Selling your house

[horlock07]

although oddly the Haart rep signed with the date 20th July 2015, idiot.  Very much doubt I can rely on that though :-)

Why not, I would at the very least tell them you are majorly unimpressed with their performance and that in your opinion you have the right to fuck off due to the date on the contact, emphasising that its another example of their shoddy performance, if nothing else might focus their minds a bit?

Then again they can't even spell Hart so what do you expect?

[Samdy Gray]

If you want to sell cheaply or rely on people just finding you on Rightmove, then use an online service like Purple Bricks or Bushey's Moovahome.

If you want a traditional agent that'll drive viewings and actually work for their money, I've found Castles very good.

[RobertT]

I had used Castles before, but my success with them came when doing the viewings myself - which rather does beg the question about the level of time and effort an estate agent wishes to commit to any given house depending on expected commission I guess.  We tried them but they struggled to even respond around the valuation, let alone be useful as a very distant partner, and for obvious reasons, me doing the viewings wasn't going to work out this time.

Don't suppose anyone is/was an estate agent and can shed any light on how to motivate them?

For now, I've decided to get the renting option reviewed - if I can change to an BTL mortgage and revert to interest only, then I can reduce the monthly outgoings to sub 200, and a quick search suggest rents for a 3 bed in Eldene (Snodshill end - that's for Reg) come in around 850-900.  It's not ideal as we really want the cash out of the property, but better than a smack in the chops.

[Gethimout]

About selling.. I've never done it and we're looking to move in the next 1-2 years depending on whether child 2 happens.

Would it be a good idea to create a portfolio of all the new things added/updated to the house since we moved in and present this to any interested buyers? Or is this done by the estate agent?

[RedRag]

sounds good but no special knowledge there.

on the legal side, improvements tend to lead to demands regarding guarantees and certificates later on.  

not sure that most guarantees are especially valuable at sale time. many buyers will have offered without knowledge of guarantees and then get sniffy about their enforceability or transferability. sometimes not mentioning guarantees can ironically save trouble for a seller.

there are however compliance certificates that will likely be required for certain works, especially gas and electrical and in the case of double glazing Fensa certificates.  The absence of these can cause problems to the transaction, often later on, after a buyer has received advice from a surveyor or a careful solicitor has checked the mortgage conditions of a buyer's mortgage offer.

good luck with no. 2

[Gethimout]

sounds good but no special knowledge there.

on the legal side, improvements tend to lead to demands regarding guarantees and certificates later on. 

not sure that most guarantees are especially valuable at sale time. many buyers will have offered without knowledge of guarantees and then get sniffy about their enforceability or transferability. sometimes not mentioning guarantees can ironically save trouble for a seller.

there are however compliance certificates that will likely be required for certain works, especially gas and electrical and in the case of double glazing Fensa certificates.  The absence of these can cause problems to the transaction, often later on, after a buyer has received advice from a surveyor or a careful solicitor has checked the mortgage conditions of a buyer's mortgage offer.

good luck with no. 2

Thanks for the advice - I'l keep this all in mind. The house, imo, is certainly in better condition than when we purchased it. Hopefully potential buyers will see this!

[RobertT]

I can confirm that unless you have the necessary paperwork, leave it our for now.  I replaced a window at the property I did up and the company went bust before we could get any documentation!  It ended up with me having to get a Council inspector to come out and confirm it met the necessary guidelines - it was no more than 2 feet wide by 1 foot tall I think-  all to do with ensuring it opens etc. depending on doors between that and the exit and so on.

If you have replaced a big item number, like the boiler you are supposed to advise the solicitors and again having documentation is required, but that is one item that might help as it will reassure the buyer if it's relatively new.

It is amazing what a buyer will miss when viewing - on that house I mention, a bit of plaster blew next a radiator (we'd taken them off to decorate properly and one had leaked a little, but was fixed) about 10 minutes before a viewing.  I found a bucket and mop and located it just in front and on the viewing stood in front, they never even blinked.  To confirm, I did get it fixed before selling, and it was that person who purchased it.