[Paul and Linda]

Here come the sleepless nights.....

House went on the market today, we have 3 viewings organised, 2 of which are apparently no chain cash buyers.

I am a complete nervous wreck.

Up late last night finishing off, up early this morning...more finishing off!

I am at work at the moment, can't concentrate on a thing....not a great idea when you manage a chemical plant!

My mind is being bombarded with fears (I should be so lucky) of a quick sale....we haven't contacted shippers yet!

Everything is becoming so real........scarily real!

Help!!

[captainxmas]

Fingers crossed for a quick sale...but that's what we thought 10 weeks ago.

Be ready for plenty of no-shows - seems to be the fashion these days, along with people that are too shy to give feedback.

The best thing we have found is to stop asking for background, like First time buyers or cash buyers and how 'keen' they are - it just gets your hopes up.

Anyway, seriously good luck. :cheers

[Diny]

Fingers crossed for a quick sale...but that's what we thought 10 weeks ago.


Oh .... that elusive 'quick completion'. That's the original sprat to catch the mackerell.

But hey ..... I'm p****** on your bonfire. Fingers crossed that all goes really well for you. You will now realise that the insanity shifts up a gear, sleepless nights will come and go totally un-noticed and you'll find the strain of living in a show home (just in case a buyer drops in) will send you totally crackers.

But it's all good fun ........ NOT.

My sincere best wishes to you, remember you're not alone..... there's several of us in the same asylum.
http://tcwozere.co.uk/smileys/cwm44.gif

[Paul and Linda]

I couldn't agree more with both of you, I realise that I may be being deluded by all the hype and initial excitement but the panic comes from the what if scenario.

I had planned for the house to be on the market for a minimum of 4 to 6 weeks and then another 4 to 6 weeks for completion, then my 1 month's notice at work, so you can understand my panic when 3 buyers look on the first day and 2 are cash.

A lot of it also is panic at showing strangers around my castle and keep, that and the fact that it is so nice now we have finished everything that I am really finding it difficult to let go.

Paul

[Nicola]

Paul you lucky thing. First day on the market and interest already. Our house has been on the market for a week, and as far as I can tell not a sniff of interest at all. So I am panicing for the reverse reason. Last house I sold was snapped up, literally as the guy was putting up the for sale board.

Good luck to you and hope that your viewings go well and your house sale moves smoothly.

Nicola

[Paul and Linda]

Yup, panic over.

Family one: haven't really got our house on the market yet

Family 2: Completely disinterested barely spoke english

Family 3: No show

In for the long haul eh!

[jan]

I just so can NOT stand it when you got to get the house just right, for that viewing that feels like ' this could be the one'.

Getting rid of that pile of ironing which conveniently has my name on it! Moving this and moving that. I would hate someone to pull the dishwasher door down, :eek its jammed with extra containers off the kitchen cupboards, letters that are in need of attention the day after so daren't put them away! I always feel like I have to go that extra mile or so to help it sell.

I am like a wild woman 2 hrs before they arrive. :eek

Hubby's smirking every time I wizz past him with a cloth in my hand. :roll:

I sit there with a newspaper when they arrive, as if it is always like this!

Our house was empty when we bought, so never viewed a property that was lived in.

Do prospective buyers know what we go through before they come???

Good luck Paul & Linda


Jan xx

[Diny]

Jeeeeze what is wrong with these people?

Out of all the people who made appointments to come and view our place half of them didn't show.

The first people to view were from our village. Walked around and made all the right oohs and arrs. Said all the right things in the right places. Then I asked them whether they'd sold.

She stopped in her tracks, looked at me with a very confused look on her face and said .........

wait for it ..........

Oh we're not really thinking of moving dear, it's just that I've always liked this house so when I saw the sign go up I thought I'd come and have a look at the inside. :eek :eek :eek

Enough said.

Diny

[Paul and Linda]

Oh yeh, Chap at work said that in the middle of summer a fellow wearing a long overcoat arrived on his doorstep with fish and chips and his mother.

He said I'll tuck these inside me coat to keep them warm, mother doesn't like cold chips

They walked around the house asking inane questions like....the radiators don't feel very warm do they work?

Yes ITS SUMMER! THEY are not ON!

Oh I see....mother doesn't like a cold house!


This chap never found out where these 2 misfits escaped from.....It's strange who we let into our homes.

The people that have been today have been the gruffest set of ignorants you could wish to meet.....with the exception of the ones not really on the market yet....useful!

I have never felt so strange or baffled in my life as I do today


One person even mentioned extending the house.....OVER MY FISHPOND!!!!!!!

HOW DARE THEY!!!!!


All the details and effort I have put into the house seem to wash by.....One chap was only concerned to get his taxi in the back, another lady was just happy that the lane at the back of the house was 20 feet wide.....oh yes i'll be able to reverse into the garage without knocking anything down!!!!


ARGGGGH!

