We'll in response to the resounding silence I'll kick things off - from today's Telegraph
QUOTE
That means sellers, too, must rethink their strategy, as James and Belinda McElvie, who are trying to move within North Yorkshire’s “golden triangle”, know only too well.
When they first put Ebor House, an attractive four-bedroom home overlooking the village green in Nun Monk-ton, on the market in May, the sun was shining and house prices were rising. Seven weeks later, the McElvies, who have two children, Lottie, 4 and Phoebe, 2, still hadn’t received an offer. A fortnight after that, they slashed the asking price by £25,000 to £750,000.
“I don’t think we were being greedy,” says James, 43, a commercial chartered surveyor. “We had four valuations and chose a middle one. We thought it would sell quickly, but it seems the market is much harder than it was.”
Belinda, 42, is equally nonplussed. “We had a lot of viewings, but no offers.” she says. “It wasn’t what we expected. All our plans are on hold until we sell.”
Will their price cut be enough to tempt potential buyers? “You have to be bold about it,” Thomas says. “Knocking £10,000 off a £900,000 house isn’t going to make a difference. You have to encourage new buyers and place it in a different price category.
“If vendors wish to sell, they have to be prepared to accept offers at a lower level than they could have hoped for a month ago. Vendors should accept offers at the guide price and not rely on competition to push the price up.”
Donnell is even more blunt. “If you need to sell in the next couple of months, then you need to be realistic,” he warns. “Sellers may have to take quite a hit.”
Not sure £25K is slashing but its a start
SB