agents to get a feel for things, and do your research on who seems to have a reasonable image in the area for your type of property (different agents can seems to specialise).

Buyers and sellers can look in the local papers and internet sites to get a better idea of price levels. Property that is overpriced starts to stick out like a sore thumb. Agents are obliged by the misdescriptions act to be truthful in adverts, so comments like "good condition", should mean it's well maintained. "in need of updating", could well mean quite a lot of attention to kitchens bathrooms, electrics and so on. However estate agents don't do a survey, so they don't have to be aware of all defects, that could cost you. When making an offer on a property, tyr to reflect the condition that your perceive it to be, but ensure your offer is "subject to survey and contract". This allows you to revise the offer if other problems come to light.

Unless you know what your are looking at, or it is very small, buyers should not rely on the mortgage valuation. That is done purely to tell the lender that there is adequiate security. The valuation may identify major problems that seriously affect value, but not a lot of smaller ones that could still add up to a bigger bill.

Our current government has legislation in progress that might change our whole house buying and selling proceedure, probably from 2006. In a nutshell, instead of buyers making offers, and the buyers then getting solicitors searches, surveys etc, and then amending their offer or withdrawing, the seller will prepare an information pack. The pack will contain all searches, a condition survey made available to any potentially serious buyer before offer. You wont be able to market a property without this. Thus the buyer will make a firm price offer as they know all they need to know about it. The government claims this will speed up the house sales process. However, in my view, it does nothing to remove the biggest problem in the UK, the need for the chain of buyers and sellers.

zoombini
22-08-2004, 11:14
Wahoo! I had a viewer last night & he was smitten with my house & is making an offer for the full asking price this morning.
That only leaves me £5k short of the house I want :(

Ectcarmageddon, if the offer system has no legal basis, then what can I say to the estate agent when they tell me that they cannot tell me anything about other offes made on a house I want because the law says so? ("bullpoop!" most like).

etccarmageddon
22-08-2004, 11:18
Ectcarmageddon, if the offer system has no legal basis, then what can I say to the estate agent when they tell me that they cannot tell me anything about other offes made on a house I want because the law says so? ("bullpoop!" most like).

It might be 'cos it's part of their code of pratice if they're part of an industry trade group.

They have a duty to the seller not to disclose information to you about other others as this would be working against the seller's interests.

But you do have a moral 'right' to know if a house is 'under offer' and/or in the process of being purchased by someone else. and you should expect to be told this but you have no legal rights until after exchange of contracts at which point you 'own' the house.


nb. I've had a bloke smitten with my house and he said he would put in an offer as soon as he'd sold his place - that was about a month ago.

:(

Chris
22-08-2004, 13:29
Our first cancellation today. :( Well at least they warned us they weren't coming. As far as I understand it, she couldn't get to see all the houses she wanted to this afternoon, so she's going to make a half-day of it during the week ... a re-arranging rather than a cancelling then, I s'pose. We still have one arranged for tomorrow morning, anyway. :)

Ramrod
22-08-2004, 16:25
I'm new to selling houses as I'm selling my 1st, what I don't understand is how this offer system works.Just make an offer and see if it's accepted. It's exactly like making a deal.offer/counteroffer etc....

If I want a house thats on the market at say OIRO £85k, what am I supposed to do.Depends if the house is desirable or not. If desirable, offer £85k if not, offer £80 or £77ish
Say there has been other interest & someone else has mad an offer, how am I supposed to know whether I should be offering more etc if the estate agents won't tell me?Thats the fun/nail biting part :D


Can you explain this a bit more? I put an offer in on a house this morning & I have not sold mine yet.Thats ok but it's honourable to tell the sellers that you haven't sold yours yet so that they know they're possibly in for a disappointment if you can't sell yours and have to pull out of buying theirs. Of course, if you can afford to not sell yours first you are in a strong buying position as their is no chain on your end of things.Our first cancellation today. :( Well at least they warned us they weren't coming. As far as I understand it, she couldn't get to see all the houses she wanted to this afternoon, so she's going to make a half-day of it during the week ... a re-arranging rather than a cancelling then, I s'pose. We still have one arranged for tomorrow morning, anyway. :)Good luck m8! What are you selling and for how much?
Wahoo! I had a viewer last night & he was smitten with my house & is making an offer for the full asking price this morning.
That only leaves me £5k short of the house I want :(
Good and bad news then.......make an offer?


