Gently tease out the reasons why their clients are selling (death, debt, divorce or downsizing) and the length of time the property has been on the market. If the vendors accept your offer, ask them to remove the property from the market, says Allsopp. Prospective buyers are a dime a dozen.
Christopher Middleton shares the experts’ top 20 tips to finding the best home for your retirement.
Christopher Middleton shares the experts’ top 20 tips to finding the best home for your retirement.
19: Think long-term
Is this your last purchase? If not, you should think about the house’s resale value. Is the area likely to improve over the next decade or so? Big regeneration projects and new transport links can help push up prices. But if you’re not worried about selling on, look in a less popular region and you’ll get much more property bang for your buck.
20: Get in, get out
Half-hearted “testing the waterâ€, on an open-ended basis, over a one or two-year period, doesn’t work as well as giving yourself a time limit. Three to four months for the whole operation should be about right. But you will need to chase your agent and your solicitor, says Allsopp. Ask them, in a cheery voice if there’s anything new in, rather than being all grumpy and saying, “What the hell have you been doing for the past fortnight?†“Never just sit back and hope things will arrive in the post. Nag constantly (agents, solicitor, surveyor), send them emails and make sure you copy everyone in. It is like childbirth – once it’s over, all the pain is forgotten,†adds Allsopp. Finding that perfect little cottage for your retirement will never be stress-free. But by sticking to this guide, you can make the process a little more bearable… – Source