[Babette & Andy]

Shouldn't really have read your posting :no :no we're (still) in the midst of our final painting DIY (Andy's painting the ceiling in the hall as I type this . .) and are aiming to have our house on the market 2nd week in May latest.

Still hopefull to make the move to NZ by mid September, BUT so many 'buts' (make me think of Little Britain - yes but, no but, yes but :laugh :laugh ) Biggest BUT (besides the one I'm sitting on :eek ) is that more and more houses on our estate are suddenly going up for sale. How inconsiderate - don't you think!

Anyway Paul & Linda - very best of luck with your plans. Hope your intented timescales work out.

Babette

[jo b]

Hey we have ours valued on Friday.

Roll on the misfits.
I have a plan though if there are any unsavoury characters then I'll just give my little boy the 'code' to shout around the house 'I need a poo!!' :eek

That should get rid of them :clap

Jo

[Hannah-NL]

:laugh :clap :laugh
Good one Jo, I'll ask the big boy here to do the same if we ever get to that stage ;)

[Babette & Andy]

Roll on the misfits.
I have a plan though if there are any unsavoury characters then I'll just give my little boy the 'code' to shout around the house 'I need a poo!!'

That should get rid of them :laugh :laugh :laugh Good to have you back Jo, missed your sense of humor :nice1 I'm just worried about Lianne picking her nose . . . :uhoh whilst showing people around . .. kids - who'd ave 'm!!

Best of luck with the valuation. See you next Wednesday?

Babette

[kiwidollie]

I can sympathise with all these posts.

Our house went on the market 12th April. So far we have had one couple make an appointment to view which was Sunday just gone.

Neil and I were like the House Doctor on speed!!! Everywhere was extra clean and tidy, we've neutralised and de-personalised like nobody's business. The house looked lovely, the garden was sunny and inviting we were well chuffed.

You know what's coming next right...........

The b*%**s didn't even show up :wah :wah :wah :wah

Next day our estate agent rings up to let us know that the couple left a message on the office answer phone (at 4.45pm when the appointment was for 1pm) to tell them that they had driven up to our house, decided they didn't like it from the outside so had not bothered with the viewing!!!!

Cheeky devils. No manners or what?

The estate agent was really nice. Very cross for us. She said that the woman had even had the cheek to ask them to set up a viewing at another property for them!!!

I hate this living in limbo. Just want to get house sold and get on with the adventure.

Sorry folks ..... rant over (deep breaths and calm thoughts hmmmmmmm)

[Paul and Linda]

Anyone having any more joy with the house sale?

2 weeks now, 4 viewings, nothing positive, house goes in the paper a week on thrursday, hoping for something positive coming out of the interest rate freeze.

Market seems completely dead at the mo, v few houses under offer.

[PaulandHelen]

I read all these horror stories of trying to sell houses and i have been through similar when i sold my last house but without the pressure of emigrating or working towards a deadline.
But it does make me think, why don't people consider renting out there houses, england has a vibrant rental market someone buys you a house and takes on the bills for the priviledge!!
Anyway good luck everybody who is trying to sell.
Paul

[Diny]

After the initial hitches, delays and frantic sessions of pulling our hair out, our sale 'seems' to be going OK. We're already in 'plan B' mode (see earlier posting re: delayed departure) ...... we have 'plan C' waiting to be put in action should we need to. Fingers crossed.

Anyway, like everybody else, we did the 'house doctor' bit on our place before it went up for sale. In the last year we've had a new kitchen, re-vamped bathroom, painted from top to bottom, new carpets everywhere except the sitting room and every other 'touch up' job you could possibly think of has been seen to.

Our buyer came round on Sunday morning with her kids so they could choose thier bedrooms (like there's that many to choose from :roll: ). She was telling me what she's going to put where, how she'll set the sitting room out and which curtains from her old house will fit in this place etc etc. Then the cheeky moo said.....
'We're going to live with it the way it is for a year before we decide what we're going to do to smarten it up".

Jeeze lady ... why don't you just p**s on my hall carpet - it would be less insulting !!!!!! :eek :eek :eek

[kiwidollie]

Not a sniff of a viewer this end.

Very frustrating I must say. :uhoh

[jo b]

I have just cut & paste my update from the lounge.

Update here goes.

When we went on holiday there was one property up for sale in our drive. Which has 4 cul-da-sacs off it.
Adding the house that went up today that makes it 5 up for sale and there haven't been any of ours up for sale in years :wah :wah :wah

Anyway we did the scrubbing, hoovering, limescale remover, window clean inside and out, polish, floor mop, wiped down the kitchen 100 times and bathroom tiles with said limescale remover, clean the mirrored wardrobe doors, dusting, stacked away things that are usually left out etc. etc. and my house is usually clean (I am a bit obsessive) but this was gleaming. We have already done the depersonalising etc a few weeks ago.