What we have always done is, if we like a property, get the name and phone number of the seller(s) directly from them at the initial viewing so that we can deal with them directly. It cuts out a lot of estate agent b*lls*it and incompetence. And when the estate agent tries b*llsh*tting you, you can just phone the vendors and sort out the truth from the hype. I cannot over-emphasize how much easier this makes buying a house!

Chris
22-08-2004, 17:13
Good luck m8! What are you selling and for how much?


A three-bed, staggered mid-terrace in hemel hempstead ... £170k. Having just bought a nice timber-built semi at Loch Lomond for £168, I'm in no hurry to take lower offers either. :D

Ramrod
22-08-2004, 17:20
a nice timber-built semi at Loch Lomond That sounds nice, has it got views, got any pics?

Chris
22-08-2004, 17:36
That sounds nice, has it got views, got any pics?

It has a Loch view in the winter, when the leaves have dropped. It's very close to the east shore but is screened by the trees, which I'm glad of, because the east bank gets all the wind.

I don't have any pics right now, although mother in law was up there recently so hopefully she'll email me the ones she took. In the meantime, this is what our local stretch of the Loch shore looks like in summer:

http://www.sinclairhouse.com/gallery/images/Sallochy-Bay-2---Loch-Lomon.jpg

Ramrod
22-08-2004, 17:47
You complete git! :D

etccarmageddon
22-08-2004, 18:23
just noticed the house I've had my eye on is now dual agency - this in my opinion means they are struggling to sell it!

the price has also yo-yoed in the last 2 months - first it was £230k then they reduced it to £220k and then a couple of weeks ago it was increased to £249k. what planet are these people on? I suspect this means they had viewings but no offers - they then reduced the price and this had no effect so they have now upped the price as they dont think price is an issue.

my advice is if you see a house become 'dual' then it's a sign of failure and desperation.

Ramrod
22-08-2004, 18:24
just noticed the house I've had my eye on which I think at one point showed on rightmove as 'sold' is now dual agency - this in my opinion means they are struggling to sell it!

the price has also yo-yoed in the last 2 months - first it was £230k then they reduced it to £222k and then a couple of weeks ago it was increased to £249k.

my advice is if you see a house become 'dual' then it's a sign of failure and desperation.and a sign that it was overpriced in the first place......

etccarmageddon
22-08-2004, 18:25
I think it was 'sold' or 'under offer' on right move at one point but cant be sure. I think these people are taking the mick for a 3 bed semi.

Ramrod
22-08-2004, 18:32
I think it was 'sold' or 'under offer' on right move at one point but cant be sure. I think these people are taking the mick for a 3 bed semi.Thats about the price they are up for 'round here......about £280k :rolleyes:

etccarmageddon
22-08-2004, 18:34
round here it depends on the area - but they area I'm looking at it's around £220k for a 3 bed semi (old style). to go detached you're talking £250 to £300k depending on the state of the house (in the area I'm looking at).

if you drive a couple of miles down the road to a nice new estate near a council estate then you can get a 3bed semi for around £150k.

Ramrod
22-08-2004, 18:38
near a council estate Thats the operative phrase..........

etccarmageddon
22-08-2004, 18:44
...We are also getting people around who really don't know what they want :confused: had a guy the other day who said the garden was too big :p: now thats a first.

this has been a common problem for me - my last house had a large garden and the one prior to that had a larger than ave garden for a 2 bed semi plus a lot of plants to tender to. I always thought people liked big gardens - everytime I showed people round the house any mention of gardening etc didnt appeal to anyone. this was an amazingly cool garden which I drove past the other day and it's been left to go wild :( so people dont like gardening until they're 60!

with my 2 bed semi I was getting TONS of people round for months - they'd all look around, hardly say anything and then next day the estate agent would come back and usually say 'they dont want it cos it's too small'!

I think back and wonder if that estate agent was just sending round everyone who wanted a house on that estate rather than those that had an interest in mine!

Silent Wings
22-08-2004, 18:45
just noticed the house I've had my eye on is now dual agency - this in my opinion means they are struggling to sell it!

the price has also yo-yoed in the last 2 months - first it was £230k then they reduced it to £220k and then a couple of weeks ago it was increased to £249k. what planet are these people on? I suspect this means they had viewings but no offers - they then reduced the price and this had no effect so they have now upped the price as they dont think price is an issue.

my advice is if you see a house become 'dual' then it's a sign of failure and desperation.
Have you viewed it yet ? found out what the vendors position is? reason for moving etc...........

etccarmageddon
22-08-2004, 18:47
Have you viewed it yet ? found out what the vendors position is? reason for moving etc...........

nope - dont think there's any point until I've found a buyer for mine and I perfer to sit back and watch to see if they drop their price! if I go and view it then it's one more person viewing it which will raise their moral - I dont want to do that!

