Should have said we let the agents show viewings we went out.
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Sorry to hear that Caricature , we finished up taking our off the market , I can see letting the agents show buyers round probably the best…
glad she had a quick sale carol and hope yours sell quickly …
its not always the EA that show folks round , they employ others to do this , I found that out when I went to view a property and they didnt show up to take me round .
I live in Essex the house is on Merseyside. I wasn’t there for any viewing. My sister checked the house regularly.
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We started off in 1920’s 2 bed -1 recpt room in a terrace of 3. North Cheam Surrey
Next was semi attached a 3bed 1930’s - 2 recpt rooms- and a garage North Cheam Surrey
Next was a new detached 4 bed -2 recpt - study - double garage Horley Surrey
Next was a 2 bed bungalow and boarding kennels and cattery 2 with acres of ground ( licenced for 118 dogs and 48 cats) West Midlands
Now back to a 1980’s detached 4 bed - 2 recpt - utility room- downstairs cloaks- en suite- main bathroom- detached extremely large garage easily fit 4 cars if reconfigured inside. East Sussex
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@realspeed , no I know you not Lying , it was a good read … And all the things that went wrong for you could have been an episode of one foot in the grave … it was really bad luck
Thank you for your input I really appreciated it … 
Apology accepted. That is only part of the story. It starts off with our first house (see above) the feeling of being able to shut off the outside world still stays with me
Sue and I got married in 1972 and guzumping was rife. My cousin in law in property developement had as a standby place for work to be done if his builders could not work else where. No chance of getting anywhere to live, but my cousin in law let us have it for what it cost him.
We moved in and to start with wanting a new gas fire for the only reception room. This is where the saga really starts. New gas fire? your joking the meter was a card prepay type we wanted changed to a “normal” type . So along they came to change the meter and the pipework needed replacing outside on the company side of the tap. It had all but perforated outside. We had to go to work but my dad stayed while they did the repair. According to my Dad there were so many gas men (meter reader fire installer pipe fitters etc) they had a health and safety lorry on standby outside. Now done and got new gas fire installed.
Ok now in and a couple of months later I decided to do away with the old cast iron window frames and fit new , do it yourself type. So got everything together and started to smash out the glass as it was the only way to get to the old frame screws holding it to the walls. Old couple neighbours , who had live there since the place was built, said I had just smash a widow so I smashed in another and another replacing each window in turn.
Next thing they painted the front of their house wall over mine to make it look bigger so I repainted it up to the bounary line as it was originally,that was the start of having bad neighbours. Later on had a new tiled roof and had to tie it in with theirs, the couple on other side could not afforfd as just married like us.
Moving on the next trick this old coupled tried was to extend their garden width wise by encroaching on the ally to the back of our house. By this time 2 years on now we wanted and ready to move.
Right thinks I, I have had enough and going anyway let them panic for a change. So I told them I was not happy with the alleyway saga so getting the local council to measure up everywhere to find out why the width had been reduced. The “council official” was actually the estate agent who played along and went down the ally deliberately showing he was doing measuring. This old couple watched then asked what was happening. So I told them about it all concerning the ally. NEXT THING we watched this old couple taking back the ground making the alley normal width. Shortly after a matter of a couple of weeks or so we moved.
Laugh at it all now but at the time having just got married money tight and furniture etc still to get it was no joke for example we spent 2 hours in a dept store arguing if we could afford a 50p copper bottom milk pan in the winter sales. I still have it in the garage as a reminder how hard things were
there is big story about our next house as well
@realspeed , with all due respect , I didnt apologise to you ,cause there was nothing to apologise for …
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Ok moving on house wise from above to our second house (see above) and a few years later on when we had Afghan Hounds ( another story with that) . I decide it would be a good idea to add a downstairs room for the dogs and at the side and behind the garage there was a space big enough approx 9x18ft. So Sue’s dad did the plans and we submitted to the local council. As it was not being professionally built they allowed leeway on measurements and so got past.
First was to move the kitchen back door from the back to the side and replace with a window, removing the chimney on the side wall where the new back door was to go.
