mr_cellophane
Legendary Member
- Location
- Essex
Don't think I have ever been asked that by the agent. That is a question the solicitor asks.
Selling a House & Estate Agents Advice
- Thread starter smokeysmoo
- Start date
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- Tags
- advice
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Nigel-YZ1
Guru
- Location
- Somewhere else... maybe soon.
Another vote for the local agent.
Then sit and watch as they try to justify their fee for putting a couple of standard pictures and text on Zoopla by trying to be the intermediary in every stage of the process.
Then sit and watch as they try to justify their fee for putting a couple of standard pictures and text on Zoopla by trying to be the intermediary in every stage of the process.
mr_cellophane
Legendary Member
- Location
- Essex
I was more than happy with my local agent. Sold to the first viewer for £25k more than the others suggested starting at.
Last house we sold after buying it to separate the plot off, 1st agent said £125,000 second £140,000 I had a sign made with for sale £158,950 phone etc on and put it up estate agent style outside. 45 minutes later a phone call saying can we come and buy it and they did. I left the sign up for 4 days and got 6 other enquiries.
Chris S
Legendary Member
- Location
- Birmingham
"Or will they have the legal right to dispose of it?"
A copy of the Will and proof of identity will suffice.
fossyant
Ride It Like You Stole It!
- Location
- South Manchester
Another for local agent. There is enough stress sorting out a relatives estate as it is.
Very recent experience leads me to suggest avoiding Purple Bricks, not the least of reasons being they use Premier Property Surveyors, who are absolutely and utterly appalling.
PB are (as I suppose they all would be) very friendly and professional seeming, but one thing I hadn't considered when we went with them, is that their 'fixed fee' selling is not necessarily in your favour. I got the impression they were leaning on us to accept offers which they knew we wouldn't accept. I get that they probably have to ring all offers through, no matter how silly, but considering their original price guide (and confidence of reaching lower end valuation) it was 'funny' how lower offers were encouraged to be accepted. I would actually swear they were working alongside some buyers, felt a bit of pressure and was convinced they'd told one or two people that we would take a certain amount (under valuation) to be honest.
At the end of the day, they aren't really going to care too much how much the house sells for, as they get their fees regardless, so with hindsight it possibly isn't the best option using them. We ended up using a local estate agents too, who were I suppose, equally full of promises but did get a good number of people through the door and were easier to deal with.
We also had one sale fall through and I have to say we found out about PB's 'aftercare' alright from that point. More concerned with giving them a good rating than being of much help after sale fell through.
But really REALLY it's worth avoiding them just because of Premier Property Surveyors alone, that's how bad they are.
PB are (as I suppose they all would be) very friendly and professional seeming, but one thing I hadn't considered when we went with them, is that their 'fixed fee' selling is not necessarily in your favour. I got the impression they were leaning on us to accept offers which they knew we wouldn't accept. I get that they probably have to ring all offers through, no matter how silly, but considering their original price guide (and confidence of reaching lower end valuation) it was 'funny' how lower offers were encouraged to be accepted. I would actually swear they were working alongside some buyers, felt a bit of pressure and was convinced they'd told one or two people that we would take a certain amount (under valuation) to be honest.
At the end of the day, they aren't really going to care too much how much the house sells for, as they get their fees regardless, so with hindsight it possibly isn't the best option using them. We ended up using a local estate agents too, who were I suppose, equally full of promises but did get a good number of people through the door and were easier to deal with.
We also had one sale fall through and I have to say we found out about PB's 'aftercare' alright from that point. More concerned with giving them a good rating than being of much help after sale fell through.
But really REALLY it's worth avoiding them just because of Premier Property Surveyors alone, that's how bad they are.
Bromptonaut
Rohan Man
- Location
- Bugbrooke UK
If it's a probate sale I'd use a conventional local agent, let them handle keys and viewings etc. We did that after my Mum died in late 2017. As flat was round corner from my sister we could sort out insurance visits and stuff like boiler inspections but I'd expect a decent agent to be able to do that too.
In terms of getting probate Mum had appointed my sister and me plus a solicitor as executors. Estate was quite complex with flat, cash, investments etc. bumping the IHT limit. Mum's astonishing generosity with gifts to us and to her grandchildren in later life when infirmity curtailed holidays etc resulted a 'steward's inquiry' from HMRC over surplus income and the professional fees to sort that were worth every penny. OTOH Mrs B's mother left just cash at bank(s) and was a cinch to sort for ourselves. Saved a lot of time by swearing affidavit with a local solicitor rather than at the probate office.
In terms of getting probate Mum had appointed my sister and me plus a solicitor as executors. Estate was quite complex with flat, cash, investments etc. bumping the IHT limit. Mum's astonishing generosity with gifts to us and to her grandchildren in later life when infirmity curtailed holidays etc resulted a 'steward's inquiry' from HMRC over surplus income and the professional fees to sort that were worth every penny. OTOH Mrs B's mother left just cash at bank(s) and was a cinch to sort for ourselves. Saved a lot of time by swearing affidavit with a local solicitor rather than at the probate office.
Spoked Wheels
Legendary Member
- Location
- Bournemouth
1.0 Read the contract that agency wants you to sign. Be prepared to walk away if you don't like it, unless the agency is happy to change what you don't like.
