have just put flat up for sale, what nightmares should i expect?

mirrorimage0

so as it says in the title.

i have just signed so my flat is up for sale, what horror stories should i be looking out for?
and any advice would be appreciated.x

sooz

Post a link on here, & wait for us to slate your decor & taste

Other than that, wait for your EA to give you 10 minutes notice of a really hot viewing, cash buyers who need to buy somewhere NOW or they will explode. If you have a car, I suggest you use it as extra storage for laundry, toys etc when really pushed. Viewers then give no feedback whatsoever, & are never heard of again.

Be prepared for low offers that you want to shout obscentities at.

Be prepared to find out how awful your freehold management company is, when they charge you several hundred £s to answer your solicitor's questions.

Also nosy neighbours who want to view just because, but have no intention of buying.

For your EA to drive you mad.

And that one day you might move.

Good luck

Property_Auctions

It pays to be positive - have copies of your lease, ground rent and property management charges to hand and ask the EA to put it on the property details if they haven't already.

If the lease is below 80 years, ask the freeholder how much it may cost to extend it as that will be a concern to viewers - be prepared to make a small concession on the price if needed.

Ask agent to do all the viewings - potential buyers are more comfortable with the EA than the homeowner and the agent will hopefully have enough experience to close the deal if the opportunity presents itself at the viewing.

Good luck!

googler

Up for sale where? County or City will do.

ultrarunner

sooz wrote: »

If you have a car, I suggest you use it as extra storage for laundry, toys etc when really pushed.

I did this, a great decision.

I accepted an offer recently, so am awaiting the management company dramas. Given the amount they took from me extending the lease it could be quite substantial...

G_M

Best advice is NOT to ask here for potential nightmares!

We could list hundreds which will drive you into deep depression - most of them won't materialise but one or two probobly will.

Deal with them IF/when they arise!

brit1234

Bodies under the patio delaying sales, or was that Brookside?

Yorkie1

brit1234 wrote: »

Bodies under the patio delaying sales, or was that Brookside?

'Tis a flat. I think a bit more creativity is required on this one :rotfl:

FireWyrm

Yorkie1 wrote: »

'Tis a flat. I think a bit more creativity is required on this one :rotfl:

Bodies in the furnace? Or was that Taggert?

Seriously though OP, another tip would be to have ready answers to pertinent questions such as nearest schools, shops, amenities. How much is your typical electric/gas/water/council tax bill, why are you moving? What's wrong with the place? How are the neighbours? Any trouble with vandalism, working girls, illegally parked cars etc. Be prepared for time wasters but treat each and everyone as a potential even of they look scruffy and don't seem to have two beans...sometimes, they produce cash and you're away. Hode everything that might worry a potential buyer such as your ornamental samurai sword collection, knick-knacks and anything involving leather and chains. Remember, you're selling the life style, not the flat. You are selling the good honest clean trouble free living.

ReadingTim

Property_Auctions wrote: »

Ask agent to do all the viewings - potential buyers are more comfortable with the EA than the homeowner and the agent will hopefully have enough experience to close the deal if the opportunity presents itself at the viewing.

Personally, I've found the presence of the EA less comforting during a viewing, and would never be coerced into 'closing a deal' during the viewing - they rarely know all (if any) of the answers to the basic sort of questions you should be asking at a viewing for starters. And besides, I like to meet and get a measure of the person I'm doing business with - buying or selling your home is probably the largest single transaction you'll ever make, so I prefer not to treat it like an ebay purchase...

mirrorimage0

lol thanks people. its actually a flat that i rent out so i already live somewhere else, and the tenant is moving on the 8th jan.

the tenant is a friend of mine so has said i can do viewings mon to fri during the week between 8am and 7pm which i know isnt ideal for people who want weekend viewings but that should only be until the tenant moves.

i did used to live in it so know all the local schools/shops/bus routes/town centres etc (its in essex)

i may post a link at some point if im feeling very very brave and not getting much interest to ask opinions but its all been decorated the past couple of months so it looks clean and fresh just need to lay the new carpets when tenant has gone, he is a bit of a messy buggar so know im going to have to be there an hour before any viewing to clean up though.

although he did say now its been done he like the minimalistic look cause he put away most of his crap when it was being decorated lol

ive told the estate agent not to bother me with low offers i feel its a realistic price and have put it on for what we want, am in no rush to sell just yet.

ive given the estate agent all the service charge fees, council tax, epc certificate and boiler certificate etc so hope fully they will list all whats needed on the advert or be ready to tell the interested parties what they need.

the lease is at 97yrs do you think i should still find out how much it is to extend?