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In an Ailing Market, Homeowners Find Novel Ways To Unload Properties
LONDON, June 23 /PRNewswire/ -- As the property market continues its downward spiral, desperate homeowners have resorted to creative ways to unload their properties. One Surrey couple had such trouble selling their house they resorted to staging a competition with their house as the grand prize. They're not alone: in a sign of just how much people are suffering with the market's collapse, the couple have received a steady stream of inquiries through their website, http://www.winourhousenow.com, from sellers wanting to do the same thing with their homes. "Far from being a fun or frivolous endeavour, staging a competition as a private citizen is risky, time-consuming and expensive," says Sara Wragg, 36, who with her husband launched the competition last month to sell their three-bedroom end-of-terrace home in upscale Oxted, Surrey. "That people across Britain find something like this an attractive alternative reflects just how serious the housing market's illness really is." For Chris and Sara Wragg it's been a long journey since putting their property on the market back in January. After their chain collapsed one week before the planned exchange of contracts in April, they haven't had a single viewing of the property, which is virtually new and boasts an unusually large garden (read more about the Wraggs' story on their website, http://www.winourhousenow.com). Like many people, they've taken a financial hit by letting the house sit on the market while their fixed-term mortgage deal expired. They've also had to put plans to relocate to California -- and effectively their lives -- on hold. "Struggling sellers are telling us their estate agents simply cannot move their properties in a stagnant market and want to know how they can put on their own competition," Wragg continued. "While buyers remain in limbo as they wait to see how far prices will drop before making an offer, sellers -- many of whom have already dropped their prices significantly -- are unable to move on with their lives, whether to a new house, a new city or an entirely new country." The site has attracted thousands of visitors and hundreds of ticket sales since launching in May. For more information, visit the Wraggs' website: http://www.winourhousenow.com. If desired, the Wraggs can provide email contact information for potential interviews with people who have expressed interest in doing a similar competition. Contact: Sara Wragg Email: winourhouse@yahoo.com
