Dulwich housing market lessons

[TonyQuinn]

Since I've just bought and sold property in Dulwich, I thought I'd share with you some of my conclusions and recommendations.

1/ Sellers will be exceptionally lucky to get the asking price. I reckon the agreed price is around 7 percent below the asker.

2/ Be prepared for a renegotiation after acceptance in the event the survey shows up some problems. In the old days of a buoyant housing market, a renegotiation wouldn't wash.

3/ Don't use a cheap as chips solicitor. Pay for a good one, it could well save you money in the long run and will certainly relieve the stresses. My recommendation is Ian Smith at Meaby & Co. in Camberwell.

4/ There are so many good local firms about, and wish to highlight Steve and son at SOS Plasterers for dampwork (07795053372) and Dan at DulwichMultitrade (07962 888049) for just about anything that needs to be done, Tony at A&M Carpet Care (07846 314543). Bespoke Windows are great too if you need to get high quality windows at a fair price. Not everyone is so good....including a promominet carpet shop on Lordship Lane!

Best TQ

[treehugger]

Can't agree with your comment about Lordship Lane carpets (if that is who you are referring to). we have used these guys in 2 East Dulwich houses over the last 20 eyars and have found them to be helpful, timely, efficient and cost effective.

[Marmora Man]

Wud agree re LL Carpets - Marmora Mansion is carpeted exclusively by them. An e cellent, flexible and friendly service throughout. Tho' the "measurer upper" can be a tad grumpy.

[jimmyay]

i used Lordship Lane carpets last year & found them & their customer service absolutely appalling, really disappointed as we wanted to "go local" but will never use them again. they really messed us about, got loads of things wrong and we had to chase constantly for anything to get done. they treated us like they were doing us a favour, bad service, bad attitude & bad value for money.

[dullified]

I say do use a (Northern) based cheap as chips solicitor. We have used RA Wilkinson & Co. based in Birkenhead, The Wirral and our past 3 house moves they have been absolutely fantastic ? super efficient and very reasonably priced. There isn?t anything that requires an intimate knowledge of the local area. Why pay London based solicitor prices when you?re already paying London house prices?

[Huguenot]

Yeah, agreed on the solictors, we used a really good value outfit called Forshaws in Warrington.

No need to pay through the nose for a local one.

[TonyQuinn]

In defense of Ian at Meaby, I didn't pay through the nose, maybe a couple of hundred quid more than the cheap as chips one I used for my sale. The return I got was way more than that, I can assure you.

And Jimmyay, i think you got it spot on regarding LLC....they really didn't want our business. Not for the first time, I hasten to add.

[amydown]

Re:LL Carpets, I have found most of the guys really nice and helpful (and extremely dedicated to making sure you get a good service). There is one particular guy who has been quite rude to us a few times both in person and on the phone. This might explain the differing views.

[Loz]

I would back your recommendation of Dan at Dulwich Multitrade - absolutely brilliant and amazing value for money.

[igline1]

I would not recommend Lordship Lane carpets. They were fine when we were looking at their carpets but as soon as we challenged them over their costs they became very difficult and persistent about pursuing with them! Not the way to deal with potential customers!

[aspidistra]

LL Carpets - I can only agree with those commenting adversely. I found an extremely rude person in the shop (after I had phoned beforehand to arrange an appointment) and I took my business elsewhere.

[Curmudgeon]

Agree with the comments re LL carpets - they were great 10 years ago but last year quoted us 3 times the cost for a single carpet that we eventually paid by going to Brockley (an extra 5 minutes up the road, efficient, friendly and decently priced) - the quoter was also patronising and vaguely rude, although the original salesman had been lovely

[Willard]

It's interesting that a thread about the housing market has turned into a thread about LL Carpets. Seems like there are some strong opinions out there.

They fitted our carpets and bathroom floor recently and they certainly didn't cover themselves in glory. The wrong carpet turned up from the warehouse, skirting boards were damaged by the fitter and our bathroom floor was a joke from start to finish and took over a month to fit 4 sqm of rubber flooring. To be fair they knocked some money off but we won't be rushing back there. It's a shame because I want to see local businesses succeed and they have a good shop with some inspiring products in there. Communication within the company seems poor and some of their fitters aren't up to the job, especially the one who spilled screed all over our bathroom floor and mopped it up with our hand towel, which then went missing.

