Timewasters - coping strategies!

googler

sinbad182 wrote: »

Maybe resist the temptation to be an insufferable smart arse in future

Hmmm....

sinbad182 - Thanked 292 Times in 115 Posts
googler - Thanked 5,412 Times in 3,538 Posts

Littleweedj

googler wrote: »

FYI - we can't get the full facts until you tell us them.

And, little by little, they're dribbling in, aided by some prompting and questioning from others besides myself.....

IF YOU CAN REMEMBER: This thread was started with a question from taxiphil regarding the problems he encountered when selling. I simply made a comment then you suddenly start asking all sorts of questions of me.

If I wanted comments to do with my own situation I would have posted and requested same.

You seem to make mountains out of molehills and I will no longer reply if you make remarks about any of my comments. So be assured in future they will be ignored. You are either a right pain or have too much time on your hands..........you could cause trouble in an empty house.

picklepick

googler wrote: »

Apologies to Littleweedj and the OP, for I stumbled into the impression that Littleweedj WAS the Original Poster ......

I leave with head bowed and face reddened.....

Littleweedj - Googler has apologised for his/her mistake.

penguine

To return to the OP's question...

We had our flat on the market last year. A couple came to look at it, on scheduling a second viewing they cancelled at short notice not once but twice. We were pretty annoyed and so was the EA. But they ended up some weeks later putting in an offer at just under the asking price.

So you never know, those you think are timewasters might actually be serious.

sinbad182

googler wrote: »

Hmmm....

sinbad182 - Thanked 292 Times in 115 Posts
googler - Thanked 5,412 Times in 3,538 Posts

See, you're still trying to be a smart arse.

What point are you trying to make now, other than more people thank each of my posts than they do yours?

taxiphil

SevenCL wrote: »

... they're looking for a new home, which they may be planning to live in for the rest of their lives, not a motel for the night. Why the hell wouldn't they "nitpick" about scuffs?

As for the second point, once again, they're looking for a new home, not professional home inspectors. They're not there to help you out with reviews and feedback. Why are you harassing them once it's established there will be no business between you?

Final point; if I viewed a home where there were scuff marks that haven't been sorted, I'd consider MY time wasted. Maybe think about sorting out these "trivial cosmetic issues" before you take offense that people aren't queueing up to give you money to take them on themselves?

I was going to reply to this post but LisaLou1982's reply (above) pretty much summed up everything I was going to say.

And then you went on to say...

SevenCL wrote: »

I wouldn't say a word about the scuff marks. I'd view the house, say I've no interest in buying, and leave. At that point I'd consider our business concluded and be extremely irritated at you or your agents bothering me further.

Are you seriously saying that if you found the perfect house in the perfect location, you would completely dismiss the idea of buying it because of a single scuff on a skirting board, which as I said in my original post was one inch long?

Am I understanding you correctly? You would miss out on a potentially life-changing opportunity over one minor cosmetic mark which could be masked with a dab of Tipp-ex?

In my book, that's some kind of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder you've got. I dread to think how many years you'd have to spend househunting to find something that meets your definition of perfect.

harrup

SevenCL wrote: »

... they're looking for a new home, which they may be planning to live in for the rest of their lives, not a motel for the night. Why the hell wouldn't they "nitpick" about scuffs?

As for the second point, once again, they're looking for a new home, not professional home inspectors. They're not there to help you out with reviews and feedback. Why are you harassing them once it's established there will be no business between you?

Final point; if I viewed a home where there were scuff marks that haven't been sorted, I'd consider MY time wasted. Maybe think about sorting out these "trivial cosmetic issues" before you take offense that people aren't queueing up to give you money to take them on themselves?

Oh, my Giddy Aunt......say, you wouldn't be Roman Abramovich - the Russian billionaire - by any chance? Or any other multimillonaire perhaps?

Because if you WERE and you were just about to spend several MILLION pounds on a deluxe, brand-new, exclusive property, I could actually slightly understand the degree of fickleness and haughty loftiness you displayed.

A small scuff mark on a skirting board would make you discount an otherwise well presented & maintained property? In a lived-in home, no less, not a show home. WOW!

Whilst I wish you only good things......you will have the mother-of- all-reality checks when it comes to buy your house. As an interim, unsolicited tip: if you mention a scuff mark or other, similar inconsequential detail to either the vendor or the EA as a valid rationale for you losing interest or "wasting your time" on a given property...they WILL think you certifiable. With as much certainty as that water is wet, they WILL discount you and you'll be house hunting until the cows come home......

Littleweedj

picklepick wrote: »

Littleweedj - Googler has apologised for his/her mistake.

Thank you for pointing this out, just read it just now.

He/She kind of upset me with their comments, which seemed always to be with much derision.

Apology accepted.

harrup

taxiphil wrote: »

I wonder if anyone else, like me, has been in the position where they've had plenty of viewers but never any offers, and where many of the viewers are suspected timewasters.

My house has been on the market for a year and I've had about 20 viewings in that time. Now, this isn't just a rant about the fact that my house isn't selling (although that is troubling as it's a great house in a great location, with clean and neutral decor, as close to showhome condition as I can realistically achieve, and I've slashed the ....

The few that do give feedback just say something vague like "it wasn't quite what we're looking for." I've never been able to nail it down to anything specific, which is annoying.

I may be way off base here.....but I am wondering whether "the clean & neutral decor and close to showhome condition" could perhaps be perceived and "felt" as "too clinical and soul-less" by potential buyers?

Maybe the property would benefit from something which counteracts "the beige" to make it stick in PB minds? Doesn't need to be anything elaborate or expensive - for instance, a big vase of bright red & purple flowers in the kitchen or living room. Or a bright painting. Just to provide a "visual hook" - to grab the buyer's memory and make it ...well, memorable.:-)

As I said, I may be totally off track...but I HAVE seen houses myself which I couldn't really fault on anything specific. There wasn't anything wrong with them.....but there just wasn't anything really enticing about them either. They were just bland and boring. The owner didn't seem to "enjoy" living in it, and I just couldn't see myself having a good time in there either.....if this makes sense?

None of the above may apply to YOUR home, of course, I just thought I'd mention it as a possibility. And perhaps provide a tip on how to overcome it ( i.e. Visual Hooks)!

As to the lack of feedback: sometimes the ONLY thing one CAN say is "nice property, but not quite what we want". However....I am wondering whether your EA is missing the useful feedback boat by waiting too long until s/he requests it? Would it be worth instructing your agent to ask viewers for CANDID feedback whilst they are still standing outside the property? As in "the vendor has told me that s/he would greatly appreciate your honest feedback. What did you like about the place? Was there anything you didn't like?". That sort of thing. BEFORE the viewers have hopped back into the car and driven off.

Might this be a strategy worth exploring?

Good luck...and please be sure to remove any and all scuff marks - yes, even the ones only detectable with a microscoping lens....to satisfy the most...erm...."discerning" time wasters

DKLS

J_J_Carter wrote: »

I thought RightMove had all but eliminated the 'tyre kickers' and the plain nosey.

Rightmove, google earth and street view allow me to filter the houses that I wish to view, I have zero desire to view a house to be nosy, nor have the time to waste.