Viewings...

hazyjo

Has it ever been any different? I have no idea why you keep saying it's an unusual request/attitude. Who's told you that anything over two viewings has anything to do with 2013? I've known people have more than that decades ago.

Jx

phoebe1989seb

I completely agree with what Lessonlearned has said - we sold within two weeks of marketing our last house and with the exception of leaving behind *free extras* (wasn't going to leave our buyers a £2 k rug, lol :eek:) we did the same........

lessonlearned wrote: »

I can be brief.:rotfl::rotfl:

1. Pitch it at a fair price.
2. Make sure your property is in show-house condition at all times, inside and out.
3. Do the viewings yourself - no-one knows your house and your location the way you do.
4. Re-read my last post about being flexible and friendly. Yes it's a bit "wordy" but it says it all:D
5. Know your facts and figures, council tax, running costs, schools if applicable.
6. Be generous - with your time, your knowledge, with the tea and biccies and with any extras.

An example of extras - white goods you leave behind, nice light fittings, curtain tracks, blinds, curtains, carpets, the odd rug you no longer need. Don't haggle over these - toss them into the deal as a "free" extra.

Finally - have your documentation ready to minimise delays - before you even put your house on the market. Have a house sale file containing all paperwork such as guarantees for works carried out, gas and electricity safety certificates, building regs, proof of planning permissions, instructions for all appliances, boiler etc. Show them to the purchaser at the second or third viewing.

Be positive, be pro-active, pay attention to what you are doing, treat it as you would your job, give it some "welly", put your back into it and be prepared to work for that sale.

I cannot stress enough that selling your home is a business deal just like any other so be professional. Keep your personal feelings out of it - remember you are not selling your home, you are selling a house.

Keep your opinions to yourself, take the task seriously and put some effort into it. Be prepared to be inconvenienced occasionally, to put yourself out and to put your life on hold if necessary.

If you get it right it won't be for long - then not only can you get back to your life but you can start your new one in your new home.

Good luck.

Contessa - if you have a specific query pm me and I will try to help. If you want to post piccies for my appraisal and advice post your rightmove link and I will give you a professional opinion. Free of charge!!!

lessonlearned

Cheap rug, won't match new colour scheme. My "best" stuff stays with me.

lessonlearned

hazyjo wrote: »

Has it ever been any different? I have no idea why you keep saying it's an unusual request/attitude. Who's told you that anything over two viewings has anything to do with 2013? I've known people have more than that decades ago.

Jx

Not unusual at all. 2013 buyers are no more "difficult" or "picky" than buyers were when I first started as an EA 30 years ago.

Money I think this just a particular bee in your bonnet.

They are making the biggest purchase of their lives, spending large sums of money, probably stretching themselves to the limit. The stakes are high. Of course they want to make sure they are getting it right and not making a horrible mistake. It's not a £30 top from Top Shop.;)

If you can't be bothered with it all and you have no stomach for selling then leave it to the agents. However, you do need to soften your views a little and learn to bend. Otherwise you will p*ss your EA off, never mind any would be purchasers.

You may not realise this and I'm sure that house selling aside you are probably a perfectly nice person. However, your comments and views regarding purchasers do appear to be unduly harsh and judgemental. You seem to hold them all in contempt.

Not a good start.

I would be extremely wary of doing business with you. I would be constantly nervous I was about to get "shafted".

moneyistooshorttomention

Guess I should forget all the numerous buyers on here (to be fair - I think in the main FTBs) who have an attitude of "try and knock an automatic 5% or even 10% off a perfectly fair asking price" and theres even the odd one who reckons on trying to automatically try and knock off 20%.

That attitude was news to me and hopefully I won't suffer from that one in my "reasonable pace" housing market part of the country - but it certainly made me pause for thought. I had only expected that people might try and knock off the odd £1 thousand or £2 thousand on a very valid reason of having to do such-and-such a bit of work on the house if I hadnt quite worked out the selling price of my house correctly to allow for that.

I took note of that and will add appropriately extra to the asking price I would have otherwise asked in case of an "automatic reduction asker" - not sure what proportion of buyers in this area fall into that category and how many are "normal buyers as of old and only ask for reductions on work needing doing". Must check with my estate agent on that point - in case we don't get any of the "automatic reduction askers" in this area and I would be putting that bit extra on unnecessarily in the event.

No wonder I'm wary.

...and then there's the ones who expect stuff put in storage and/or vendor to move into rented accommodation to suit them:cool:. I've even spotted a poster who believes people should put away their cleaning materials and dish-drainer in the kitchen before a buyer comes looking around:eek:.

Think you can understand why I am wary and expecting I might get some unfair/unreasonable requests from some of the "expect everything type buyers and blow the vendor" posts I have seen on this sub-board recently:eek:

Hopefully, that type of attitude is rare round here and I can relax a bit...

With luck all buyers are thoroughly reasonable in all respects and all will be "sweetness and light" and I've had the wits scared out of me unnecessarily by some of the posts on this board.

hazyjo

You will get lower offers than you're expecting.

