Tuesday 2 November 2010

Positive planning


After some thought and a little research, I've come to a decision. My house is being taken off the market at the end of the month; I have given the estate agent the required 30 days' notice in writing.

There are good reasons for this:
  • No one is looking for a house just now. By mid-November, records show that the sale of houses becomes almost impossible until February, when the market picks up slowly; the current economic climate of terminal doom and gloom isn't conducive to major expenditure or reckless enthusiasm
  • A house left on the market for a long time risks giving a signal of 'something wrong'. And I hate having a For Sale sign in front of the bay window; I would have to put Christmas lights on it if it stayed! Instead, it can come down at the end of the month.
  • I have work to plan and execute, thought of during the time of the great disappointment and told here: Richie the builder/plumber is calling on Thursday to discuss the installation of a bathroom in the small attic, hopefully before Christmas.
  • I need to shift the jumbled contents of the small attic (mostly packed-up belongings) into storage while the work is being done. I need to unpack some of it too - Christmas decorations, winter clothes, my boots! And where are all the chargers and cables? My iPod has been dead for months, and I can't find any leads for it. And my lovely autumn wreath? My orderly packing was designed for moving, not being hidden in cupboards and eaves.
  • The back yard with all its ferns and climbers will soon become a gloomy, damp and bleak place until the first Spring bulbs appear. (Oh... have just remembered Scooter the Tulip Destroyer.... must do something about that next year!) 
  • I want a break from the dwindling but still-present need to keep all in readiness for a possible viewing: there was a call that I missed (message left on the wrong phone too) while at the hairdresser the other day, saying that someone wanted to view NOW - but was clearly not keen enough to try again later. 
  • I am increasingly annoyed by the generally poor communication by the estate agency - a friend emailed me to say she had read the article in the Househunter magazine that featured my house - what article? When? Why wasn't I told? Not that it did any good anyway. So far there has been no acknowledgement of my notice-giving email either; clearly they've gone off the boil too. 
So November will be planning and preparation time; December, I hope, will be bathroom installation time, with a relaxed approach, amidst the festivities, to painting and decorating the new room. Later on, there will be intensive back yard and Spring cleaning time, and then the house can be presented to the world with its clean and sparkling new face ready to be re-marketed.

Am I feeling positive? You bet. I'll make that move to the West country yet.

But right now I'm going to ring that silent estate agency and give them a right old ticking off....

16 comments:

Elizabeth Musgrave said...

I think that is a really good idea Rachel. It is so easy to leave it and hope for good things but I think you are bang on about houses that have been on the market for ages. You just stop registering them or if you do, you think there is something wrong with them for them not to have sold. Enjoy your house for the winter and fingers crossed for spring!

Anonymous said...

Good on you for making this decision, which can't have been easy. I'm sure you can do without the constant preoccupation for a few months!

Val said...

I really admire your positive attitude and I'm sure that this decision will take a lot of the pressure off you at a time of the year which can be extremely stressful. Lots of luck.

Dan said...

We recently did exactly the same thing! I'm wondering if all estate agents are equally hopeless - yours sounds very similar to mine.
Good luck in spring, and looking forward to seeing your improvements (I thought it looked lovely anyway!).
Dan
-x-

the veg artist said...

I think that taking it off the market while you put in another bathroom over the winter is an excellent idea, and as for living in a state of constant readiness for viewers - I'm far too untidy to keep that up for long! It will also take the mental pressure off for now, and let you enjoy Flossie and the team in a more relaxed way! It will all happen in due course if it is meant to, eventually!

Lucille said...

I'm sure you are doing the right thing. Bulbs in pots can always be taken with you. Maybe even a change of agent in the New Year?

flwrjane said...

Frankly I love every bit of your house that I've seen, so Ii wouldn't mind one at all if we all spent the holidays and beyond there.

Anonymous said...

YES! Go get 'em and always do this thing your way 'cos you rock sister!

jabblog said...

Very wise on all counts. Spring is a good time for house-hunters and your house will be even more desirable with a new bathroom. Now you can relax. Incidentally,you are not obliged to have a For Sale notice outside your house. It could come down now :-)

Anonymous said...

I think you are right to do this .... start afresh in the spring with fresh photos and a new marketing strategy - and perhaps a new estate agent! I know someone who phoned the estate agebt selling her house, gave a detailed description of what she was looking for (which of course perfectly described her house) and yes, you've guessed, they didn't tell her about the wonderful house which exactly met her requirements ..... she ended up with a reduction in their fees as compensation.

Unknown said...

You are a very wise lady, I think you are reading the market exactly right and absolutely doing the right thing. Enjoy the winter and hit the ground running in the new year.

mountainear said...

Sounds like very erm, sound thinking. On the market too long kind of implies your property has become invisible. And through no fault of your own too. Pretty soon the nation will have switched off anyway and be only thinking Christmas thoughts.

Enjoy the next few months for what they are. Hate to say it but the spring will be here all too soon.

Sue said...

Sounds like a good idea and a very positive one. Hope the new bathroom fitting isn't too stressful.

Pam said...

Yes indeed.

I missed the post a couple of days ago that had lots of cat pictures! Lovely! More! (?)

lovethosecupcakes said...

Sounds a good plan. Can't be great living in Limboville.

"Sunshine" said...

You know, I was thinking of you yesterday, and wondered about your moving plans. And here is the answer I was looking for.
It sounds like you have a good plan and that you're moving onward.

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