Quit everything , and start again over 50?

Smodlet

Just remembered a snippet from somewhere:

A diplomat is one who can tell you to go to hell in such a way that you look forward to the trip.

another_casualty

Angry at Dexters !
Received a hand delivered letter .
' we discussed that you would hear offers from£350k.
However my advice is to keep the same asking price.. ' blah blah blah

Estate avens = a crock of ..!
Why didn't he just say the usual spiel ' we agree the value to be £400 k'

Should I ditch this guy as well ??

lessonlearned

Ah AC. Bit of a blanket statement there.

Some EAs are indeed a crock.......but not all. Some are perfectly good people just trying to make a living.......;)

Why did Dexters confirmation letter of terms upset you. The price/offers were only a recommendation, they are not binding.

Basically it's up to you. You set the bar.

Never forget. You are paying the EAs wages, so you call the shots. They can only advise. The Asking price is £x, you will only consider offers over £y.

To be fair, "value" is not an arbitrary figure you can just pluck out of thin air. There are many variables and there has to be a consensus.
You will have heard it said "people will only pay what they think something is worth". Nowhere is this little adage more true than with
Property.

Anyhoo.........If you are going for relaunch then you have a perfect opportunity to rethink your marketing strategy. Marketing also includes presentation. My advice is to think seriously about how you present your property for the maximum effect.

I know I keep banging on about this, but vendors who do not maximise the potential of their properties actually throw money away.

If you don't sort out the garden and make sure the flat is "dressed for success" then you are leaving money on the ta!ble.

I'm sorry I don't mean to sound brutal but Gally Girl and Smodlet have also said the same

I know it might sound that we are being "girlie" suggesting decluttering, furniture placement, flowers, cushions, throws etc but it's all these little things that add up.

You flat ticks all the boxes, good area, quiet street, garden, off street parking, storage, etc. It's got "good bones" now it needs the finishing touches.

Just Like a plain woman can make herself look attractive with nice clothes, a flattering hairdo and make up then your flat will benefit from a bit of Window dressing. A bit of "fluffing" as it's known in the trade.

another_casualty

Thanks LL . I obviously never meant you. You knew that anyway;)
I'm angry because : after slating chase Buchanan when they wanted me to go to £365k , where did I tell him ' I will listen to £350k??
I even showed him the emails received .
Then the letter is stating ' because of the recent success sales we have agreed . Not plain English ! Also on paper , not once does it state £400k . It looks like I'm wet behind the ears , and that I would have accepted £350k before I got Dexters expert help!
As I say , crock of ...

Now regarding the rest . It cost money, although I will do a reshuffle at the weekend . But , regarding the flowers. If you don't look after them they are hassle . This is why I got low maintenance .
There are lots of men like me . It's a man thing I guess.;)
But if the place was painted properly and I had a new carpet I may have had offers . Cash again ( yes I know they'll rip it out anyway )

So, I'll wait for Dexters to phone . Then I will mention the above and tell them politely I am disappointed in the letter and no longer have confidence in using them .
Very very poor

Smodlet

Girlie, much! Women have no monopoly on imagination. Some people can see beyond what is (I am so not one of them, OH, thankfully, is, my mother was, LL obviously is) and others cannot. When selling a property, it makes sense to cater to those who cannot: That is why a "blank canvas" is recommended on all these property shows!

AC, don't expect people to see beyond your clutter, which to you might seem "just normal living". It is not your buyer's "normal" and you should not expect them to be able to impose their view on to your space. This is a hard lesson most, if not all vendors have to learn. Just ask LL. I believe, from watching property shows, that this applies to London more than anywhere else.

I have seen property programmes where the young, affluent couple viewing a flat mumbled on about "only one wardrobe" in a bedroom which had more than enough space for two. Did they think they were buying the furniture as well? No imagination, let alone a clue. It gets worse.

On another one, this horrendously over-privileged, spoilt, clueless, little !!nt expressed concern over the blue bathroom. She asked if blue toilet paper was available..... words failed me, until I turned the air to match the bathroom. The EA bought a packet of blue Arsewipex and presented it to her on her second viewing. This is the mentality to which you are catering, AC. Either play the game, or be prepared to lower your price, I would suggest. Yeah, I'm being harsh, but how many times does it need to be said?