The only time you're likely to get asking price offers is in a rising, fast moving market, or if something's hugely desirable and priced right. Maybe when you last bought/sold, the market was like that.

Would love to see a 'house selling diary' when you do put your house on the market - I think you're gonna be in for a few shocks! Will you start one for us?

Sooner or later, the penny will drop it's you who's in the minority here. What you want, and what will happen, are two entirely different things. I don't think that has anything to do with 2013 - more to do with the fact we're still in a bit of a property slump, and people are generally offering around 10% under asking prices.

Good luck!

Jx

moneyistooshorttomention

Hazy

I'll give the matter some thought - of a diary that is.

Am already expecting that a couple of early entries would be "Today's buyer was an investor - they offered HOW MUCH lower than the asking price. Told estate agent to give them the Order of the Boot however firmly she wanted".

"The buyer who offered £x and got rejected, then a bit more and got rejected has come back with a Best and Final Offer and its still a couple of thousand less than the minimum price I could possibly move for - darn..darn....darn...felt so hopeful she would at least go to Minimum Get Outa House Price. Back to drawing board...."

Fingers crossed it wont take long to get a suitable offer. I've been monitoring nearby rival houses and there seems to be good reasons for the ones that are hanging around and all the ones I think are "yep...looks right to me" havent taken that long to go. One went astonishingly quickly and a buyers battle over it, finishing with him getting more than asking price.

First entry would be "Fit of sulks and sarcastic sideways-on comments from mother - as it's obviously finally sunk in that I am moving away....would be nice of a bit of supportive comments from her once in while. DO be realistic Money...it aint gonna happen".

lessonlearned

moneyistooshorttomention wrote: »

With luck all buyers are thoroughly reasonable in all respects and all will be "sweetness and light" and I've had the wits scared out of me unnecessarily by some of the posts on this board.

Yes I agree some of the posts on these boards can be alarmist. Try not to take them too seriously. There's nothing to be scared of.

However, moving house doesn't score 25 on the stress-o-meter for nothing. It can be a tad trying. Which is why it pays to learn how to play the game.

Not all buyers will be sweetness and light, no more than all sellers are. There are plenty of purchasers from hell. There are just as many vendors from hell too. Just make sure you are not one of the latter - which is exactly what you run the risk of being if you act in the way you have said you will.

Re "asking prices and eventual selling prices".

People are currently settling for a discount of around 10 to 15% off the asking price. An investor ie BTL landlord or property developer will be looking for 20%. This is more or less across the board and is down to market conditions. Even "hotspots" are not completely immune from the need to discount.

I settled for 7% with approx £1k of "extras". £1K cost to me, worth about £3k to the purchaser. Buyer was chuffed to bits and I was more than happy to get such a quick sale.

Re - vacating the property.

I have moved into rented accommodation so as to vacate the property quickly and not risk losing the sale. My buyer was chain free so a good bet for me. No chain means less chance of the sale aborting.

Renting makes perfect sense to allow me time to research my next move thoroughly and avoid costly mistakes. Plus I will be a chain free cash (no mortgage required) purchaser. I will be in a position of strength and will be able to have a good old haggle. (sorry if that offends).

Don't automatically assume that vacating your property so as not to inconvenience your buyer is a bad thing. Yes going into rental is a bit of a pain, ie 2 moves instead of 1. However, renting for a short while can be a smart move. Any additional costs can easily be recouped when you buy the next property.

Re - presentation.

Obviously it's up to you how much effort you are prepared to expend. My view?? Dish drainers and washing up cloths are not decorative objects so best to hide them for photos' and viewings. .

I kept a plastic laundry basket free, just scooped anything up and hid it in the garage, covered with an old throw so as to avoid prying eyes. (Male viewers always want to see the garage). A quick scoop up of clutter takes just seconds but makes a huge difference as to how attractive your kitchen will look.

I know it all sounds scary - but take some of advice from an old pro here:rotfl:

Stop trying to swim against the tide. Stop banging your head against a brick wall.

You're over thinking it all and making everything far more complicated than it needs to be.

The property market is a completely different animal from what it was in the boom years. Adjust your thinking and adapt to the new realty. Do yourself a favour, stop all the angst.

Get smart and just play the game. Learn the rules and play to win.

Get your sale and then you can get on with your life.

Isn't that what you want.;)

DaftyDuck

I'd have to admit to finding moneyistooshorttomention's attitude astounding. Sorry, Money, if that sounds harsh. I'm a serial housebuyer/seller (moving every two to four years for the last twenty, and having also bought property as an investment. I do not consider myself a professional.

