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Original poster

Viewing houses when not in position to buy

51 replies

OneThreadOnly0101 · 28/04/2019 07:48

Can I?

At the moment I live overseas. I will be moving back to somewhere in the UK in the next year or so. Date and location not fixed.

I don't own anything that I'm selling and will likely be a cash buyer. I know roughly what I want in terms of number of bedrooms but struggle to visualize size/layouts when looking on rightmove as I have no frame of reference - I currently live in a small 1 bed terrace and will be wanting a 4 bed detached.

I really need to do a few viewings so that I have a better appreciation of size etc. Am I allowed to? I don't want to waste the time of sellers, but equally how can I look for a house if don't know what I want/need? Confused

Do I need to lie to estate agents about how proceedable I am?

I will be in Scotland for a week in late May and was hoping to arrange a viewing or two...

Because my return plans are so vague, I can potentially afford either a large beauty of an abode in the North or something I like less, in the south...

Sorry, that turned into a ramble.

OP posts:
AnotherEmma · 28/04/2019 08:40

Show homes or empty properties. DH and I recently viewed an empty house (it had been rented out and the tenants had moved out).

In your position though I would rent for a while before buying. It sounds as if you don't even know which part of the country you want to move to (are there any factors like jobs/schools?) so I think you should rent in the area you are thinking of and use that time to view properties to buy. It will allow you to test out the area. Buying somewhere that you end up not liking would be an expensive mistake.

As for size of property, perhaps you could look at 3-bed with the potential to do an extension / loft conversion.

Passthecherrycoke · 28/04/2019 08:40

What do you mean are you allowed? Who is going to stop you? You will have to pretend you are interested in buying now, obviously.

MiddleClassProblem · 28/04/2019 08:46

The thing is that houses can vary so much so what’s available now vs when you’re ready may not be your best guide. Photos and floor plans can give you a good idea.

You may find it more important to explore the areas, see which roads seem more suitable to you with distance to this things that are important.

Also you can use google earth/street view to get an idea of things like garden sizes on different roads or roads bumps and parking etc.

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Property
lazymare · 28/04/2019 08:46

If you have no intention of buying any of these houses then it is incredibly rude to just go for a nosey. When we were selling I had to arrange childcare for viewings and spent hours cleaning before each one.

lazymare · 28/04/2019 08:48

Though are you moving back to Scotland ? Open viewings are relatively common - usually Sunday afternoons in Edinburgh at least.

whyohwhyowhydididoit · 28/04/2019 08:49

I agree you should restrict your viewings to show homes or open house days (these are rare in the U.K. but some EAs do arrange them occasionally). Vendors expect a few ‘time wasters’ and gawkers at these so you can research without inconveniencing people.

I have bought and sold several houses and have only allowed viewings from people who convinced my EA they were credible buyers with funding in place. Selling a home is an emotionally charged business and I would be annoyed if someone was just using my home and time as research for a possible move some point in the future.

Circlegame · 28/04/2019 08:50

No it’s a waste of everyone’s time.

ReginaGeorgeous · 28/04/2019 08:52

I wouldn't have let you view mine, when we were selling we gave clear instructions to our agent to only allow viewings from people who were either SSTC or first time buyers with a mortgage agreement in principle. We were moving into a new build and therefore had no chain, so I really didn't want time wasters viewing mine.

Show homes are a good suggestion.

Passthecherrycoke · 28/04/2019 08:53

What about cash buyers Regina? Lots of people don’t need to sell a house or get a mortgage. They’re exactly the ones you want (rich, ha ha ha)

snowone · 28/04/2019 09:08

As someone who has just bought and sold....this is very very annoying! Taking the time to make sure your house is like a show home just to then be let down Sad

longtimelurkerhelen · 28/04/2019 09:11

@OneThreadOnly0101

You could just go the houses that have open days where a lot of people are viewing. That way you won't be inconveniencing anyone as they will have people there all day.

seven201 · 28/04/2019 09:25

I don't get why you need to do it now. Just wait until you are in an actual position to buy! It takes hours getting a house ready for a viewing! I know you want to get a few for what you want, but you don't need to know yet. It makes no actual difference if you know now or in 6 months. Yes it would be nice for you, but that's it.

