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Original poster

Being gazumpted on dream property

496 replies

Pippinsdiary · 04/02/2025 17:57

I know it’s legal to do it but I’m so sad Sad

we offered just under asking price on our dream property that has been on the market over a year, the estate agent phoned yesterday to say another offer slightly higher has been accepted and it’s their final decision. I asked if we could offer higher and they said the vendors aren’t interested and just want to proceed and not waste any more time

am I wrong to think as our offer has been accepted we should have been given the chance to offer more before another has been accepted?!

I know this happens and I’m glad it’s happened now and not further down the line but I feel so angry

OP posts:
Original poster
Pippinsdiary · 04/02/2025 20:55

surreygirl1987 · 04/02/2025 20:54

Have you read the two posts where I said I didn't think you've been greedy? 🙈

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Haha I haven’t paid attention who’s said what I’m too busy sobbing about my house BlushGrin

OP posts:
redbusbeepbeep · 04/02/2025 20:57

surreygirl1987 · 04/02/2025 20:55

I have indeed. Has the OP? 🤦🏼‍♀️

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She’s said multiple times how she hasn’t said she wants the sales to line up to the seller. All they know is she’s a cash buyer so it’s not relevant when she’s provided proof of funds

surreygirl1987 · 04/02/2025 20:58

Pippinsdiary · 04/02/2025 20:55

Haha I haven’t paid attention who’s said what I’m too busy sobbing about my house BlushGrin

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Fair enough. But anyway, for what it's worth (for the third time) I don't think you have been greedy. OR the vendor. It's a business negotiation, not yet signed and sealed, and the vendor has found a better offer. I was upset too when we lost what we thought was our dream property, but we are now SO glad we did as we live in a much better one now. I do think the system is rubbish, but this is a situation where you should be upset with the system but not with the person selling who made the best decision they could for their own family (I'd choose my family over yours too, and I'm sure you'd choose yours over mine!).

HÆLTHEPAIN · 04/02/2025 20:58

redbusbeepbeep · 04/02/2025 20:54

OP I’m getting angry for you.

@surreygirl1987 have you read the full thread?

Me too!

Though this seems typical of MN lately.

OP is understandably fed up and comes on for some a vent and probably a bit of moral support. Explains their situation clearly numerous times, yet still the armchair detectives are out in force trying to find some perceived hole in OP’s story which they can use as a metaphorical stick to beat them with.

Original poster
Pippinsdiary · 04/02/2025 21:00

surreygirl1987 · 04/02/2025 20:58

Fair enough. But anyway, for what it's worth (for the third time) I don't think you have been greedy. OR the vendor. It's a business negotiation, not yet signed and sealed, and the vendor has found a better offer. I was upset too when we lost what we thought was our dream property, but we are now SO glad we did as we live in a much better one now. I do think the system is rubbish, but this is a situation where you should be upset with the system but not with the person selling who made the best decision they could for their own family (I'd choose my family over yours too, and I'm sure you'd choose yours over mine!).

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Yeah and I completely get their situation, I’m just upset they apparently won’t accept a higher offer from us for whatever reason. I hope I get an explanation tomorrow

OP posts:
L0bstersLass · 04/02/2025 21:00

Pippinsdiary · 04/02/2025 19:49

The vendor doesn’t know enough of our situation. You don’t need to be confused. I chanced our luck on getting some money off and it back fired. My bad, lesson learnt

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@Pippinsdiary Don't be so hard on yourself.
When we bought this place it had been on the market for a year.
We loved it so we made an asking price offer. It was accepted.

Then, two weeks later apparently someone else had offered £5k over.
They offered it to us if we matched that.
Reluctantly we did.

That was twenty years ago. I still love the house but every time I see the people that sold it to us I'm convinced they screwed us over and that there wasn't an alternate offer.

Moving house is horribly stressful. You've done nothing wrong. Some people are just arseholes.

surreygirl1987 · 04/02/2025 21:00

redbusbeepbeep · 04/02/2025 20:57

She’s said multiple times how she hasn’t said she wants the sales to line up to the seller. All they know is she’s a cash buyer so it’s not relevant when she’s provided proof of funds

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Yes but has the EA said something? Or someone else? Even a cadual throwaway comment that has got passed on? As a PP pointed out, the vendor said something about 'wasting time'... possibly a coincidence but possibly not!

Tryingtokeepgoing · 04/02/2025 21:00

HÆLTHEPAIN · 04/02/2025 20:53

OP already said numerous times that the vendors don’t know about wanting the sales to line up. And that they’ve already had surveys done.

