Ok, following a similar theme to previous threads, some of you will know we recently got gazumped on a house in a really nasty way.
So, my partner and I are house hunting again.
I spent a dedicated hour and a half yesterday checking through every estate agents website in Sheffield and came up with a list of 10 properties worth making enquiries about.
Great - I'm finally feeling motivated again and less like I want to petrol bomb certain estate agency offices.
My partner promptly rings them all up this morning to find that every single one of them is out of date.
Not one of the properties is still available (though in fairness one was withdrawn and one was made final when the agency called to arrange a viewing).
This has happened a few times and I always point out this problem to the estate agencies when I call and receive this info.
Predictably, they always tell me that the website is updated every day.
YEAH RIGHT! Every day in a leap year which doesn't normally appear on the calender maybe.
So, if gazumping is acceptable, websites aren't updated and house prices keep accelerating.. how does anyone begin in the first time buyers market? Or ever buy a property?
We've even tried driving around the areas we're interested in. Total waste of petrol, most of them were sold too, it just didn't say so on the sign.
Estate agencies are getting away with murder and the public are allowing it.

*Sigh* Thankyou for reading, I almost feel better. :)

i have been looking for flats for a friend of mine and i found the same problem. i have screamed at them down the phone at times about it being on the website. they say it cant be its gone weeks ago.. i say well how the hell do i know about it then!!!! good luck on hunting. i was gazumped loads and viewed almost 100 houses in 3 months but this was when the market was REALLY fierce, its slowed now so you should have a bit more luck:thumbsup:

chill, its not good for the babies:D

Yeah I sympathise too:thumbsup:

I extended this house when I was pregnant with my 3rd....I could not face moving as the market was so fierce at the time.....I know it is stressful but you have to stay focused...don't buy something for the sake of having something....still look for the dream house coz if you settle for anything less you are still gonna be looking to move again in a few years time or sooner...;)

Good Luck mate

:thumbsup:

doh - posted twice!!

Pick the streets you like and flyer them yourselves :thumbsup:

Sod the estate agents. They're all barstools :mad:

And why do Sheffield agents shut at 5.30? :confused:

They're all open til 8 in Peterborough - you know, when people have finished work :thumbsup:

I had one that told me I had requested the details for too many houses!!!! I was looking all over Sheffield, and had no idea which street I wanted to live in :mad:

Aww you're such sweeties. I'm glad to know we're not alone.
Never thought about flyering the areas we like.... like that idea, very assertive and proactive.
I don't comprehend the bizarre opening hours either, like weekends which is when most people view houses and are more likely to place an offer.
If I ever go into government I'm going to make a move about estate agencies and house sales.
Something along the lines of passing a basic humanity test before working selling property and passing a human rights law in connection with not putting people through unnecessary stress.
*breathing deeply and earth motherishly cos I've been told :D *

I think the Stop Pooping On The Public Party has a certain ring to it!

When I moved from Teesside to Derbyshire, I arranged for family & friends in the area to collect copies of leaflets on houses for sale from numerous estate agents of properties that were still on the market (within a set price bracket).

Arrived at my parents home from Teesside on a Friday evening. Sorted all the leaflets into routes for viewing. Spent Sat & Sun just driving around looking at properties. If a house looked interesting, I simply knocked on the door, explained that I was down in the area for the weekend only - and asked to look around. No-one refused. Binned the leaflets of houses that I didn't like (whether viewed from the outside or internally).

By Sunday afternoon, this had narrowed it down to a dozen houses. Sorted them by preference, and revisited top choice (where no-one had been at home on the Saturday). Found the owner at home, viewed the property, checked if seller was in a chain, expressed an interest. Wrote a letter to the estate agent making an offer and hand-delivered it to their offices Sun evening before returning to Teesside.

This method takes a lot of planning and effort. But it may work for you?

Good luck!

EDIT: Offer was accepted, wasn't gazumped, and happily lived in Derbyshire before moving to current home in Sheffield.

Originally posted by Zebra
So, if gazumping is acceptable, websites aren't updated and house prices keep accelerating.. how does anyone begin in the first time buyers market? Or ever buy a property?

1) Purchase the house paper on the Friday (Sheffield somthing?)

2) Read comprehensively Friday night with pen circle the properties you think you might like to view

3)Ring Estate Agents first thing Saturday Morning to arrange viewings for all the ones you have circled.

4)If not fully booked with viewing properties drive to the estate agents in the area you are looking to buy and see what is new on their books. Sometimes it is possible to view a house before it is put on the market.

I find, through my employment and requiring to utalise websites regularly, that this appears to be a common problem. Not solely websites of Sheffield Estate Agents.

I access much information electronically and am coming across many large organisations websites that have not been mastered for, in some instances, months.

I really do not know an easy way round the problem, but to contact the organisations by 'phone that in many ways makes the website redundant.

You have my complete sympathy! I remember when you got gazzumped and it was really unfair. When we got ours we gave up on websites and expecting estate agents to know what they were talking about. We just went round and looked at the adverts on the pictures and what-not.

Went through the bidding/rejection process and even the bidding/acceptance/pulling out of the market process along the way. Very stressful.

In the end, though, we happened across one on a website while we were comparing prices in different areas. We phoned and found that there was 1 week left before they wanted to finalise. We looked, put in an offer, and within the week were confirmed as the winning bidders. From there the sellers were really nice and supportive, and it all went without a hitch (relatively speaking)

Stick in there and don't give up. You'll find one that will just feel right. Go for it and stick to your guns. Best of luck!

Well the Property Guide is out again today. It's beginning to feel like my bible, except nothing good ever comes of it :)
My Fridays do normally consist of scanning the paper with a pen making huge circles around likely properties and then rescanning when I've only found 3 just to see if I'm being too picky.
Since there's quite a number of areas we'd consider, flyering might be a mighty task but... I could make a signpost and stick one at the beginning of some of the streets.
Maybe I should sod the whole thing off, set up my own estate agency, do nicer things than all the others and then just forget to take any offers or visits to the property of my dreams and place my own offer anonymously. :clap:
Oh ok, property guide it is!