ReginaGeorgeous · 28/04/2019 09:26

@Passthecherrycoke or cash buyers yes! Very unlikely in the area that we sold in though!

ImaginaryCat · 28/04/2019 09:26

See I don't think it's that awful, because the market round us has been dead for so long now, some really lovely, suitably priced houses have sat on Right Move for over a year. So it's not inconceivable you might find one you like now and still be able to buy when you're ready.

Cookiedoughforbreakfast · 28/04/2019 09:27

As someone who's about to put their house back on the market, after a break from all the stress of it, at the end of last year, I would ask you to not do this.

I understand sort of where you're coming from, but as a seller who really wants to sell, it's infuriating to get the house 'viewer ready', arrange to leave the house and be somewhere else for X amount of time, which isn't always convenient if your dc is perhaps ill or you're working from home, if the viewer then turns out to just be doing a bit of non committal, no intention of buying, window shopping.

I don't see a problem with you going along to an open house or an empty new build, but I have to say, if I found out that I'd gone to all that trouble, just for someone to get an idea for the future and so was never really interested, I would not be happy.

Passthecherrycoke · 28/04/2019 09:29

Well that’s my point Regina OP is a cash buyer. She doesn’t need to provide any evidence to anyone about her readiness to proceed. Easy to view whatever houses you want.

ReginaGeorgeous · 28/04/2019 09:38

I asked our agent for screen all of our viewers of evidence of readiness to proceed because we were buying a new build. Once we had reserved our plot, we had to exchange within 28 days. If we had not found a buyer within that time frame, we could have gone down the route of part exchange with the builders. We would have lost the incentive that they paid our stamp duty if we had, hence why we wanted to find our own buyer and didn't have time to mess about with time wasters. Fortunately we sold within three days.

lazymare · 28/04/2019 09:39

Evidence of ready to proceed before viewings just doesn't apply in Scotland, which I think is where the OP said she wants to look at houses in May.

OP, if you want to be as considerate as possible, view houses new to the market during open viewings in Edinburgh. They will have people through the door that day anyway. Not sure if Glasgow has that system too but it used to be a very Edinburgh thing. Look on the espy website.

lazymare · 28/04/2019 09:39

ESPC

FiremanKing · 28/04/2019 09:40

How can you not get an idea of layout when many house listings on zoopla/Rightmove have detailed floor plans?

Passthecherrycoke · 28/04/2019 09:43

Evidence of being ready to proceed doesn’t apply anywhere, it’s just EAs and vendors trying their luck. Why should you give them personal information before you make an offer Hmm if you’re desperate to view the house you might agree but otherwise they’ll just lose out on viewings. I’m not sending financial information to every estate agent in town!

Cookiedoughforbreakfast · 28/04/2019 09:45

Also, just wanted to make the point that a lot of viewers are technically unproceedable if they haven't sold their house yet. I have never been told I can't view a house because my house hadn't yet sold, as nobody would ever move forward! Your house could sell the next day, after all and then you could proceed with an offer.

This is a completely different level of unproceedable.

tanpestryfirescreen · 28/04/2019 09:50

t's my vague position that's causing me trouble. I can possibly settle for a 3 bed however maybe the 5 bed that's within budget would be better. I won't know til I look.

then wait until you are in a position to buy- what is on the market now won't be in the next year or so

You work out what you need/can afford when you are in a position to buy.

Until then browse rightmove for your property porn rather than putting other people out.

metalkprettyoneday · 28/04/2019 09:51

That’s why open homes are such a good idea , you tidy your house on a Saturday and leave the house for an hour while groups of people walk around your home. The estate agent grabs their details. We went around a lot of homes to get an idea of what we wanted . I know it’s not popular in the UK, but they are such a good idea .

MiddleClassProblem · 28/04/2019 10:57

The 3 bed/5 bed thing might be about the right house rather than just any house...

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