What will happen with house prices in the coming months and years isn’t certain – you would need a crystal ball to be so., reporting that the average house price dropped 1 per cent to £288,430 in March, after a 0.3 per cent rise in February and increases in each of the previous four months.
Use this as a guide, and speak to the selling agent: ask them how much below asking prices buyers are managing to get. Don’t dismiss everything the agent tells you as lies but be aware they work for the seller. If you area has gone down by 5 per cent in the last 12 months, ask for 10 per cent off in the expectation that you will meet in the middle. Also find out why the buyer wants to sell – if they need to move home urgently, you may feel braver in asking for more money off..
Be warned, this approach can sometimes rebound on you in a pleasing karmic process, however. We had someone do this days before we were due to exchange and complete, as our packed boxes lined the hall. We pulled out of the sale and the non-buyer then spent the next six months with us pleading with us to sell at the non-reduced price .To try and keep everyone’s blood pressure down, think about how you phrase requests that may be forwarded to your seller and keep an eye on your lawyer’s tone.
None of this matters to you. So if the agent is pressing you to make a decision, tell them you need more time and not to contact you for 24 hours. But also: don’t be rude, or alienate the agent. You may need their help if something goes wrong.They are recommending them as they will get a commission paid in return, not because they are good.