No viewers! ARGHHHHH!!!!

Flylady_Flower

tomstickland wrote: »

Any house will sell if the buyer wants it and it's the right price.
However, a good advert can help bring people in, so here's my thoughts:


What a waste of space! Write your own description setting out the plus points.

Photos: it looks a bit dreary to me. Run of the mill mid terrace, grey sofa and grey carpet in front room, bare garden. I'm not advocating redecorating it or anything, but think a bit of decluttering/minor tarting might help. Even pumping the colour balance in photoshop could help.

It is in good condition, so at the right price I see nothing wrong with it.

Get a photo showing the big, wide garage doors.

Hi,

I must agree with quite a bit of what has been said above. I do home staging and also know Corringham Road, so know the area you are in, and I agree, your home is priced well. Selling your home is usually about 2 things - what people can afford to achieve the maximum they can and whether or not it covers their needs.

1. If it is a family home, nowadays it usually takes 2 incomes to achieve a mortgage, so most people want to walk in and live in it - not spend all their time on DIY (unless they are buying it really cheap because it is a 'doer-upper')
2. You need things that would really help draw people in, make it stand out from the others - there are loads of bright coloured spring flowers around at the moment quite cheap, so baskets and pots at the front of the house would be great
3. Make sure there is NO mess or unfinished jobs to do - leave no reason for them to reduce their asking price
4. Make your home as clutter free as you can - no magazines out, worktops in kitchens as free of stuff as possible, nothing on top of cupboards or wardrobe - don't let people think that you don't have enough space!
5. Your lounge is a great neutral space but pretty plain - add some bright coloured cushions, maybe a rug, and definitly some artwork in similar colours - try second hand shops, make some easy sew cushions from remnents of fabric, buy some canvasses and paint them (easy as masking off stripes of left-over emulsion) Dunelm mills are great for cheap canvasses - your closest is Romford on the A127.
6. Plants and flowers always work and are great at creating a lovely smell and for softening a room - Ikea do some great big green plants for just under £18 with cheap pots to put them in too, ivy is great to soften a bookcase - try laying some on their side too - the trouble with a full bookcase is it can look really busy and subconsiously look like more clutter

Once you have finished all your 'titivating', get the agents around to take more photo's - if they won't take your own and make them put them on - they are your agent and they should be working to sell your home so don't let them forget that! You seem to have a great kitchen/breakfast room but they don't have a photo of the kitchen - the place most people want to know about. Having worked for an estate agent I know when things are not too good they don't take photos as they don't want to put people off, so not having photos on there could be putting people off as they think that your home isn't very good.

I wish you luck and don't be scared of Estate Agents - they work on commission and the quicker they sell your property the quicker they get paid - just remind them about that, but don't be stroppy as they will just ignore your property and sell another one!

Also, get them to phone their mailing lists again and make sure you're in the Gazette as that works on rotation - they will be asking you for a reduction in price soon - usually they ask about every 4 weeks

I hope this helps. There is loads you can do but watch your expenditure and only buy stuff that you can take with you to your new home!

Good luck!
Denise

Spamreported

rose101 wrote: »

I can sympathise so much. Our 2 bed ground floor maisonette is also on the market with Bairstow Eves. We have only one viewing in two weeks and I also now find their attitude very negative and disheartening:

http://www.rightmove.co.uk/viewdetails-17254315.rsp?pa_n=2&tr_t=buy

.

would you like some help?

1) the pictures were taken in the dark, you need light pouring in those windows
2) the house looks cold as a result
3) there are some nice features, like the living room which could be shown in a better light, or some light.
4)you have the same god awful homebase bathroom tiles as we do. they look nice in the box.

janie161

Just picking up on a point Rose101 made, does anyone know then if it is a breach of contract to market your own property yourself? In what way could you do this? Shop window adverts but with the estate agents contact details?

Flylady_Flower

Just picking up on a point Rose101 made, does anyone know then if it is a breach of contract to market your own property yourself? In what way could you do this? Shop window adverts but with the estate agents contact details?

You can market it yourself or even do a joint agency even if you have a sole agency contract, but just make sure you read the small print!

If you then sell the property through the other agents or by your own efforts, you will still have to pay the original Estate Agents and their fees can more than double! I think Barstows charge between 1 and 2.5%, and this can go up to 6-8% if sold while you are still tied into their sole agency - it should state the exact amount on their contract.

PLUS you will owe the new agent their fees too - usually an additional 2-3% for the joint agency - very costly!

If you want to do this, check with your original agents and see if they will change to a joint agency - if they agree, get the contract changed as quick as possible so you don't end up paying the extra payment to them if the other agent sells. the best way is to give them a week to see if they can sell it on their sole agency as they often pull their finger out for that week and you may just get that sale!

Hope that helps

Flylady_Flower

pinkshoes wrote: »

Also, a "part tiled family bathroom" makes it sound half finished!

