Nothing suitable is coming on the market!!!

nubbins

nutshell82 wrote: »

What about something like this:

Dear Sir/Madame,

We are looking to find a long term family home in this area, however there is nothing suitable currently on the market which meets our needs. We are dropping leaflets in the xx area to try and find the right property.

We currently have a buyer lined up and could be a position to move at your convenience. We also have a solicitor and finances in place so can move quickly. We would be happy to deal with you directly or through an estate agent if you prefer.

If you might be interested in selling your house, or you know someone in this area with an xxx bedroom house with xxx and xxx (insert criteria here) that might be interested in selling, then I would be grateful if you could either call us on xxx or email us at xxx to discuss this further.

Thank you for taking the time to read this.

*sign name*

You don't have to mention price at this point, but obviously need to be mindful that you only target houses that are in the region of your price bracket.

I'm not putting a dampner on things and I do still think its worth a try BUT..... we did a similar thing once, posted leaflets, got a response, agreed a price (she had 2 estate agents valuations), all going through, survey, searches paid for etc etc. Then weeks before exchange the seller started listening to her friends who all became property experts overnight and told her that she should test the market as she could be losing out thousands. She dropped us like a stone, put it on the market for 50k more and never got an offer over what we offered and in the end took it off, I can't tell you how f$$$ked off at the time I was :mad:

Saying that I would still try this again but just be warned if a seller hasn't tested the market properly there's always the chance that this could happen.

Good luck

Jhoney_2

ReadingTim wrote: »

The only relevant factor in previous sales falling through would be if there was some issue with the property that would prevent a mortgage company lending on it (and you needed a mortgage of course!). The rest is historical irrelevance so trying to establish why is a waste of your time.

Exactly RT - should I just come out and ask? As it will be a phone conversation initially I suspect, this is my reluctance. I would rather a vendor said this needs dome work etc so I could consider and decide if I wish to go ahead eyes wide open.

As for price, you're just going to have to overcome the British reserve and give the figure you're happy to pay. If you're "not a game player", this won't be a problem, will it? Just come out with it; they'll either accept or they won't.

No problems with that at all.

However, given most people expect a bit of 'negotiation', even if it is something of a farcical dance, then you could enquire what sort of price they're hoping to achieve, whilst suggesting that you're looking to pay an amount several percent / thousand below what you're actually willing/able to pay. Repeat until a compromise is achieved, or a stalemate ensues and you drop out.

Thanks for your reply. Having never leafletted an area before, wasn't sure what to do if I get a reply. As I said, it's silly and probably no different - but feels a bit weird.

ReadingTim

Exactly RT - should I just come out and ask? As it will be a phone conversation initially I suspect, this is my reluctance. I would rather a vendor said this needs dome work etc so I could consider and decide if I wish to go ahead eyes wide open.

Do you really think anyone selling something will give you an honest answer if that answer means they might lose out on the sale?!?

Jhoney_2

ReadingTim wrote: »

Do you really think anyone selling something will give you an honest answer if that answer means they might lose out on the sale?!?

Well these are the things I mean when I say games. I would personally still consider a place that needs some work so it then a matter of price. E.g if vendor has find a property they do not necessarily want to put up with mess and upheaval of getting it done themselves as they have a different focus i.e new home purchase.

I assume that a sale will fall through once the full structural survey shows up the problems anyway so it's a futile exercise to be dishonest.

It's an old property. Old properties are likely to have some issues. That is not a deal breaker for me .

Perhaps I am expecting too much of people.

Hoploz

I put up a few posters on lamp posts in an area I wanted to buy in. I got one reply, which I was a bit shocked at! But the guy had such an inflated idea of what his place was worth that I told him it was over budget and didn't take it any further. I think he was a bit of a chancer ... thinking 'I would consider selling if someone offered me x'

Jhoney_2

Did you go to view it Hoploz? The thing is there are times when a property breaks the ceiling price on the street - unless ithe price was just ridiculous!

jjlandlord

Hoploz wrote: »

I put up a few posters on lamp posts in an area I wanted to buy in. I got one reply, which I was a bit shocked at! But the guy had such an inflated idea of what his place was worth that I told him it was over budget and didn't take it any further. I think he was a bit of a chancer ... thinking 'I would consider selling if someone offered me x'

Yeah, well... You put notices up, indicating that you are desperate, and any property actively on the market would be listed with estate agents and RM/Zoopla.
Therefore, the most likely reply you could get from your flyers is exactly the one you got.

ognum

A few months ago I offered on a flat in an area I like, it went to best and final and the seller choose to sell to another buyer who was young and going to live there, I was going to let it. I fully understand this.

I decided I liked the block, 999 year lease large plot, quiet area etc so decided to leaflet the block. About a week later another flat came to market with another agent, it was a probate sale, whole flat needed renovating, it went to best and final, my offer was accepted, I went straight to solicitor, no messing about and proceeded with the sale.

About a month later I had an email asking if I would like to look at and buy a flat in the block in response to my leaflets, it was another member of the probate family offering me a chance to gazump myself! Clearly they didn't know it was me ho was buying, all very embarrassing.

I felt very iffy about proceeding after this, they appeared to be taking their time getting probate and messing me about, the EA was an unpleasant woman who blamed me for the gazumping offer! So when another flat came to market cheaper and in better condition I jumped ship and bought it.

So the leafleting did work but in a non positive way!

Hoploz

Jhoney wrote: »

Did you go to view it Hoploz? The thing is there are times when a property breaks the ceiling price on the street - unless ithe price was just ridiculous!

No I didn't. I knew the road very well as we had wanted another a few doors down which was taken off the market when I tried to buy it. I was familiar with all the aerial photos, planning applications, had been past it many times .... and also knew he had bought only a couple of years before with all the work already done which he was telling me as selling points for 200 odd k less than he was suggesting to me.

Nobody gets past my research, I am like a private detective, can find out everything about a house without viewing, it is my speciality

Hoploz

jjlandlord wrote: »

Yeah, well... You put notices up, indicating that you are desperate, and any property actively on the market would be listed with estate agents and RM/Zoopla.
Therefore, the most likely reply you could get from your flyers is exactly the one you got.

Actually I worded the poster very briefly, making it not sound like we were desperate, I didn't say anything about being sold etc just said what I was looking for, in case there were people who had been thinking about selling and they might be spurred into action. I was quite happy that they should go to an EA to get a valuation, I was already top of their lists to call at first whisper of anything coming to market. I wasn't after a bargain under the radar, I just wanted the right house in the right area.