Quit everything , and start again over 50?

another_casualty

Thanks Anna
Tbh, the percentage offered is discounted. I wouldn't pay anymore than that .
It'll be interesting to see what valuer no.2 has to say later on .
I was starving , and cooked 2 plain hamburgers . I hate onions etc.
The smell is lingering a bit . Windows are open , and air freshener in the hallway . Oh well ..;)

another_casualty

This estate agent is over 20 mins late. If he is over half an hour late, I'll cancel and get somebody else

Actually , I think they've made an error at the office , and he thinks it's 7pm and not 6pm.
I'll listen to the spiel, and get someone else in after his valuation..if he shows .

another_casualty

No show from your move estate agents twickenham.
Now to find another agent

lessonlearned

That is poor.....can't be up to much. They could at least have had the good manners to contact you to either cancel or postpone. 0/10 for that one.:rotfl:

another_casualty

It just dawned on me : my brother has the same door no. as me.
I used your move to let his flat out over 5 years. That was bad enough.
I reckon they went to his address. Still, they should've contacted me regardless .
I'm gonna send a txt to Steve Allen Lbc . He lives in the twickenham area, so may mention it

anna_1977

Have you arranged for another agent to come in ?
The 3 valuations I had also ranged hugely in value, from £350k to £400k - I wonder how they can be so different!

lessonlearned

Yes, they could have got the wrong address then, but as you say they still should have tried to contact you if they had difficulty. See what they say today.

Just a thought but you do need to take care with wihich agent, cheapest is not necessarily best.

I sold houses for over 30 years. Here's a few tips about choosing an agent.

Have a good look at how they do things.

First of all their marketing. What are their brochures like, their Rightmive listings, are the photos good, do they do floor plans, do they describe the property well.

There are some real howlers.......

I saw one agent describe a cul de sac as a "dead end street". :eek:
Doesn't exactly paint a good picture of the nribourhood.

Do a mystery shop. Pretend to be a buyer and see how you are treated. Are they knowledgeable etc. Did you have to wait a long while to do any viewings. Did they follow through after the viewing to see if you were interested in the property.

Don't forget the person who visits you will not likely be the negotiators who will be doing all the leg work. Go into the branch and try and meet the team.

I know it sounds like I'm nitpicking but you will be laying out several thousands in fees and commission so choose the best. You want "go getters" who will be proactive on your behalf.

another_casualty

Thanks again . Well , no response from Dexters . Nothing from your move.
So, I walked into websters. Saw 3 guys in there.
Getting a valuation at 2pm.
I told them about your move and Dexters . Never mentioned chase Buchanan who I saw first .
Should make my mind up today .TBH, I think the price won't be much different . we will see

lessonlearned

No, the valuations tend not to vary unless the property is a bit unusual and difficult to put a figure on.

The main difference is how it is marketed. Good agents market effectively and get the viewers through the door. The property should then "sell itself" on its merits. People will either like it or they won't, depends if it meets their criteria.

Then it's up to the agent to progress the sale and hold everything together to completion.

Sadly 1 in 3 sales do fail.

So as you can see choosing the right agent is important, it's not always about how much they charge - it's about the kind of service they provide., especially as you want a quick sale and top dollar.

We recently used Your Move for my father's house. Now I know that it's a nationwide outfit and that there will be differences in quality across the UK, but I have to say they were dreadful.

They overvalued and the house stood empty for over a year, falling victim to damp. I had to eventually persuade my dad to slash the price. The problem was because they had overvalued in the first instance (in my opinion to get the listing) they planted a seed in my dads mind that his house was "worth" what they suggested.

Now we all know that a property is only worth what people are prepared to pay but try explaining that to a cantankerous 90 year old. :rotfl:

They also offered suspiciously low fees and commission rates.

As an ex negotiator myself I know that no agent is going to push themselves too hard for a low commission on an overpriced property. They will go for the easy wins that pay good commission. The hard to sell properties are left to languish.

Sounds harsh but that's the economic reality when half of your salary is made up from commission. Even negotiators have to pay bills and put food on the table. :rotfl:

So price it right, don't allow yourself to be flattered and don't be stingy with what you are prepared to pay out.

As a general rule with selling houses as with anything else If you want good service you have to be prepared to pay for it.;)

Let's hope your next batch of agents are better.

Tuesday_Tenor

another_casualty wrote: »

I hear they charge per window where I live.

Yes, they do here, too.

£1 per window.

Oh, the joys of living in rural mid-Wales, not London!

(Of course, he's booked to cleaned about 10 houses in the village at the time, otherwise he wouldn't come at all! But that's the sort of thing that happens when you know your neighbours well ...)