11th February 2012

Well I am pleased to report that we are still with the same Estate Agent. Feel much more relaxed today. This agent was the one we really should have gone with.

One of the reasons we did not was because having spoken to both of them back in October, the Agent we first engaged was the only one who kept in regular contact to see how we were doing and if we were ready to put the house up. Also the other guy was very slimy and I did not take to him at all. As it turns out that guy left and that is why no one kept in touch. His replacement is much easier to deal with, more a normal person than a car salesman type, you know the thing.

I am happy now, I hope, with our choice, time will tell.

So the two viewings they lined up for today have been and gone. Strategically they arranged it so the second viewing arrived whilst the first one was here. I is to create an air of interest in the property, so they tell me. Wow there are tactics in the Estate Agent business. Also we were told it is best not to walk around the house with them during the viewing, buyers are less likely to ask the agent questions or make comments if the home owner is there.

Anyhow the first person was a young girl, accompanied by her father and two young men, who I assume we're here brothers. They took time looking round, something the author chap did not seem to do. The next viewers were a man and women in their early 30's. They chatted to us a bit but again left them to go round with the agent. By doing that I have no idea what they thought of the place, I will have to wait for the agents feedback. I wonder if they will actually call? You can see I really do not trust any of them.

We received the energy efficiency report today. Hope no one actually pays attention to them as they must be really hard to get a good rating. We have a good boiler, insulated loft, double glazing throughout, use energy saving lightbulbs everywhere yet our rating only came out as an E. The ratings go from A to G with A being the best. Even with all the improvements recommended, which include the installation of solar panels and have insulation fitted to the outside walls ( who is really going to do that ) the rating only goes up to a D.

Kirsty goes very shy when people come to look. As soon as thy knocked she cam into the back room and hid behind the chair. It is good having the house on the market, everyone is keeping things tidy, putting rubbish in the bin and putting things away after using them. I need to think of a way to keep them doing it when we move.

Lovely day today, sunny but very cold, it was still -2 when we went out to the shops this morning. The boiler is putting in hard word and the heating has not been off now for about 3 days.

So that's it for now, do not expect to hear from anyone now until Monday. The new agent does not work on Sundays. So nothing more to do. On Monday we will go to the solicitors to show proof of our identity, hand in our forms and pay a holding fee for them. Now I am paying out money and anyone who knows me knows how much that hurts.

8th February 2012 - Afternoon update

So our second viewing has taken place and this time the person was much harder to read. He was in his late 50's, an author he said, and was accompanied by a girl in her early 20's. She did not say anything and he did not say much more. They looked around the property, hardly asked any questions, so I volunteered information to them, such as the wiring had been totally replaced 12 years ago, the boiler was in good condition and the loft was insulated and fully boarded. Other than that they looked around, reasonably slowly, there was no great rush, he asked what I did for a living and it was then that he told me about his profession. We shook hands and they left with him thanking me and saying they have other properties to look at.

Earlier the Estate Agent had said that the potential buyer was very keen to see our property. They had suggested others to him but he was insistent on ours, so maybe that's a good sign.

This morning was strange though. I said before that we were in no rush and need to drag this out as long as possible, but after last nights viewing I had convinced myself that she would make an offer and expected the phone to ring first thing in the morning. When it did not I seemed to get uptight. I rang the estate agents a couple of times but the Agent was not around. Why was I getting worked up. We really have no panic until April/May time.

Anyhow the Agent rang me at 11.30 to say the buyer like the property very much but the main road was too noisy especially in the front bedroom. He advised her to get a quote for triple glazing, which is fine but he said he expected her to do this and then come in with an offer of around 239K based on getting the work done. I advised the agent that that price might be accepted come April or May but for now we would only say yes to 245K or above.

We must keep to this, we are in control at the moment, if someone really wants it they can pay near the asking price, that may well change over time but for now that must be our position.

No more viewings booked yet, the agent said he would give me feedback in a couple of days time from todays viewing.

8th February 2012

So we had our first viewing last night. They turned up before the estate agent, so I invited them in and had a chat to them without the Agent. It turns out they have been looking for a year, and have lost two properties very close to finishing. The first was due to a survey which meant the mortgage company would not release the money. The second one, the sellers pulled out two days before exchange of contract. So this seems to be a tough time for them and they really need to buy something. This might be in our favour but who knows.

They seemed to like the property but I sensed a problem with it being on the main road and the noise that brings and also the back garden side fences being very low. The later can be solved quite easily by putting up bigger fences, the noise from the road is not something we notice but each to their own taste I suppose.

If they were to offer anything above £246K then I would accept without hesitiation, even if it meant that we sold a lot earlier than we would prefer. Anything under that would take some consideration and maybe some negotiatiing upwards as we really do not need to be accepting any offers at the moment unless they are really near the asking price.

Another viewing today at 1.40pm, will see how that goes.