Honest advice for selling house before Christmas please x

lizzywig

You might find this helpful, although it's more about adding value to your house http://www.telegraph.co.uk/property/buyingsellingandmoving/7906602/Phil-Spencers-top-20-ways-to-add-value-to-your-home.html

You mention that your house is unlike the others in the street. What are the others like. Remember that people are not just buying your house, they are buying into your area so it doesn't matter how nice the house is, if the area isn't nice or the value of your house is more than the other houses this could put some people off.

ceegee

I think you'll be pushing it to sell before Christmas. The housing market is now closing down for the Winter....there is still a little activity in October, but it will only get quieter and quieter from now until February/March.

Also, don't forget to allow for a couple of months for completion.

Have you found a place that you'd like to buy yet? Chains are collapsing on a regular basis (I'm on my fourth:o).

If I were you (which I'm not, obviously!) and the sale/move/purchase wasn't urgent, then I would wait until the Spring. But that's just how I'd do it......it's up to you, of course!:)

ceegee

Just thought of something else, if you really want to carry on trying to sell........

what about a change of agent? Have you been with the same agent all along? Maybe a fresh approach to marketing might help? How much notice would you have to give?

It's just a thought.....that's all!:)

Rockaway_BabyDoll

Hi there, where abouts in South East London are you? How close to a train station are you? How many bedrooms does your house have? How close to a highstreet? These are all major factors to give a helpful comment, in my opinion

FireWyrm

With respect, the problem is that you're asking for over a quarter of a million pounds. The Market is depressed and even if it wasn't, the days of stupid asking prices are long over with. I'm sorry, but that's the naked truth. I have a good job and I earn more than the national average. I also had (until I bought this house) over £28K in cash for a deposit, but with all of that behind me, the biggest mortgage I could get (with a sterling credit rating) was max £170k. There is no way in hell that I could raise a quarter of a million and frankly, I wouldn't feel comfortable doing so because no typical 3 bed semi is worth anywhere near that price. It just isn't. The repayments on a mortgage that size would be more than 50% of my take home pay and with the rising cost of living from every side, there isn't even the slack to make me want to put myself through that. I'm afraid that the fact is, a house is only worth what you can get for it and no estate agent talking the price up is going to sell it for you. You can ask what you like for it, but my opinion is that you are being totally unrealistic in your expectations, and I think you're coming to that conclusion yourself since you've lowered the price several times already.

firsttimetom

ognum wrote: »

I think your estate agent has done you a dis-service

Why did he let the first offer ride for so long with out pushing it through?

Why did he not advise you to accept the second offer?

I never never tell an EA how much I have to spend! I will spend what I think the house is worth to me no more even if there is more in the pot!

I would change the estate agent/ realistically price the house/ not set time schedules for moving it just doesnt work that way

If you are not prepared to post a link to the house then thats all I can say!

I agree with this.

Your EA should have advised you to accept £247,500. People will not increase their offer above £250k because of stamp duty.

Also, your pricing structure is horrid - don't put 'offers between £275,000 to £290,000. No one will ever offer £275,000. If you want £275k, stick it on at £285k. If I see 'offers between' on a property, I will ignore it as it tells me that the vendor is simply deluded.

Likewise with 'fixed price' or 'offers over'. If anyone is going to put in an offer they will put in what they think it is worth. People aren't going to know how much they think it is worth until they get through the door. And when people see silly pricing stuctures, they usually just ignore the property as the seller has his head in the sand. You have to get people in to look, don't put them off with such nonsense beforehand.

It is also irrelevant what you paid for the property and what you spent on it. The only relevant thing is what someone is prepared to pay for property in it's current condition NOW.

mimimt

PigletPig wrote: »

I'm in South East London x

What area in South East London? If you don't mind, can you pm me the link to your house? I'm looking to buy and don't mind the whole thing about moving in around X'mas

PigletPig_2

FireWyrm wrote: »

With respect, the problem is that you're asking for over a quarter of a million pounds. The Market is depressed and even if it wasn't, the days of stupid asking prices are long over with. I'm sorry, but that's the naked truth. I have a good job and I earn more than the national average. I also had (until I bought this house) over £28K in cash for a deposit, but with all of that behind me, the biggest mortgage I could get (with a sterling credit rating) was max £170k. There is no way in hell that I could raise a quarter of a million and frankly, I wouldn't feel comfortable doing so because no typical 3 bed semi is worth anywhere near that price. It just isn't. The repayments on a mortgage that size would be more than 50% of my take home pay and with the rising cost of living from every side, there isn't even the slack to make me want to put myself through that. I'm afraid that the fact is, a house is only worth what you can get for it and no estate agent talking the price up is going to sell it for you. You can ask what you like for it, but my opinion is that you are being totally unrealistic in your expectations, and I think you're coming to that conclusion yourself since you've lowered the price several times already.

Thank you for your comments. I wish houses didn't cost as much as they do too!! In the area that I currently live £250,000 is considered a bargain. 2 streets away, smaller houses are selling for £350,000 plus because of the park. Our next house that we are looking to buy is £380,000 (in a totally different area). If it was in London, we'd be looking to pay at least £600,000 which we just cannot afford to do. I haven't made the rules up, I'm just trying to play the game along with everybody else.

PigletPig_2

mimimt wrote: »

What area in South East London? If you don't mind, can you pm me the link to your house? I'm looking to buy and don't mind the whole thing about moving in around X'mas

Hi, I'm sure if ours is the right house for you, you will find it organically... I'm a great believer in fate. Thank you for your post though... It fills me with hope that people will still buy at Christmas x

moneybunny123

You're mad! Send them the link. Screw fate. In these difficult selling times, you make your own luck.