Just a quick note on this. You must not be misleading and misrepresent your property in any way as this is illegal.

The Property Misdescription Act 1991 (I know, I had to read it!:mad:) stops agents putting fully tiled or just tiled ect, even if it is tiled from floor to ceiling, as you may not have tiles under bath (who has?). Same as if house is fully double glazed apart from an obscure window in the downstairs loo or something, they have to put part double glazed. Most agents have a list of 'general statements' that they put when certain criteria pops up to stop them getting things wrong.

I know, its that stupid 'PC' reasoning again , but people will sue over anything and if you sell a bathroom as fully tiled and it's not ... you know the senario

If you want to find out more details or if you're just bored, try this link - http://www.opsi.gov.uk/acts/acts1991/ukpga_19910029_en_1.htm

Denise x

Flylady_Flower

janie161 wrote: »

Thank you all so much for your views and taking time to reply.

I have today stripped my home of all clutter, rearranged furniture, bought cushions and throws and a large rug and it's amazing the difference it has made. I am now going to spend a while this afternoon taking some photos myself and give them to the estate agent as I really do feel my house looks poor in theirs, as you quite rightly all say, very dull and blah!

I am really tempted to take it off the market just to get away from Bairstow Eves (still locked in for another 8 weeks though so wont be able to market it elsewhere) and I do feel that I have been ripped off. Their fees amount to around 1.75% and I paid £499 for a HIPS through their surveyors too (my fault and naivety I know)

Anyway, your imput kept me awake all last night thinking about your comments and I have started to put in place today all your suggestions. Off to write up my own property blurb now to accompany my own photos. Will let you know how things progress from here.

Hi again Janie,

Just a quick thing, if you take it off the market, don't put it on with anyone else or sell it during this time, as you will still be under contract with Bairstows - I know, but the contract continues even if you are off the market!

Also, I agree with welshnoonoo, price is not everything and buyers usually ask to see homes between their price brackets, so will look if it is in there and if you can make it stand out from all the others in that bracket, they will view!

You sound like you have really done well and I hope you get a buyer soon! best of luck,
Denise x

martinbuckley

janie161 wrote: »

and I live on a main road near a large secondary school so lots of passers by.

The bit in bold would put me off Janie, especially if the asking price is higher than similar properties in quieter residential areas. Families with young kids dont want to be overlooking a main road with noise and speeding vehicles whizzing by and your type of house is the sort that a young family may well be looking at.

My suggestion is to price it based on location, not size or how many parking spaces it has.

janie161

So am I right in thinking then that if I decide to pull out of my contract with Bairstow Eves during their 12 week lock in sole agency period, I can't market it with another or sell it before the 12 weeks is up? I read somewhere in the small print earlier that Bairstows can chase me up to six months after the agreement if I sell to a buyer who was on Bairstows books? I really do hope I can sell it without all the grief I will probably endure going dual agency or "resting" the property for a time :-(

arthur_dent_2

janie161 wrote: »

So am I right in thinking then that if I decide to pull out of my contract with Bairstow Eves during their 12 week lock in sole agency period, I can't market it with another or sell it before the 12 weeks is up? I read somewhere in the small print earlier that Bairstows can chase me up to six months after the agreement if I sell to a buyer who was on Bairstows books? I really do hope I can sell it without all the grief I will probably endure going dual agency or "resting" the property for a time :-(

I have also heard that you can still be charged by the agent if someone has merely browsed the rightmove details.

Benefits_Blagger

rose101 wrote: »

I can sympathise so much. Our 2 bed ground floor maisonette is also on the market with Bairstow Eves. We have only one viewing in two weeks and I also now find their attitude very negative and disheartening:

http://www.rightmove.co.uk/viewdetails-17254315.rsp?pa_n=2&tr_t=buy

When our property (the same one) was on for sale last year we had over 20 viewings and three offers within a week. Unfortunately our chain collapsed (our seller pulled out and we could not find another suitable house). Now we are in the exact opposite position, we have had an offer accepted on a house and can't sell ours, and seem to be stuck with Bairstow Eves. Luckily when I signed the agreement I said 12 weeks sole agency was too long and they agreed to reduce it to 8, but we may lose our house by waiting another 6 weeks as our vendor is keen for a quick sale.

I have told Bairstows we are not happy with the level of viewings, they have just said the market is slow and their only advice is to reduce the price. .

!!!!!!, have you not thought the EA might be right, the market is slow and you need to reduce the price ?

afterall they had no problem finding you viewers last year ?

or judging by the number of these threads, have all the agents turned into barstewards overnight (ignoring the fact they alreay were) ?

you have two anecodatals there, the viewer situation, plus the fact you found it difficult to buy last year, but not a problem now.

you need to get over the fact that last year, was erm last year, the market has changed and moved on, you need to do the same.