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Original poster

Putting notes through door of street I want to buy in...

64 replies

ParkingIInPlainSight · 08/05/2019 11:19

Is this a mad idea. What would you think if you got one of these.

How much detail would you give?

Would you just say if you are thinking of moving please get in touch or more detail?

We've had an offer, can be flexible about moving. The street is nice with gardens and period properties. We would be cash/almost cash buyers with no chain.

OP posts:
workerbeeinaction · 08/05/2019 11:21

I don't think it's a mad idea at all. We used to do it at work (I was an estate agent) if we had people wanting to buy in a particular street.

Catchingbentcoppers · 08/05/2019 11:22

Nope, that's how we got this house. We put a note through the door of this house politely asking that if the seller was interested in selling any time over the next year, would they please contact us. They were, they did and here we are. You've nothing to lose, as long as you as sensible and do everything properly through conveyancing solicitors etc.

Damntheman · 08/05/2019 11:54

I would absolutely hate getting a note like this. But then I suspect my opinion isn't relevant as houses here are sold by auction and an owner would lose money by going direct to a note pusher.

I hope you get your dream house!

Mehaveit · 08/05/2019 11:55

Don't mention cash buyer if you aren't exactly that as it's not the truth and you don't want them to think you're not being fully honest.

But yes by all means do it. We've had personal notes through our door. Who you are. Why you want the house. What position you're in. What your timescales are. How flexible you can be.

YouLikeTheBadOnesToo · 08/05/2019 11:58

We get them through our door a lot. We’re not looking to sell so they tend to go straight in the recycling. But dh & I always saw what a good idea it is, if we do decide to sell we’d certainly keep our eye out for any of them coming through the door. Do it, you’ve got literally nothing to lose.

Judashascomeintosomemoney · 08/05/2019 12:01

No issue, I’ve had them (and constantly get the estate agent version) and just chucked them in the bin as not interested, no harm done. As long as you don’t send again if/when you don’t get any interest as that would start to feel harassing.

nancy75 · 08/05/2019 12:04

My parents bought a house by putting a note through the door.
The people that sold the house were in 2 minds about moving, being able to move without the pain of loads of people coming to view their house helped them make the decision to move.

SamBaileys · 08/05/2019 12:06

I wish someone would put a note through my door asking to buy it!
I think you should do it, you never know.

IneedKirstieandPhil · 08/05/2019 12:10

I did this at the weekend- around 70 houses not heard anything 😢

Buddywoo · 08/05/2019 12:11

As an estate agent I woud recommend it and have done to others before. Nothing to lose. You are not a cash buyer, you are a buyer in a proceedable position. Be honest about that. Sometimes putting a note through gives people the push they need. Also there will be no agent's fees for the potential vendor.

SpreadsheetQueen · 08/05/2019 12:11

We've had flyers from estate agents and someone knock on the door enquiring. I'm not currently interested in selling, so just recycle/ say no, however if we were interested I'd definitely follow up a personal note and try to save EA fees.

DaisiesAreOurSilver · 08/05/2019 12:11

We've had a few over the years. We don't mind but we aren't selling.

WeepingWillowWeepingWino · 08/05/2019 12:12

I would not contact an individual but if you put the name of the agent you are selling through I might.

We get a lot of flyers from agents wanting to list our house, but never from an individual.

Iwantmychairback · 08/05/2019 12:16

My friend has just bought a house this way. It works in the right circumstances.
Always worth a try.

dontgobaconmyheart · 08/05/2019 12:26

I don't think its massively rude but is pretty intrusive, if you're really desperate OP then do it. I wouldn't be thrilled to have any jink mail put through my door tbh (which this is, if they don't own or don't want to sell) and would just shove it in the recycling. I'd also probably ignore it even if I did want to sell, I'd assume people that desperate to buy would check the listings if it went up anyway and can contact the agent rather than leaflet my home. I realise you're hoping to prompt someone to make a decision to sell but do people really put a house up for sale and move off the back of a letter when they weren't motivated to before? Unless you're paying above market value or a very strong offer it seems bizarre! Don't get me wrong- if it works then great, obviously I'd get over the intrusion in a minute and get on with my day Grin theres no real harm done even if some people get a bit grumpy about this stuff.

Almost cash buyer and cash buyer aren't quite the same thing though. I wouldn't put it, you don't actually know what potential sellers want for their home vs market value or what you can pay so you can't claim you'll be a cash buyer unless that is factual.

LoafofSellotape · 08/05/2019 12:27

My parents got their house by doing exactly this.

Walnutwhipster · 08/05/2019 12:30

DS did this recently and ended up buying one of the ones who responded.

user1495225181 · 08/05/2019 12:31

We got our house by doing this. I sent a very nice short letter on good quality paper (so it didn’t look like a flyer). About three or four out of twelve responded saying no but very politely. One of the others got in touch a couple of months later as their circumstances had changed, subsequently we found out another neighbour was also going to get in touch. It’s worth trying.

PinkHeartLovesCake · 08/05/2019 12:33

I would absolutely hate getting a note like this Why? It’s a polite note from someone basically saying they bloody love your house.

My parents sold there home when they got a note like this.

The first house me and dh had we got like this, it was a tiny village and the houses rarely came up for sale so we put a note in saying how much we loved the house, and the local area and that if they ever wanted to sale we would love a chat. We paid 10k over the market value but it was sooooooo worth it, admittedly we were very lucky as cash buyers so no mortgage etc were involved

cleomummy · 08/05/2019 12:39

My neighbour got her house by doing this. Worth a try

Damntheman · 08/05/2019 12:57

Why? Because it would feel like a huge intrusion into my life and privacy. If someone has seen enough of my house to bloody love it enough to want to buy it on the spot I would then be concerned about how many of my windows they had been peering into and how much of my personal life they had somehow managed to observe. It would freak me out, I don't think that's an invalid response, even if it is the minority one in this thread.

spiderlight · 08/05/2019 13:00

We sold my dad's house like this - went from finding the note to shaking the buyer's hand on a full-asking-price offer within half an hour!

Catchingbentcoppers · 08/05/2019 13:04

Goodness @Damntheman, a touch of the dramatic there! 😂

Our note explained that we were looking for property in the area and if the current owners were looking to sell and amenable to us viewing at that point, we would be grateful if they would consider contacting us. There was no creeping around the property looking through windows, that would be trespassing. As well as weird.

Walnutwhipster · 08/05/2019 13:06

@Damntheman when my son did this he didn't target individual houses. He had no idea what they were like inside. He simply loved the area and the style of houses.

PCohle · 08/05/2019 13:10

I think the worst that can happen is people just throw your note out - no harm done!

If it's the area/street you are interested in rather than a specific house perhaps say that in the note to avoid people feeling intruded upon? (This wouldn't occur to me personally, but based on this thread clearly some would).

I'd make it clear you were an individual rather than an agency.