Selling house Post Reply

[Mummymummymummy]

Hi all, we're thinking of selling our house and I'd really like some advice. We've seen somewhere we like so would like to be in a position to make an offer. However I'm unsure whether we should put our house on the market straight away, what with it being summer and London being very quiet, or should we wait now until September?

My concern is that our property will just languish on the market for weeks with no interest which is a bit pointless. I'd rather have a flurry if interest when normal business resumes after the holidays and get the thing sold.

I should add that I hate living in limbo, so want the whole thing done and dusted with minimum fuss. Also the property we like hasn't been on the market all that long and so far hasn't had too much interest so I don't feel massively under pressure to act now.

Any advice and eerie nice if the housing market over the summer would be much appreciated.

Tks

[btcmum]

Following

[mum2babyboy]

We have been house hunting for almost a year now and I've noticed how much the market has slowed down over the last month or so. Most houses we were looking at up until around June, had a lot of viewing and offers were being put in at or above asking price within days. The ones we have looked at lately haven't been getting as much attention, and some owners are even dropping prices. It's a great position for us as buyers, but as a vendor, if you can wait until summer is over, that might not be a bad thing.

[jonathan @ hamptons]

Hi there,

As you can see from below, I run Hamptons on Northcote Road so hopefully I should be in a good position to give some advice.

July and August are definitely two of the quietest months for selling houses. Our flat department is extremely busy right now but as you might imagine, most families are away at the moment and even if they’re not, the prospect of looking at houses with kids in tow is not exactly high on their priority list!! There are buyers out there however so I would definitely choose your agent now, get photos and floorplans done whilst the weather is good and get everything prepared for a launch in the second week of September. If the buyers that are around want to look then a good agent should be able to tease them with the prospect that the house is coming to the market formally in September but they “might be able to agree it prior to that for the right offer”.

As mum2babyboy says, the market has softened substantially since the early spring so please do your research, look at other houses on the market and price yours accordingly. Ask yourself honestly whether, if you were the buyer, you would buy your house or the competitions at your price. An agent should be able to price it correctly but beware of the ones that tell you what you want to hear just to flatter you and win the instruction. It’s a pretty tough time for sellers at the moment so the key is getting the house on at the right price and getting it away quickly. There’s no prize for being the most expensive house on the street if you never actually sell!!

If you want to have a chat then do give me a call on the number below, most people that know me will confirm that I tend to “tell it how it is” rather than talk estate agent gobbledegook...

Jonathan Dyson
Hamptons International
020 7924 2170

[Mummymummymummy]

Thanks Jonathan, that's really useful Confirms what I was thinking. The whole process is such an upheaval, I don't want to pointlessly add extra weeks in to being on the market. Also means I can enjoy the sun and worry about sorting out my junk another day

[CitySlicker]

Another reason to do as Jonathan says and choose the agent now, get your pics and floor plan etc ready before a September launch is that if the house you like is potentially going to go under offer (it's not like NO one out there is buying) and you aren't ready to sell yours, then you could end up losing that one. Just a thought..

[GemsyHP]

We have just sold our flat in Fulham and have had an offer accepted between the commons, we managed to get just off asking price for our flat and got some money off the house between the commons - everything is relative in all honesty. The market has changed since January but it makes the process my more enjoyable that you dont have to put an offer in straight away. Some of the agents are so good in that area that they would do off market viewings if you so decided anyway Good Luck with it all