Waste of Time Viewers

NannyB

Hi,
We have been trying to sell our house since april 2007, we have had viewers who have been a total waste of time, their propery not even for sale .....but then I had some new viewers last week with the new agent we went to 6 six weeks ago, the viewers were here for 50 minutes, asking every sort of question about the house possible...I honestly thought they were genuine viewers....however, we hadn't heard from the agent, so rang them this morning, she said, she believes they had given her false information, led her to believe they were in a proceedable position, but guess what, their house isn't even for sale.. what is it with people, have they got nothing better to do, than waste people's time.......we are not desperate to sell our house, as we have been here 19years and feel it is time to downsize..... I realise we are in a bad market, and in the south west of england where we are.. houses always take a long time to sell before problems in the market.....
We have six weeks left with the new agent and are now seriously considering taking the house off the market and trying again next year, as we are now so fed up...We have reduced the price by £10000......but i think large 1930's 4 bed semis aren't in great demand.....Anyway, thanks for listening....

Conrad

Price, price, price and price.

Everything as a price point. If you go over that line you wont sell and you will attract the time wasters.

Time watsers are easy to spot - they ask loads of questions and act like time vampires. Even if they are'nt time wasters, those with such finnicky mind sets are more liable to pull out of a deal - I always try and avoid this personakity type in all my dealings - escpeically if they carry a Whcih magazine - run a mile

PasturesNew

Conrad wrote: »

escpeically if they carry a Whcih magazine - run a mile

It's the South West, more likely to be carrying Witch Magazine

"The South West" is a large area. While it is down to price, there are some areas where even in a rising market it would take a couple of years to sell, just because most buyers were holidaymakers.

However, many of these holidaymakers will be having financial problems to deal with at home, so this year are less likely to be looking for a holiday home (except the shiny new flats).

I'm undecided as to how hard the South West will be hit by the reduction in 2nd home buying - and the selling off of what they've just bought or are buying off plan.

£10k off a price isn't a lot, to be honest. And don't forget, while you knocked off £10k, so did all your competition. That puts you back to square one really.

I fear it will come down to price and at some point you will have to make the decision of whether to give up and keep it, or reduce it below all your competition to be able to move on.

As for people viewing who aren't proceedable, it is a pain. But a lot of people will only put their house on the market if/when they find one they want to buy. So chicken and egg if you stop them looking.

I sold my house to people who had been on the market 1 week. They were assured theirs would fly off the shelves (EA said, so it must be true) as their area was really popular and their property was the cheapest/posh for sale. It took 4 months to get a buyer even back then (Nov 2006),

Good luck anyway.

sealady

I can understand that for you it might seem like time wasters but as I am a FTB and am looking at loads of houses at the moment and am also in the South West I feel I have to ask loads of questions. I do tend to spend quiet a lot of time in the different houses as I need to get a feel for the house and the area.

mlz1413

NannyB you could always take the bull by the horns and as your showing people round say things like "its sooo lovely to have genuine buyers round, you wouldn't believe how many people have nothing better to do than view/snoop round houses at the weekend".

Not saying it will stop them but it might make the snoopers leave quicker.

Also tell your agent to make more enquiries, like ring the agent the potentional viewers say they are using.

Good Luck with your sale.

NannyB

Thankyou for your replys, my house is in torbay, torquay to be precise, has always been a difficult market here, there are a lot of houses for sale at the same price as mine, £249,950, it is a big house with 4 bedrooms, 1 ensuite,1 family bathroom and 1 other shower room, 2 big reception rooms, etc, a nice house, level garden with decking etc and parking for 6 cars at the front, approx 1 mile from the town and seafront, close to all amenities and the out of town shopping centre....Unsure.. what to do... as the agent has said, they don't recommend reducing the price as an offer will be made anyway... guess, we'll have to plod along for the next six weeks and then review it again.I think, in general, we are all in for a difficult few months, and can do without timewasters along the way....

sascasjor

I've had the same problems with time wasters, they're everywhere and seem to have nothing better to do! In the early days of having the house on the market, one of the neighbours actually made an appointment to see the house but cancelled when they realised I was doing the viewing! Most of the viewers I came across hadn't sold their houses, many hadn't even put them up for sale. Some wanted unrealistic prices for their properties and were convinced theirs would sell in days which of course they didn't! I had seven offers, some really silly others subject to their own sale. I dropped lucky in the end though. A couple fell in love with the house and put theirs up for sale. I didn't hold out much hope but unbelievably, their house sold in four days! So don't lose hope and good luck x