You know we still love you.

lessonlearned

Ok. Here's me putting my cards on the table and here is what I would be strongly advocating if you were paying me to market your property.

You have got 4 weeks until you switch agents.......you can do a heck of a lot in 4 weeks and as I've said before it won't necessarily cost you much. A few tweaks here and there. Spend a couple of hours watching property !!!!!! to get some ideas.

£50 for shrubs and plants and you would have a really nice garden.

Emulsion paint. 2 x 2.5 litres of Dulux are on offer at £26 at B&Q. I know you have done some freshening up with basic emulsion but I think you could take it a step further. Do one feature wall in the lounge, one in the main bedroom to add a pop of colour. It's very "on trend" at the moment and would bring the rooms more up to date.

If you really cant face that then a couple of bright zingy posters or a couple of canvas prints. Just inject some colour.

A good declutter and tidy up.

Bathroom - couple of new towels in the bathroom (for display purposes only). Whiten the tile grout. You can get special pens for around £5.

Same with the kitchen, a couple of nice new tea towels - not to be used, some herbs in pots on the window cill. Take a look at some of the cooking programmes for ideas on how to dress a kitchen.

Shabby carpets?? Hire a machine and clean them then get a feature rug in the lounge, 6 x 4 or 8 x 5 will set you back around £60 or even less if you get lucky.

A couple of house plants. Orchids look very exotic and not too feminine and are very forgiving if you forget to water them. Around the same price as a bunch of flowers but they will last for around 3 months. You could get a stunner for £10.

Peace lilies are around £5 and the blooms will last for weeks. Foliage plants (no flowers) will last for months without too much fuss, just an occasional drink of water. Most supermarkets sell them for just a few £s.

I know you may not be a gardener but houseplants add life and colour to a room. They also provide oxygen and Improve air quality, essential for city dwellers. And they aren't "girly".

Smodlet is quite right - it is a game. You can of course chose not to play but I think you should. ANd the trick is to play the game to win.

It's your call but consider this.....

Upping your game could mean an extra £20k in your bank account.

Is that not worth a bit of effort and a couple of hundred quid.:D

I know I sound as if I'm defending your EAs but they can only get people through the door, the flat then has to stand or fall on its merits.

I know you are not happy with Chase Buchanan but they did get you plenty of viewers. They honoured their part of the deal.

By all means switch agents but if you don't address the presentation of your flat you risk getting the same result, namely viewings but no offers.

Please dont be angry with my bluntness. I want you to get your sale and I want you to get a good price. I really am rooting for you but I'm just trying to get you to see that you do need to change tactics now, not just change agents.

Chase Buchanan were wrong to tell you that you didn't need to do anything to your flat. I don't know whether this was through their lack of experience or whether it was from fear of upsetting you and losing you as a client.

Either way it doesn't matter it was not "best advice".

Best advice now is to get cracking and start "fluffing"

Smodlet

Wow. Bracing. I can see why you always hit your targets, LL. :T

We are all rooting for you, AC. If it feels as if we wenches are ganging up on you, it is only because we care.

lessonlearned

Oh dear, not too bracing I hope. I am afraid I can be a bit forthright. We northerners can be a bit too blunt sometimes.

AC I know it sounds that the "gals" are ganging up on you but we just want you to get the sale so you can start the next chapter if your life.

Tomorrow is my 65th birthday. Today my sister is taking me out for lunch........I'm not driving. . Crack open the bubbles.......

I intend to age disgracefully and it starts today. :rotfl:

Smodlet ......"if you can't eat it it's a weed" - love it. My dads famous one. I took him out for the day and was trying to get him interested in the scenery......his response....."seen one blade of grass, seen 'em all".

Smodlet

I don't think you were any more bracing than I, LL, and also think it needed to be said. It is all very well us rooting for AC but we have to leave the actual planting to him.

Congrats, hope you have a great day tomorrow. And there are not enough blades of grass left, imho, that is why they are so expensive.

another_casualty

Without all of you , I would be lost
My only issue with chase Buchanan , was they asked me to go way below in too quick a time .
Dexters - unprofessional opportunist.
I may just stick with CB and do nothing ( except tidy up at weekend)

My home has many colourful scenic framed photos .

Flowers for the home : which ones do not attract insects/ spiders etc.

Happy birthday for tomorrow LL