Would you wait till after lockdown to sell?

[Deleted User]

We want to get our house valued and on the market and the plan was to get in touch with some EA's in the new year, then lockdown 3.0 was announced and now we don't really know what to do for the best. 

My main concern is the market is incredibly slow right now with hardly anything coming on the market in our area and even less so when you filter down to detached which is our preference. I worry that we would struggle to find an onward purchase and end up making our buyers wait months and perhaps even end up pressured into buying a property that we don't really want. This house will be our long term home, so it really needs to be one that we know we'll be happy in. 

I'm considering whether its worth getting ours on the market now, with the view that by the time lockdown measures ease we'll hopefully see more properties coming up for sale, in which case we might already have a buyer in place and be in a proceed able position. Or, whether its just best to wait it out and see what happens over the next few months. 

My head is saying to wait, but my heart just really wants to get the ball rolling! 

UnderOffer

I’d certainly get some valuations and consider advertising. What if your ideal property comes on the market but you are not able to view as 1. You don’t have your house on market, 2. You therefore aren’t even proceedable to even consider offering if you are lucky enough to view. 

List yours and see what happens. 

RelievedSheff

It's a difficult one but I would be aiming towards getting your house on the market.

Houses where we are based are still coming onto the market and selling during this lock down.

Seashell517

I took the view with selling mine that it was best to get myself into a proceedable position. The people who offered on my property knew that I would only start looking for a property once I was sold, but that I was motivated to move and I kept an eye on what was available so that as soon as I was sold I could start viewing (although some estate agents never marking properties as SSTC didn't help with that).

I kept my sale agent informed of the viewings that I was going to, and asked their advice on offers, so that they knew I was actively looking. If my buyers had started to put on pressure then the response would have been that they could withdraw their offer, increase their offer enough to make it worthwhile for me break the chain (tricky to find short term accommodation due to pets) or wait.

Keep in mind though, that having people for viewings does mean having to keep your place tidy (or it did for me, some of the places that I viewed clearly didn't care to bother...) and also having to vacate for the viewings, so if you don't want that disruption then better to wait.

[Deleted User]

Yes I think you're right. There will no doubt be others like me who are waiting and it will be good to be a step ahead of them and already sold when the market does pick up again. 

ss2020jd

After weighing this up for some time after the second lockdown, I decided to remove my listing and wait. I don’t really want strangers coming around in the midst of a  pandemic that is still not under control. 

Although I would love to have the house sold and move I had to accept that is not ‘essential’ or more important than my family’s health.

 Perhaps being aware of people that we know of who have died of Covid made me more cautious. 

Just because EAs are still doing viewings (for the moment) doesn’t mean everyone should. It depends on individual  circumstances. I would feel much more comfortable when vaccines have been rolled out more and when figures are more under control. 

Plus the fact that there are still apparently massive backlogs and delays to associated services such as surveys and searches would just add the stress (for me anyway!) of an already stressful process. 

Thrugelmir

ss2020jd said:

After weighing this up for some time after the second lockdown, I decided to remove my listing and wait. I don’t really want strangers coming around in the midst of a  pandemic that is still not under control. 

Virtual tours enable potential viewers to have a good look at the property. Both inside and out. Reduces the need for physical viewing. 

ss2020jd

Thrugelmir said:

ss2020jd said:

After weighing this up for some time after the second lockdown, I decided to remove my listing and wait. I don’t really want strangers coming around in the midst of a  pandemic that is still not under control. 

Virtual tours enable potential viewers to have a good look at the property. Both inside and out. Reduces the need for physical viewing. 

That’s very true, and I chose my agent for that feature, but they still want to schedule physical viewings.  I did see someone suggesting that people make offers subject to a physical viewing but I’m not sure how many buyers would accept or buy on just a virtual viewing. That would be a dream come true! 

staffie1

As a buyer-in-waiting, I would never buy without a physical viewing. Just my twopenneth.

jenni_fer

We've been having this dilemma, we'd booked in the photos etc for early Jan way back in November and then the new lockdown started. In the end we've gone with it,  due to go live on rm etc in a couple of days with viewings from the end of the month. No idea if it's the right thing to do but we were about to do it last March and are just at the point of being fed up of our life being on hold. 
Do whatever feels right for you, there is no right answer.