Chris
22-08-2004, 18:48
round here it depends on the area - but they area I'm looking at it's around £220k for a 3 bed semi (old style). to go detached you're talking £250 to £300k depending on the state of the house (in the area I'm looking at).

if you drive a couple of miles down the road to a nice new estate near a council estate then you can get a 3bed semi for around £150k.

Mmm. Check the address out using www.upmystreet.com. You'll find the section on 'education' very revealing. If the new houses feed into the same school as the council estate, that'll have a lot to do with their value. It is a sad fact that schools in these kinds of locations tend not to perform too well. I know all about that, our local bog-standard comprehensive, serving the council estate I live on, has appalling GCSE results. :(

Location, location, location...

Silent Wings
22-08-2004, 18:49
nope - dont think there's any point until I've found a buyer for mine and I perfer to sit back and watch to see if they drop their price! if I go and view it then it's one more person viewing it which will raise their moral - I dont want to do that!
Very much like us...............I think i know every house being sold in this area :erm:

etccarmageddon
22-08-2004, 18:52
Mmm. Check the address out using www.upmystreet.com. You'll find the section on 'education' very revealing. If the new houses feed into the same school as the council estate, that'll have a lot to do with their value. It is a sad fact that schools in these kinds of locations tend not to perform too well. I know all about that, our local bog-standard comprehensive, serving the council estate I live on, has appalling GCSE results. :(

Location, location, location...

I recon they probably use the money they save on having a cheaper house to go with private education.

zoombini
23-08-2004, 00:28
While we are doing this house buying lark, does anyone know anywhere where I can find a good list of "questions I should be asking" and "things I must do" when buying & selling houses?
The sites I have seen so far are from mortgage companies & always seem to be selling thier own mortgages.

Silent Wings
23-08-2004, 00:33
While we are doing this house buying lark, does anyone know anywhere where I can find a good list of "questions I should be asking" and "things I must do" when buying & selling houses?
The sites I have seen so far are from mortgage companies & always seem to be selling thier own mortgages.
Don't know if this'll have any helpful info........
http://www.saveenergy.co.uk/checklist/

http://www.handbag.com/home/buyingandselling/whattolookfor/

SOSAGES
23-08-2004, 10:17
chick wants to move out in Jan - not looking forward to being poor all the time :) that is if we can actually afford anything only have 127,000 to play with and that will probably get me a garage

etccarmageddon
23-08-2004, 10:21
chick wants to move out in Jan - not looking forward to being poor all the time :) that is if we can actually afford anything only have 127,000 to play with and that will probably get me a garage

round here you can get a flat for that - only if it's near a council estate though!

Ramrod
23-08-2004, 10:23
While we are doing this house buying lark, does anyone know anywhere where I can find a good list of "questions I should be asking" and "things I must do" when buying & selling houses?
The sites I have seen so far are from mortgage companies & always seem to be selling thier own mortgages.Buying a house (http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/1857032926/qid=1093249309/ref=sr_8_xs_ap_i1_xgl/202-9895895-6438206)

SOSAGES
23-08-2004, 12:19
aye my choices are limited - i live in a nice area now in a nice house and have some spending money

now im gonna move somewhere naff and have no money :)

zoombini
23-08-2004, 13:22
In the North you can get a really nice & big house for that.

Chris
23-08-2004, 13:42
In the North you can get a really nice & big house for that.

Yup, everybody make like towny and head for the hills! I'm trading in a three-bed ex-council terrace for a four-bed semi in the country. This country's obsession with London and the southeast is ridiculous. Other countries manage to decentralise, I don't understand why we can't.

Julian
23-08-2004, 14:18
In the North you can get a really nice & big house for that.

The gap is nothing like it used to be in a lot of places m8. :(

* Speaks from current experience

etccarmageddon
23-08-2004, 15:34
In the North you can get a really nice & big house for that.

I am in the north!

Ramrod
23-08-2004, 15:37
aye my choices are limited - i live in a nice area now in a nice house and have some spending money

now im gonna move somewhere naff and have no money :)Why?

