Sunday, Jun 29, 2008

Er... it's the price stupid !

Observer: 'A conservatory, a Porsche, free flights - how can I tempt you to buy my house?'

"25 per cent more homes on the market now than at the start of the year"
"... For most sellers, that means whatever they were thinking of asking, they need to take at least 10 per cent off.' Watch this space to see whether 10 per cent becomes 20 per cent before long."

Posted by voiceofreason @ 08:33 AM (864 views) Add Comment

9 Comments

1. drewster said...

Wow that's a brilliant bearish article. Thanks for posting, voiceofreason.

The new Let-And-Wait reluctant landlords get a mention:
    "... aiming to rent them out and sell when the market improves ..."
I've noticed quite a lot of these around lately.

Interestingly, the guy with the big flat wants to swap for a similar-sized house but he's having no luck. Looks like flats are unpopular in slow times.

Sunday, June 29, 2008 10:24AM Report Comment
 

2. little professor said...

"We'll part exchange homes, cars, bikes, yachts, even horses. We'll look at anything with real value to help sell our homes,' says a spokeswoman."

Brilliant stuff :)

Sunday, June 29, 2008 11:09AM Report Comment
 

3. little professor said...

So even vendors of expensive properties have to resort to stunts. Emma Westbrook, who built a six-bedroom executive house in Surrey with 5,800 sq ft of internal space and large grounds, secured 18 viewings in the first six weeks but had no offers. It is on sale at £3.15m, but she is not prepared to cut the price. Instead, she is offering lifetime membership of a private jet club, with at least three free short-haul flights a year. 'The people who will buy this house have the Porsche, they don't worry about a mortgage, they're aspirational. Now I hope they'll be drawn by the prospect of having access to a private jet,' she says.


Found it on rightmove:

http://www.rightmove.co.uk/viewdetails-17578537.rsp

Sunday, June 29, 2008 11:14AM Report Comment
 

4. inbreda said...

by saying "they don't worry about a mortgage, they're aspirational." I assume she means that they have no financial sense, and are up to their eyeballs in debt. Walking bankruptcies basically.

Not my definition of aspirational.

Sunday, June 29, 2008 11:26AM Report Comment
 

5. Stevie Dee said...

@inbnreda... i agree.. bet the husband lives in the broom cupboard and walks around with a permanent smile.. private jet club... can someone tell her that it is a bloody home.. obviously destined for the next "cardboard city" where she belongs.

Sunday, June 29, 2008 12:03PM Report Comment
 

6. wdbeast said...

LP Thanks for the link, I have printed the details of the house, and had the best laugh since I last read a David Smith article.

The seller is another "head in the clouds" amateur property developer who has spunked away enormous amounts of money doing a development to her tastes and standards.

I recommend the specification page to anyone who wants to know how to waste money on a development.

Another “Grand Designs” viewer bites the dust!!

Sunday, June 29, 2008 12:41PM Report Comment
 

7. bystander said...

Whats the point in offering a lifetime membership of a product that will be unavailable as the company will have folded in the next year (a la silverjet et all) due to high oil prices? If someone has 3.15mln squid to spend does she really think they are that stupid/ gullible or that they do not understand the financial state of the world?

Sunday, June 29, 2008 03:32PM Report Comment
 

8. drewster said...

bystander said:
"If someone has 3.15mln squid to spend does she really think they are that stupid/ gullible"

The buyer could be a premiership footballer; a celebrity; or a newly rich divorced wife like Heather Mills McCartney. Money and intelligence aren't intrinsically linked.

Interestingly, apparently a lot of city bankers' wives are filing for divorce now because they want the settlement based on their husband's massive last bonus not his tiny next bonus. If they're that smart though, they won't be splashing out on property either.

Sunday, June 29, 2008 10:08PM Report Comment
 

9. Marco said...

Bystander, private jets don't have the same issues as commercial airlines because they don't pre-book seats with set prices. Their pricing changes all the time so they just charge the customer more for the flight if the price of oil goes up rather than taking the hit themselves. Private jet travel actually appears to be on the up despite the economic downturn. I think it's rather an inspirational promotion - it sells a lifestyle with the house which is ultimately what all estate agents try to do...have you ever been in a Foxtons branch?

Wednesday, July 9, 2008 08:29PM Report Comment
 

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