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Original poster

Someone wants to view my house and I don’t want them to. How do I phrase it with estate agent?

213 replies

Myhousemy · 02/08/2022 11:48

I’m selling my house and have an open day on Saturday.

I do not want one of the viewers, Mr Smith (not real name) to view my house but how do I tell the estate agent this without getting in to too much detail? Reasons I do not want Mr Smith viewing my house:

He viewed it several weeks ago. Estate agent said he was going to make an offer but was carefully thinking about what to offer as he felt certain work needed to be done. No offer was made so I think he’s a time waster.

Mr Smith has a dd in the same class as my dd and when he viewed my house he brought his dd with him. My dd was upset at the thought of this girl in her class going in her room, seeing all her things etc. It’s obvious my dd lives here as there are school photos on the walls etc

I am confident my house will sell as we have lots of viewers lined up and house is in good area etc We have spent a lot of money on new kitchen/bathroom etc so I guess there is an element of annoyance at Mr Smith saying he “needs to work out how much to knock off asking price for renovations” - estate agents words.

should I just tell estate agent to cancel Mr Smith and if they ask just not give a reason?

OP posts:
sonjadog · 02/08/2022 14:27

I think it is really strange to put off a potential buyer because your daughter doesn't want his daughter to see her room... I have always done a second viewing before putting in an offer, so that may well be why he is coming back. Or there may be another viewer who has a child in your daughter's school who you don't know about yet. The solution to me would seem to be to tell your daughter to remove any personal things from her room that she doesn't want viewers seeing, rather than cancelling potential buyers.

VyeBrator · 02/08/2022 14:30

It's a bedroom, most kids have them.

Why are you indulging your daughter's silliness?

GiantSpaceHamster · 02/08/2022 14:32

You can sell or refuse to sell to whoever you like, but I think you’re wrong to think second viewers are time wasting, plenty of people want to double check before committing to a life changing purchase and I’d assume that second viewers were more likely to be interested and to make an offer.

what would avoid this situation is taking down any identifying family photos etc, before having viewers in the house.

Interested in this thread?

Then you might like threads about this subject:

Property
IcedOatLatte · 02/08/2022 14:36

VyeBrator · 02/08/2022 14:30

It's a bedroom, most kids have them.

Why are you indulging your daughter's silliness?

This thread is weird, the OP is quite happy not to have Mr Smith back again, she's asking how to phrase it not for advice on who she decides to have viewings with.

Why can't she make her own mind up?

Harrysmummy246 · 02/08/2022 14:37

Myhousemy · 02/08/2022 12:46

nanny he’s already viewed the house, if he was serious he’d put in a serious offer.

And that's what you need to say to your EA

MeridianB · 02/08/2022 14:42

More than the DD issue, his comments about 'needing work' were crass and only heading in one direction. Totally reasonable to decide you don't want him back.

Tara336 · 02/08/2022 14:46

Just tell the estate agent you don't want t that person to view. They won't be party bothered, we had someone keep booking to view one of our property's that subsequently didnt show up. We told the estate agent we wouldn't accept any further viewings from her and they were fine about it

Goingforarun · 02/08/2022 14:46

Anyone who is serious about making an offer will have a second viewing it seems to me if your daughter hadn’t made her comment you would be allowing the viewing. Why not ask her to anonymize her bedroom for the 2nd viewing.

howaboutchocolate · 02/08/2022 14:55

VyeBrator · 02/08/2022 14:30

It's a bedroom, most kids have them.

Why are you indulging your daughter's silliness?

why on earth is it silliness?

Someone seeing a heavily staged and edited picture of your bedroom in a house listing online is very different to someone you know (and may dislike) from school poking around in your bedroom while you're not there.

Gruffling · 02/08/2022 14:58

For me, wanting a second viewing is a sign of being serious...I had 3 viewings on the one I bought! Some people are financially cautious.

However, your house so you don't need to justify to EA. You could also stipulate no children? I think that would be fair in general. As other posters have said, I think you need to box up some of your daughter's personal things before the open day in any case. It will help buyers imagine the space as their own and also protect your daughter's privacy.

MzHz · 02/08/2022 14:58

Myhousemy · 02/08/2022 12:52

The estate agent usually texts me so I just sent a text asking them to cancel Mr Smith and not rebook. I said I wasn’t interested in Mr Smith as a potential buyer. Haven’t had a reply yet. I just imagine them reading the text and being unimpressed.

You’re not there to impress the agent. They work for you.

stop worrying about what people think of you

TheTeenageYears · 02/08/2022 15:01

I think I would probably let the agents know why. It's completely inappropriate for a potential buyers DD to post on a group chat about someone's private space. Mr Smith needs to be aware that behaviour has cost him any possibility of buying the house, maybe he'll pull his DD up on it or maybe not but at least he'll be well aware it's a him problem and not a you problem.

