Stalker house buyers

I've frequently driven past every house I've ever bought, prior to the sale going through. I've always tried to be discreet and hoped the owners haven't noticed me but I've wanted to see the area at different times and also reassuring myself about what I'm buying. I've also had buyers that I've never heard from and it's been a real worry whether they are going to back out. I'd put up with this, what harm are they doing? At least you know they are keen and not likely to back out of buying. I'd see it as a positive.

I have to say when we bought our house I started to walk past it in the evenings during my dog walk. Mainly because I was excited as I never thought we'd be able to buy our own home, but partly because I grew up a road away and this road had a bad reputation back then. I just wanted to see what it was like on an average night.
But I didn't stare the house or through the windows and I didn't stop to chat to the owners. They probably didn't even recognise us as we only met briefly during the viewing.

Agree, and you don’t have to watch them pass …Draw the curtains

Draw the curtains …sorted

Creepy AF.

Perhaps that's just as they know they've been clocked by OP so it seems polite to greet with a wave than ignore.

It does seem an excessive amount to go past, but maybe they used to walk circuits from their house and have just changed the route with the excitement. Its probably better to talk to them just to mention the dog gets upset as they go by and perhaps they'll offer an explanation or have been hoping to catch you outside to chat with you about sale given were so helpful before.

Can stick up some of that opaque privacy film up or close blind/curtain and hope once the dogs view is blocked they stop barking and you can both ignore the family visits.

If I were going to buy a house I would probably do the same thing, it’s a natural thing to want to inspect/observe/peek an item you’re going to spend an incredible amount on money on. They’re in a public place and have the right to stare at your house as much as they want. Get over it. You sound a bit like a curtain twitcher type.

Sounds weird, but frankly, I would have no idea if my buyers had done similar or not.

I am not looking by the window all evening, people can't see inside my house from the street, complete non issue.

They sound like they are over-excited and can't wait. If someone walking in front of your house is disturbing your privacy, you need to put curtains up or something, it's not normal.

It doesn't have to. The "standard" is a week between, but you can do it same day, or even a few days between, as long as everyone in the chain agrees.

Eight weeks would be unusually long, but it's usually because there's a new build in the chain and someone has had to exchange on that a lot earlier than usual.

This would stress me out a lot. I’d have to say soemthing, but I agree privacy film as it won’t jeapordise the sale

I've known people exchange and complete on the same day in the English system, but you need a reliable solicitor.

@Lozgal24 perhaps they are being confused by the scottish system where you can exchange and complete within a few days. we have actually managed to do it on the same day at least twice. I actually do not understand why the english system takes so long to complete after exchanging!

I'd just ignore for 2 months - not worth rocking the boat with buyers. Move your dog to the back of the house and I'd be focusing on moving admin, decluttering, packing and planning next house things.

It's excitement. They live just round the corner and they can't resist going to look at the house they will soon own. The children are telling their friends proudly 'Look, we'll soon be living there'. I can imagine how annoyng it is for you but try and see it from their pov.

Depending on how and why they came to be here, your house could represent their ultimate aspiration. They may have worked and saved for years to buy it and they may be beside themselves with hope and pride and nervous excitement about being in a position to put down permanent roots. I used to do some voluntary work among asylum seekers and have an inkling of how tough the first few years can be for many. The B+Bs, the awful rental conditions and then, with a lot of hard work some manage to make it to a home of their own, and achieve the stability of being a homeowner. Not saying your buyers are from that background, just trying to point out that your house may not be just a house to them.

Deeply annoying behaviour, I'm sure. I'd just avoid the front garden and the front room in the evenings for a few weeks till it's all over and not reward them by going out to say hello. This is not for ever.

Just deal with it. Not worth losing the sale over and just try to get completion ASAP!

yes but standing outside the house waving????

Honestly I think that they're just excited. Cultures from warmer climates do tend to go for evening walks. Think I'd say nothing, so that it all goes through without problems, it's just 8 more weeks.

We've had this when we lived on a very quiet and peaceful common, so not a lot we could do about it.

I found it quite off-putting and invasive.

I didn't acknowledge them too much because I didn't want to encourage them.

The woman's very pushy elderly father hung around once and kept pressurising me to let him in to have a look around with out an EAgents appointment.

We stopped the sale in the end, because they stupidly kept on knocking us down little by little almost on a weekly basis.

Silly them, they really missed out. The setting was beautiful and properties there were like hen's teeth.

Omg 😲 that's crazy behaviour 😳

If you want to say something using the dog is a gentler way to do it. Say your dog is getting distressed several times a night and therefore they need to stop doing it for his or her sake. Better than anything aggressive, just for the sake of the sale.

Aw that's so sad.

A house down my road sold last year after the elderly mum died. The 50 odd year old (never left home) son has been hiking up the massive hill and staring into his old house 3 or 4 times a month! It weirds me out and its not even my house

This is not acceptable and they are boundary crossing. If you have two months until completion, it does sound like you have not even exchanged contracts yet? That means either party can pull out and watch out for it being them. It does seem like they are looking for any problems at all which would make me uneasy.

We were going to buy a house years ago and had agreed completion for the end August. We had a keen buyer. Sellers then rang me asking for more money, we refused. I realised they were struggling to finance their onward purchase. They then said they could not complete as agreed, but we could store some stuff in their garage (as if).

We went ahead with our sale and went to rented.. A week later they asked us to call round, showed us an earlier survey, whilst holding their hand over part of it. Not only this, we now had a tenancy contract which we had to honour for a few months. We realised they were seriously odd when he started calling round hammering on our door. We pulled out. If it feels odd and off, it really is.

Do not give them your new address or number. You could be beseiged with questions after you have left.

Honestly, I think you need to have a frank conversation with them. “I know you’re excited, but it’s getting really intrusive and weird. It’s a stressful time and we have a lot to do. Can you maybe limit it to a couple of times a week please?”