Next was foundations to be dug a meter deep and 6 inches either side of the walls to built and also under the house foundations that were built uilt on the plate system. One issue was London clay, almost butter colour and had to be sliced out more or less. To get rid of it our neighbour worked for the local council and got hold of one of those huge skips found in council tips. So I filled it and the lorry front lifted up because of the weight inside the skip, they had to dig out the clay at the dump I was told.
A a bye the bye the build was right up against the neighbours tall garage wall so support it with roof timbers from the old Wimbledon cricket club pavillion being dismantelled and took them home on top of the BT van
Back to the story.
Ok trench dug and passed by council inspector who checked ever stage. Problem cutting and moving the clay waste pipes out of the way and reconnecting. Impossible to cut with a saw so me being me went onto a building site and asked the site manager how I could cut he pipes where I had marked. What a great guy, he called over one of the workmen who cut it for me for no charge, wishing me best of luck with the project Ok pipes reconfigured out the way so bridged tghem and filled with pea shingle nspector visit. Passed now fill with cement mixing in front drive and wheel barrowing through garage, nearly killed me with effort.
Next the walls. I used breeze block 9x9x18 inches for quick build and had to render with pebbledash as the wall got taller to close to next door wall to do anythig else. Now up to window height having put on a fire check door to the garfage from the new room. SAnotherf inspection and passed. Up to roof heght and new widow installed by me and also new stable door to the garden. another inspectikon and passed.
now roof and professional tarmacked as it was a “flat” roof on wood 4rx2 supports with sloped timbers fixed onto. . Roof done and watertight , one neighbour was a plasterer who did the inside wall for me and another who was a tiler who did tfhe quarry tile floor. Gas board in to fit a radiator job completed.
The final touch I built a room length raised boxed in shelf that lifted up to keep dogs gear in. Afghan hound loved sitting /sleeping on it
sorry about spelling mistakes my dodgy middle finger gets in the way
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Wow you did the building yourself , Had you been a buider ?
Personally I think that is a nonsense. I have always made an offer on a place below the asking price, if it is accepted well and good, if it is not there are always negotiations, other places or the original price. As a buyer you have to assess how much a place is worth to you.
Currently house prices are dropping so yesterday’s price might be far too high tomorrow.
A friend related to my ex wife had very definite idea about how much his place was worth and rejected an offer, he later sold it for far less than that offer because that buyer had moved on and his price was ridiculous for the area.
The price is not set by the seller but by the market.
My son is selling at the moment and when the agent is showing people round they go and hide in their car with their cat 
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Haha what will the neighbours think , if they nosey like me , probably think they a bit strange .
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That as you say is just your opinion but not necessarily fact. the general trend over time is house prices continue to increase
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No never been a builder but have a good idea how to and what I didn’t know I asked those who did
I’m one of those weird creatures who love moving …consequently we have moved many times.
We use estate agents but I always negotiate their fees…its amazing how much they will come down especially on the types of houses we renovate. Have to admit apart from ensuring prospective buyers have funds in place before a viewing Estate Agents do very little for the money. Rightmove is the showcase and thats where sales are made.
On viewings I let the agent take the lead however make sure you insist that ALL offers are presented to you some agents will only present you with the offers that are the easiest sale for them or from people they have connections with…thats not always the best offer.
As I said I love moving house…I think I must have gypsy in me …good luck with your sale for those who are selling…its an adventure 
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I suppose in a way you are Nest building , and once you have built it to your satisfaction you fly away to start all over again .Theres a need there to start a fresh…
i always like to be at home when we are selling houses. i sold my late Mum’s a few years ago and made sure I was there because some people even wanted to look in the loft!
i don’t trust estate agents. i had 3 out to value Mum’s house and they all said the same amount. I thought it was worth more because it had a beautiful south facing garden, distant sea views and was in vgc. The one we went with said there was no way I would get more than he quoted. I said I was in no hurry to sell so I wanted them to put it on higher @ £20,000 more and see what happens. I also said if I went with him would he do a fixed price commission and he agreed. There was so much interest, it ended up going to sealed bids and we got £30,000 more than he quoted. He was very sniffy when he realised he had lost out on more commission and barely looked at me.
I also never use a solicitor, i use a licensed conveyancer who are much cheaper and do a great job.
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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 ,
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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…
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