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She has indeed said that. But, the vendors have made a ‘not wasting any more time’ comment, and the agents talk to each other and probably do know. That comment has come from somewhere. And yes, 3 weeks to do a survey is slow, if a bank is not involved.

Sure, accepting a higher offer is poor from, don’t get me wrong. Doing it after the survey has been paid for is a sh*tty thing to do. But the OP should already be in a position to exchange. So in her position I would go back and say I am ready to instruct my solicitor to exchange contracts by the close of play Wednesday at the agreed price, to dispel their view that she’s a dragging her heels. That would flush out if it’s about time or money.

Original poster
Pippinsdiary · 04/02/2025 21:01

surreygirl1987 · 04/02/2025 21:00

Yes but has the EA said something? Or someone else? Even a cadual throwaway comment that has got passed on? As a PP pointed out, the vendor said something about 'wasting time'... possibly a coincidence but possibly not!

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The EA doesn’t know anything about my house either, they haven’t asked 🤷🏼‍♀️

OP posts:
Original poster
Pippinsdiary · 04/02/2025 21:02

Pippinsdiary · 04/02/2025 21:01

The EA doesn’t know anything about my house either, they haven’t asked 🤷🏼‍♀️

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Or would my solicitor mention it to theirs? I genuinely don’t know but it’s shit because my house sale genuinely won’t hold it up

OP posts:
surreygirl1987 · 04/02/2025 21:03

HÆLTHEPAIN · 04/02/2025 20:58

Me too!

Though this seems typical of MN lately.

OP is understandably fed up and comes on for some a vent and probably a bit of moral support. Explains their situation clearly numerous times, yet still the armchair detectives are out in force trying to find some perceived hole in OP’s story which they can use as a metaphorical stick to beat them with.

Show quote history

Hmm to be fair, she did ask the question:

am I wrong to think as our offer has been accepted we should have been given the chance to offer more before another has been accepted?!

.. and got a mix of answers!

HÆLTHEPAIN · 04/02/2025 21:03

Tryingtokeepgoing · 04/02/2025 21:00

She has indeed said that. But, the vendors have made a ‘not wasting any more time’ comment, and the agents talk to each other and probably do know. That comment has come from somewhere. And yes, 3 weeks to do a survey is slow, if a bank is not involved.

Sure, accepting a higher offer is poor from, don’t get me wrong. Doing it after the survey has been paid for is a sh*tty thing to do. But the OP should already be in a position to exchange. So in her position I would go back and say I am ready to instruct my solicitor to exchange contracts by the close of play Wednesday at the agreed price, to dispel their view that she’s a dragging her heels. That would flush out if it’s about time or money.

Edited
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Bloody hell. How many times does the OP have to say they do not know. Surely, if she (assuming OP is a she here) had any inclination that they did know, then she would say so as it would be an explanation for things.

HÆLTHEPAIN · 04/02/2025 21:04

surreygirl1987 · 04/02/2025 21:03

Hmm to be fair, she did ask the question:

am I wrong to think as our offer has been accepted we should have been given the chance to offer more before another has been accepted?!

.. and got a mix of answers!

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Most of the answers aren’t relevant to that though.

Original poster
Pippinsdiary · 04/02/2025 21:04

Tryingtokeepgoing · 04/02/2025 21:00

She has indeed said that. But, the vendors have made a ‘not wasting any more time’ comment, and the agents talk to each other and probably do know. That comment has come from somewhere. And yes, 3 weeks to do a survey is slow, if a bank is not involved.

Sure, accepting a higher offer is poor from, don’t get me wrong. Doing it after the survey has been paid for is a sh*tty thing to do. But the OP should already be in a position to exchange. So in her position I would go back and say I am ready to instruct my solicitor to exchange contracts by the close of play Wednesday at the agreed price, to dispel their view that she’s a dragging her heels. That would flush out if it’s about time or money.

Edited
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Can I ask what’s slow? We had the survey done 12 days after we put our offer in which was the nearest time they could do due to work commitments.

OP posts:
surreygirl1987 · 04/02/2025 21:06

Pippinsdiary · 04/02/2025 21:02

Or would my solicitor mention it to theirs? I genuinely don’t know but it’s shit because my house sale genuinely won’t hold it up

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Maybe. Who knows. My solicitor and EA had all sorts of email chains going on and some things that I'd asked to be kept confidential were NOT. If anyone but yourself knew about the other sale, it quite possibly got through to the vendor - and if they didn't hear it from you, they might feel a bit misled. OR they might not have a clue and it could be for a completely different reason (maybe purely for the money - maybe the £5k will make a huge difference to them). Either way, I wouldn't lose sleep over it - it's done. I don't trust EAs though so if I REALLY wanted it, I might try a last-ditch (polite!) letter... nothing to lose now really!

