Quit everything , and start again over 50?

another_casualty

Love the cat gingervamp;) .The thing I will miss most when I eventually go, is this lovely ginger Tomcat who says hello to all of us in the close:) Ages to get away from it .
LL, you know your stuff .
I agree with you , oiro.
I'm doing what they tell me , for now .
Maybe they should emphasise , that buy buying a few modern appliances , the flat would make a top notch home for someone.

I'm thinking of getting cheap carpet for the staircase and 'hallway' .
( small hallway) .
Entrance to my place , is through my own front door, and up the stairs. The rest can be left as is.
Cannot afford anything right now . I may get a quote . Don't need underlay .
Chase Buchanan told me not to panic , last week .
Next Monday , th property is listed for one month .

Running out of prayers ..;)

I just replied to their report this morning , and asked if maybe the ad should be listed o I r O £400..
We'll see .

another_casualty

Just got a response . 'Not sure that would help' ' brexit'
' could start a bidding war at £360,00, which would get close to £400k'
I told him to leave as is , as I won't move for less than £400k

lessonlearned

Perhaps when you move you can have your own cat.:D

We adopted a stray who showed up on our doorstep. Never had a cat before but we love him to bits, except this week he showed us his murderous tendencies, raiding a birds nest and bring us a "present". He tried to look innocent but the mouth full of feathers rather gave the game away.:rotfl: little shoite.

I bet Dorset by the sea is glorious today.....

Do you get the impression that everyone is using "Brexit" as a cover up for their ineptitude.;)

If I had been your EA and you had told me that £400k was your bottom line I would not have advised you to market it at that figure.

A reduction from £425 to £410k should have Stimulated interest leaving you the ability to negotiate and give a further "discount" to the right purchaser.

As I said all buyers need to feel that they have got a good deal and they would have been happy if you had settled between £400 and £410.

The aim in any negotiation is for a win-win scenario, with both parties happy with the outcome. The EA has left you with no wriggle room and this could make you appear inflexible and "difficult".

As I said in my last post - it's all about psychology.

You may now find that you have to dip below that £400 to get your sale. Fingers crossed for you that that won't be necessary.

You've got a couple of viewings lined up so stay positive.

A cliche I know but it only takes one person to like it and change your fortunes forever.

What happened to the lady who's son was a builder, has she been back.

Just having a break from planting up the garden, it's hot backbreaking work but I want to get it finished before I go to Physio tomorrow when I will get a good pummelling.

Fancy paying to be tortured.......:rotfl:

lessonlearned

Re the carpet for the hallway. Excellent idea. First impressions really count and your own private entrance, rather than shared is a real selling feature. Exploit it to the hilt. You can dress it and make it a showstopper for very little outlay. A couple of cheap prints or bright colourful posters, a couple of decent sized plants - fake will be fine if there is no natural daylight, a nice doormat.

A hallway "sets the scene". If you've got one then flaunt it.

The more you tell us about the flat the better I like the sound of it.......a private garden and a private entrance are major pluses.

another_casualty

I would love to have a cat . I did have one, but I don't like it hen they die. Too upsetting . So, I'll make friends with whatever comes in my new garden;)
Not much to add about my flat : own parking space , private garden, upstairs maissonnette , huge loft , £18 ground rent a year , annual service carve of under £380.
Trouble is , a different generation don't get it that there are places which need a little work ( ie spending money on kitchen bathroom etc).
They just want instant , modern looks .

anna_1977

another_casualty wrote: »

I would love to have a cat . I did have one, but I don't like it hen they die. Too upsetting . So, I'll make friends with whatever comes in my new garden;)
Not much to add about my flat : own parking space , private garden, upstairs maissonnette , huge loft , £18 ground rent a year , annual service carve of under £380.
Trouble is , a different generation don't get it that there are places which need a little work ( ie spending money on kitchen bathroom etc).
They just want instant , modern looks .

Funny isn't it because I'm looking for a house with work, I want to fit my own bathroom & kitchen to pick what I want

Someone will come along x

lessonlearned

Sheesh.....car parking and loft storage space as well. It sounds like a corker. Not to mention those low charges. Honestly it sounds like a really good buy.

As for the price I don't know prices in your area so can't really comment but I say again, given the amount of viewings in such a short space of time I don't think you are far off.

If, when they step inside they are disappointed because the kitchen and bathroom are dated and it needs a completely decorating and new floor coverings then obviously you might need to be flexible and negotiate.

I agree that many FTBs require a property to be fully modernised. This is because often they will have struggled to scrape a deposit together, they will be borrowing to their absolute limit and they have nothing left for a renovation budget.

(This is why so many FTBs go the new build route, everything is brand spanking new, complete with guarantees and of course developers are canny enough to offer a range of tailored made financial incentives to make their deals attractive).

The last house I sold was 24 years old, in direct competition with new builds. I made sure that it could compete on all levels, not just price but also in its presentation.

I sold it in 2012 when the market was depressed in just three weeks to the third viewer. Even the EA was astonished. I put a lot of effort into getting it into tip top shape. (There was a lot of damage caused by wheelchairs, hoists and disability equipment).

I did all the viewings myself, sorry but I don't trust the average EA - they are not as good as me. Lol.....I regard EAs as "Introducers".

I always used to recommend my vendors to visit a few show houses to get an idea of the latest trends and fashions in interior design. Then they could copy a few ideas and tweak their own homes to make them more up to date and appealing.

Yes, It's just marketing but it works.

lessonlearned

anna_1977 wrote: »

Funny isn't it because I'm looking for a house with work, I want to fit my own bathroom & kitchen to pick what I want

Someone will come along x

Me too......I wouldn't dream of buying a house that didn't need a bit of revamping. I want my own choices.

ACs flat sounds ideal, structurally sound, all mod cons. It just needs "refreshing". Nothing too onerous.

another_casualty

Good luck to you both ,LL/ Anna.;)
My flat was made 1967 - solid as a rock.
If either of you lived here, it would be ideal for ether of you .

I'm in the London borough of Richmond , so the price it is at now , is correct IMHO .

Now.. Some interesting news! This may seem drastic , but something has just happened .

3 weeks ago, I received a credit card application From vanquis ?
I held back, until I got my yearly insurance letter (£380.00)
Now the carpet issue is here .
After a really agonising phone call( foreign voices / awful reception ),
I manAged to get a credit card )£1000 limit.

I need to be careful, but it's temporary until broken( hopefully in a few weeks ).
So , I will talk to carpet right . I will also get some bark chippings (£&0approx) - job done .
I await your yells

lessonlearned

No yells from me......credit is great as long as it's used correctly and you control it and it doesn't control you.

I shall be 65 next month. I have just taken out £10k on my credit card at 4.9 - Life of balance, no fees, taken as a cash advance. Fully flexible, can overpay, and redeem at any point without penalties.

I looked at mortgages - they wanted me to take £25k much more than I need, 10 year term, 2 years at 2.95 then variable rate, currently around 4.5.

Add on arrangement fees, brokers fee, together coming to approx £1500 and redemption penalties etc.

The money will be used for renovation works and I only need it for a relatively short term. Whether I sell the property or decide to hold it doesn't matter because either way I will be in a position to clear the card within a maximum of two years - thus saving shedloads of interest.

Because I have cash I can source materials cheaper and pay my trades in cash.

Because I won't need a mortgage I can negotiate a good deal when I come to buy. I can even buy at auction if I spot a property I fancy.

No - that £1k tides you over, takes the pressure off, means you dont have to accept a low offer, and gives you peace of mind.