Selling property in england

Hi

Can I ask - is anyone else in the frustrating position of having made the decision to move to spain with my family and chosen the area, school etc - now cannot sell our house in england because of the house market slump?

I would really like to hear from anyone in the same position becuase i am so frustrated i may explode soon!

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Hi Crooksy

So sorry you are having trouble selling in the UK.  I really feel for you as it's difficult enough trying to organise such a move without that too.

We have friends with a home in Rugby they can't sell & currently they have homes both in UK & Spain & flit between them. They resorted to renting their UK home out on a 6 monthly basis after their buyer pulled out on day of completion which was over a year ago & I think that now they're considering renting it out for a 2 year term. They are in limbo, spending time in UK & in Spain to keep an eye on both homes. What was meant to be a permanent move for them has become rather a nightmare.

Oh dear, I'm meant to be cheering you up here. (Sorry, I'm not doing too well, am I ?) I appreciate you, presumably,  need to sell here to buy in Spain, unlike them ( initially).

It'll be of little consolation to you to know you are not alone in this situation. I would feel like exploding too, I assure you.

 I'm glad you went to meet Shaun, who helped you I understand. We saw him just before Christmas then his shop shut up for Christmas & New Year & we returned to Somerset after 23 days yesterday so never saw him again. isn't he a gem ?

Hope you hear better news very soon.

 

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Welcome to the AAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHH Club....it has many members I fear now..I am a member in the Irish club.

We had a buyer who pulled out at the very last moment. We have deduced the following options

1. Rent house (what happens if the tenants don't take care of it)

2. Drop price on house (doesn't give us the equity we need) until someone buys it

3. Don't go (can' say thats too appealing)

4. Try and get employer to permit me to work from Spain (remotely)

Its a tough time and I know exactly how you feel, you don't want to spend too much time on the Spain move if in 2 years your house still hasn't sold...as my wife keeps telling me..if it is meant to be then it will

Yours in empathy

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Hi Crooksy,

Unfortunately you are in the same boat as many others at the moment,we have five people that are waiting to sell in the UK to buy here,hopefully the new year will bring new buyers for you,there is no real answer other than it will happen in the end unfortunately.

Hi More,

Nice to see you again as usual hope your meet ups went ok,back to the grindstone today.

By the way what happened to Em????

Georgia

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Georgia, I'll email you

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Thanks all for replies, its nice to know we are not the only ones!

Just had our first viewer of the new year and he seemed really positive and then the old  "my friend has just bought a house for 10K less" - yes well he probably has because it is on the other side of town and has got one less bedroom!  He was a lucky man to walk out of here alive!!  Never mind, onto the next one.

yours with bated breathingly

 

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See, Crooksy, you're feeling better already.

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When people are buying in the UK they generally look on Rightmove.co.uk most agents subscribe to it as it is the biggest property portal in the UK. My friend recently sold their property through a company which is internet based very low fees about £250 but advertise on this website. I believe they have mobile lister who put the property on their books, even send details out and have virtual tours and floorplans and lots of piccs, by the time they have seen all this information buyers who do contact you are generally interested because they've virtually seen your house already. The only drawback is you have to do the viewings, there again most people do as agents are generally closed in the UK on Saturdays and Sundays. Who better to sell your house than yourself, you know it better than anyone. Even if you have an agent and are on a sole agency you can still advertise your house privately and will owe the agent nothing. They are called something network and based in essex I think Worth a try if nothing else, you may even sell and save yourself £000's Good Luck and I hope you get here soon.

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Hi Coast

With all due respect UK agents do a hell of a lot more for their money than just take £250 up front and stick it on a web site. I think you might find that sole agency agreements mean just that and it's either one way or the other. People sell themselves or instruct an agent, can't have it both ways. I used one of those internet companies to try and sell my car once. Paid up front and got nothing. Still if people don't mind doing own viewings, vetting viewers and sorting out the wheat from the chaff (as in "I don't need to sell to buy" or that old chestnut "we are cash buyers" how do sellers vet these potentials? And who chases and keeps the chains together?)I suppose it's up to them. Just my opinion. No offence to you Coast.

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.....................and drive around in your porche on the phone all day.......................

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Georgia, don't you go upsetting our Gina now.  

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its alright,she wont have time to read it she will too busy on the phone!!!

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We put our house on the market at the end of September.

Three people viewed in the first two weeks and one was very keen but hadn't even put their own house on the market.

Since then nothing ... nada...

