Lancaster & Morecambe 01524 843322
Posted on Wednesday, September 11, 2019
Back in May, I was contacted by Linda. We have successfully sold before in the past for her and her partner. Linda asked for help. Mum was poorly and they needed to move, in order to be able to care for her full time. They needed a home which could accommodate them, mum and also Linda’s son, giving Mum some degree of privacy and also the room where they could relax away from the strains that this could give. There were three main issues. The first was that they needed to sell three properties in order to buy one that would suit. The 2nd was finding a home which would suit. The third was how to tie all this together. Going into rented was not an option.
First of all, we had to decide how to do this. The first decision was to assess each house, not just to set a price but to assess it’s saleability. Mum’s home had to be the last to sell, or at least complete. We decide in the first instance to market the house in Skerton. This was most likely to be the hardest to sell, given the amount of competition available. It was empty and had just been refurbished. Following on this would be the next home, also in north Lancaster. Once we had a buyer for that, we would put the next home in Morecambe up for sale next. This is the home that had to go up for sale last. It was a bungalow, so I wasn’t too worried.
We created a set marketing plan for each property, tweaking how we targeted buyers based upon the location and buyer type. All 3 properties had a personal marketing video created, each a facebook advertising campaign planned. As standard, the newspaper adverts were booked. The Skerton home sold quickly to a first-time buyer. Sadly though the first sale fell through due to the buyer's personal circumstances however it sold quickly again. The next home in Beaumont had a number of buyers wanting it. As soon as it hit the market, a lady who’s home we had valued previously wanted it desperately. She put her Scale Hall home up for sale the same day. Thankfully we found a buyer for that in just 18 hours! Interestingly the bungalow took a little longer. At first, I wondered why. Was it because the other two homes were dressed and staged to perfection and this one was “lived” in? 17 viewings took place over a 4 week period before an offer was accepted. In just 4 weeks, all 4 homes were under offer.
In this same period, we put a home up for sale in South Lancaster. It was perfect for Linda and her family. This was currently a student home, it had been extended years previously. We knew the home well as it had previously been owned by my colleague's in-laws. They had it extended to accommodate a dependent relative. It was already perfectly laid out! We called her straight away. The only issue here was that the students were renting this home until August. In theory, this would work. Linda’s offer was accepted.
It’s interesting how many people think finding a buyer is the hardest part of the job. Often that can be the easiest. The sales progression is where it all becomes interesting and sometimes difficult. People get stressed, they all want to move on different dates to fit in with their lives and schedules. They don’t always understand that mortgages have to be arranged, surveys carried out and solicitors instructed. Sometimes surveys have issues that the lenders want checking out. There’s lots of paperwork and forms to be filled out. One piece of missing paperwork can easily add a delay of a week or more.
It was decided that John would oversee all 3 sales plus the related sale that we had in the chain. He would also speak with the other parties involved as further down the chain another estate agent was involved. Thankfully each individual chain was short. We would complete the empty house sale asap. The other two, plus the Scale Hall house had to complete on the same day as their purchase. Also reliant on this was a home in Bowerham which needed to complete on the same day.
It wasn’t all smooth sailing, there were ups and downs. John spent many hours talking to the various parties involved to keep things on track. The important thing was, our client had a deadline she needed to be moved by - we made that date and everyone moved in August.
We love a happy ending x x x
Ps. If you are thinking of moving, we would love to hear from you. Why not book for a free no-obligation home move consultation. We are non pressurising, very helpful and we are to listen. If you decide you want to move, our job is to help you achieve your moving goals and the best possible price for your home. Call us on 01524 843322
PPS. You can also try out our free online valuation tool. Because it is a computer, without a heart or feelings, it isnt as accurate as getting us out, but it could give you a rough idea of what home is worth. Try it out here!