I also used Meaby & Co a couple of years back and wasn't very impresssed. Expensive and didn't show much initiative when the paperwork from Southwark, signing off building regs on my flat could not be tracked down. I nearly lost my sale because of this but luckily I contacted my previous solicitor used when buying the property. They still had a copy of the missing paperwork and I was able to rescue my sale. Why it didn't occur to Ian Smith to do this I don't know. He wanted to issue a letter of indemnity, at more expense to me of course. Looking back, it's obvious I was pushed towards Meaby by an estate agent from Haart, who was probably on a cushy backhander no doubt.

[Twirly]

I actually had an excellent experience with LL carpets 18 months or so ago. We ordered our carpets from them, but then they had to store them for us for nearly a year due to the dreadful job our builders did, as we had to get someone else in to clean up the mess. Have to admit the office could be a little chaotic, but they were always really polite and nice.

[womanofdulwich]

I would warn that if you are buying a leasehold flat that an out of London solicitor may not be fully informed with getting a lease extension. In my experince they can sometimes be quite clueless ( of course this also applies to some London solicitors too).

[new mother]

Forget solicitors out of London, especially for leases. it is a false economy.

Tony, thanks for this. what is your view on agents?

[minder]

Would agree with with Willard that a thread about housing market has turned into a carpet market thread!

What's the point?

[TonyQuinn]

It was not my intention to turn it into a thread of a carpet shop on the strip, I can assure you. It was just an aside comment about how good some people are and how bad others are.

[TonyQuinn]

New ma, I don't want to promote myself as Dulwich's very own Sarah Beeny, but as I said on another thread, what's important is that you price your property reasonably. Forget all the hogwash certain estate agents, such as Foxton's, throw at you. In my experience the others are more or less the same...if the property is priced properly, there's little the agents actually do. As far as your leasehold comment, you're absolutely right. If you are selling a property, with say less than 90 years on the lease, don't go anywhere near one of those cheap as chips outfits outside the smoke. Best TQ.

new mother Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Forget solicitors out of London, especially for

> leases. it is a false economy.

>

> Tony, thanks for this. what is your view on

> agents?

[mikeb]

I'd like to give another thumbs up for Ian Smith at Meaby. Pragmatic, responsive, organised and calm. Good value. I've used online / factory conveyancers before and it's a false economy. In my experience, by the time you've finally agreed on a house, and are looking to close a deal quickly before anyone backs out, having someone familiar with the houses, agents, surveyors, council is very helpful. If only the legal advisers in my office were so commercial.

and big up also for Roberts & Denny for packing / removals.

[sofaRunner]

I wonder about managing with out an estate agent & doing one of those on line ones. I am shocked at how much they charge making the cost of moving astronomical!

genuinely, what do they addd?

[fishneed]

TonyQuinn Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> New ma, I don't want to promote myself as

> Dulwich's very own Sarah Beeny, but as I said on

> another thread, what's important is that you price

> your property reasonably. Forget all the hogwash

> certain estate agents, such as Foxton's, throw at

> you. In my experience the others are more or less

> the same...if the property is priced properly,

> there's little the agents actually do. As far as

> your leasehold comment, you're absolutely right.

> If you are selling a property, with say less than

> 90 years on the lease, don't go anywhere near one

> of those cheap as chips outfits outside the smoke.

> Best TQ.

>

> new mother Wrote:

> --------------------------------------------------

> -----

> > Forget solicitors out of London, especially for

> > leases. it is a false economy.

> >

> > Tony, thanks for this. what is your view on

> > agents?

Couldn't agree more with Tony. Agents are fantastic sales people when it comes to getting you on their books - their valuation managers usually some of the most experienced they have. Not so great at selling.

Forgot everything you hear. Market a property really well, get the price right and they always sell. So why pay ?10,000 for that? Madness.

Regards Solicitors - PJH Pritchard, Joyce & Hinds in Beckenahm excellent - though not the cheapest

Agreed RE: Low cost conveyancers. Too many indians, not enough chiefs so advice gets a little lost in process.

[pebbles]

I'd also like to recommend Roberts and Denny's who have done our removals but also my brothers and now quite a few friends - they can store furniture as well if you're doing a refurb or have time inbetween selling and buying.