SpringBunnyHopHop · 04/02/2025 21:08

Is there nothing else close by? I know you want to be close to your parents and quickly but don’t chase a house that’s no longer available. They’ve dropped you once they’ll do it again for whatever reason.

surreygirl1987 · 04/02/2025 21:08

HÆLTHEPAIN · 04/02/2025 21:03

Bloody hell. How many times does the OP have to say they do not know. Surely, if she (assuming OP is a she here) had any inclination that they did know, then she would say so as it would be an explanation for things.

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Actually the OP has now asked:

Or would my solicitor mention it to theirs? I genuinely don’t know

So there is the possibility of the vendor knowing. Bottom line is, we, and the OP, don't know for sure.

Original poster
Pippinsdiary · 04/02/2025 21:09

surreygirl1987 · 04/02/2025 21:08

Actually the OP has now asked:

Or would my solicitor mention it to theirs? I genuinely don’t know

So there is the possibility of the vendor knowing. Bottom line is, we, and the OP, don't know for sure.

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I suppose they might know but all they have to do is ask about my situation again. Maybe I’ll make it clear to the EA tomorrow

OP posts:
Original poster
Pippinsdiary · 04/02/2025 21:09

SpringBunnyHopHop · 04/02/2025 21:08

Is there nothing else close by? I know you want to be close to your parents and quickly but don’t chase a house that’s no longer available. They’ve dropped you once they’ll do it again for whatever reason.

In the area we want there’s only 2 other properties on the market, a farm and a run down bungalow unfortunately

OP posts:
surreygirl1987 · 04/02/2025 21:11

Pippinsdiary · 04/02/2025 21:09

I suppose they might know but all they have to do is ask about my situation again. Maybe I’ll make it clear to the EA tomorrow

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Best of luck, OP. Genuinely hope you get it... or if not, that something as good or better comes along.

Tryingtokeepgoing · 04/02/2025 21:13

HÆLTHEPAIN · 04/02/2025 21:03

Bloody hell. How many times does the OP have to say they do not know. Surely, if she (assuming OP is a she here) had any inclination that they did know, then she would say so as it would be an explanation for things.

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No need to swear surely? I was offering some constructive advice on how she could move forward…

30 odd years of buying and selling houses has left me with less faith in estate agents than you seem to have. If the OPs intention is to tie the two together, the vendors agents will know that. It would be hard to find a more conniving, duplicitous and morally corrupt bunch of people than estate agents (bar, obviously, politicians). They will have spoken to the agent selling to her house multiple times, probably posing as potential buyer as well. They’ll have spoken to the solicitors. They’ll have spoken to the surveyor, if access was organised through them. They’ll have gleaned bits and pieces from the various conversations they have with her and others. They are motivated to understand exactly what the position is - they also want a sale to exchange quickly. It’s when they are due their fees…

Likewhatever · 04/02/2025 21:13

Gazumping is when you have an offer accepted and then subsequently rejected in favour of a higher offer.

Unless I’m missing something you made a lower than asking price offer which was rejected, then someone else entered the bidding and went above what you offered and that was accepted

It’s disappointing for you but that’s how these things work.

By all means contact the seller with your better offer but then you’d be the ones doing the gazumping.

SheilaFentiman · 04/02/2025 21:13

@Pippinsdiary you haven’t been slow and you haven’t been greedy.

Maybe the other buyers are local and also cash buyers so the vendors think it will be easier?

it sucks and you have my sympathy

Original poster
Pippinsdiary · 04/02/2025 21:14

SheilaFentiman · 04/02/2025 21:13

@Pippinsdiary you haven’t been slow and you haven’t been greedy.

Maybe the other buyers are local and also cash buyers so the vendors think it will be easier?

it sucks and you have my sympathy

Could be! Who knows, that’s the hard part

OP posts:
rainingsnoring · 04/02/2025 21:14

surreygirl1987 · 04/02/2025 20:53

The issue is with the system then, not the people just trying their best to negotiate it. If I was offered a extra £5k on a plate, and didn't have to line up sales (when I thought it was chain free anyway), I'd be doing my kids a disservice by not considering it. £5k would make a huge difference to my family 👌

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It's an issue both with the system and with some individuals within the system. If you feel more comfortable making up comforting tales to yourself to justify your actions, I can't stop you. It's still a horrible thing to do.