Never sold a house before - any words of wisdom from PH?

[judas]

Quick update to this : signed with the estate agent Wednesday evening. Had a call 11 o'clock yesterday to say they have someone who wants to view at 3 o'clock (the agents don't have keys yet so can't do it without us there). Rush home to clean and tidy, and finish with 30 seconds to spare. Viewing goes very well. Second viewing by same family today followed immediately by an offer £2k below the admittedly optimistic asking price. Hand bitten off.

Well, that was unexpected...

ETA: they didn't even have time to get the place photographed let alone listed on Rightmove.

Edited by judas on Friday 3rd February 23:56

[ali_kat]

[Borroxs]

judas said:

Quick update to this : signed with the estate agent Wednesday evening. Had a call 11 o'clock yesterday to say they have someone who wants to view at 3 o'clock (the agents don't have keys yet so can't do it without us there). Rush home to clean and tidy, and finish with 30 seconds to spare. Viewing goes very well. Second viewing by same family today followed immediately by an offer £2k below the admittedly optimistic asking price. Hand bitten off.

Well, that was unexpected...

ETA: they didn't even have time to get the place photographed let alone listed on Rightmove.

Edited by judas on Friday 3rd February 23:56

Would have been interesting to see you use someone like purple bricks and report back on their service. I think it sounds like your house was very sellable.

Good luck with the sale, the team sues really do usually start here. Hope it's smooth for you.

[scenario8]

Congratulations. On the evidence provided it sounds like you found a decent agent, then.

What is your buyer's positions? Have they been financially qualified? Do they intend to get cracking straight away?

I don't recall clarification on your onward position. Do you intend to tie in an associated purchase or other move? There are all manner of things you may need to get started if so. Either way, my advice now would be to get your conveyancing files open Asap.

Best of luck.

[C Lee Farquar]

Borroxs said:

I think it sounds like your house was very sellable.

If this weren't Pistonheads it might have been that they had a good Estate Agent.

[marting]

Well done OP, all the best on your move!

I've just spent the day painting various rooms white ready to get my first home on the market in a few weeks. I hope it sells as rapidly as yours has!

[Ace-T]

Just wanted to pop back and say thanks for all the suggestions and advice. As Judas has mentioned above, it was unexpected.

Buyers have got mortgage all lined up (qualified? - they were gazumped) and we are looking to get a mortgage on the next house too which we have/will be taking advice on.

We are now on the hunt for somewhere, have two options, both vacant but one is quite a bit more than the other but in a better area and is bigger. We need to chat with our mortgage adviser on Monday if we decide over the weekend to go for it.

Edited by Ace-T on Saturday 4th February 18:55

[essayer]

Get the estate agent to do the photos etc just in case these guys faff about

[Ace-T]

essayer said:

Get the estate agent to do the photos etc just in case these guys faff about

Yep, this is happening on Weds

[Croutons]

£2k off before it hit the market? They'd have paid the ask for you to keep it that way! Good luck anyway

[scenario8]

Ace-T said:

Just wanted to pop back and say thanks for all the suggestions and advice. As Judas has mentioned above, it was unexpected.

Buyers have got mortgage all lined up (qualified? - they were gazumped) and we are looking to get a mortgage on the next house too which we have/will be taking advice on.

We are now on the hunt for somewhere, have two options, both vacant but one is quite a bit more than the other but in a better area and is bigger. We need to chat with our mortgage adviser on Monday if we decide over the weekend to go for it.

Edited by Ace-T on Saturday 4th February 18:55

So the people who have submitted the offer on your house have previously had an offer accepted on another house. Some time after that purchase was agreed the vendor of that house accepted an alternative offer from another party and thus your "buyers" were shown the door? Subsequently they offered on yours. That's what you mean by "qualified? - they were gazumped"? Ok. And they themselves are chain free? They aren't selling anything or releasing assets from some other place in order to finance the purchase of your house? At the very least they are able to demonstrate they have the financial ability to proceed? Good.

You yourself have yet to meet a mortgage broker? Ok. At least you are a few thousand "better off" than you expected to be. Let's hope you leave that meeting satisfied. Get it done asap just in case you were misinformed with respect to your financial position.

You're serious about selling, though, as demonstrated above so please tell me you have either already or intend to very shortly instruct a solicitor and provide them with sufficient funds to draw up a sale contract?

You've expressed an interest in two possible purchases already? Great. Let's hope everything comes together swiftly for you.

A good way to start the year!

[Ace-T]

scenario8 said:

So the people who have submitted the offer on your house have previously had an offer accepted on another house. Some time after that purchase was agreed the vendor of that house accepted an alternative offer from another party and thus your "buyers" were shown the door? Subsequently they offered on yours.

Yes

scenario8 said:

That's what you mean by "qualified? - they were gazumped"?

No, the agent has checked they have a mortgage offer in place to actually buy our house.

scenario8 said:

And they themselves are chain free?

Nope, there are 2 other transactions in the chain, but all are ready to go. We are the last in line at the moment.

scenario8 said:

At least you are a few thousand "better off" than you expected to be. Let's hope you leave that meeting satisfied. Get it done asap just in case you were misinformed with respect to your financial position.

Seen 2 mortgage advisers who both came up with the same product from the same lender for the cheaper house. We need to go back to the one we have chosen to get them to run the numbers for the more expensive house to see if it can be done. The internet and our excel spreadsheets say it can but that doesn't mean anything.

scenario8 said:

You're serious about selling, though, as demonstrated above so please tell me you have either already or intend to very shortly instruct a solicitor and provide them with sufficient funds to draw up a sale contract?

Got quote from solicitor and will be instructing Monday morning, To be fair we accepted the offer on a Friday evening so hard to get hold of a sober solicitor over the weekend.

scenario8 said:

You've expressed an interest in two possible purchases already?

Yes, but not offered on either as it would not be appropriate until all other ducks in a row IYSWIM

scenario8 said:

Great. Let's hope everything comes together swiftly for you. A good way to start the year!

Thank you, we are more than slightly terrified/shellshocked/stunned/overwhelmed and are expecting things to go utterly pear shaped. If it does, but we still sell ours we will move out into rented and be a cash buyer if necessary.

[Wacky Racer]

Don't forget a house is never sold until the fat lady sings.....

[Ace-T]

Wacky Racer said:

Don't forget a house is never sold until the fat lady sings.....

All too aware WR

At the moment all this is very much '...and as long as I'm dreaming, I'd like a pony...'