To those selling in these difficult times Part Deux. AKA sellers support network!

elona

MB's folks are obviously lovely and young at heart - like moi and DH

and modest with it :rotfl:

frafferty

Hopejack wrote: »

I can't see many old faces on here but I'm sure a few are looking in! We still haven't completed on selling our house yet, there has been a problem with my FTB's mortgage and I really thought I was going to have to remarket my house as it's been off the market (under offer) for 9 weeks this week! Anyway, I've been assured that their lender posted the offer on Friday and so it should be with their solicitor any day! I'm hoping to complete mid next week but the solicitors are saying Friday next week due to the time involved with the mortgage offer checking etc - not sure about all that, surely they can turn it around quickly if they want to! Ho hum - we'll get there, honestly thought I would have sold it by now as the offer was originally put in 2.5 weeks after it going on the market!

On the buying side, we have a house - think I mentioned a while back we'd offered on one which needs so much doing to it - something I'd sworn I wouldn't do with 2 young children! But the house is in a great location and could be lovely. We're moving in with my parents while we get the bulk of the work done - it will be cosy!!

How are all the old timers on here?

I'm probably not classed as an old timer but I'm still here watching and waiting....
It is now 12 weeks since our house went on the market and we accepted an offer on the same day. The offer we accepted was low (15% below asking) and we accepted on the basis that our buyer moved fast. 12 weeks later here we are with no end in sight. Every day we get told that the mortgage offer will be in tomorrow and every day that is not the case. Getting thoroughly fed up of it all now especially since the rest of the chain have been ready to exchange for 5 weeks now :mad:

SusieT

twisty wrote: »

SusieT - personally I would always like to see photos with at least the main bits of furniture in place.

I want to be able to quickly scan through rightmove and see a picture of a room with a sofa, then one with a bed etc. Particularly as we are looking at 2-bed places, it's not always immediately obvious which photo is of the 2nd bedroom if they are empty.

Also, I find that furniture helps give a room scale (e.g. if the photo shows there is still a good few feet of space above a wardrobe then I know that that room has very high ceilings ). Sometimes when the pics are taken empty, it is difficult to imagine the size, even though you have the measurements. It's more of a visualisation thing.

One thing I would say is, if you do decide to photograph when empty, you must:

1. Make sure that there is a photograph for every room
2. Supply a floorplan

When either of these things are missing it really puts me off (particularly when photos are missing). (Although not to the point that I wouldn't view the property).

Anyway, I'm waffling - just my thoughts anyway.

For me, some semi-exciting news - we have our first second viewing this week. Viewer number 10 really loved the flat and wants to come back and have a look in the loft. Plus we have view number 11 lined up for Wednesday. Strange that we had such a slow start and now, 2 months in, everything is picking up.

Trying not to get too excited, but I did allow myself a little smile

Thanks for that, I will try to get there before they take all the furniture out, it will take a bit of juggling as I am a long way away and am trying to get there (4 hour drive), do the checkout and get back in a day to save paying for a night in a travelodge!
Not hard to get pics of every room there are only 5 of them, plus gardens front and rear which will be tidy as I am taking a trimmer and mower with me

Good luck with yours, lets hope the better weather is going to bring you some acceptable offers.

maya+2 wrote: »

I thinks its best to have the furniture in on the photos as empty room can often actualy look smaller. The ideal is to just have a few pieces in each room so people feel confident they can fit everything in, but the space doesnt look cluttered.
Id also think people are more likely to make a cheeky offer on an empty house, as they will presume your desperate to sell.

Thanks, I do want to sell but am not totally desparate! Apparantly the area has started to pick up now so will keep my fingers crossed the EA'sTha are right otherwise it will just get rented out again!

Philippa36

sundin13 wrote: »

Evening all,
We looked at a place that was for sale at 229, but decided there's no way we could stretch past 200-202. I told the EA when she rang for feedback that I might come back with an offer but that it would be a low one - as in 200. Then I pretty much forgot about it because she wasn't exactly encouraging.
Well today she's called again to see where the offer is, saying the vendors have found somewhere they want to go. I still don't know whether to bother with the offer though - I can't see them dropping 29k, and I'll only end up disappointed.

I'd definitely put an offer in, I know you mention being disappointed but is that better than thinking 'what if' forever more! Yes, they can only say no, but they may well be ready to take a significantly lower offer and you could get the house you want.

TheBrutalTruth

I don't think there is anything wrong with lowballing people, but I think you should let the EA know prior to viewing and the seller during viewing that this is your probable intention. The EA could then make it clear if the seller would not entertain a low offer, thus avoiding wasting everyone's time.

heffsta

heygringo wrote: »

Sorry again mate, but I think you are. End of interest.

I think he is just living up to his name, it is in fact the brutal truth. And from your responses it looks like you are in denial of the situation the country is in. He is just giving a perspective from buyers viewpoint.

Put yourself in the buyers shoes and you saw another property repo or not sell for a certain price, why would you want to pay your asking price?

heygringo

heffsta wrote: »

I think he is just living up to his name, it is in fact the brutal truth. And from your responses it looks like you are in denial of the situation the country is in. He is just giving a perspective from buyers viewpoint.

Put yourself in the buyers shoes and you saw another property repo or not sell for a certain price, why would you want to pay your asking price?

