Advice on selling a house

I’m looking for some advice about selling our house. We had to move back to the UK because of my fathers ill health and now I’m his full time carer. The house is sitting there empty apart from when one of us goes back to maintain it. We’ve approached two estate agents who came, took photos and details, asked questions then we heard nothing from them again despite emailing them to ask why. We’re limited to what we can do from the UK and now we want to try and sell the house quickly even if we make a loss. Has anyone any ideas about other ways to sell or could anyone give some advice… it would be greatly appreciated.

If it’s in an area popular with the British then maybe check out this site and see if any of the agents are near your house. If they are advertising here they are probably serious agents. If you’re unable to get to the property regularly then an agent may be the best way to sell.

http://www.rightmove.co.uk/overseas-property/in-France.html

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Thank you Mandy, I’ll look at that.

I won’t tar all estate agents with the same brush but in our area the majority are useless, one or two being the exception. Useless for exactly the same reasons you mention. Selling property is one of the few sales jobs I haven’t done in the past and I keep thinking I should have a go because I can’t believe I’d be as bad or as inefficient as some of them manage to make themselves look. Whereabouts in France are you in case any of us do know a decent agent in the relevant area?

Hi Dave, I really appreciate your reply because I thought it was just us…they didn’t like the house or maybe didn’t like us !! It’s difficult to fathom out why they’re useless when they charge such high rates to sell a house…don’t they want to make money !! Maybe you should have a go, you’d probably get plenty of work. Our house is near Mortagne au Perche in lower Normandy. Thank you again.

Unfortunately I can’t help with yours, we are the other end of the country from Normandy.

Some of the owners whose properties we look after have got agents on board and after 8 or 9 months still haven’t had a viewing. They stick a picture up and then wait to see if someone asks about it. They do very little proactive selling. I suspect that sometimes clients go in to ask about a house, it isn’t suitable but the agent doesn’t tell them about the houses they have that would be because they didn’t ask if they had any other houses.

Because of where you are, advertising with a bias towards UK purchasers might work. As Mandy says, Rightmove who are well established for the UK market but have a French “wing” could work because UK purchasers would feel they were more at home with them and not forced to deal with French agents. The one we used that got us into our new life here was http://www.frenchpropertylinks.com/ .

Best of luck though, I know it can be a problem when you need to shift a house under your circumstances and it just add more stress.

If I can think of anything more helpful I will let you know.

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I’ve heard about houses just lying dormant once the agents have it on their books, why they don’t want to willingly earn money beats me.
I’ll look into the website you’ve mentioned as well, thank you for that.
Yes I do feel a bit stressed about selling and all it involves with having my father to look after as well, I think we need some luck, thanks.
It’s very kind of you to reply with helpful info, I really appreciate it.