Anyway they couple came, when I asked did they have a house to sell 'Oh yes they said we back on to yours, ours went up for sale last week!!!' .
Now their house design is the same as our but ours is bigger as we had twin garages and converted one to an office and our garden is twice as big as thiers. They said they wanted a bigger property :uhoh .

So my guess is as theirs is up for less than our's they were checking out if the difference for ours was worth it.

They kept saying our looked bigger, but I am clever in the decor dept you see.

So there you have it nosey bar stewards...........if they put an offer in I show my a**e in Burton's shop window. ;)

Jo
_________________
Got PR: Job offer: need to sell house and we are off

Oh and I can spell it's just that I type really fast

[JohnM]

I've been lurking in here for a while and don't post much--yet, but you want to talk about house selling stress? I have 3 houses on the market here and no bites so far! And to boot---I am the owner and the real estate agent, thus double stress :uhoh . My plans to take another trip to NZ for job hunting, places to live, etc. hinge on one of these houses selling so I have the cash to do it--UGH. But I have a positive attitude and know that someday I will be able to make the decision as to whether to move to NZ. So hang in there everyone, I'm with you.

And I have read about some of the estate agent bashing in here, and agree that a good percentage of real estate agents are not trustworthy (and I'm in the business), I only do it part-time for people I know!

Cheers and best of luck to those selling,
John

[Nicola]

When selling a previous house I had one really nasty couple come around and view the property. They critisised everything, by the time they left I was a total demoralised wreck. So Peter is doing the viewings this time, while I take the youngest out of the way.

But why do we do it, if they are being critical why do we not just ask them to leave now as they obviously do not like the house.

On another tack, we did ask our two teenagers to stay out of the way at their Grannies during our one and only viewing. No one wants a couple of spotty, grunting teenagers hanging around. So what happens! We said do not come to the house between 3pm and 4:30pm as viewers are coming at 3:30. Guess what the eldest turned up at 3:28 and attempted to start making messy tomatoe sauce sandwiches and wanted to go in the shower ( complete with trail of clothes through the house and wet towels all over the bathroom). arrrrrrrrgh.

Nicola

[Chicken Legs]

What about this........

When selling my last house, a middle-aged couple came to view. They were very nice and said all the right things. Before leaving, the woman asked if she could use our loo. No problem, I said.

After several minutes of small talk with her husband, she eventually reappeared and they made a hasty exit. Yes, you've guessed it.........she's had a dump in our lovely clean toilet and left the most AWFUL smell as her calling card!

Beat that!

[Nicola]

Oh my god!

But did they buy the house.

[Chicken Legs]

Of course not! Think she was a serial "dumper" who made a habit of this. It's a jungle out there!

[Paul and Linda]

I've heard of buyers s*****g on you but that's just ridiculous. I guess any chance of you selling to them went straight down the pan!

Toilet humour, can't beat it! :mrgreen:

[Paul and Linda]

OK latest "feedback" from estate agents, market is still dooing well, but it is a buyers market because there are so many houses on the market at the moment.

What can they do to try and get some more people through my door......nothing, why don't you just wait and see what the newspaper ad brings and then we'll talk again.

I know that it is largely out of the hands of the estate agents......but then why do we have one!?

I know, silly questions, silly rant but I'm going stir crazy in my job and in this country, simply because we are so commited and focussed and ready to go to NZ.

In the words of a great man....I'm going slightly mad!

[Carol]

In the words of a great man....I'm going slightly mad!

aaahhhh yes.......*reminiscing*

[jenni]

well just to add my pennyworth - we found the same as most of you ie no show ers - people who talked all the talk and then revealed that they hadnt actually put their place on the market etc etc

then last week got home to house looking like Bin Laden had been doing his practice runs in there and my 17 year old daughter informs me that someone is coming to view it in 10 mins (she had been home all day - taken the call at about 2pm but hadnt thought off tidying up a bit!) so I weeped and wailed a bit at my husband - and decided they would just have to take it as they saw it - and yes youve guessed it they were the ones to make an offer! You never can tell!

[jo b]

[quote="Paul and Linda"]OK latest "feedback" from estate agents, market is still dooing well, but it is a buyers market because there are so many houses on the market at the moment.

quote]

I can't understand the logic of this. If there are lots of houses on the market then those people selling are also wanting to buy as well??

Or am I missing something??

Jo

[kiwidebs]

[quote=Paul and Linda]OK latest "feedback" from estate agents, market is still dooing well, but it is a buyers market because there are so many houses on the market at the moment.

quote]

I can't understand the logic of this. If there are lots of houses on the market then those people selling are also wanting to buy as well??

Or am I missing something??

Jo

Maybe they're all emigrating?

:laugh :laugh :laugh

Debs

[jo b]

You know Debs

There might be something in that

Look at all the Wiganers on this forum moving to NZ. Probably about 1 in 20 homes for sale in Wigan say 'no chain' :wah :wah :wah


Jo