Staffy1 · 02/08/2022 15:01

This will seem very odd to Mr Smith and if anything, preventing him from viewing again or putting in an offer could lead to bullying from his daughter to yours, far more than her looking round your daughters room. Why not just get your daughter to put away anything she doesn’t want on view beforehand.

Forthelasttime09 · 02/08/2022 15:02

Myhousemy · 02/08/2022 12:36

homeis yes exactly! You put it better than me. If they did buy the house it could cause my dd a lot of anguish and possible bullying which of course I’ll do anything to avoid. It’s just not worth it.

Can’t see how grounds for bullying

this child is getting your daughters hand me down!

balalake · 02/08/2022 15:02

I was thinking Mr Smith could accuse you of racism or some other form of discrimination. I don't for one second think that is your reason (more likely a time waster or looking for a reason to make a low offer), but someone could think otherwise if it were the case.

Plumtreebob · 02/08/2022 15:06

@balalake - I don’t think the Equalities Act applies when deciding who gets to buy your house. The estate agent couldn’t say no women can view for example but I don’t think there is anything stopping the OP as a private individual. Not saying that it what is happening here!

dontgobaconmyheart · 02/08/2022 15:06

I'd have thought it would cause your DD more of a hard time when her dad is ranting and raving at home to his family that your DD/your family didn't want then in their house.

I don't know OP, bit uncomfortable maybe but it isn't as though she said anything unkind about it and I hardly think having a second viewing is bizarre behaviour. Housea aren't cheap and perhaps he is the one maxing out his budget.

I'd have gone with a request that no children partake in the viewings? But ultimately if you don't want to sell to their family then you'll have to accept some fallout from that decision.

I'd have let him make an offer and then declined it. Nobody needs to know why or to whom it was sold. Presumably all can see the rooms on the listing or the brochure anyway.

CallMeWaityKaty · 02/08/2022 15:11

What a very odd post from the OP.

I think if you want to sell your house seriously, you dont veto viewings or offers simply because of what a child may post on social media.

If this man is serious, he will want another viewing.
People mutter about 'work needed' all the time, to test the water re. offers.
And offers can depend on surveys down the line.

But the main point is you should clear your daughter's room if it is too personal, bearing in mind the other child in her class.

OR you could tell the EA that you only want adults to view, not the child, as she is in the same class as your D and it's created some online gossip.

Presumably though the house is on Right Move?

I think the stress you are causing yourself over this is in excess of anything that the naughty little D may do, so you need to relax.

CallMeWaityKaty · 02/08/2022 15:15

OP is this a case of shutting the stable door.....?

The man has already seen your house as has his DD.

What difference is another viewing going to make?

If you have a lot of potential buyers, the viewings tend to be very quick- one in, one out, all on the day. Even if this brattish child comes with her father, what can she say that she doesn't have the chance to say already?

How old are these kids? Teens or primary school?

GonnaGetGoingReturns · 02/08/2022 15:19

I've worked with estate agents and also used them personally.

Definitely just be firm with them, no explanations needed, just that you do not want this man/woman viewing your property. Be prepared that the EA might have pressure from these people to view and what all EAs are after is their commission but if it comes down to that and they pressure you, threaten to use another EA for your sale.

There's absolutely no need to mention anything about your DD's and their DD having seen your DD's room. EA's don't like to get bogged down with details like that.

KatherineJaneway · 02/08/2022 15:20

It's ridiculous that your dd is upset because a classmate saw her bedroom.

It is not at all ridiculous.

GonnaGetGoingReturns · 02/08/2022 15:22

balalake · 02/08/2022 15:02

I was thinking Mr Smith could accuse you of racism or some other form of discrimination. I don't for one second think that is your reason (more likely a time waster or looking for a reason to make a low offer), but someone could think otherwise if it were the case.

There is probably no discrimination involved from OP towards Mr Smith.

It would sound odd to Mr Smith and the EA and personally if it were me, I'd just let them have a second viewing and decline any offers if I really didn't want them to buy the house. But then suppose their offer was the highest one of the potential buyers? OP would really turn it down, cutting off her nose to spite her face?

strawberriesarenot · 02/08/2022 15:24

I think you can sell your house to who you like. It's your house.
We had a wildlife garden, full of birds who nested every spring. So did our next door neighbours.
We said no cat owners.
I don't know if the agents really understood, but they certainly implemented it.

GonnaGetGoingReturns · 02/08/2022 15:26

KatherineJaneway · 02/08/2022 15:20

It's ridiculous that your dd is upset because a classmate saw her bedroom.

It is not at all ridiculous.

It is, a bit. This could happen at any time, the classmate or another child in her DD's class viewing a property to be bought.

Unless there's bullying going on, parents will take children to viewings of a property they wish to buy (especially if they are going to live there) and the children should be able to see their potential new home.

OP doesn't seem to have stated the DD is bullying her DD.

calmlakes · 02/08/2022 15:26

I think that regardless of this particular bloke some more support needs to be given to dd.
Help to to depersonalize her space.
Talk through the process of selling a house so she understands what is likely to happen.