House Selling/Surveys/Offers etc

Hi all,

Do any of you lot know what is looked at /checked when a homeowner survey is undertaken? I'd just like to know so if I think any work needs to be done I can get it done now rather than have a survey done and potentially have a vastly reduced offer. My house is only just going on the market so I'm a way off being made any offers yet.

Also, there's a few houses I've seen that I like and intend to view. If a bit further down the line I view and like somewhere and want to make an offer, what would be a realistic offer to make percentage wise below asking price without it making me feel like a cheeky git! Let's say on a house on at £115,000.

Lastly, I've taken a punt and decided to go with an online estate agent, mainly to cut costs with the saving over regular estate agents being nearly £2,500 which is about 3% of my current house value. The main gamble is that I've paid up front and one of the extras I took out was a Rightmove premium listing (this was 2 days ago). I've had an email tonight off them offering a free premium listing with a discount code so straight away sent a reply asking if I could have a refund seeing as they probably knew this offer was coming up. If they say they won't, is there a cooling off period with this type of agent and would I be able to cancel the whole deal and get a full refund if I felt I needed to? It probably won't come to that but thought it best to know before I speak with them tomorrow.

[L3nny]

When I sold my house the agent charged 1.25% so maybe you should shop around a bit more, they did actually work for that money as well, managing all the viewings, advertising all over the place and dealing with the solicitors so I think I got good value.

You should offer what you think the house is worth, if a house is vastly overpriced then come in with a low offer, chances are they haven't received any near the asking price, on the other hand if a house is priced to sell most owners wont accept less than the asking and you could miss out to another buyer.

There are a wide range of different types of survey but most are just to make sure the house isn't on the verge of falling over so if you just need to tidy the place up then I shouldn't worry.

Surveys unless a really in depth one (expensive) are a waste of time, they ain't got a clue, the amount of things they miss is unreal.

In terms of selling yours, make it presentable, clean, any paintwork that looks tatty, give it a quick lick of paint.

First impressions count, when people buy houses, it's quite often within the first few minutes of walking through the door, they decide it's for them due to a vibe they get.

I recently paid estate agent £299 marketing fee and 1% of final selling price fee. Obviously the more expensive the house the more they charge, but their fee was 1% on houses selling up to £120k iirc.

The home owner report is a complete con. Not worth the paper its written on.

As said, make sure its nice and light, clean, tidy and de-clutter.

[dizzyblonde]

If you've gone with something like expressagency they're steep. Apparently they do get rid of your house quick, but personally id rather put up with an agency who offers 1%(subject to t&c) most buyers go for the cheapest survey. They aren't detailed. A surveyor don't like getting dirty in a loft or climb ladders, and you get what you pay for. Unless a property is mega old (for example) and requires an intense survey, which pokes holes and inspects under carpets.

As for putting in offers. It's a buyer's market. If you want to be really savvy, check out zoopla for previous sales of the intended house, and neighbouring properties.
For instance I'm looking at a house that's 125k, it was previously sold in 2010 for 119k. I'll be aiming for that also one for 138k, and others in the area are 125k. It's the best of the bunch, but still worth the haggle given the evidence I have for bargaining. Plus it has an empty property for sale next door that needs levelling!

Apparently rule of thumb is if you want to be cheeky and get a good deal, offer 10-20% less than the asking price, depending how brave you are.

Thanks for the responses. I've chosen to go with a Homebuyer survey on whichever house I buy but I'm wondering now if I should bother. Sounds like they don't look at much more than I would be when viewing somewhere.

I've got my house up to a good standard now, decluttered etc but I'm not one for mess anyway so it wasn't bad. It's all fairly neautral all the way through and have given most places a fresh lick of paint over the last few months knowing it was going to go on the market, just need to do a bit of glossing now in the bedrooms.

I'd heard before to make the first offer about 10% below asking so on 115,000 that would put it around £103,500, would still feel cheeky though from whats been said might even round it down to 102,000! I suppose its a bit hypercritical really to expect to get a house at lower than asking when I don't want to/cant't really accept anything less for mine! We'll see how it goes though.

This will be my first time in a chain as well so I'm not entirely sure how things work. If I like a house and want to make an offer but have no buyer for mine, what happens then? Or if I get an offer on mine but haven't seen anywhere I like etc etc?

[dizzyblonde]

I've had my current house on the market twice.
Last time was in the height of 2008. It was the first time I'd experience of selling a house. I changed my mind due to circumstance and glad I did really because those selling now, having bought then, are finding the slumped prices a bit of a kick in the teeth. I've lost 11k on asking price from then to now(and looking to lose much more due to crap market). A lot of other sellers are losing far more!

I did put in an offer back then on a house I liked, and it was accepted. Every so often their agent would call and ask how the selling was going with my house.......it was none existent, and eventually someone else came along with a better offer anyway. Which I'm actually glad about looking back. I removed my property from the market, as I said circumstances changed.

Upon that experience, I have decided this time to view houses which may take my fancy, after all I'm in the market for buying a new one, and give feedback on the lines of
'If I get a buyer for mine, and yours is still on the market I will put in an offer. I don't want to waste your time or hopes of a firm buyer'.
So far my house has been on the market for several months, so my experience of last time has proven this is certainly the way to go forward for me personally.

For those houses I may view, and they really aren't what I want...its thanks but no thanks.

You may have to consider how rigid you want to be with your asking price. It may hinder a sale. I'm in a similar boat that I can't lower my asking price too much(but open to the fact I will have to), even with nearly 50% equity, the houses I am looking at are far bigger and more expensive bracket... I need all the money I can get....just like everyone else

I'm just trying to decide on what price to go for. I've had 3 valuations all in a similar ball park so it's a case of go for the higher price and be open to offers or go for the lower price but being "offers over". Think I'd rather start higher and change it down than start low and not have movement to go any lower.

We (finally) moved house in October, we had the middle survey done on the house we bought - waste of time seriously if you want a survey done on a house you a buying employ someone privately to do it.


as for the offer - we got ours for 20K under the asking price

[Sir Trev]

Originally Posted by dizzyblonde

...A surveyor don't like getting dirty in a loft or climb ladders, and you get what you pay for...

The one that came to survey our house for the buyer listed a pile of crud that had nothing to do with the sale, like the cleanliness of the oven can you believe! But the one we hired to look at what is now our current house did not look in the loft at all, or I'm sure he would have noted the TOTAL absence of insulation. And all the drainpipes were blocked, badly split and leaking - something we only found out when it rained for the first time. We paid a lot for that survey and it was a waste of paper!!