House on market and I'm a bit lost

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

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.

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.

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

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

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

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

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.

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!

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.

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

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.

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!

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!

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.

Ours was on the market for 4 months at a price that the EA felt was fair. We too had lots of viewings with good feedback but there was always a but. It was in the wrong place, too big, too small.....you get my drift.
We dropped the price by 5% and in a week had two firm offers.
It might seem overly simplistic but it is all about the price. Once we had dropped the price if magically attracted a slightly different demographic and we instantly found potential buyers who were almost willing to arm wrestle each other. They were both very firm about the upper price they would pay however and our overall price drop was 7%. We accepted it as our property was very much a one off and even the most experienced EA will only be giving you a rough figure. A house can really vary in 'value' depending on so much. Half a mile down a road, shape and orientation of garden, how many windows in a main room....all small subtle variations but they do matter. You need to have serious words with your EA or perhaps even consider ending the contract and finding another.

Aww Avor that's so dissapointing for you, besides being a real pain and maybe expensive, depending how far down the line you've gone. The whole house buying and selling is a fiasco ! Do you feel like carrying on, trying to sell yours again, you never know it might happen quickly.We've had a stressful week, with the house were buying.Finally agreed to buy at a slightly reduced price, so think we're sorted for now.Solicitor said yesterday it should be no more than two to three weeks to completion now.Fingers crossed.

That's sad Grammaretto. My Mum sold her IOW bungalow to a lovely couple, the gentleman died the day after they moved in. I didn't get involved in any of my Mum's selling, she shouldered it all bravely as I was so far away and working full time with two toddlers. I wish I'd at least phoned her more often to be encouraging. She became housebound in the end and moved in with my brother and his wife, paying half for a three storey house - she had two rooms downstairs, but they asked her to pay half of the bills. Needless to say when she died, I no longer kept in touch with him due to the way he and his wife mistreated her. We are all so wise in hindsight.

The house my friends sold 2 years ago almost the minute it went on the market is up for sale again. Apparently the people who bought it split up. It's exactly the same and almost the same asking price but has had its for sale sign up for months.
It's mostly luck.
You only need one buyer. I hope you find eachother soon.

Oh no Avor2, how awful for you, I am sorry. If you can, do go back on the market and fulfil your wish of downsizing, you've done all the hard work decluttering/rejigging everything for viewings. Had you found somewhere you liked?

Just lost our buyer, they hadn't sold their property so have now decided not to move. Aaaaaaah! We have to decide whether to carry on or just give it up, still want to downsize but if we can't sell we won't be going anywhere!!! Hey ho what will be will be. anyone want a 4 bed in Essex ??

Know how you feel Mosaic We've put an offer in over the surveyors valuation, just waiting for them to come back to us.Hope you get an offer on yours.

The EA did a viewing for me yesterday morning and I took myself off with my dog for a nice lunch. I arrived home just as they were leaving and they said it had been a very positive viewing.

They emailed me late on yesterday to ask if I could do one this morning as they are fully booked. They told me it was a cash buyer.

I tried to prepare a 'script' whilst I was walking my dog on the beach but when they arrived my nerves got the better of me yet again. Very pleasant couple, didn't say much, just asked how much the oil the aga used and how much to fill the 2000 litre oil tank. Looking at his truck and his muscles, I wonder if he is in the building trade.

I think I need to find some big girl pants to keep going, I'm finding it such a strain. Normal life is just on hold.

Surveyors are always conservative. Unless they have uncovered a serious problem I would take it with a pinch of salt. When I worked as an estate agent surveyors would call in the office to ask us what we thought a particular house was worth. They would then knock a bit off the price and present that as the value.

Personally we have had several house purchases downvalued over the years. When we have come to sell them it has made no difference at all to the price we have achieved.

Hope your call went well Katyj, sorry I've only just seen your post.

We loved this house and took our surveyor's report as worst case scenario, I seem to remember our mortgage company retained money because of some works. Luckily we had enough savings to meet our mortgage commitment and continued with our purchase. Surveys nowadays are brutal, they have to cover all eventualities. How serious is the problem? Have you looked at Zoopla to see how your new house price compares with others in the road?

Let us know what happens