Trying to sell

Veeo

Hi all,

Please I need so advice.
I (via my letting agent) informed my tenants 2 weeks ago of my intention to sell my property and their 6 months notice has been issued.

I was going to use my letting agent to sell the property but they were not forthcoming so I told my letting agent that I will be using another agent for the selling side of things.

I asked the letting agent to ask the tenants if they were happy from their number to be passed on to the selling agent and the tenants said yes (this was last week Thursday). Since then my selling agent has called the tenants a number of times now to try and arrange access to take photos done but tenants are now not answering their phone. I have tried calling tenants and left voicemail and they haven't called me back. 

Now I don't know what to do from here and we are going into lockdown on Thursday for a month. Please have you got a advice for me? Thank you in advance xxx

Caz3121

are you selling the property with tenants in place or after they have left?
are you expecting viewings whilst they are still in place - if so, have you discussed whether they would allow that (they don't have to and in the current situation may well chose not to) if they do allow strangers to wander round their home on viewings, have you discussed how they will be compensated? (long ago we stayed in a property and allowed viewings once a week in return for a rent reduction)
Have you considered waiting until they have moved out to market the property? some people may well be put off a property with current tenants as there is no guarantee that a they will move out at the end of notice and the court process to evict could take many months.

greatcrested

You are trying to market the property far too early. There is nopoint taking photos at this stage so you do not need access.

Once the tenants have left and the property is empty, that is the time to start marketing. However that may be a year from now....

Unless of course you plan to try to sell to another landlord with the tenancy still ongoing.

Or, of course, if the tenants have indicated that they will move out voluntarily earlier. Have they said they wish to leave?

One option would be to pay them (perhaps the deposit and first months rent for their next property?) to leave. Again, once they accepted and left, you will be abe to market the property.

If you are getting no reply by phone (I suspect they've sensibly reconsidered their options!), thry writing to them with an offer,

knightstyle

Perhaps the tenants are at work during the day when the agent phones, or perhaps they do not have a phone plugged in at home.  Friends unplugged their phone as all they got were scam calls on it, everyone uses mobiles now.

knightstyle

Perhaps the tenants are at work during the day when the agent phones, or perhaps they do not have a phone plugged in at home.  Friends unplugged their phone as all they got were scam calls on it, everyone uses mobiles now.

Sibbers123

Your tenants have the final say whether an estate agent can come take pictures and show people around. During a pandemic, who can blame them if they refuse.

You will need to wait until tenants leave. You can give them an incentive to leave before their notice period.

Veeo

Caz3121 said:

are you selling the property with tenants in place or after they have left?
are you expecting viewings whilst they are still in place - if so, have you discussed whether they would allow that (they don't have to and in the current situation may well chose not to) if they do allow strangers to wander round their home on viewings, have you discussed how they will be compensated? (long ago we stayed in a property and allowed viewings once a week in return for a rent reduction)
Have you considered waiting until they have moved out to market the property? some people may well be put off a property with current tenants as there is no guarantee that a they will move out at the end of notice and the court process to evict could take many months.

I was hoping to start the selling now that I have given the tenants notice to leave. 

I haven't discussed compensation for viewings hun. I think I might just do this. Thank you so much.

Maybe I should wait toward the very end of their notice/tenancy before I put the property on the market. Really I was hoping to sell and complete before the end of the stamp duty holiday to give me a better chance to sell the property. Hopefully the stamp duty holiday will be extended.

Thank you so so much. Your comment has given me a lot to think about x

Veeo

knightstyle said:

Perhaps the tenants are at work during the day when the agent phones, or perhaps they do not have a phone plugged in at home.  Friends unplugged their phone as all they got were scam calls on it, everyone uses mobiles now.

The thing is we are calling them on their mobile and left voicemail x

unforeseen

Veeo said:

Caz3121 said:

are you selling the property with tenants in place or after they have left?
are you expecting viewings whilst they are still in place - if so, have you discussed whether they would allow that (they don't have to and in the current situation may well chose not to) if they do allow strangers to wander round their home on viewings, have you discussed how they will be compensated? (long ago we stayed in a property and allowed viewings once a week in return for a rent reduction)
Have you considered waiting until they have moved out to market the property? some people may well be put off a property with current tenants as there is no guarantee that a they will move out at the end of notice and the court process to evict could take many months.

I was hoping to start the selling now that I have given the tenants notice to leave. 

I haven't discussed compensation for viewings hun. I think I might just do this. Thank you so much.

Maybe I should wait toward the very end of their notice/tenancy before I put the property on the market. Really I was hoping to sell and complete before the end of the stamp duty holiday to give me a better chance to sell the property. Hopefully the stamp duty holiday will be extended.

Thank you so so much. Your comment has given me a lot to think about x

You are of course assuming that they will go quietly at the end of the notice and not ignore it. 
At the end of the notice you are then able to start eviction proceedings, however with the backlog that has built up don't expect to get a hearing until the back end of next year. 

Veeo

Sibbers123 said:

Your tenants have the final say whether an estate agent can come take pictures and show people around. During a pandemic, who can blame them if they refuse.

You will need to wait until tenants leave. You can give them an incentive to leave before their notice period.

Yes but we can't even get through to them to o know what the issue is. The last I heard from the tenants they said "yes we are happy for our number to be passed on to the agent and we will sort out a convenient time for them to attend" 

I have asked the agent to offer them an incentive for them to leave early but they are not responding

greatcrested

Veeo said:

Caz3121 said:

are you selling the property with tenants in place or after they have left?
are you expecting viewings whilst they are still in place - if so, have you discussed whether they would allow that (they don't have to and in the current situation may well chose not to) if they do allow strangers to wander round their home on viewings, have you discussed how they will be compensated? (long ago we stayed in a property and allowed viewings once a week in return for a rent reduction)
Have you considered waiting until they have moved out to market the property? some people may well be put off a property with current tenants as there is no guarantee that a they will move out at the end of notice and the court process to evict could take many months.

I was hoping to start the selling now that I have given the tenants notice to leave. 

Pointless

1) they might not leave for a year

2) most sensible buyer will know the tenants might not leave for a year so will not be interested in your property

Wait till the property is empty

I haven't discussed compensation for viewings hun. I think I might just do this. Thank you so much.

Let us know how it goes

Maybe I should wait toward the very end of their notice/tenancy before I put the property on the market.

You can only be sure once the tenants have left and the tenancy has ended.

Really I was hoping to sell and complete before the end of the stamp duty holiday to give me a better chance to sell the property. Hopefully the stamp duty holiday will be extended.

What kind of tenancy is it?