Lionda

Join the club Chris - we have had all those excuses doesn't it just drive you mad

P.s. We haven't put up the fence panel, it's too windy and freezing cold out there so back inside in the warm with a hot cup of tea Got no viewers booked for the foreseeable future so I'm not even bothering to tidy up today, think I'll stay on here and play instead

poollounger

Never thought of that... including the stamp duty in the price then offering to pay it for the buyers... at least it allows it to be included in the mortgage provided the valuation is ok.
We sold my mothers house in Leicester in 2003. Had quite different valuations. I chose the one which I felt was arrived at logically. The agent arrived with details of previous similar houses they had sold in the area etc. I was surprised at how quickly it went, and wondered if we had underpriced it and should have gone for the valuation some 10 grand higher. It could then have sat on the market for months. I will never know. Except in certain parts of the country it is a buyers market.

Miss Naughty

Hi,
Estate agents are lazy pen pushers, and will not encourage open days etc etc etc as it means a bit more work for them. But make them they will help in the end but you have to hassle them.
Any good estate agents will work on your behalf and should inform you of other ways to encourage buyers through your door, the thing that gripes me is when they get viewings for you the people actually have not even sold there house yet :curse: .
Always inform your estate agent to not let these time wasters view as you could wait months and months before they sell there home.
Also NEVER take your house of the market when you have had a offer even if you accepted it. As anyone can pull out even at the last minute. xxxxxx

chrisw

Can't argue with that! Have taken all your suggestions on board and certainly would not take house off market until categorically SOLD (what an appealing word that is!) I was thinking of starting to call them on a VERY regular basis so they might:
1, Get fed up with me and sell house to get me off their backs
2, Remind them I am actually still alive
3, Might annoy them to the point of "losing" our file!
4, Put house on with a second Agent (what has your experience been of this?)
Would be very interested in your comments Miss Naughty!

Lionda

If you put your house on with a second agent then you could legally be obliged to pay two lots of commission fees - read the small print!

Miss Naughty

Hi,
Regarding using 2nd agents i was never in to that, if you do make sure your agreement with the estate agents that you are currently with have not put down as sole agents otherwise you will have to pay both agents when it sells
Also if you do, do not have another board up with the new agent, as that can appear desperate to future buyers as in there heads they want to know why you are so desperate to get out of the area etc etc etc. (even though you want to move because you want to relocate) potential buyers dont register that in there heads.

Mitzyboy

You just ensure you don't sign a sole agency agreement. Most agents now allow it, but some charge an extra quarter percent if you go dual agency

Miss Naughty

Negotiate fee's NEVER say yes and sign always push the fee's down at the end they can do it and will for your custom.
Also say after 8 weeks if it has not sold ask them to drop the fees more.
Also make sure they give you good coverage in the papers as after a while they will only put your house in the paper once a month.

They will always try and push your house on to ppl when you first sign up with them and then new propertys go on their books and they will forget your's
Ring them once or twice a week as that will make them work harder for you.

mikelincs

we had p[roblems getting people to view, and then they all seemed keen, but no offers, so eventually we put it up for auction, with a reasoned reserve. We actually sold BEFORE the auction, but the purchaser HAD to complete before the day of the auction otherwise he would lose it as it remained on the schedule. He completed 2 days before the due date.

chrisw

Thanks all! I was aware of the "sole agent" and potencially being liable for 2 lots of commission. Obviously need to check that with our agent. And agree about the 2 boards outside a property, as that is exactly what I would think, that we were desperate to sell and make a silly offer!
Actually, we had one of those as well. We were offered £"50,000 under the market value which we of course politely declined. They then contacted the agent and advised that if we did ever decide to sell it for that amount in the future, that he would still be interested in buying! I bet he would be! On yer bike pal, I'm eager to sell not desperate! I would rather gnaw me own arm off!

Miss Naughty

chrisw

Amazing isn't it? They agree to sell your property for an agreed percentage but if you want to cover youself and put it with 2 agents it's (well for a little extra we will TRY to sell your house harder.
reminds me of a joke:
Paddy the traffic warden, being new to the job was being tested by his supervisor. He asked Paddy "What does it mean if you see a yellow line?
Paddy prodly replied: " Ah, well dat means for shoore dat der is no parkin' at all"
His supervisor suitably impressed, then asked: "then what does a double yellow line mean?" Well, Paddy had been studying and proudly replied:
"Ah, weel, to be Shoore dat means no parkin at all at all!"

Miss Naughty

i dont get it

derbyflan

Have you thought of asking the Agent "Why?" your house isn't attracting any interest? Chances are, it's because they're just not pushing it hard enough.

I've bought and sold a few times for investment purposes and it amazes me the faith some people (not saying, you!) will instill in an Agent. For example, we bought a property a few years back and did it up to sell - Sarah Beeny style. One of the Agents that came round to quote a selling price woefully over-estimated the true market value. The immediate temptation was to go with them as they said they'd be able to sell it for £XXXXX. In reality, the house would have attracted very few viewers with no one making an offer. After a few weeks either we or the Agents would have suggested bringing the asking price down and we may have had a sale. The Agent's objective would have been met, ie, they would have secured us as customers initially by deliberatly giving us false hope and may have got a sale out of it in the end.

I often still nose around on sites like Rightmove and the other day I saw a house for sale near us for over £500000. The Agent had taken internal pictures that showed the Vendor's dirty washing lying around the kitchen and bedrooms in baskets If that Agent had have worked for me I'd have most likely sacked him.

Another thing.... I always showed potential buyers around all of my properties. I once hid in the garage during a viewing that the Agent was carrying out. The Agent (or should I say boy) showing them around didn't have a clue. He couldn't answer any questions they asked and just stood in the hall whilst these people wandered around my home. I had to step-in in the end.

Ask a good friend to be honest and act like a prospective buyer and 'show' them around your home - ask them what they think you need to do to make it more sellable. Also, ask your friends to phone up the Agent and enquire about property for sale in your area - see if the Agent even mentions your house.

Lionda

Derbyflan - will you come and sell mine