I can hardly be accused of being in denial, when my property is on the market at 20K below the EAs valuation. I have also stated in a previous post that the properties in our area are a mixed bag. Our Daughter lives app. 100yds up the road, her detached property would be valued at app. 200K were it on the market. The average price of my type of property is in the region of 170K. So if you do your sums, that makes my property available at 150K. With regard to the repo next door. That property had changed hands 3 times in the space of 6yrs. Initially the interior was being modernised, but a divorce put paid to that. The property was then sold to a couple who basically did nothing to it. They then did a swap with their parents who were in a business of sorts & used to work at it 7 days a week. I think by now you can see where I'm going with this. Their business failed & the property was repossessed still in a sorry state of modernisation. It was then empty for app. 12mths & finally our new neighbours bought it for 131K. Which is what the "bargain hunter" is basing his offer for my property on. But he has conveniently overlooked the prices that 3 other similar properties to mine have brought in the past 6yrs. the last one being sold for 168K 12mths ago. I haven't mentioned the race of this particular viewer, why should I?
But there are those amongst us that will ask for a 50% reduction on an article valued at £1........ Think about it.

I contribute to this forum to get different experiences from people in the same situation as me, ie selling their property. Not to be "advised" by someone who knows absolutely nothing of the area, condition, qualities, or values of the surrounding properties, including mine..

The EAs are in business to make money & are therefore best placed to put a value on a particular property. Overprice it to get the business? I think not. That way, they then pay for the marketing etc. that does not result in a sale. No one runs a business like that. The EAs valuation of my property for the area was spot on, but we reduced it by the figure I've stated. I hope that makes it clearer for you.

BeeJay

azkaban420

I think it is all too easy to judge someone's situation, when you're quite right Beejay, there is often far more to a house/selling/situation than meets the eye. I've noticed on mousenet that a house on our road sold for £165k in Sep, similar interior size to mine, less garden, worse condition. However, the guy who bought it lived next door and did a private sale with the owner, getting it for an absolute bargain (imho) - in fact he's told everyone he got it for £185k! If it had been marketed, it would have probably been valued similar to mine and quite possibly sold for another £20k more. But then, this is just mho....who am I to know?! All I can say is, looking at that sale someone may value my house to be the same, but I'll repeat, there is often far more to the situation than meets the eye.

BTW my viewing with the investor lady - loved the house/ garden / size /condition...was a bit wary of the parking situation and mentioned the price tag was on the high side for her. Having said that of all the houses she's seen up to the £220k mark, she liked mine the most?!! Not sure if she will offer though.

And based on my thoughts and ponderings for the past few weeks, I've decided to drop my house price from £200k to OIEO £190k.

Let's see what happens....

Az

heffsta

heygringo wrote: »

I can hardly be accused of being in denial, when my property is on the market at 20K below the EAs valuation. I have also stated in a previous post that the properties in our area are a mixed bag. Our Daughter lives app. 100yds up the road, her detached property would be valued at app. 200K were it on the market. The average price of my type of property is in the region of 170K. So if you do your sums, that makes my property available at 150K. With regard to the repo next door. That property had changed hands 3 times in the space of 6yrs. Initially the interior was being modernised, but a divorce put paid to that. The property was then sold to a couple who basically did nothing to it. They then did a swap with their parents who were in a business of sorts & used to work at it 7 days a week. I think by now you can see where I'm going with this. Their business failed & the property was repossessed still in a sorry state of modernisation. It was then empty for app. 12mths & finally our new neighbours bought it for 131K. Which is what the "bargain hunter" is basing his offer for my property on. But he has conveniently overlooked the prices that 3 other similar properties to mine have brought in the past 6yrs. the last one being sold for 168K 12mths ago. I haven't mentioned the race of this particular viewer, why should I?
But there are those amongst us that will ask for a 50% reduction on an article valued at £1........ Think about it.

I contribute to this forum to get different experiences from people in the same situation as me, ie selling their property. Not to be "advised" by someone who knows absolutely nothing of the area, condition, qualities, or values of the surrounding properties, including mine..

The EAs are in business to make money & are therefore best placed to put a value on a particular property. Overprice it to get the business? I think not. That way, they then pay for the marketing etc. that does not result in a sale. No one runs a business like that. The EAs valuation of my property for the area was spot on, but we reduced it by the figure I've stated. I hope that makes it clearer for you.

BeeJay

I know I don't know your situation etc. and all situations are different. I was just stating what I thought and what was said by TheBrutalTruth about the way a buyer looks at things.

Regarding the bold points, your daughters property would be Valued at approx £200K, I can say my house is valued at £1million but it is what it sells at is what counts in the end.

The bargain hunter is free to do as they like in regards to giving offers and you are free to reject their offer just the same. That is the point of a free market.

And what has the race of the individual got to do with it anyway? A buyer is a buyer and if they offer to low in your mind reject the offer and wait for another.

I do sympathise a little as I am also a seller, albeit in another country. I am just stating my views, so good luck with the selling.

heygringo

Hi Az, We have another viewing on Saturday, our 5th. N°2 didn't show.

From engaging the EA on the 25th Feb. we had nothing till the 22nd April.

Got the 'phone call this morning about Saturdays viewing, when SWMBO asked who it was from, I said a viewing in an hours time. :rotfl:
I've now got to explain the bruises!

BeeJay