To think that if you want to sell your house you do actually have to be a bit flexible and put yourself out a bit?

[wannaBe]

We're currently looking to move house. We've been fortunate in that we sold ours on the first viewing, but having sold a house before we have essentially put ourselves out to let people come and view it at all times of the day - and sometimes even at short notice. In fact I gave the agent a key as I would far rather not have shown people round and would prefer to let the agent earn their money.

Having sold ours now and looking for properties to buy I'm finding it's an absolute nightmare to get in to view some of them.

One house we've been trying to get to view for a week - first earlier this week and now at the weekend. The vender doesn't have a mobile and his landline doesn't have voicemail so the agent is unable to get hold of him. Second one had tennants in and they only allow people in on weekends. And the ultimate - we viewed a lovely house on Wednesday and were hoping to go back for a second viewing tomorrow. Now bearing in mind we don't live in the area so can't just pop round for a viewing - going to view properties involves having to make a four hour round trip. So I call the agent who calls me back five mins later and says that sorry, the venders are going away tonight and won't be back for a week, and no sorry they're not happy for the agent to have a key. Agent very apologetic and tbh couldn't believe that they're being like that, esp given the position we're in (STC, completed chain below us) which he says is rare in the current climate.

We are hoping to make a decision this weekend and are going to view two other properties, so the reality is that these people have potentially lost a sale of their house.

Now, how people choose to sell their houses is of course their perogative. but seriously, if you really do want to sell a house then it does involve a bit of effort and flexibility on your part.

Maybe you caught people at a bad time?

And tenants well- they get to choose usually, due to contracts. LLs can't just walk in.

I suppose it depends on how urgently you want to sell. It sounds to me like they aren't that bothered.

Also if you have had your house on the market for ages it would get you down after a while having to jump through the hoops all the time. I worked really hard each time we had a viewing, cleaned the place to within an inch of it;s life, put fresh flowers in the rooms, lit scented candles, left the place empty for the agent. I'm not sure that 6m down the line I'd be still making that much effort.

You would think so wouldn't you!

Actually I would rather be out and let the agent show people round than do it myself so I can't understand why this other homeowner won't let the agents do it for you.

I do kind of get the house with tennants in - they aren't part of the selling process, they may not be keen to move out anyway so they probably don't want to make their home available to strangers when it is of no benefit and possibly some hassle for them.

I can see that orm, although two of these properties have just come on the market.

Tbh I can see the inflexibility more wrt an initial viewing esp if you've had hundreds through the door. But a second viewing shows more promise of a potential offer imho.

As for tennants - I'm more inclined to see their inflexibility as an alarm bell for the possibility they might be impossible to get out should the house be sold.

I agree! Its your biggest asset - so why not try your best? If you had a huge huge and incredibly important project at work, would you dream of just basically ignoring it? I think it always helps to make everything look its best for a viewing.

RE: the tenanted house - you do know that tenants are not obliged to allow viewings? They are actually being quite reasonable allowing weekend viewings. They are probably working during the week and you must know yourself from selling how it takes a lot of effort for each viewing. Why should they put themselves out when its of no benefit to them?

Doesn't at all follow that they won't leave when given notice.

I have sold houses myself and made a real effort for viewings, but would not do the same in my current rented house (partly becuase the landlords are twats, but that's a different story). I would still find alternative accommodation if given notice, though.

We found this as well. A house came onto the market that looked ideal. Rang the EA to ask to view and the vendors had just gone away on holiday for 2 weeks!

We also found we were constantly made to wait for viewings- ie ring Saturday to be told not can't view until Thursday week, by which time the house was sold.

OTOH our EA was trying to bring people round to our house with no notice at all.

YANBU

I agree with you. I've old houses in the past, you just make it your priority for 3-4 weeks. It's not that hard.

I suspect the people involved here have not been that bothered about moving and have not found a property themselves yet, or they would be making more of an effort

Here's a flipside:

we were tenants in a house that was for sale; we planned to move on anyway (whcih was why house was for sale) but sometimes could not make viewings. On one occasion we refused because that morning was ds1's Baptism, which we catering from home. We expalined to EA who woudl not listen and turned up with viewers- to find us caked in flour and everything upside down!

Had they waited then no doubt we'd have shown them around as we did others but EA would not accept that; viewers did not buy. baptism not IMO something minor or unhelpful- pretty major life event for us.

Maybe it's that simple with house you wanted to see? maybe tenants are on a course, or getting married or......

When we sold own house we were more flexible but it sold quickly so easy; some houses here have been on amrket for over a year so I guess you cannot put everything on hold for ever and it's sod's law minute youa gree to do soemthing a viewer will want that exact date

Another one telling you not to be so down on tenants. You are potentially missing out on honest opinions if you don't take tenants into account. If you are able to meet them and politely ask questions, you could learn an awful lot, and you can easily find out any lies, by asking your surveyor to pay special attnetion to points they have raised.

well, I can hardly get their honest opinions if they won't let me in now, can I?

Spoke to the EA and it appears the tennants only allow two viewings per week. that's obviously their perogative it seems, but sorry having such unco-operative tennants would put me off buying the house as i could foresee all manner of issues re them not allowing surveyors in etc and them being the ones to hold up the chain.

The owners of the second viewing have agreed to let the agent have a key now so I will be able to view that one again tomorrow after all.

wannaBe, tenants have to leave when given the proper notice. Have to. Tenants have very few rights in this country and they would not legally be allowed to stay.

Plus, tbh, why should they be more flexible? For all you know, the woman is a SAHM who doesn't want random strangers barging round her house when she is trying to bf or just be at home. It is quite reasonable to want to restrict viewing times.

