[thewoodies]

Is it just here(south UK) or is the housing market picking up ?

[NZ Hopeful]

I don't know, there has always been a steady stream of houses going 'sold' where I live, although we've not heard a peep in 2 weeks since we went on.:uhoh

[victoria24]

according to an estate agent that I know well (meaning it's not propaganda) they have had more enquiries since august. the official government figures show house price drop of only .3% July to July. I think it is getting to a point where mr average Is fed up with his/her life being on hold because of doom gloom media and is cracking on with his plans.
the markets are consolidating which although appears bad news will have a good outcome for liquidity. I'm only surmising but it will be positive one day!

[walshy]

I am an estate agent, and no it most certainly is not

[thewoodies]

I am an estate agent, and no it most certainly is not

OH! :wah
you are in a very expensive area? Im bottom end of the market location :laugh

Sea side - not much work - very pretty though:D

[walshy]

I would say my business' sales are down by 60% on last year.

Lettings is saving the day

[thewoodies]

I would say my business' sales are down by 60% on last year.

Lettings is saving the day

Jeepers!!! :wah

[icemaiden]

It seems to me, however, that eventually the availability of rented houses is going to dry up, or landlords will start to cash in on the situation. If that happens, then people may start to buy again. Or is that all just wishful thinking!!

[Hejwitch_uk]

:(:uhoh:eek::wah

[K&J]

A relative of mine is looking to buy in Warwickshire and the agent told her she was the only buyer he had on the agencies books.

[Hejwitch_uk]

:wah:wah:wah:wah

[L00pback]

Hi

We've just sold ours in 2.5 weeks (subject to contracts) so there are buyers out their but it needs to be said that the problem is that the mortgage companies won't lend money at the moment because of the unsteady climate (caused by their bad practices amongst other things!).

Just my 2p....

Cheers

Alan

[doowrehsij]

The sad thing with the UK housing market, is that sellers aren't willing to drop their prices. Anything will sell.... it just has to find a buyer at the right price.

The UK housing market is accelerating it's descent and I'm of the personal opinion that it won't pick up for a few years.

[NZ Hopeful]

I am so sorry I opened this thread, it's completely spoilt my weekend :wah:wah

[Falcon_XR6]

We sold our house within 6 weeks back in Dec 2007 (we left first week in Jan for NZ) but my mums old house, which I inherited, has been on the market since then and due to some dodgy Estate Agent practices with us in NZ it didn't sell, they used it at an inflated price on their web site and in their office so they could sell their other properties that were cheaper and it wasn't just our property they apparently use quite a few so the ones they need to sell look like a bargain, can't remember just what this type of practice is called but it does have a name, and being out of the country you put you trust (and money) in the hands of the estate agents (these were not a small estate agents they were a well known name) and get shafted.
We changed estate agents after the 3 month clause was up and got a buyer in March and there is still outstanding paperwork requires from our solicitor that was requested 5-6 months ago and this solicitor (a well respected name also) is now as elusive as Lord Lucan and to all intents and purposes is totally ignoring all my attempts to contact him and I can't just switch solicitors as he is in possession of the lease to this house... all in all up to now from initial offer I have lost over 40% off the initial valuation of this house to date with the slump in the UK market as the buyer (who came in with an offer some 15% below the asking price (~which was a reasonable way under the valuation to sell it quickly) keeps dropping the price as the market falls and this soddin' solicitor should have completed the deal in April/May 2008 but he was saying that the other solicitor was stalling and also took it on himself to advise the buyers that their last offer was too low after we said to him and them that we would accept the offer they made as we need this cash to buy a house with, this offer was another 15% below their last offer (that they were going to buy it at in June)

Anyone else had this sort of treatment with a house for sale in the UK while you are in NZ?

Oh, and his last communication stated that due to him having to do more work than he thought on this sale :confused: that his bill has now gone up by over 300% and if contracts are exchanged then it will go up more. We have asked for an itemised bill weeks ago and still nothing and also I contacted the buyers solicitor to see if the buyer was genuine and they said that they had been waiting for something called a "head lease" (any one know anything about just what this is?) then they can complete... they requested it in May (when the house would have sold for the original offer price) and still nothing to date after repeated requests.

Anyone any bright ideas????

Oh…the house is vacant possession with no chain so I fail to see the problem… but it has cost me over £41,000 in price drop (not including any fees paid for or to pay out) up to now.

Some friends of ours who came to NZ in, April/May 2008, ended up going back in early September (only 3-4 months here) because their house in the UK had buyers pulling out and the price had dropped by over £100,000 and they had committed to a mortgage here and bought a house expecting theirs to sell and all it did was loose value and they ended up with 2 mortgages which they couldn’t sustain, they sold up here and reluctantly went back to the UK with their 2 children…. A very, very sad tale… but let it serve as a warning to others.

Cheers
G

I am very sorry, but I appear to have hijacked your thread by asking too many of my own questions and ranting and getting worked up a bit.
Very sorry.

[JandM]

SO sorry to hear what a rotten deal you've had from estate agents and solicitors. No wonder you needed a rant. Hope it's all sorted out soon.

[catt]

Our house is sold stc with first time buyers and its taken 3 weeks for them to finalise their mortgage and we are waiting for survey to be carried out. On the market since Feb with a big dip in the middle when we had no viewers but it did start to pick up from August onwards. We dropped the price 4 times since April total of £45k in the end. Both parites have agreed to exchange contracts as soon as the surveyor has completed their bit so that we both feel secure about the sale but will only be completing end January 2009. Still everything crossed this end just in case though....as hubby says "just a slip between cup and lip".