Belper Property Forum

Belper Property Forum Free independent advice to buyers, sellers, landlords and tenants.

Morning all. Didn’t have much interaction on the page last time around, so I just let it drift I guess. Just want to gau...
11/09/2024

Morning all.

Didn’t have much interaction on the page last time around, so I just let it drift I guess.

Just want to gauge if anyone is interested in the tips/advice on offer. The idea was to post every now again but also to take questions or requests for help/advice, either on the page itself or via messenger.

There is no charge and the advice will straightforward and unbiased.

👍

Hi everyone. My first post for a while. Very odd property market at the moment. Lots of outside influences having an eff...
13/10/2022

Hi everyone. My first post for a while. Very odd property market at the moment. Lots of outside influences having an effect on confidence, which has resulted in a mini slow down in the market. I am of the opinion it will be more of a "blip" than anything more serious, but as the past two and half years have proved, it' very hard to predict even the short term future. Just want to remind you all that I am here for help and advice, so please feel free to message or comment and I'll do my best to help.

Hi folks. Sorry it's been a while since I posted.The hot topic at the moment amongst developers, agents and the wider pu...
11/02/2022

Hi folks. Sorry it's been a while since I posted.

The hot topic at the moment amongst developers, agents and the wider public is the lack of available properties for sale. I guess people are concerned about putting theirs on the market for fear of not being able to find anything to move to.

Couple of points to note, should you be waiting to market your home for the reason I gave above:

1. Most agents are NO SALE, NO FEE these days, so if you do put your house up for sale and you can't find anything, you should be able to take it off the market at no cost (ask the agent for their T&C's re this before committing)

2. Virtually every agent I've ever dealt with will have some sort of policy whereby you can temporarily remove your property from the market - this means that if you're really struggling to find something, you can always "pause" the process, allowing you to take the pressure off for a period of time

Be really interested to get feedback on this theory, so if you are thinking of moving but are holding off for now, please comment below with your reasons. Also happy to answer any questions or offer advice.

Good morning everyone. Apology for the lack of posts recently. Interesting time in the property market at the moment. Se...
05/10/2021

Good morning everyone. Apology for the lack of posts recently.

Interesting time in the property market at the moment. Seems there’s an abundance of buyers but nowhere near enough new properties coming to the market to keep up.

Few people have told me they won’t put theirs on the market until there’s lots of new listings. Catch 22 though isn’t it? If everyone is thinking that then stock levels won’t increase and the market will remain in limbo.

Houses that are coming to the market are selling and getting good prices. My advice would be to get on with it if you were planning on moving soon.

Been asked for tips about how to pick which agent to use by quite a few people recently. One of the best ways is to spea...
02/07/2021

Been asked for tips about how to pick which agent to use by quite a few people recently. One of the best ways is to speak to local conveyancing solicitors to ask who'd they'd recommend.

They deal with all the local agents on a regular basis and will have got to know the teams well. One thing people often overlook is the work that agents do after a sale has been agreed to help get it to completion quickly. This is called Sales Progression in the industry.

I know of some local agents that do little or no Sales Progression once a sale has been agreed. This is a risk and means sales are more likely to fall through or be delayed.

There's one (possibly two) that do good work in this regard in Belper and this should definitely be something you take into account when deciding who to use.

The local solicitors will be aware of the good ones.

Worth noting that I'm happy to offer advice regarding refurbishment works and/or extensions should you have anything pla...
03/06/2021

Worth noting that I'm happy to offer advice regarding refurbishment works and/or extensions should you have anything planned.

Certain works are great for adding value long term but may not be wise if you're thinking of selling in the near future. On the other hand there are many improvements that are "quick hits". These are ideal for helping you to sell your house quickly, for a price you want.

Feel free to drop me a message.

Demand is still very high in the area and it currently shows no sign of slowing down.Stock levels are relatively low acr...
03/06/2021

Demand is still very high in the area and it currently shows no sign of slowing down.

Stock levels are relatively low across the board meaning it's very much a sellers market. If you're having a valuation soon I'd suggest discussing the valuation in detail with the agent as many houses are selling for asking and above.

Ask the agent if he/she can show you some comparable properties that are on the market or (ideally) sold. Any decent agent should have prepared a list of similar properties as part of their appointment preparation and they should be happy to discuss these with you as they attempt to justify their suggested asking price.

Hi everyone. Had a few messages from people unhappy with their choice of agents and wanting to know how to exit their co...
18/05/2021

Hi everyone. Had a few messages from people unhappy with their choice of agents and wanting to know how to exit their contracts.

Unfortunately it's really tricky unless there's been a definite breach on the part of the agent.

There's a couple of really important things to remember when you're signing up with an Estate Agent.

First - check the length of the contract. There's no reason to sign up for anything longer than 12 weeks, especially in the current market when houses are selling so quickly. Agents trying to get you to sign up for longer than this are doing so purely to keep you tied down.

Second - assuming you sign the contract in your own home, you automatically qualify for a two week cooling off period. This means you've got fourteen days to change your mind should your agent get off to a poor start.

Gentle reminder that this is an open forum. So far I've posted a few bits of advice but have received no questions from ...
17/03/2021

Gentle reminder that this is an open forum. So far I've posted a few bits of advice but have received no questions from you guys. Please feel free to message me or comment and I'll do my best to help.

For example you may have query about terminating an agency contract or the new 95% mortgage process. I welcome any questions on any property related matter.

TIP OF THE DAY (no.5)Challenge your agent regarding their fees (for selling and letting). Very few local agencies operat...
17/03/2021

TIP OF THE DAY (no.5)

Challenge your agent regarding their fees (for selling and letting). Very few local agencies operate a rigid pricing structure so can usually offer deals. If they're not prepared to budge ask if they will include a freebie such as a Premium Listing (rightmove), EPC or pro photography to sweeten the deal. Sounds like an obvious thing to discuss but not everyone does it and it could save you money.

05/02/2021

Apologies for the lack of posts since December. We've actually been moving house ourselves.

It's been quite a drawn out process but we made it in the end. We love our new house and it already feels very much like home.

TIP OF DAY (No.4)Online property portals have changed the way properties are sold and let. These days the first impressi...
05/02/2021

TIP OF DAY (No.4)
Online property portals have changed the way properties are sold and let. These days the first impression the vast majority of buyers get of your house is via an advert on Rightmove etc. This means photos are now more important than ever to help you catch someone's eye. Agents that use professional photographers tend to attract more traffic to their ads and at the moment you may find some are including this service for free. It's vital to have a floorplan as well. These also increase the number of visits to your ad significantly giving you a better chance of selling or letting quickly for a price you can be happy with.

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