Ask An Estate Agent Anything
Discussion
Byker28i said:
There's been a thread recently about sellers refusing viewings if the potential buyers house hasn't sold. Is this a thing?
We're looking but nothing is around at the moment that we want, so haven't put our house up for sale. Every house in our locality has sold in two days in the last two years, including one this weekend for full asking after 2 days for sale. Our new neighbours got into a bidding war to pay over price last year, so we're not keen to sell ours if we haven't seen something, so we don't keep other buyers waiting.
Slightly worried we may find we can't view a house if we spot one we like.
Very much so although it's easing .We're looking but nothing is around at the moment that we want, so haven't put our house up for sale. Every house in our locality has sold in two days in the last two years, including one this weekend for full asking after 2 days for sale. Our new neighbours got into a bidding war to pay over price last year, so we're not keen to sell ours if we haven't seen something, so we don't keep other buyers waiting.
Slightly worried we may find we can't view a house if we spot one we like.
We don't have an policy as an agent on this. We vet everyone, if someone doesn't want to answer questions or is evasive, or they say "they're looking to see what they can get in the area for the money" then no. I wouldn't want anyone like that viewing my house, waste of time.
But even if not on the market yet, but you can show motivation/sincerity, then I make it the vendors decision.
If you do go on the market and sell, the agent should be making it clear to the prospective buyers that you will only start the legal work once you have found a property. You can still show it as under offer to show commitment to them, but only on those terms.
33q said:
I am really struggling to sell my cottage.
It has been on the market for 13 months.
Valued £230 to £250k by 2 agents....with work should make £300k
Dropped to £220k after about 6 weeks
Sale 1 - £215k failed as the buyer was concerned about the survey....it's an early 1800 cottage in need to refurbing
Back on August
Sale 2 agreed. £212k. Didn't want a survey...'Cash Sale'. At the eleventh hour had a survey and revised offer to £125k!!!!!!!!!!
And as if my bad luck wasn't enough the front was damaged by a runaway van where the driver had a heart attack and died at the scene.
Waited until post funeral to go back up.
I've put it up for auction (next week) guided at £150k..........no interest whatsoever
It needs work but in a conservation area with garden and parking with plenty of scope to extend and remodel.
Although I don't really want to I can see me spending a small amount..£10k and letting it again...any ideas?
What are surveyors saying is the issue? Just because there's no interest yet, it could still go at auction... It has been on the market for 13 months.
Valued £230 to £250k by 2 agents....with work should make £300k
Dropped to £220k after about 6 weeks
Sale 1 - £215k failed as the buyer was concerned about the survey....it's an early 1800 cottage in need to refurbing
Back on August
Sale 2 agreed. £212k. Didn't want a survey...'Cash Sale'. At the eleventh hour had a survey and revised offer to £125k!!!!!!!!!!
And as if my bad luck wasn't enough the front was damaged by a runaway van where the driver had a heart attack and died at the scene.
Waited until post funeral to go back up.
I've put it up for auction (next week) guided at £150k..........no interest whatsoever
It needs work but in a conservation area with garden and parking with plenty of scope to extend and remodel.
Although I don't really want to I can see me spending a small amount..£10k and letting it again...any ideas?
Depends what you're into for it, sounds to me like a cut your losses kind of place if it's that bad?
Fusss said:
Link detached, are they harder to sell?
Do you find people are more turned away from a link detached? Seems a weird price point between a semi and a detached.
They're not apart from the fact that link detached owners want the same money as fully detached despite what I might say.Do you find people are more turned away from a link detached? Seems a weird price point between a semi and a detached.
I'm not a fan of them, but that's just me.
surveyor said:
OP - How do you find clients?
I recall in the early 90's at the start of my career, when the housing market was on its arse, especially in a pit town with the mine closing, a minor whose house was not selling coming into the office and wanted to put the price up, because the headline in The Sun said values had gone up by 4%.
Still, it did me good, as I got qualified so that I did not have to deal with stuff like that!
Its still very much like that.I recall in the early 90's at the start of my career, when the housing market was on its arse, especially in a pit town with the mine closing, a minor whose house was not selling coming into the office and wanted to put the price up, because the headline in The Sun said values had gone up by 4%.
Still, it did me good, as I got qualified so that I did not have to deal with stuff like that!
You can present all the best evidence, comparables, experience in the world. But if their mate, or family member or whoever happens to say it's worth more then that's what they want. Yes it can be subjective, but the property ombudsman states:
"4b - Any figure you advise, either as a recommended asking price
or as a possible selling price must be given in good faith and
must reflect available information about the property and
current market conditions and must be supported by
comparable evidence. You must never deliberately
misrepresent the market value of a property"
Laughable when you think how many do, but more often than not it's greedy vendors.
MisanoPayments said:
Do you get much interest from overseas buyers?
Agents I am in contact with say that whilst the interest is there, the number of those parties coming over to view is still below pre-pandemic levels (although I am told some people have bought on the back of a video tour).
Some yes, but mostly our interest is 60% from London and 35% local. Agents I am in contact with say that whilst the interest is there, the number of those parties coming over to view is still below pre-pandemic levels (although I am told some people have bought on the back of a video tour).
KTF said:
Do you ever say no you wont list it to a seller when you have been to see their house and realise its a wreck or going to take forever to sell or does everything have its price and you take it on regardless?