I know somebody that put their house on the market last year, he had three agents view the the property, and two agents over valued the property. The property next door had been sold months before by one of the agents (they value the property about right but my friends weren't too keen on the person assigned to do the sale and agency would not change the agent)
They went with the agency that over valued the property by 50k because they were confident they could sell at that price and it was in the middle of the three valuations. The other agency over valued even more.
What happened? After one week in the market, Agent suggested to drop the asking price by 50k..... my friend said "no" and from then onwards the service was terrible.
My friend thinks they over value the property to get the business... it would have been 16k, and then quickly get the owner to agree to drop the price.
They were some issues with the contract IIRC, nothing the Agent wasn't happy to change.
* Somebody said that agents are the best people to show a property but I remember only a couple of years ago, when my son was looking to buy that I made up my mind when it's time to sell I want to show my property
I know somebody that put their house on the market last year, he had three agents view the the property, and two agents over valued the property. The property next door had been sold months before by one of the agents (they value the property about right but my friends weren't too keen on the person assigned to do the sale and agency would not change the agent)
They went with the agency that over valued the property by 50k because they were confident they could sell at that price and it was in the middle of the three valuations. The other agency over valued even more.
What happened? After one week in the market, Agent suggested to drop the asking price by 50k..... my friend said "no" and from then onwards the service was terrible.
My friend thinks they over value the property to get the business... it would have been 16k, and then quickly get the owner to agree to drop the price.
They were some issues with the contract IIRC, nothing the Agent wasn't happy to change.
* Somebody said that agents are the best people to show a property but I remember only a couple of years ago, when my son was looking to buy that I made up my mind when it's time to sell I want to show my property
We had 2 agents look at ours.
1st one said £150K max.
2nd one said £180k minimum and a quick sale.
In the end we decided to stay.
Slick
Guru
My belief is that agents know less than me and certainly Mrs Slick and it has earned me over 100k. I'll use an agent, but only one who does as instructed when required.We had 2 agents look at ours.
1st one said £150K max.
2nd one said £180k minimum and a quick sale.
In the end we decided to stay.
cyberknight
As long as I breathe, I attack.
- Location
- Land of confusion
You can haggle with agents as well for costs, i had 3 agents around when we decided to go on the market and i knew how much a house 2 doors down sold for and we have parking and they dont so i was not going to take less than what they got and were not over priced .
The agent we went with is well known for good sales record and not overvaluing price , when they rang up to ask what agent i was going to use after comparing them i said XXX, oh they replaied and promptly dropped the price they were asking to under what purple bricks were charging as well as a no sales no fee contract .
The agent we went with is well known for good sales record and not overvaluing price , when they rang up to ask what agent i was going to use after comparing them i said XXX, oh they replaied and promptly dropped the price they were asking to under what purple bricks were charging as well as a no sales no fee contract .
OP
OP
smokeysmoo
Legendary Member
- Location
- Bolton, not very far from Nob End
Quick update: So it's more than a year down the line and probate is still not sorted, hence the house is still sat festering 
The solicitor told us on instruction that the process normally takes 3-4 weeks but was taking up to 3 months due to a new computer system at the probate court, que sera, que sera came the reply.
So 3 months came and went, then after about 5 months the Wife's Grandpa's half came back all sorted, but her Nan's half was delayed with no further explanation. Eventually the solicitor said the PC had lost the paperwork for her Nan's part, they had sent a copy but the PC had lost that too, and couldn't accept a further copy so new paperwork had to be signed. This was duly done and hand delivered to the solicitors office, but it seems the PC don't fast track applications even when they've fecked things up in the first place.
So from the initial application in early June 2019 we're still in a position were we can't sell the property, and we're waiting for those funds to enable us to hopefully relocate ouselves.
I could understand if it was a complicated case, but it's probably one rung up the ladder from being as simple as it could be. I wish with hindsight we'd sought advice and could have probably not gone through a solicitor. Having done so now means the PC won't even speak to Mrs Smoo, they will only speak to the solicitors, and trying to pin them down is like trying to knit fog!
Anyway rant over. Thanks for the recent replies too
The solicitor told us on instruction that the process normally takes 3-4 weeks but was taking up to 3 months due to a new computer system at the probate court, que sera, que sera came the reply.
So 3 months came and went, then after about 5 months the Wife's Grandpa's half came back all sorted, but her Nan's half was delayed with no further explanation. Eventually the solicitor said the PC had lost the paperwork for her Nan's part, they had sent a copy but the PC had lost that too, and couldn't accept a further copy so new paperwork had to be signed. This was duly done and hand delivered to the solicitors office, but it seems the PC don't fast track applications even when they've fecked things up in the first place.
So from the initial application in early June 2019 we're still in a position were we can't sell the property, and we're waiting for those funds to enable us to hopefully relocate ouselves.
I could understand if it was a complicated case, but it's probably one rung up the ladder from being as simple as it could be. I wish with hindsight we'd sought advice and could have probably not gone through a solicitor. Having done so now means the PC won't even speak to Mrs Smoo, they will only speak to the solicitors, and trying to pin them down is like trying to knit fog!
Anyway rant over. Thanks for the recent replies too