We just told the agent that we were dropping the sole agency and would try to spread the house around a bit in the hopes of catching someone that way.

Unfortunately the media have been our enemies for the past few months by warning everyone that a slump was coming and house prices were dropping. From what i've seen, they aren't dropping. Just not rising so much as they were.

Hopefully, the spring will bring people out.

Fingers crossed for us all.

 

Laury

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Hi Laury and Crooksy,

Thought I'd cheer you up. Since we've been back to work the market has taken a bit of an upward turn. A lot of interested buyers about and making offers. In Wales that is, so probably in the wrong thread again, but what's new there? LOL  .

Anyway hope you get some genuine buyers soon.  The scenario crooksy spoke about, yep heard 'em all. They try to justify why they want to offer ridiculous money and don't get me started on the wall knockers!!!  Hang on in there and as long as you are realistically priced then you will sell. Good luck to you both.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Sorry Gina I didn't want to step on any toes - especially those glittery shoes!!!.  I was just pointing out that you can also use these sites alongside your agent as maybe an extra way of getting enquiries.

 

I always thought that a sole agency is for the use of one agent and you can also sell privately alongside as you are not an agent or that's what I'm sure it says in trading standards handbook.

 

The 'Office of Fair Trading' produces a booklet entitled 'Using an estate agent to buy or sell your home.' Copies are available free from the 'Office of Fair Trading' via their website at www.oft.gov.uk

 

On page two of the booklet it states;

Sole Agency
'The estate agent you appoint is the only agent with the right to sell your property. As you are not an agent, if you find a buyer  yourself you don't have to pay the estate agent's commission.

 

I have been an agent myself for over 12 years and do believe we do a good job, I have worked in Docklands, Hong Kong, Switzerland, Harrogate and now have my own company here in Mojacar.

I believe we do a good job and especially in the UK when you have a large chain involved and you really need the agent sometimes to keep everybody in line.  Unfortunately in an industry which is not regulated we regularly all get tarred with the same brush - especially in Spain, I am waiting for the day it does become regulated and then I will celebrate as it will get rid of a lot of the dead wood that is around and a number of BMW's

Sorry had to get that of my chest!!!!!!!!

and again sorry Gina, keep up the good work in Wales

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Hi Coast

No, don't worry you didn't step on my toes, as I said in my post, not having a pop at you. Just seen so many people ripped off by some fly by night web agents that take the money up front, do nothing,go out of business and then we have to pick up the pieces so wanted to give people the option to make up their own minds.

Agree with you about regulating. Should be made compulsory. Was actually at a meeting a few weeks ago with the OFT. A lot of debate going on so maybe one day they will all be regulated and that will then once and for all get rid of the badduns that give us a bad reputation. funnily enough I did have a laugh with our agent in Spain when I asked if they had ever heard of the PMA. A picture on the spec showing a lovely outlook on the pool that turned out to be 2 streets away. OFT would have a field day. .

Right enough shop talk. Things are starting to pick up so I am happy .

This message was last edited by Candyfloss on 1/9/2008.

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Thanks for the encouragement Candyfloss. I hope you're right and things are picking up.

We sold a house ourselves years ago when we were with a sole agent and they slapped a bill in to the solicitor for selling fees. He paid them.

Now we make sure the sole agency agreement isn't in effect before trying other outlets.

I'm really not sure about the web based sell it yourself ones. They probably post the properties on Rightmove the same as our agents already has.

 

Laury

 

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Oy Coast! Whats wrong with BMWs!!!!

There used to be rgulatuon here in Spain then they relaxed the rules so all the second hand car spivs and timeshare buddies started up and jumped on the bandwagon. There is a course you can take tobecome registered and will also permit you to undertake valuations. Last time Ilooked into it it was around 2000 euros and it was module learning, only in Spanish!!! They will help non spanish speakers through the course though, but I dont think it will be too long before this is enforced (helps the governmant make money on the fines) and to be honest it would be a great idea, beecause one of my pet hates is not only the larger chains that cause problems, but the little guy who takes a cash bung to put buyers in touch with sellers - we have overheads tax and iva to pay out, they dont !

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Sorry Rixxy,

Didn't mean BMW's in general just a certain Irish company who keep shafting people around here.  Good news is they all seemed to be parked up all week so far, R they making people get a coach from the airport??????

 

Would be interested in the course, please PM with details?I can't wait for the system to be regulated, maybe we should start a revolution that doesn't involve money!!!!!

How's life treating you? Are you also busy?

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