SOSAGES
23-08-2004, 15:46
cos we cant afford a nice play in a nice area :) now if house prices were a bit nicer or i got a place 5 years ago id be laughing all my buddies made 100k min so far.. and my brother just sold his for 500,000 and has moved to waled to live in a mansion :)

Graham
24-08-2004, 23:06
Anyone else selling a house right now or recently sold one? and if so what experiences are you having?

Should I change estate agent?

If your agent doesn't post on websites such as http://www.rightmove.co.uk then, yes, you should.

I'm currently looking for a new place and I get daily updates on new property in my area through that and other such sites and it's a lot quicker than having to wait for them to post you details or go around to see what they have in the window.

The property market is slowing a bit, but it's still moving pretty damn fast, houses are coming on the market one day and getting offers on the next, so if you're not getting the interest it either means you've over-priced or the agent isn't doing their job.

However one caveat: If you want to end a contract with an agent, check the details very carefully, there are stories of people who sell their home then get a bill from an agent who they thought they'd left weeks before and end up having to pay two lots of commission!

Julian
24-08-2004, 23:47
Another good one to check your property is on is The Market Place (http://www.themarketplace.co.uk) ;)

You can check most agencies on there. :)

zoombini
25-08-2004, 00:05
Hmm, my estate agent has so far failed to provide me with a contract to sign, and I have had a buyer & accepted thier offer.
Any chance I can get out of paying the EA? lol

etccarmageddon
04-09-2004, 13:00
Another good one to check your property is on is The Market Place (http://www.themarketplace.co.uk) ;)

You can check most agencies on there. :)

it's the same site as rightmove mate!


If your agent doesn't post on websites such as http://www.rightmove.co.uk then, yes, you should.

I'm currently looking for a new place and I get daily updates on new property in my area through that and other such sites and it's a lot quicker than having to wait for them to post you details or go around to see what they have in the window.

The property market is slowing a bit, but it's still moving pretty damn fast, houses are coming on the market one day and getting offers on the next, so if you're not getting the interest it either means you've over-priced or the agent isn't doing their job.

However one caveat: If you want to end a contract with an agent, check the details very carefully, there are stories of people who sell their home then get a bill from an agent who they thought they'd left weeks before and end up having to pay two lots of commission!


thanks for your thoughts... my agent does have their own site and in my opinion is the best agent round here cos they cover the 3 or 4 main (small) towns that surround my house.

most of the other agents dont have agencies in each of these towns except one who I have used before and they're poor at client relationships.

the only issue I have is that my agent has their own site instead of coverage on rightmove.

I've spoken to the agent about the price (on a few occasions) and he's addamant that the price is fine it's just the market is slow due to the bad stories in the press plus the school hols.

Things have quietened down... I've had no viewings in the last 2 weeks - prior to that I was getting 1 or 2 a week!

Silent Wings
04-09-2004, 13:06
Same here etc, things have slowed considerably........

The agent we're with has their own site, plus advertise on Rightmove,
assertahomes and fish4homes, so we have wide coverage, just people are being cautious :(

etccarmageddon
30-09-2004, 12:56
things have gone quiet, despite me dropping my price. 2 viewings in september.

I spoke to the estate agent last week and he says things are picking up but the people who are coming in are enquiriing about low end/starter houses.

Also the houses I've had my eye on are still up for sale and some have gone dual agency.

Chris
30-09-2004, 13:03
Viewings at our house have picked up in the last month. We've had two in less than a week, which is a considerable improvement on anything we got in August. We are in the position of selling a house at the low end of the market though, so I think we will be the last to suffer the effects of any slowdown.

andrew_wallasey
30-09-2004, 13:03
Where I live is alright area but its big houses and fairly cheap. You don't get very big gardens though.

etccarmageddon
30-09-2004, 13:22
the low end of the market round here is £100k-£150k. ranging from a flat to a 2bed semi.

the middle range is where you can get a 3 bed semi which depending on location is £150k to £250k.

I'm not in the low end but right in the middle of the middle range!

zoombini
30-09-2004, 14:35
Unfortunately mine all fell through.

My buyer, who had told us & the estate agents etc that he had already sold his house, had in fact not & he lost his buyers.
So he then decided to give up & put his house on the market after xmas.
T**T...

So he left us having paid for all the surveys & searches on the house we want...

Luckily, since then we have had another offer (albiet £3.5k less) that will if it goes through quickly, enable us to get the house that we wanted.

