Vendor's agents are *dreadful* - what can we do?

Running_Horse

Doozergirl wrote: »

There's your answer then happinessfactory. Staring you in the face the whole time! Buy yourself a nice modern house instead :rolleyes:

Nasty dark Victorian houses with those huge sash windows, high ceilings and larger room sizes.

OK, got really bored and read the rest of the post. One can only wonder why they want to buy such a terrible house with so many bad renovations (oh the downstairs bathroom is absolutely dreadful darling).

OP, work out what you are willing to pay and make an offer. No amount of insulting the vendors to other agents will make them accept less than they think its worth. We made friends with our vendor and got the house. If you viewed my home with that sneering attitude, you wouldn't get it at any price.

macaque_2

You have just got the hump because because you can't afford it and the owner won't give in to your arm twisting. Look for a smaller place.

happinessfactory

macaque wrote: »

You have just got the hump because because you can't afford it and the owner won't give in to your arm twisting. Look for a smaller place.

Are you sure you're not the one who's got the hump? My partner and I have worked our asses off for the last decade and had no handouts from anyone. If we want to buy a big house to fill with babies and we can afford it, what's the problem? We like saving money which is why we're on MSE asking for advice to save ourselves some on this overpriced house :rolleyes:

And the reason we can afford the house is because we don't p*ss our money away thinking laminate flooring can add £400k to the value of a house:rotfl:

Running Horse, I'm SO sorry the post bored you - I didn't realise this forum was supposed to be panto.

But for those who have helpful negotiating advice to give, I really value it. BrandNewDay, this is the house (note the cunning absence of floorplan to mislead viewers):

http://www.findaproperty.com/displayprop.aspx?edid=00&salerent=0&pid=230030&agentid=07397

This is the more expensive house down the street:

http://www.rightmove.co.uk/viewdetails-7682958.rsp?pa_n=1&tr_t=buy

Running_Horse

happinessfactory wrote: »

But for those who have helpful negotiating advice to give, I really value it.

Running_Horse wrote: »

work out what you are willing to pay and make an offer.

Make the offer less than you are willing to pay, then work your way up. Its not exactly rocket science. Oh, and lose the attitude, it really could cost you the house.

macaque_2

happinessfactory wrote: »

If we want to buy a big house to fill with babies and we can afford it, what's the problem?

The problem is that you clearly can't afford it. You said earlier .... "so we started putting out hints yesterday to the agent that we'd be making an offer very substantially below the asking price....."

If you want the house, give the vendor what they are asking. If not, do as the agent suggests and take a hike.

happinessfactory

macaque wrote: »

The problem is that you clearly can't afford it. You said earlier .... "so we started putting out hints yesterday to the agent that we'd be making an offer very substantially below the asking price....."

I didn't realise you were my bank manager. How do you know how much I can, or can't afford?

Just because we can afford it doesn't mean we should pay that much for it, does it? My financial situation is just like anyone else's - I work hard and I don't want to be ripped off, whether I'm spending a tenner or a million quid.

Or have you entirely missed the point of MSE?

happinessfactory

Running_Horse wrote: »

Make the offer less than you are willing to pay, then work your way up.

Thanks, so helpful. I wouldn't have been able to contemplate doing that by myself.:rolleyes:

I've decided to take Doozergirl's advice and leave the estate agent out of the process.

I'm going to drop an offer letter of £800k through their letterbox tonight and insert a table of local prices achieved from the land registry. Hopefully it will focus their minds on quite how much the agent has overpriced their house in comparison to properties that have actually sold.

The agent of the more expensive house has just told me "they'll entertain offers over £950k but won't reduce the price". Because that might actually get some buyers through the door???

trf1960

Well I have to admit and say that the second house is infinitely better than the one you are looking at and even though both are on for ridiculous amounts of money, the second one would be worthy of its price - just !!

I can only reiterate what others have stated though in that offer what you are happy to pay and take it from there. They can only say "no". Including a table of prices of other properties within the area could go against you in that it could p**s them off, someone else telling them what they think their house is worth, but its your choice. Good luck.

happinessfactory

trf1960 wrote: »

Including a table of prices of other properties within the area could go against you in that it could p**s them off, someone else telling them what they think their house is worth, but its your choice. Good luck.

I was planning to say just, "We have based our offer using the following comparables:" and give address of each house, its square footage and price achieved. Do you think that would be okay or is there a better way of putting it?

If they'd had a decent estate agent, they'd already have been given historical comparables to support their price estimate - this is what our agents did when they priced our flat. (Winkworth in Kensington, got to appreciate quality when you can, even in estate agents;) )

lynzpower

Oh.

The house that I saw that i thought it was was neither of these.

I would not pay that sort of money to live there- if you are spending a mil wouldnt you look somewhere a bit better than shepherds bush?

For that sort of money you could be looking at stuff like
http://www.rightmove.co.uk/viewdetails-9763866.rsp?pa_n=5&tr_t=buy

http://www.rightmove.co.uk/viewdetails-16746230.rsp?pa_n=5&tr_t=buy (nice!)

http://www.rightmove.co.uk/viewdetails-16034755.rsp?pa_n=6&tr_t=buy

http://www.rightmove.co.uk/viewdetails-16285220.rsp?pa_n=7&tr_t=buy

Or if you are wanting development how about
http://www.rightmove.co.uk/viewdetails-16231822.rsp?pa_n=10&mediamode=floorplans&curr_media_n=0&tr_t=buy&from_showcase=false

Or ( in w12)
http://www.rightmove.co.uk/viewdetails-16206752.rsp?pa_n=10&tr_t=buy

Time i9s money as they say, personally I wouldnt dream of wasting any more of my time on the original house, with a large budget, you should get something exceptionaly special, and I dont think - im certainly not getting the feeling from you- that the original house is special at all, just that theres not a lot on in W12, and thats what you are plumping for?