House on market and I'm a bit lost

Oh and P.S. these firm potential buyers both viewed the house when it was half packed up to move as we were moving out anyway....bizarre, all that dusting and hovering and they both fell in love with it when it was in a mess.....moral there somewhere.

My friend in London has sold two weeks into her viewings, I'm green with envy! Her buyer is someone local who has sold their large house and wants to downsize. Unfortunately she isn't prepared mentally and like me has no idea where to go, she thought she'd have several months to 'go exploring'. With £450K to spend, she's going to have lots of lovely choices!

One house we sold we had a few viewings, then nothing for weeks, so we stopped paying the agent and just stuck our own notice in the window.
A neighbour's house was also for sale. It was cheaper than ours but empty and looked a bit forlorn.
The viewers of theirs knocked on our door and bought ours!!
We hadn't even hoovered but i'm sure we made them coffee!

Of course there are still those annoying so and sos who view but when pushed comes to shove are not serious buyers. The 'want to see what's out there' before putting theirs on the market. Some have also got an EA to value their homes but feel they need to 'test the market' a few months and see if any buyers bite....of course they tell your EA quite a different story.
Mind you at the moment I put it all down to .....Brexit.....whether you are for it or agin it....its just all this uncertainty and politicians trying to please everyone or just make a name for themselves! There....I've said it.

I am disappointed in many of my viewers not giving feedback to the EA, it is so rude. The almost 'silent' viewing I conducted on Wednesday gave me the willies, and they haven't given any feedback.

I have to steel myself to start sorting out the clutter boxes I filled, as well as my late husband's paperwork. I don't have another viewing until 10 June, so have time to make a mess. My daughter is back from her travels then so it will be more difficult to stay 'viewing ready', but I'll be glad for some conversation and more purposeful days during her short visit.

Happy bank holiday to you all - it's murder here with so many visitors coming, I'm so glad I'm out of the village! xx

Mosaicwarts, of course even when they do allegedly give feedback to the EA one never knows how truthful either party are being. But if someone comes into your home even to view for a house sale they should at least be semi polite, they are not visitors as such but a little social grace is required.

True HildaW, I remember you giving a few of your viewers reasons on your property!

After moaning on here this morning I got a call this afternoon - the silent viewers from Wednesday (I was told they were cash buyers, think he was a builder) want to come to 'measure up'. Can't imagine what they are measuring, and won't be excited about it having read everyone else's experiences! I just don't understand how buyers on these property shows think offering so much less for a property is acceptable.

Unfortunately I'm away visiting my elderly aunt and my son is pet sitting - but rather than lose his interest I've agreed to the EA showing him around. I will be leaving 'viewing ready' instructions!

I think it can be better if the EA shows the viewers around. Somehow meeting the owner, especially someone who obviously loves the house they are selling, can be rather difficult to know what to say. I remember being a viewer like that. The family had gone to so much trouble - every fire was lit (which made me think it must be a hard place to run with all those fireplaces to clean!) it was spotless and very large.
In the end we bought an even larger house but somewhere we could make our own mark on and in an easier location.

Agree that definitely better if the EA shows them round, but they are having a very busy run at the moment, out of 21 I've only had to do 4. I keep mentioning my late husband when I do the viewings and must stop.

I like your comment about the fires - I light mine to show the chimneys are functional plus a lot of my viewings were on cold days. It is really hard graft and dirty work, I can't wait for a flick on gas fire, but I've found some marvellous wood brickettes from a company on Facebook called Lekto, they burn for eight hours.

Mac cheese beckons! Have a good evening x

That's progress Mosaic, a builder might have plans for some changes so he will need to measure up....see it as a plus!

Today was an anxious one for me today, as a ‘cash’ buyer was coming for a second viewing. I told the EA I was away but seemingly today was the only day he could come so my lovely son, staying to dogsit, agreed to do the ‘viewing prep’ and disappear just before they came. I was wandering around a lovely miniature village with my aunt today when my son rang me to say there was a car in our drive, an hour early. Seems the parents had come too. An hour later the EA got in touch - the viewer may offer in two weeks - if his house sells.

I’ve learnt from this and am going to a) take everything with a pinch of salt and b) chill out. I was very agitated today, especially as I wasnt there, then angry when he wasnt a cash buyer after all. Not good for my blood pressure! Thanks for listening x

It must be very unsettling for you. Try not to get too anxious. You will sell and you will be able to relax properly.

Thank you xx I won’t be moving to the Isle of Wight as my aunt hopes - I had a good look at it today and it isnt for me ? I was at the bus stop at 9 ish tonight and a car skidded to a halt a short distance away - a man and woman jumped out and started attacking a younger man, swearing and hitting him. I was terrified and went into the co-op nearby no-one in there batted an eyelid! The couple walked away in the end but it was so violent ?When I get back tomorrow I’m going to sort my clutter boxes and start focussing on where I could move to and be happy.

And I really am a cash buyer and am sitting here watching the fourth house I have offered on since last July go down the drain.

It seems as hard to buy and get a sale to complete as it is to sell.

