Good for you Rose , I think you have a business head on your shoulders , You know the ins and outs of selling a property .
I did have a guy look in my Loft , maybe cause a lot put another room there , or perhaps to see what state the roof was ,
1 Like
There are a few wanderers on the forum…Summer… 
After we were married in 1972 we moved into a bit of a dive. A two bedroom flat darn Kings Road in the town centre…I paid one months rent but we had had enough after two weeks and moved out. I was brought up in the country and didn’t take to town living at all.
We spent the next twelve months living over a chemist shop in the suburbs, while saving up for our first house…
We moved into this bungalow in 1973. It was brand spanking new, and each night after work we would stroll round the grounds and admire the progress…
2023 and we are still here, I expect I’ll be wheeled out in a box, hopefully sometime in the distant future.
We had some experience selling property though when Mum and dad passed away in 2009. And again in 2017 when Mrs Fox’s Dad passed away and we sold his flat. In both cases we left the property in the hands of the estate agents to show folks round and tidy up any loose ends…I think when you sell because of bereavement you heart is not in it…
1 Like
A serious buyer would have a survey done which if worth their salt would look in the loft, so maybe he thought I’ll save a quid or two and look myself.
1 Like
Well that buyer was moving here from France , his wife was a solicitor , and they tried to do a private deal without the EA knowing , , even said they would pay our Fees …
I didnt know if I could trust them enough , so I refused their offer …
It’s Ok sticking out for a price, in an expanding market but, that costs time and time is not susecptible to market forces, it is fixed but hey ho, you chase the money and takes your choice.
Just checked my place and since 2014 it has gone up in price by at least £300,000. So it doesn’t look that around here prices are dropping. Put another way we could not afford to buy it now
So has everywhere else RS, you could sell and withdraw that capital whilst the market is on a high.
I am amazed at your experiences .
I hate looking at houses for sale ,I can’t think why anyone would do it just to be nosy .
In the street I live houses never even make it to the market at times if they do they are sold immediately.
I have tried to buy various houses and always ended up in a bidding war which I invariably lose .
If I were selling this house I would leave it to the estate agents certainly would be out when people came to veiw.
But , having read posts here maybe that’s a bad idea
Perhaps save the dosh and DIY .
1 Like
It has been almost 25 years since we last moved house but I do remember showing potential buyers around at the time. I also remember that a certain programme on TV suggested that the smell of freshly made coffee could tempt buyers - I can’t remember the reason for that now but it seemed to work for us because the buyers asked what sort of coffee maker we had! They also asked if any of our furniture was for sale - we began to think they were buying into an ideal rather than the actual house! (We didn’t sell any of our furniture to them by the way). They moved away again within twelve months of buying - maybe they bought the wrong kind of coffee maker!!
yes Id heard about the coffee smell , I also heard the smell of fresh bread out the oven…
Well this morning I now find the property im joined onto is up for sale , Its been rented out for the last 14 years , some tenants have been ok others not so … But the present one I hardly know is there they so quite .
I shall watch with interest who views , Im hoping for an Oldie , who will be quite as me .
Love this house type and style so don’t want to sell
I find that giving the impression that time is not important to you does the trick. We bought a small house to rent out about 15 years ago. The market was very slow and it had been for sale for about a year and I walked past it every day.
An estate agent showed me round and it was pristine as it had only been used as a holiday home. He told me they wanted to sell quickly and were open to offers as it had been on the market for so long. I put in an offer which was about £20,000 less and said that would be my final offer as there were loads of similar properties on the market and theirs was the first we had viewed and we were not in a hurry. Everything I said was true and I was thrilled when they accepted our offer!
RoseRed, we haven’t moved for 26 years now, and a persons perception and requirements of a house move changes as folk age but, one thing that struck me when at the start of the home ownership process was, that people staying within the chain were obsessed with their own increasing property valuations not realizing that the market increase was relative and the percentage increase on their potential upward purchase represented a greater cash gap to be financed so I always tried to move in a receding market. Now we are old folks, rising market value is everything. 
1 Like
There is a company that does on line estimates ""z**la . They work of land registry and area etc to get a rough estimate of low to high expectations. What they don’t include is "extras " such as conservatories - garage size- renovations etc. One used to be able to include these but I don’t think their web site allows this any more. Just done a quick online free valuation from 2 companies and there is a difference of £20,000. In reality a home is only worth what someone is willing to pay
1 Like
We have no intentions of moving so we’re not bothered about house prices. It might not be to everybody’s taste but our house is a 4 bed detached 70’s house. This means we have great big windows which flood the house with light and sunshine. We are right in the middle of a village so handy for shops and buses, Post Office etc. our garden is walled and private and a suntrap and most importantly we can easily manage it. We have had no heat on since 8am but the sun has been pouring in and the lounge is currently 25.2c. We do keep an eye on the market every now and then but can never beat the situation etc of our house.
Where are all these houses that’s stay on the market for years ?
Around here they stay on the market for a week if that unless there is something wrong with them .
The one opposite me is SSTC it was on the market just 10 days , Seems some go quick others are slow moving .
Same here. I think if they are realistically priced they sell quickly. My cousin put her house on the market at 8.30am and it was sold by teatime. Same as a house at the back of us.
A house we lived in to move here 30 years ago has been on the market for around 6 months but I think they are asking too much.
I’ve said this before but the value of the house you live in is totally meaningless, it doesn’t matter whether it is worth $10 or $10million the cost of buying an equivalent even downsizing will cost you about the same when all the other expenses are taken into account. The only people to benefit from its value are those named in your will.
The only house that makes you money is your second plus property. One of my sons owns two properties in popular locations while he lives in rented accommodation subsidised by his employer. He has been wise enough to buy them in different states to avoid land tax and also gets the tax benefit of negative gearing while he makes his way up the property ladder. He also has a big share holding to the point I wonder if his job is just a hobby.
That is the only way property is worth anything.
Sorry Bruce, I sank when you typed “Portfolio”
1 Like