Another house in the village has had its "Sold" board changed back to
"For Sale". This is the third house I know of where this has happened
recently. My house was valued, at least in part, based on the sale of
that house and that it had attracted much interest and numerous
viewings and received an offer at the asking price within ten days of
going on the market.

But now the sale must have fallen through, as it is now on the market
again. Maybe the reason is totally beyond anyone's control, like the
buyer dropping dead or something pretty terminal. But in the case of
another house where the same thing happened, I know relatives of the
vendors in question, and they said that the buyer had just offered
"some lame excuse".

If agents were not allowed to erect the "Sold" board until contracts
had been exchanged, the meaning of "Sold" would carry a lot more
weight. As it is, I feel it is being used as a kind of scam to force
up the market and make would-be vendors believe that the agent in
question must be doing a good job by apparently selling a house so
quickly.

MM