No I've turned down a few over the years, mostly down to the price wanted or the terms.I don't want things sitting on my books for ages that have zero chance of selling.
Gladers01 said:
Do you anticipate a large amount of of ex buy to let properties flooding the sales market if the section 21 'no fault eviction' is eventually abolished? 
Absolutely, especially those with multiple properties. We are still waiting clarification though on what happens if a landlord wishes to sell a property - a lot of lenders won't mortgage a property with a sitting tenant. The government have zero clue on this, it's staggering how blind they are to the effects it will have. There are easier ways to clamp down on rogue landlords.
troika said:
Quags, how much bank down valuing are you seeing? Presumably it happens more often with over optimistic sellers being bought back down to earth?
I've not seen any myself for about five years. I've seen it due to an issue with the house from a survey requiring work but not a down value.Never sold a house with half size furniture.
Presenting a house well however is paramount. Decluttering, keeping surfaces clean, hiding away shoes, laundry etc. Other than getting the photography and marketing spot on, a viewing can almost be determined on how much effort the vendor has made.
Presenting a house well however is paramount. Decluttering, keeping surfaces clean, hiding away shoes, laundry etc. Other than getting the photography and marketing spot on, a viewing can almost be determined on how much effort the vendor has made.
honest_delboy said:
With interest rates rising again today have you seen a softening in prices already, or do you think that's still to come later in the year, or not at all ?
If I knew the answer to that I'd be a rich man! (Which despite the perception, I'm not)It's not turned out to be the start to the year we all feared, the BOE are making positive comments about things expecting to change for the better, we're still way off the carnage and interest rates many of the armchair experts proclaimed would kill the market this year.
I'm optimistic, I'm still listing lots, selling well
Flooble said:
Yeah I could have phrased that better. I know someone who replaced their eight-seat dining table with a four-seat one, so the dining room didn't require you to breathe in and shuffle past the chairs.
I wondered whether that sort of thing actually made a difference.
It's more about the ease of passage through a house on a viewing.I wondered whether that sort of thing actually made a difference.
If it's dark with furniture obstructing your path and you view other houses, that house will seem like the dark small one, whereas if paths are clear, lights are on, it's fresh and clean, it is remembered as light and airy. Reflected as much in the feedback!
I'd wager they attain more than they would if nasty/untidy.
Hahah I've not had that thankfully, but I have a few stories, a couple:
Had a viewing on an empty flat in a town I worked in, the landlord had his own house elsewhere, we had free reign to go.
Arrive for a viewing, meet the prospective buyers, show them round chatting etc, go the bathroom, door was shut which was odd, open the door to see the landlord stark b
k naked in the bath snoring. I tried to back out but the couple were already coming in, they bumped into me and we stumbled into the room waking him up.
Apparently he'd been on a night out in town and thought he'd crash at the flat and neglected to tell us. Very apologetic. The buyers left quicker than the size of his manhood shrunk.
Another way back I called a vendor asking to do a viewing that day on her lovely barn conversion, I said if it was a problem as short notice that i'd arrange it for another day. She nervously said "I think it's ok, I had a glass of wine last night that if you could put in the sink before the viewing". No problem, get there early as always do. Walked into lounge, two empty glasses of red, one with lipstick on, a copy of the Karma Sutra opened on the coffee table. Went into the bedroom, lacey underwear on the floor and a bright pink rampant rabbit 'soiled' from the previous evenings activities....
I kicked the panties under the bed and threw the cover over the eagle eared, bead-filled turkey purse probe.
The viewers were none the wiser, the vendor however made a very embarassed phone call to me the next day.
I also once appraised a former gangster/drug dealers house that had a mini zoo in it along with what can only be described as a huge sex shed with different 'scenes' set, cages (for humans) costumes and various sexual implements. It had been repossessed as he was in nick.
Hahah I've not had that thankfully, but I have a few stories, a couple:
Had a viewing on an empty flat in a town I worked in, the landlord had his own house elsewhere, we had free reign to go.
Arrive for a viewing, meet the prospective buyers, show them round chatting etc, go the bathroom, door was shut which was odd, open the door to see the landlord stark b
k naked in the bath snoring. I tried to back out but the couple were already coming in, they bumped into me and we stumbled into the room waking him up.Apparently he'd been on a night out in town and thought he'd crash at the flat and neglected to tell us. Very apologetic. The buyers left quicker than the size of his manhood shrunk.
Another way back I called a vendor asking to do a viewing that day on her lovely barn conversion, I said if it was a problem as short notice that i'd arrange it for another day. She nervously said "I think it's ok, I had a glass of wine last night that if you could put in the sink before the viewing". No problem, get there early as always do. Walked into lounge, two empty glasses of red, one with lipstick on, a copy of the Karma Sutra opened on the coffee table. Went into the bedroom, lacey underwear on the floor and a bright pink rampant rabbit 'soiled' from the previous evenings activities....
I kicked the panties under the bed and threw the cover over the eagle eared, bead-filled turkey purse probe.
The viewers were none the wiser, the vendor however made a very embarassed phone call to me the next day.
I also once appraised a former gangster/drug dealers house that had a mini zoo in it along with what can only be described as a huge sex shed with different 'scenes' set, cages (for humans) costumes and various sexual implements. It had been repossessed as he was in nick.
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