4 things that could break your sale

I’ve been an estate agent since 2001.  My husband since 1989.  95% of all sales we carry out run pretty smooth.  Sure there are the odd issues with surveys, however, when you are dealing with period home, most buyers and sellers are expecting this!   It’s the 5% of sales that are the issue.  The ones that really need TLC and occasionally kid gloves.   My husband looks after these sales and clients personally.   He’s very straight talking.  He likes to deal in facts.  If a problem can be fixed,  we all know he can fix it!

Last week, I was asked a serious question on a valuation.  How do you deal with difficult sales?     Do you just let them fall through?  I asked a few questions myself.   It transpires this lady has had past issues with estate agents.   She’s had sales that have fallen through.  She needed reassurance.   We chose to look at 4 recent difficult sales and how we had dealt with them.  

 The difficult chain

I don’t think there is an estate agent in the country that hasn’t had to deal with a difficult chain!   Our latest one involved a chap moving to Lancaster due to his job.  He had a date he needed to be in his new home by.  He agreed to a buy a 2-bed townhouse on The Willows.  They were upsizing now they had a baby.   They had found a house in Heysham.   The Heysham man was buying his Mums house.  The problem was he worked on the oil rigs and no-one knew where his Mum was going!   It was a private sale.   Our buyer was getting fraught.  Dates were getting nearer.  Luckily Mr JDG tracked down the solicitors concerned and everyone came to an agreement on moving dates.  

Moral of the story:   If you need to be moved by a certain date, make sure you know the forward chain or buy an empty house!

 The bad survey

Could your home have a bad survey?  If there is anything you know could pop up and surprise your buyers on a survey, it is better to speak up now.   It’s always better to know what we are dealing with.  Should a survey be bad we always ask to see a copy of the survey so we can arrange estimates and quotes.  However, not all buyers can afford to undertake the work needed.   Not all vendors can afford to reduce the price of their home.   Our client's house was both down-valued and had survey issues relating to the floor and timber issues   We appealed the down valuation and won based upon comparable evidence and recent sales.   We helped the owner arrange quotes for the essential work.  Even if the sale was to fall through,  it needed doing.   Luckily all is now sorted. 

Moral of the story.  Make sure your estate agent knows how to act if and when a bad survey happens.  This is where experience and knowledge really are essential

 The bereavement 

How do I put this?  It is a fact people die.  However what happens when it is the seller or buyer of a house?   This is what we call a rather delicate situation.  Ultimately we have to respect the wishes of the deceased’s family.   It’s only right.  It has happened to us recently.   We had 4 houses in a chain.  The owner of the middle house passed away suddenly.   It meant the upper chain fell through.   However, the family of the deceased decided to continue with the sale of their Mums home.  We now, however, had a probate to deal with and this meant lengthy delays.  The lower chain couldn’t wait.   We managed to break the chain.  The 2nd house in the chain agreed to move in with family.

Moral of the story.  Somethings can’t be avoided.  Have a backup plan wherever possible

 The gazunderer

The gazunderer is something we dislike.  I’ll describe it as a despicable act.  It’s awful and it’s in just.  Thankfully it doesn’t happen often.  In this instance, we were selling a house which needed renovation.  We had a cash buyer.  Two days before completion he dropped his offer by £10,000 for no other reason than he wanted to.   We refused it.  Not only that but we made a few phone calls and re-sold it for MORE!  

Moral of the story.  Ethics are important to us.  We look after our clients best interest and in this instance that is the owner of the house. 

Selling a property is far more than finding a buyer.  When things start to go wrong,  when the going gets get tough,  a great agent will help you find a solution.  It’s what we do at JDG.   Can we help you move?   Call us on 01524 843322.  We love to chat with you about your move.