Do you know anyone that paid the asking price?

[foreverdelayed 10]

i just bought a house for 50k and its like 10 15 mins from the city centre, some prices are ridiclous though

[allseeing 10]

My experience of buying a house 2 years ago left me feeling quite angry really. I had been looking for about 6 months in several areas that were within my price range at the time (~60-70k), and got the shock of my life when the first house i bid for in Hunters Bar was at nearly 20k above the asking price before 'best and final offers'.

 

So after a while I tried Crookes, Norton Lees / Meersbrook and then finally Hillsborough, where I got my house. It was advertised for 65k, made an offer for 73 and got it. 8k was less over the asking price than I had been used to bidding. I bid over because i was told there were 6 offers on the asking price...(and no one seems to bid under these days) whether this was true or not i don't know (is there actually an honest estate agents??). I didnt get a second viewing (even though I called umpteen times about it...) and when I got the keys I realised in was in a much worse state than I had originally seen.

 

In the end I spent quite a lot doing it up and moved in 6 months aftert I got the keys. At the time I didnt really know Hillsborough, I just wanted my first home in a nice area. So for a while I was a bit bitter with regards to this estate agent.

 

But as it turns out, I live in one of the nicest roads in the area and my property has doubled in value in 2 years (even though 3 bed terraced houses tend to go for 100k as asking price the last few houses around my road in the last few months have sold for about 140k...ridiculous!), and it's my own little palace I'm really happy where I live and love the area.

 

i really feel for first time buyers especially, I've been there and done that. I could not afford a house now, which is why i was so eager to buy when I did.

[Titian 10]

A friend of mine recently bought a house for the exact asking price. She offered the sellers the asking price and asked them to take it off the estate agents and sellit privatly. This seemed to suit them as they got a quick sale and didn't have to pay any agent fees.

[sarah_d 10]

I can't believe how much cheaper houses are in Sheffield.I'm living in London at the moment and you can't get a studio flat for less than £120k!

[Titian 10]

London is the capital, it will always be more expensive there than up north.

[sarah_d 10]

That's true.People do get London weighting too,it's not much but it helps.I love it here at the moment.Might visit Sheffield again sometime if i visit my family.

[Dachi 10]

We've just had our house valued by ELR (because of this reply ) and by Blundells. Surprisingly, Blundells suggested an 'offers around' price £5k higher than ELR. And the price Blundells said the house was worth was just 6 to 9% over the suggested price. So are ELR jumping on the bandwagon, or have Blundells developed a conscience?

 

I'll report back once the house is sold......

[DaBouncer 13]

Please Please Please Try Haybrook first.

 

You'll not be disappointed!