Still trying to sell

4Chickens

Hi all

I am getting so frustrated.

Our house has been on the market since August. We have had loads of viewings. It is like living on a rollercoaster. We had a viewing at 10.00am today and have another at 10.00am tomorrow. Tomorrow's viewing is a second viewing.

We put our house on the market at £136,995
Nov reduced to £130,000
Jan reduced to £124,995

Every week since 2 Jan we have had at least one viewing.

How hopeful can I be? Or am I just kidding myself.

Can you share some of your experiences so I know what is going on elsewhere please.

Thanks

JayZed

Difficult to say whether the house is realistically priced without knowing more about it. In any case, the fact that you're getting lots of viewings would suggest that it's not simply a pricing issue.

It seems that people look on Rightmove etc and think that it's worth looking at your house, but then something they see when they visit - either in the house or in the neighbourhood - deters them from making an offer. Any idea what? Have you been able to get any feedback from the estate agent after viewings?

4Chickens

Feedback from the estate agents has been mixed. There has been no specific critisisms. Comments vary from wrong layout, would prefer grass to gravel in garden or non-specific such as 'its just not for us'.
I will describe it:
3 bed semi
Off road parking for two cars (block paved)
DOWNSTAIRS
Lounge/Diner
Uitilty Room
Kitchen/Diner
Laminate floor throughout
Back Garden = gravel with flowerbeds, shed & workshop

UPSTAIRS
2 Double bedrooms
1 Single Room
Airing cupboard
3 piece bathroom with shower over

We don't have any loud colours on the walls. Flooring is in excellent condition.
Doesn't smell (I hope)

Maybe its just a numbers game. I would accept an offer below the asking price but am not sure how much an offer would be.

When/if we do manage to sell I am going to live like a slob for at least three months. I will have used up my cleaning/housework quota by then

QTPie

Hi

What feedback are you getting from your estate agent (i.e. from the viewers)? With that many viewings, one would hope that someone would "bite". No offers at all?

I have had the reverse experience: ONLY 3 viewings since being on the market (early November), but two of them made acceptable offers and proceeded with the offer (the first tried to gazunder and fell through, we hope to exchange on the second next week).

I think that feedback, in you case, is key. Is it price (are you just "chasing the market down" or is it something else?).

QT

poppysarah

Sounds fab. Where is it?
:@)

Sounds a bit dear if it was round here - BUT ... there's a lot been on the market over a year and not budged their price.
You might have to tell the EA to tell people you'll accept offers... so rather than publicly lowering price you're doing it privately.

4Chickens

Another thought:

Maybe it is the FTB expectations. And what I mean by this is that 12-18 months ago FTB could borrow 95-125% and therefore buy a larger/newer/flashier house. Today, however, the banks are lending diddly squat so FTB can only borrow on average 80% but their aspiration/expectations have not changed. And I am not FTB bashing here. I would actually like to see how FTB feel about the change in the game.

Doozergirl

Second viewing is good!

Tell your EA that 'not for us' is not proper feedback. There's a reason why it's 'not for us' Too small? Too smelly? (only joking, your comment about it not smelling made me laugh out loud!) Have they picked something else instead - if so, why did they find it better?

If you were brave and prepared to post up a link to the house we could look for some comparables for you?

Now is the time to really go for it because the market is picking up - to be fair it was totally dead - but the Sold boards are popping up where I am.

How big is your garden? If it's small then gravel is fine but I have to admit that gravel in a large space would put me off - not enough that I wouldn't buy the house but it might for some people.

4Chickens

I don't think it would be a good idea to post a link but with regards to the garden, its not huge, I reckon the problem is that people envisage removing the gravel has hard work, it will be, I topped it up with 2 tonne last summer, just me, a shovel and wheelbarrow. But to me its better than mowing lawn every two weeks. It is a pretty garden, hanging baskets, trellis, clematis, jasmin, honeysuckle etc. I love gardening so it is always kept nice though at this time of the year its probably not at its best.

Running_Horse

I wouldn't trust EA feedback too much. We were probably too polite if a house didn't fit our criteria, and said it was lovely but not quite for us, which was truthful but not very helpful.

ukcarper

I have to laugh when people say it sounds a bit overpriced when they don’t even no where the house is sounds really cheap to me compared with houses where I live.

poppysarah

ukcarper wrote: »

I have to laugh when people say it sounds a bit overpriced when they don’t even no where the house is sounds really cheap to me compared with houses where I live.

It sounds dear compared to where I live is exactly the same as It sounds cheap compared to where I live.