House sale, interest at first, then none....
Discussion
In March I put my house up for sale, 3x agents valued at 180k 2 of which suggested we try it at 185k initially. I'm realistic that houses are selling for at least 10% under asking these days.
Its an odd street / area in that theres small terraces, large terraces (no gardens), enormous stone semis (gardens) and 1970's small semis (gardens), mine is the largest terrace (by some way) so no like for like direct comparison nearby.
Agent put it up on rightmove and shop window.
Had 6x viewings in March / April which were all positive apparently, no negatives mentioned not even price - promises of 2nd viewings never materialised and no offers.
End of May dropped price to 179k, still no interest.
Should I drop the price or drop the agent?! I need to sell really so we can move on.
Its an odd street / area in that theres small terraces, large terraces (no gardens), enormous stone semis (gardens) and 1970's small semis (gardens), mine is the largest terrace (by some way) so no like for like direct comparison nearby.
Agent put it up on rightmove and shop window.
Had 6x viewings in March / April which were all positive apparently, no negatives mentioned not even price - promises of 2nd viewings never materialised and no offers.
End of May dropped price to 179k, still no interest.
Should I drop the price or drop the agent?! I need to sell really so we can move on.
was8v said:
Should I drop the price or drop the agent?! I need to sell really so we can move on.
The problem is that although you want to move - maybe you've got a great deal - someone wants a 'great deal' on your house.And there's not enough buyers out there to argue otherwise. You may need to do both, and/or tell the agent that it is no longer an exclusive deal, and find a second/third agent.
was8v said:
In March I put my house up for sale, 3x agents valued at 180k 2 of which suggested we try it at 185k initially. I'm realistic that houses are selling for at least 10% under asking these days.
Its an odd street / area in that theres small terraces, large terraces (no gardens), enormous stone semis (gardens) and 1970's small semis (gardens), mine is the largest terrace (by some way) so no like for like direct comparison nearby.
Agent put it up on rightmove and shop window.
Had 6x viewings in March / April which were all positive apparently, no negatives mentioned not even price - promises of 2nd viewings never materialised and no offers.
End of May dropped price to 179k, still no interest.
Should I drop the price or drop the agent?! I need to sell really so we can move on.
Call me cynical but I know a number of estate agents that have their 'pet viewers' basically people that will go and see anything for a trip away from their own house - this shows the vendor they are adding value.Its an odd street / area in that theres small terraces, large terraces (no gardens), enormous stone semis (gardens) and 1970's small semis (gardens), mine is the largest terrace (by some way) so no like for like direct comparison nearby.
Agent put it up on rightmove and shop window.
Had 6x viewings in March / April which were all positive apparently, no negatives mentioned not even price - promises of 2nd viewings never materialised and no offers.
End of May dropped price to 179k, still no interest.
Should I drop the price or drop the agent?! I need to sell really so we can move on.
Could be that?
No harm in trying another agent but they generally are shopping in the same pond of potential purchasers, it depends on how hard they are pushing your house.
Maybe offer them a bonus if they sell it in x weeks? That should get their interest.
Its a sign of the uncertainty of the market sadly.
If you can change you EA (re-check your agreement for clauses, they've become very sneaky recently) then it cant harm to try another.
Alterntivly, get a friend to 'test' your agent, get them to make an enquiry on property in your postcode, see how much effort they put in to selling your property.
If you can change you EA (re-check your agreement for clauses, they've become very sneaky recently) then it cant harm to try another.
Alterntivly, get a friend to 'test' your agent, get them to make an enquiry on property in your postcode, see how much effort they put in to selling your property.
Dave_ST220 said:
If you need to sell then drop the price, everything will sell at the right price. It's not a booming market so I would guess the agents are doing all they can.
You have far more faith in an "average" agent than I do. OP, have you seen other places selling in your area? Are they sellling after months or going quickly?
Be honest with yourself, are you on a good street or are there others nearby that people would rather live on?
If you need to sell, then someone is going to want to get a bargain. Can you afford to ffer them one.
I'm a bit confused by the gardens thing. Does your house have a garden that is reasonable for the size of house? If your trying to sell a "desirable property, ideal for those seeking a family home" and you've got f
k-all outside space. you are always going to struggle.scotal said:
OP, have you seen other places selling in your area? Are they sellling after months or going quickly?
Yes places seem to be selling, theres a few sold signs gone up recently.scotal said:
Be honest with yourself, are you on a good street or are there others nearby that people would rather live on?
The street is good but there is a council estate not far (never any bother at all, but seems it has stigma). The next streets closer to town have houses similar in size & spec to mine - advertised over £200k. Smaller houses on my street advertised for 10% less than smaller houses on the closer streets (and have sold recently) so the price can't be far out.scotal said:
I'm a bit confused by the gardens thing. Does your house have a garden that is reasonable for the size of house? If your trying to sell a "desirable property, ideal for those seeking a family home" and you've got fk-all outside space. you are always going to struggle.
No gardens on any of the terraces, my end terrace has a yard + single garage. It has 3 storeys, 4x large double bedrooms (ensuite to master) top floor shower / toilet, large "family" bathroom and big lounge, reasonable kitchen and separate dining room. There are a few "original features" about. Theres no "family home" spin in the advert, it would suit anyone wanting indoor space and not fussed about gardens.k-all outside space. you are always going to struggle.Its a lot of house for the money.
Called the agent and they are dropping it on righmove and relisting (so it appears as a new property and gets sent out on email alerts), they are paying for a rightmove promoted listing and will put it in their window again. They did say they no longer have any similar properties near mine for sale anymore. Remind me why I'm promising them 1.2% again.... In my head I've given them 2 more weeks to get some viewings and then I'll change agents.
I'm a firm believer in changing agents.
Once a house starts to stick they will have moved on, and yours will be the one that does not get mentioned. Bugging the agent does not really work, either in my experience.
In my opinion after two months it's time to put wheels in to motion to change. Consider price carefully, and change the photo with any new agent so that people browsing rightmove see something differnt.
Once a house starts to stick they will have moved on, and yours will be the one that does not get mentioned. Bugging the agent does not really work, either in my experience.
In my opinion after two months it's time to put wheels in to motion to change. Consider price carefully, and change the photo with any new agent so that people browsing rightmove see something differnt.
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