How to write letter expressing my interest in buying a house?

googler

Robert66 wrote: »

Also I'm not being lazy with my spaces guys! I'm copying from Word and when I post it seems to remove some of them! :doh:

Copy from Notepad or some other plain-text editor then...

hazyjo

Maybe 'I am looking for a 3 or 4 bed house for myself' if you want them to know it's for you and that you're not an investor/developer (not that I think it'll make any difference). The 'for many years' bit isn't needed and won't tug at hearstrings. Nobody will think you're buying a 3-4 bed house for a couple of years anyway - one, it's unlikely you'll outgrow it quickly, and, two, it's not usually financially savvy to be buying something at that level and selling within a few years (despite me selling up after only 2 years! Ahem...).

Jx

googler

googler wrote: »

Your version is filled with unnecessary puff and filler.....

An alternate version

Dear Homeowner,

I am interested in buying a house in your area, and the style of yours particularly appeals to me.

I have my finances in place, have no existing property to sell, and could therefore proceed with buying a house immediately. As I have contacted you directly you would avoid paying estate agent’s fees, and would only need the services of a solicitor on a 'conveyancing only' basis to complete a sale.

If you are considering selling your house then please contact me either by phone or e-mail. Thank you very much for your time.

On the basis of other comments, I would amend the last para to

If you are considering selling your house then please contact me either by phone or e-mail. I'm specifically looking for a house of 3 or 4 bedrooms, so if yours happens to be a 2-bed, please don't respond. Thank you very much for your time.

I'll restate - your latest version is still filled with puff, waffle and filler in varying quantities, even though multiple posters here told you not to do this. Keep it simple and to the point.

Robert66

OK message understood! Thanks everyone for helping me out with this. Time to get writing!
Robert

aeb_2

I sold my house like this.

We lived there for 5 years and every so often a note would be popped through the door asking if we were moving. I kept them all and when we were I rang them all to tell them. Some had moved on but one person bought.

Notes ranged from a postcard saying, "if you're thinking of selling please ring............" to a long letter

I must admit I didn't bother to read long letters too well - if it seemed at all like it was trying to sell something it went in the bin. On balance the postcard was best for me.

cramg

A house we like was on the market last year but we were in no position to offer. After 9 Months of it being on the market it was withdrawn, i spoke with the agent at the time and they said the vendors were taking it off market over the Christmas period.
Anyway, the house is still off market, we are now in a position to offer so we are going to go and knock the door at the weekend and speak face to face with the vendors. I feel this approach will be taken far more serious than a letter through the door but that's just me.

Fizzymartini

Did anything come of your letter drop, Robert66?

I'm a FTB in much the same position, but have been very picky in terms of location (so many nice spaces, but not in the best places). I was stoked to find a lovely street with a flat that just had come back on the market. Unfortunately I was edged out by another buyer, and nowhere else has come close since.

I'd never even thought of leaflet drops until the EA offered to draft and post some through the all the doors on that street, on my behalf. Now I'm wondering if it'd help matters if I also did a personal one, if that would appeal more to homeowners? But I don't want to spam people. Also, it's all ex-council there (though it doesn't look it) so I don't know if it'd be well-received... any thoughts?