I was a tenant moving out of place on the sales market last year, and I was very flexible about when people could come. BIG mistake. The EAs totally took the piss, expected me to show people round ('Would you mind just taking them down to the cellar, I'm in heels?' one asked - er, yes!! ). They also gave as little as 3-4 hours' notice on weekends (what if I had plans?) and were late to meet prospective buyers at the property, meaning I had to effectively entertain people for 15-20 min or just watch them standing outside on my front doorstep.

In retrospect, I'd now limit viewings to 1-2 days a week too. Maybe the EAs are numpties and have pissed the tenants off!

I would give up on the houses that the vendors won't let you see - they're clearly not bothered and not in a rush and you need to find a new home! We were left dangaling for 6 months last year where we had sold and we found a house, our offer was accepted then the vendor just kept putting everything off, we couldn't get back for further viewings, she wouldn't make any effort to find a new home - it went on and on!! Thankfully after we pulled out of that one we found our new home - even lovlier where we are so happy. This one was signed and exchanged and moved into within a few weeks! So - stop fretting about the ones you can't get into and concentrate on the vendors like you who want to sell and keep the chain moving along quickly.
Good luck!! :)
xxx

'They also gave as little as 3-4 hours' notice on weekends (what if I had plans?) and were late to meet prospective buyers at the property, meaning I had to effectively entertain people for 15-20 min or just watch them standing outside on my front doorstep.

In retrospect, I'd now limit viewings to 1-2 days a week too. Maybe the EAs are numpties and have pissed the tenants off!'

EXACTLY! We have been on the receiving end of this and so have many, many others just from threads on here.

People have had EA's turn up unnanounced and one, Beta, even had a viewer who was given a key by an EA and entered hte property to find Beta and his wife eating their lunch.

Many EA's take the piss and expect the tenant do their job for which they're getting paid!

I'd have just watched them standing on the doorstep, Revolting. It's not my fault or my job to to entertain them.

Other people on here who are tenants have been told off for having boxes and signs of packing out when viewers come - um, yes, well, they're moving soon.

My fav are the EA's who ring and say, 'Oh, we're just round the corner, mind if we 'pop round''? Yeah, I do. Thanks for the warning, though.

Tenants have very few rights in this country.

Thats good about the 2nd house .:)

I have to wonder though ,what would be a cooperative tenant for you ?

I tried 4 times to view one house - arrangements kept being cancelled by the family who lived there, yet apparently they were desperate to sell in a hurry as expecting a 3rd child. I never got to see it, offered on another place, & theirs is still on teh market.

Well, I guess I'm the 'un-cooperative' tenant because I don't really give a toss about their selling their house, only in my finding another one to live in with two months' notice, scraping together all the money needed to move, packing, de-cluttering.

It's more than likely their EA is a lazy scumbag who, like most EA's, think tenants are there to treat like shit and do the job they're too lazy to do.

Everytime they 'popped round' unannounced, I answered the door to them obviously naked under a dressing gown, opened the door a crack and told them - since they'd already been informed in writing they needed to give us the 24-hour notice to enter that's part of the tenancy agreement - that we were in the middle of sex so come back later.

And yes, I actually did this with a straight face.

IME, houses that have been on the market over a year are so because they're over-priced or the owner doesn't really want to sell.

Another former tenant asking you not to be too hard on the tenants. We were pressurised heavily by the estate agents to allow multiple viewings, three or four a day when we had a very young baby. The landlord was constantly on our backs about having the place pristine for viewings and it was a nightmare. One day the landlord phoned twice, the letting agent phoned once and the estate agent phoned four times. I really wish now I had put my foot down but DD had just started school, DS was unwell for a long time and we were renovating a house we had just bought to move into. It was our home being sold from under us, causing a great deal of upheaval and stress and it was really hard feeling that our space was constantly being invaded and that we had to keep it spotless.

It is worth speaking to the tenants if you can. I made sure that all viewers of the house knew everything that was wrong with the house, but quite happily let surveyors etc in because it was no hassle at all, no tidying required.

expatinscotland ...good for you !

I am sick of no rights for tenants in the UK ~UNFAIR and draconian .

Tennants are doing LLs a favour by allowing any viewngs at all, and are facilitating their LL to reduce the amount of weeks there is no income on the property. What LLs should do to faciliatate easy viewing and follow-up visits by surveyors etc is put the house on the market after the tennants have moved out! Blame LL greed.

But I agree, it is incredibly frustrating when vendors make viewing such a struggle.

I once tried to book an appointment to view a house with an estate agent. She asked mine and DP's occupations as the vendor only wanted to sell to 'the right sort of people'.

WTF! I put the phone down.

Suncottage!

That's shocking.

We've had EA's turn up, say to us, 'Mind making them a cup of tea and showing them round?' and then step out into the corridor and on their phone!

Nope. I'd tell the viewers, 'So sorry you have such a unprofessional EA, but I was just about to step out to an appointment,' and grabbed my keys then leave, tapping the EA on the shoulder and interrupting them to let them know their client is waiting.

Foolishness. Only the tenants are likely to tell the truth about a property (windows which don't fit, doors which need replacing, noisy neighbours), and even if they lie, your surveyor can check it out and set you straight, so you've lost little.

As far as I understand, with tenancies like assured shorthold, landlords can't just give notice outside a break-clause period (unless there are arrears, etc.) if they only want to sell, whereas they have more rights to break a tenancy and give notice if they want to return to the property as their main residence (e.g. returning from overseas).

Therefore, these tenants must have been in a notice period or break clause period already, for the property to be on the market. There is no need to panic about these people, and every reason to treat them well, even if you don't care about them personally.