The House Doesn’t Win

(I’m selling my house. When you arrange these with estate agents they are very keen to show you what houses they have to sell, as they would make more money.)

Estate Agent: “So where are you looking to buy?”

Me: “It is in [Area]. I have seen some great properties there already. We are looking for…” *I give him the house specifics*

Estate Agent: “That’s great. I think we have a house that would be suitable for you. What is your budget?”

Me: “Well, it is £190,000.”

Estate Agent: “Okay, so, is that the maximum you can pay?”

Me: *hesitantly* “Well, I suppose we could stretch to £200,000 if you found me the right house, but 190 is where we want to be. I have met with my bank and mortgage advisors, and have set budgets around this. 190 is ideal.”

Estate Agent: “Okay. I’m going to send you the details of a house. Take a look. It is slightly over budget but it looks great.”

(He later sends me the details. The house is nothing special but it is £45,000 over what I had stated. Annoyed that the agent didn’t bother to listen to me, I delete the email and forget about it. Later that week, I get another phone call.)

Estate Agent: “Hi, it’s [Estate Agent] from [Agency]. What did you think about the property I sent you?”

Me: “To be honest, it’s far too expensive. There are several properties available in the area all for less money. And I note that the owners will not take any offers.”

Estate Agent: *seemingly ignoring me* “Well, it is a great house, and if you come in and see our mortgage advisor maybe she can help you borrow more money.” *again a trick to earn them more money from a sale*

Me: “To be honest, I have already looked into this and that won’t be necessary. I know the repayments and 190 is affordable for us.”

Estate Agent: “I’m going to look at time slots for you with our advisor anyway. You might find it really helpful to speak with her, and I’m sure she can get you that extra money.

Me: “No! Thank you! I have an advisor and I don’t need the advice. 190 is our price and I would like to stick to it.”

Estate Agent: “Are you sure? The house is a great property!”

Me: “I will be perfectly clear with you. The house, in my opinion is massively overpriced. I have seen three other houses that offer more for less money. I don’t want to get into debt we cannot afford for a mediocre house!”

Estate Agent: *shocked* “Oh, okay. Well, I think you are missing out. But let me send you other properties we have.”

(I did receive details of other properties, all over budget, and very few actually met our brief. I kept getting calls about houses in the wrong area and completely unsuitable for us. I eventually found a great property that we liked marketed by someone else. When the first agent found out, they had the cheek to ask if they could contact the owner (so they could make money on that as well).)