When selling, of course I put stuff in storage. I de-clutter, tidy up, stick all the DIY tools (bar the minimum) in storage, along with spare books, the comfortable-but-disgusting sofa I share with the moggies (which do stay, but their toys are tidied for a viewing {and the troublesome one has been known to lodge with a neighbour during viewings}). For a buyer who is keen , where my Estate Agent believes them genuine (say cash buyer with nothing to sell, interest in similar houses) I would think nothing of a third or fourth visit. I have even had one (many years ago) come deliberately at suppertime, to see the kitchen in action. I'd certainly expect evening visits (the houses I own are old, listed, potentially draughty, with real fires, and evenings actually show them off very well). I always have spare copies of the Agent's details, have a folder of useful information (builder's bills, sometimes the survey I had on purchase, with copies of repair/rectification bills inserted, bus & train timetables, theatre programmes, useful phone numbers, etc.).

I keep the house in viewing-readiness, right down to a shiny front door knob & knocker. I reckon on 30 minutes to do emergency cleaning before a viewing. That doesn't mean the house is absolutely immaculate; a lived-in house has a warmth that an immaculately clean and bleached-bathroom one may lack. But, no dirty washing about, no damp bathroom towels on the floor, clean kitchen work surfaces, floors vacuumed, flowers where possible, everything as cheery as possible.

I am never offended by a low offer (even if quietly irritated that someone doesn't adore my house). I expect them. 10% off in todays market is to be expected. (Oh, and if you put 10% on, you simply won't get any viewings, let alone an offer.) Sometimes they'll increase, and increase, and increase. Others don't, often because they can't afford a property. Or they don't really want it, or are just trying it on.... It's entirely up to you if you want to accept or not.

Often, I get the asking price. Sometimes I get less, very occasionally a bit more (but not in today's markets, no way!). I have had the asking price (twice) on the morning a house went on the market, and got that through to completion in five weeks with no change. I have also had a house that took 18 months and hefty price cuts to shift.

And, when buying, I will always "try it on" myself. I'm quite happy to offer a LOT less than the asking price, certainly more than 10% off. I am, however, honest. I make a low offer, point out I am a real cash buyer (nothing to sell, with bank able to prove it immediately). Sometimes, my first offer has been accepted - with delight. Example was an elderly couple who wanted a flat in a particular block. My (admittedly low) offer on their house meant they could get what they wanted, and I got a bargain. I don't believe they felt cheated in the slightest - indeed, friendly emails passed for a few years. It was their choice.

I wouldn't really base my offer on what a house had been valued or offered at, but on what it was worth to me. I explain why I have offered what I have , often pointing out a similar property that I am (genuinely) interested in. I buy older properties, which makes valuation much more difficult, much more flexible. Up to them if they take it or not.

I can also demonstrate to an agent that, in most of my house-buying deals, I have gone from offer accepted to completion in around a month, so they know I'm not mucking them around. I have a tame solicitor (and surveyor) waiting for both buying and selling, and am quite content to call him up in front of an agent to start proceedings off at speed. Some agents get quite worried they find it so unexpected.

Finally, and this is something I think moneyistooshorttomention may really fall down on, of all the houses I have bought, in almost all cases I have had a warm welcome from the owners, have felt an affinity with them, have felt quite comfortable asking them difficult questions, would expect them to go the extra mile... It's nothing superstitious or the like... If they act and react in a similar way to me, their feelings are similar to mine, there's a good chance what they like I like, what they feel the need to repair, so would I, and so on. If they are happy for me to bring my steps to look in an attic, poke up a chimney, or crawl around looking for woodoworm, there's less likely to be something they are hiding. They also realise that, when I make my offer, it's less likely to get shifted by a survey finding x, y, and z wrong at a later date.

If I felt unwelcome, that they were unkeen on another viewing, that they hadn't made a real effort to sell their house to me, I'd already be less keen, more likely to pull out, or make a sharper offer ready for troubled times ahead.

One way of thinking about it is: viewings can be the best paid job you've ever had. A buyer, he gets three viewings out of you, he goes ahead. For that few hours, you get your house sold. You get all that money to spend, a few weeks (months) earlier than might have been. You may get an extra few hundreds - thousands even - for the effort of cleaning up... just for a few hours, a good house clean, a cake in the oven, pot of coffee on the side.... Now that's a wage worth having!

Seeing Lessonlearned has posted,... yes, I always sell, move into rented, then buy. I believe the rental-plus-extra-move may cast an extra ten thousand pounds, but I get that back on a better selling then buying price, plus I never feel pushed into accepting or making an offer I later regret.

Never take things personally with house buying/selling. The first house I sold was the one that sold twice straight away. Whoohoo! Obviously, my taste in houses was perfect... second time around... nobody but nobody liked what I'd done. It took a while to stop taking in personally, and realise I just had a commodity to sell.

lessonlearned

Really Money......

I've just read your reply to Hazy's post.

Why won't you just listen to a little free friendly advice from people who have a great deal more experience than you have and who know a whole lot more than you do.

This advice is valuable. People are giving you this for free for goodness sake.

Listen and learn. Or not.

Why so churlish. Talk about biting the hand that feeds you.....

At any rate I shall no longer be giving you the benefit of my 30 years experience as a very successful negotiator.

On your head;)