We have had many supposed viewings not turn up or bother to even knock on the door & say that they are not bothering. :(

Nugget
30-09-2004, 14:41
Prices have risen sharply up here over the last 12 months - we bought our house for £40k (which was stupidly cheap even then) in November.

There are now 3 houses on the street up for sale (do you think it's me ;) ) and the cheapest one (with an almost identical 'spec' to my house) is up for just short of 80k.

Quick note to homealone - Wee-man, you need to get your lad out quickly, or he'll never afford it and you'll be stuck with him forever :Yikes: :D

Ramrod
30-09-2004, 14:42
Unfortunately mine all fell through.

My buyer, who had told us & the estate agents etc that he had already sold his house, had in fact not & he lost his buyers.
So he then decided to give up & put his house on the market after xmas.
T**T...

So he left us having paid for all the surveys & searches on the house we want...

Luckily, since then we have had another offer (albiet £3.5k less) that will if it goes through quickly, enable us to get the house that we wanted.

We have had many supposed viewings not turn up or bother to even knock on the door & say that they are not bothering. :(Unfortunately your experiences are nothing unusual. We spent £1000 on a survey once (very big old house) and the sellers then pulled out :rolleyes:

etccarmageddon
30-09-2004, 15:32
Unfortunately mine all fell through.

My buyer, who had told us & the estate agents etc that he had already sold his house, had in fact not & he lost his buyers.
So he then decided to give up & put his house on the market after xmas.
T**T...

So he left us having paid for all the surveys & searches on the house we want...


the problem is no-one has 'sold' their house until contracts have exchanged and therefore your buyer probably was mislead into believing he/she had a buyer.


We have had many supposed viewings not turn up or bother to even knock on the door & say that they are not bothering. :(

same here! I think the quality of buyers is very poor at the moment.

zoombini
30-09-2004, 16:01
Mislead or just too thick to realize what he was talking about!

etccarmageddon
30-09-2004, 16:11
things would be a lot easier if people had to put down a reservation fee of say £250 whenever making an offer to an estate agent. like you go when you reserve a new house.

the problem is this bloke might have received a offer (like I did a few years back) and take the purchaser on their word... then make an offer on your house only to then receive a phone call from their estate agent saying the buyer who made the offer has changed their mind.

it's happend on both my previous houses... first time it was when an old couple viewed my house, the bloke came back to my door and said 'how does £65,500 sound?'

the second time was on my next house when the bloke made a formal offer on the monday.... I then made a formal offer on the house I wanted ... then by the end of the week my buyer rang my estate agent and changed his mind. 15mins later another viewer put in an offer on my house for £3k higher which is good because I knew where the original buyer lived and I was in the mood to pay him a visit for a chat!

etccarmageddon
12-10-2004, 09:23
just got an offer out of the blue from someone who I thought didnt like the house! I've accepted it although it's a few percent below the asking price.

etccarmageddon
12-10-2004, 15:33
I got the offer on Friday and got the impression this person is keen to move quickly so spent the afternoon making arrangements to view houses and then the w/end viewing. I also re-arranged my work holidays so I had time off available to move this year. I also spent the weekend finishing off a job in the house so it's fit for the new owner.

We made a decision last night and this morning all the estate agents have been chasing me... I was going to put an offer in for our next house but 10 mins before I was able to make the call, my estate agent rings to say my buyer has withdrawn their offer as they have put in an offer on another property at the same time as mine (or something like that - the finer details dont really interest me!).


I told the estate agent these people are **** and they have cost the estate agent my sale plus the sale of the house I was going to buy which is with another branch of the agency.

virtual-angel
12-10-2004, 15:59
I got the offer on Friday and got the impression this person is keen to move quickly so spent the afternoon making arrangements to view houses and then the w/end viewing. I also re-arranged my work holidays so I had time off available to move this year. I also spent the weekend finishing off a job in the house so it's fit for the new owner.

We made a decision last night and this morning all the estate agents have been chasing me... I was going to put an offer in for our next house but 10 mins before I was able to make the call, my estate agent rings to say my buyer has withdrawn their offer as they have put in an offer on another property at the same time as mine (or something like that - the finer details dont really interest me!).


I told the estate agent these people are **** and they have cost the estate agent my sale plus the sale of the house I was going to buy which is with another branch of the agency.


Thats a shame etccarmageddon but unfortunately it happens regularly as i know from personal and professional experience!

