Is this normal when making an offer on House?

I waited 2 months to hear back about one house. The agents response was “the seller is just slow to respond” which frankly isn’t good enough and it was clear she was waiting for a higher offer - and didn’t want to say no to me just in case.

Joke was on her though as the agent told me no and she’s gone with a significantly higher offer. When I checked months later on RightMove she’d sold it for £2K more than my offer - and i would have offered at least £10K more.

Do you know why the sale has fallen through? Dodgy survey perhaps? It’s hard to give advice given you’ve been saying you absolutely can’t afford more than the probate houses asking price. But all if a sudden can offer in a house worth 70k more.

I think either way you’re acting with your heart not your head. It’s hard to understand which house you’ve fallen in love with because you seem to have your heart set on both interchangeably. This leaves you exposed to being heartbroken. My recommendation would be treating the transaction like a business deal - be very clear your conditions and boundaries with the estate agent (and yourself) which you don’t seem to have been to date.

Do you have a plan B because 6 weeks really isn't a long time for buying a house. To get a house turned around in that timeframe you really need everyone on board with that plan and nothing you have said makes me think the sellers are on that page. You can love it all you want but what could the cost be to you if you kept pursuing it and they continue to mess you around?

I'd have look round this house again - and they may well be motivated to move quickly with one sale fallen through - but if you have just 6 weeks left then you probably need to be looking at storage and rental/alternative accommodation options.

@offerquery Obviously go back and see this first house again, you may well fall back in love with it. They are also likely to be keen for a sale so your previous offer (or less) may well be accepted. This is also going to go through much quicker than a probate sale in which the vendors can’t even be reached by their estate agent.

If you dither neither could be an option. I would view the house again and see if you get the feeling again. If it's the location that is the appeal for the other house another could come on to the market and be better or in a better situation for sale.
Do you have a plan B because 6 weeks really isn't a long time for buying a house. To get a house turned around in that timeframe you really need everyone on board with that plan and nothing you have said makes me think the sellers are on that page. You can love it all you want but what could the cost be to you if you kept pursuing it and they continue to mess you around?

Probate games

An asking price is an asking price. The house is worth what someone wants to pay for it

If you're desperate for this second house, and were in a position to spend 70k more a few weeks ago, just make an improved, above asking price offer on the grounds it's taken off sale immediately and no further viewings take place 🤷‍♂️

There was a house mysteriously on the market for four years near us. Looked Ideal for a family. A bit tired but lovely big garden for children, views of a castle and the river. I checked on sold house prices. It was sold for 45k ten times less than it's true market value. Someone got a bargain.

A house is a house a home is what you make it.

The two houses we have bought my partner didn't want to view! It took several weeks to persuade my partner to view our current house.

Until the keys are in your hands you have to treat each house as just a house. Bricks and mortar. The sentiment can only come when you are in. With both of our house sales they nearly came crashing down in the final weeks. It's such a stressful process and if they are bringing you stress now they certainly will be bringing you stress in the weeks running up to exchange!

Go look at the other house and any other house you have even half considered viewing.

There was a house we wanted to view but it was unofficially under offer but not listed as so as the offer was on the condition that the sellers found a place to move to. Two years later this house is still on the market!!

I know two sisters who are no longer on speaking terms over 5k because the London centric sister was so greedy wanting another 5k divided by two. So for 2.5k she fell out with everyone in her family and friends who thought she was bonkers and her husband family who thought she was unhinged

People go a bit loopy over inheritance money.

Go and have another look round the fallen though house - try and forget the messing you around house entirely as you do it. Try and think if it has what you need and if you are still interested in it.

Then go home and work out if can afforded the extra price - can you get extra mortgage amount and the repayments that come with it.

I think you may have dodge a bullet if you need a quick move.

Our second house divorce couple but kids were adults and moving out so now selling - there was delay getting back to us each time after two offers - as one sitting in property wanted more - they were going into rented - but after that it was delay after delay had to decouple the chain so as not to lose our buyers and put our stuff in storage and move in with family for 3 months.

Think sitting person in property hadn't wanted to move really so delayed as much as possible. Our urgency wasn't their issue - which was true but we did get close to pulling out.

Also first time we offered went to asking price - and we told by estate agent not to bother offering more - they went with friends got thoroughly messed around and ended up with a lower price- turned out knew neighbour. We got stopped on street months later after buying another house in area and asked by woman who showed us round that house - her Daughter's house - why we hadn't made offer on her property we'd also looked round as well because kitchen was so small washing machine was in garage unsuitable for us. Apparently they'd all managed to convivence themselves if they turned us done for property we put offer in for we'd go for other family property. Again turned out for the best - catchment line was down center of street so house was wrong side would have been an issue for younger kids.

Even if you get a “yes” I personally would be extremely nervous about them messing you about, dragging their heels, trying to get a higher offer then pulling out, and generally being difficult.
I honestly think it’s best to leave it

This would piss me right off.
they shouldn’t have reduced the asking price if they weren’t happy to accept that full price.
i really think you should move on and draw a line under it. They sound like they would be a nightmare to deal with and aren’t that motivated to sell if the agents can’t get hold of them.
save yourself lots of stress!

You want a quick sale, I think it's unlikely this seller can offer you that with his mysterious complicated periods of no contact.

The agent is acting on behalf of the owners. Not anyone else. The agents instructions are to market the property unless instructed otherwise. Which they clearly haven’t been as they say they are unable to contact the owner. It’s probate or care home sale and more than one person involved in the sellers side.

1. it isn’t going to be taken of the market anytime soon. You cannot ask for that until your offer is accepted, and the financing has been vetted.
2. viewing will continue until the estate agent is instructed otherwise - that isn’t going to be soon.
3. someone somewhere isn’t making a decision on the sale anytime soon - they are not answering calls.
4. supposedly there are other offers. Either someone is waiting for a bidding war or someone is lying - neither of which is not good news.

@offerquery you say you want a quick sale - you wasted nearly another week waiting on this house. You are not any further forward in finding somewhere to live and in fact even further from resolving your own housing issue by having wasted a week waiting around. House sale are not quick at the moment. Our solicitor is quoting 9-12 weeks minimum for a cash sale, no chain purchase, survey already done, with the owners paperwork ready to go.
This house might have captured your heart, but you need to think of your housing situation - and it really doesn’t look like this house is going to fill that need. There are red flags all over it. The estate agent cannot offer you insight into the sellers position but will string you along - all he has in his sight is his commission, nothing more and nothing less.

Might be worth another conversation with the manager. It’s all very mysterious.

I wouldn’t worry about looking weak, just do what you feel is right. See if the EA can reassure you (now they know you are not happy with the current situation) that they will stop arranging viewings while they wait to get a response to your offer from the legal owners.