It seems that estate agents are not screening their buyers well enough, any so called `cash buyer` should be bringing in proof of readily available funds and should sign some sort of statement and anyone with a `sold` house needs to provde proof followed up by the EA internal networks. An EA really is only a salesperson, get the sale and get the money and s*d the stress to both sides

My EA is a relative and I have not invited her around to see my new house yet. The cash buyer turned out not to be a cash buyer and having a cursery glance at proof of funds was not good enough. EA should have kept better tabs on that. Also dd and her husband looked at a new house they were selling elsewhere and only the other day told me that their opinion of the agency was low. Winning an EA award was not enough and neither was starting a business bright eyed and bushy tailed, it is all about follow up and keeping an eye on the peope who work there

Stress is much lower now and sleep pattern is almost back, the stress of buying/selling almost wiped me out. Try to counter stress, somehow and keep building in treats and take a day at a time, fate has a hand

Oh yes.....so much variation in what a 'cash buyer' means. I think some EAs just take it to mean they do not need a mortgage...when the rest of us think it means no chain and they have funds readily available.
Yes, do try to keep more calm for the viewings for the simple reason that even when you have had a firm offer there is worse to come! Sorry! Honestly once you have done your initial declutter for the photos and viewings then just try to live normally....the eventual buyer will see through the domestic stuff and may be the one who just turns up with the minimum of notice...as ours did.

Thanks everyone for responding, I've just got back from the IOW and met many lovely people who downsized and moved over there. It's not for me, but I was envious of their evident pleasure at having smaller bills, less pollution, less noise and less stress! As it is so popular the traffic is pretty appalling but the public bus service was good.

I've come back to a cold and rainy Northumberland and the house doesn't feel at all welcoming with all my things packed away My son has just gone and I'm going to put my pjs and slippers on and eat cake! xx

I've just had a phone call from the EA - the viewer has offered after all! This is the anniversary of my husband's funeral three years ago, seems fated

£60K under my asking price, but they think they may be able to push him for a few bob more. The survey said at least £200K needed to be spent, but he is a builder and will be able to do a lot of the work himself. He would be making it his family home with his wife and two children I'll know by the end of the day. Not holding my breath, what will be will be!

Oh Mosaicwarts, that's encouraging - and your attitude is wise. When all's said and done the darn things (houses) are only worth what someone is really willing to pay. Think about the underpayment more as a percentage of the overall price...I found it sounded much less then!
Will keep my fingers crossed for you, all the very best.

Good news at last! I hope the deal is clinched and you can finally relax. Then you will be the buyer and can pick and choose. Even if this one doesn't work out it must me a huge relief to know your house is desirable.
We sold a house a bit too cheaply but it went to good hands and the people who bought it are still there after 40 years.

Thank you so much for writing, I've got anxious chest pains. Our lovely electrician has just been and sorted out some dangerous wiring in the storeroom, at least the new owners will be able to plug in equipment whilst out in the garden now. I had told this buyer I was having this done.

No phone call yet. I've been looking at houses on line and must decide on where to live before my daughter returns on 10 June, I cannot faff about any longer. I'm going back on to see if I can find a rental at 'home' in Twickenham, perhaps going home will help me.

Biscuit tin is empty!

Oh ruddy biscuits....now that we are settled I was hoping to wean myself off....but we have builders in doing some hard landscaping AND grandchildren visited.....so.....biscuit tin is well stocked, I mean you just have to keep builders fueled!
Bless them they are so appreciative of decent coffee and biscuits and when I put out two jugs of iced squash when it was getting really warm they almost cheered.

I must recommend the Titan bars from Aldi - taste like Mars bars used to! It's nice to give working people refreshment, when Steve died I'd worn jumpers and saved my oil ... only to find it had been leaking from a small hole in the tank. What a nightmare that was, very luckily not enough to have to have the oily area excavated. Six men had to come and put in a temporary tank on what seemed the very coldest day of the year, I had Halloween biscuits and lots of hot chocolate for them. Brr I still remember the wind and hail.

My daughter has just texted, she is upset at the low offer price She loves this house and I think she worries because I'm not as astute as her Dad.

Sounds as if these builders really want it. Don't rush to accept a lower price!

Update on my situation. As I said the lady who wants to buy this house lost her own purchaser a couple of weeks ago. She is doing exactly as i did when I moved here, downsizing from a large house a couple of miles away. Her house is back on the market, but at an eye-watering price. She says she really does want my house, but my EA advised me to put it back on the market.
Things do turn out for the best, having time to really think I had decided the flat I had offered on, was not really suitable for me. Obviously, the news that my house was no longer 'under offer' they put that flat back on the market and it have now an offer from someone else.
So, I am really starting again. Have had one offer which I refused (not just too low an offer, but also really found I did not trust these people), and one, yesterday, which I am considering. Today the EA's have five viewings here, so will see how they turn out. Fortunately, I will be out all day.
On Rightmove, I have selected four more flats to view when I visit Western super Mare in a couple of weeks time.
But do wonder if I should hold off making any offers until any sale on my house is well under way.
It will all happen - in its own time - and in the meanwhile I am quite happy in this house.