I might regret saying this but im an estate agent working in Scotland so if anyone needs any advice then dont hesitate to give me a shout!

Im in the process of selling my house and buying a new one, 2 weeks ago i got an offer on my old house which i accepted and promptly concluded on my dream house! Now as im an estate agent i know what questions to ask the buyer and qualify them as in sold house, got morgage, can move quickly so short of polygraphing my buyers i just had to believe them.......turns out they had a morgage....but for £5k less than they offered :Yikes: Im now forced to accept their reduced offer because according to scottish law i am now legally bound to my new house and i dont have the time to readvertise!

Tracy :angel:

Chris
12-10-2004, 16:54
Thats a shame etccarmageddon but unfortunately it happens regularly as i know from personal and professional experience!

I might regret saying this but im an estate agent working in Scotland so if anyone needs any advice then dont hesitate to give me a shout!

Im in the process of selling my house and buying a new one, 2 weeks ago i got an offer on my old house which i accepted and promptly concluded on my dream house! Now as im an estate agent i know what questions to ask the buyer and qualify them as in sold house, got morgage, can move quickly so short of polygraphing my buyers i just had to believe them.......turns out they had a morgage....but for £5k less than they offered :Yikes: Im now forced to accept their reduced offer because according to scottish law i am now legally bound to my new house and i dont have the time to readvertise!

Tracy :angel:
That's a bit mean of them ... doesn't Scottish Law also mean though that you can sue them for the difference and any costs incurred as a consequence?

virtual-angel
12-10-2004, 17:29
I could only sue them if they had concluded missives on my old house, as he were just at the qualified acceptance stage i have no comeback! i could re-market my property but im really pushed for time now ive set the ball rolling.

I actually think that they did it on purpose just to get my house cheaper!

zoombini
12-10-2004, 17:43
Take 5K worth of bricks away from it, isthere a garage? is it collapsable..lol

The people that are buying my house knocked me down 3.5 grand, so I have stopped with any "improvements" to sell it. Why should I do up the house for a landlord to just rent out.
I'm certainly taking my sattelite dish this time, I was unsure before.

Chris
12-10-2004, 17:57
I could only sue them if they had concluded missives on my old house, as he were just at the qualified acceptance stage i have no comeback! i could re-market my property but im really pushed for time now ive set the ball rolling.

I actually think that they did it on purpose just to get my house cheaper!
I have no doubt that's what they did. Gits. :grind:

My own move is rattling ahead, BTW ... estimated entry date 15 November, now some pretty dodgy boundary issues have been resolved. Yay! :)

etccarmageddon
08-11-2004, 09:17
I went for a cruise round some new builds at the weekend... there's a new estate being built in Baguley which large detached houses (facing and via a crappy council estate) - we thought we'd have a nosey at the show homes and see what prices the houses are on offer at.

We expected bargain prices due to the location but not give away prices! Large 4 bed detached with double garage - £180k!! ! and a 3 bed detached with garage, en suite etc for £142k!! !

I suspect the market is so dead that the builder is pricing these so low. We were expecting them to be 30-40k higher even with the bad location.

Scarlett
08-11-2004, 09:39
.......turns out they had a morgage....but for £5k less than they offered :Yikes: Im now forced to accept their reduced offer because according to scottish law i am now legally bound to my new house and i dont have the time to readvertise!

Tracy :angel:

Can't you hold them to the extra 5K? They made you the offer of xxxK for the house and if the mortgage they have if 5K less then they will have to make up the short fall.

I mean if they tried to go into a shop and buy a box of chocolates that cost £10 but when they got to the till they'd only got £9.32 and a couple of washers, they wouldn't get the box of choccies.

SOSAGES
17-12-2007, 16:16
in my area i have noticed prices going down from £50 to £20,000 - depends how desperate the seller is. A lot of the houses are the same (ex council) 3 bed rooms 2 double 1 bathroom 1 large living room a kitchen and utility room + hall + landing.
Garden is mid size enough for a patio + grass and most have a garage (in a block) the highest they got to was £215,000 maybe £220,000if it was a semi with off road parking in a nice place (but not many of them)
4 months ago they all went down 50 quid. 2 months ago some dropped 5k last month some of the £220k houses went down to £209k. Offers of £200k are being accepted.

its good that i can maybe afford a bigger house one day but then bad as mine isnt worth as much :)
i wont worry about it but id be nervous selling/buying in the next few months