To think it's unfair to view a house when you've got no intention of buying it?

[NotActuallyAMum]

I'm prepared to be told IABU as I seem to be in the minority here

A colleague has just said she's going to look at a house near us tomorrow, we were all quite surprised as they've never got any money as it is and this house is much bigger than the one they currently live in. Another colleague said they were surprised they were considering moving and she said "Oh we're not, we just want a nosy". I said that was a bit unfair on the people who are selling it as it's getting their hopes up that they might sell but everyone else seems to be of the opinion that "there's no harm in looking"

I am aware that it's cock all to do with me what she does just wondered what other people think

May be a while before I'm back, am still at work...

[quesadilla]

DIYApprentice they do that in California too but I hate it. There's something incredibly stress-inducing about jostling around a house with four other couples all of whom have more money/agent on speed dial. Urgh.

[Hopasholic]

YANBU but she is.

When our house was on the market, I raced home from work, cleaned the house and got my 2dcs ( both under 2) bathed a ready for bed for a 7pm viewing.

When they arrived they told us they had already had an offer accepted on a house the other side of the city and just wanted 'to compare the area'

My DH told them to do one and refused to show them upstairs. They reported him to the estate agent for having a bad attitude.

Don't get me started on the 'Sunday afternoon pensioners with fuck all else to do' brigade.

[firawla]

don't they have anything better to do with their time?!
yanbu, it's not right to do that. it's someone's home you dont just go for a "nosey"!!!

[MadBusLady]

TBF you can't be sure what someone means with "too expensive". They might mean "too expensive for what it is", ie they would expect a better kitchen/bigger garden for that price or something. I agree you could probably work a lot of that out from the particulars with room sizes and location etc, but some people can't envisage things without being there.

[Tailtwister]

We used to have friends who did this, but it was when the houses had open viewings twice a week, so no appointment had to be made. It's an awful thing to do in this market though, especially when they have to make an appointment.

[CloudsAndTrees]

YANBU, but I don't think it's that bad. It's par for the course when you have a house on the market.

I don't have much sympathy with 'it takes me hours to get ready for a viewing'. If that is the case, then you probably should have put in more effort before you put the house on the market in the first place.

I had to market my old 4 bed house when I was a single parent to a 4 and a 6yo because I couldn't afford it. It never took me more than half an hour to get the house ready, because when you have a house on the market you just make sure you keep on top of stuff constantly so that last minute viewings don't have to be a problem. Admittedly, I sold my house at the height of the vendors market in 2007, so I didn't have to live in show home standards for more than a couple of months, and I appreciate that houses can be on the market for a while. I just think that when you are selling a house you make it your priority for the time it takes to sell.

[NotActuallyAMum]

Glad it's not just me then, I've never sold a house but I reckon I'd be fuming if I found out someone had done this

[MadBusLady]

Hopasholic that's nuts! Did the agent tell you off or did they think it was nuts too? "Don't have a bad attitude, it puts off buyers who weren't going to buy your house anyway cos they've already bought somewhere else."

[MadBusLady]

Have to say, going by some of the selling threads I'd love to view a MNer's house just for the experience. I have never viewed an immaculately clean and tidy house, nor would I expect to.

[HormonalHousewife]

in my case it was the estate agent that set up a whole day of viewings, knowing our criteria. One house in particular I knew felt not right for us on paper but had a fantastic kitchen extension which the EA suggested we take a look at and use that information to put into a more suitable property.

we have relocated a couple of times and its terribly difficult to know exactly where or where you dont want to live just from looking on line. Also you need to keep the EA on side when you live at the other end of the country.

[LadyMacbethWasMisunderstood]

YANBU. This is unfair on the vendor.

I did this once - went to view a house I had no intention of buying. It was the house I grew up in and had to leave in sad circumstances when I was 14. I always dreamed about that house and didn't feel that I had dealt with leaving it. When it came on the market about 12 years ago I went to view it without telling the vendor who I was. I didn't spend a long time there and I didn't lead her on in anything I said. But I still felt guilty about the viewing. It was very helpful to me psychologically though and I'm glad that I had the opportunity for the "goodbye" that I felt I had always lacked.

I can't imagine many other circumstances where I would think it's ok to do this and not unkind.

[CloudsAndTrees]

the EA suggested we take a look at and use that information to put into a more suitable property.

Estate agents say stuff like that so that the vendors (who pay their wages) think they are doing a good job with getting people to view. If it happens to help buyers out at the same time, then that a lucky bonus.

[yegodsandlittlefishes]

It is partly the estate agent's responsibility to weed out people who don't have a house to sell and clearly won't buy anything and are just being nosey. That is part of what they are being paid for!

[treas]

It is partly the estate agent's responsibility to weed out people who don't have a house to sell

Unlikely the estate agent will bother as these days people often are buying to let or the estate agent just needs bums through the door to appear to be doing something

[Technotropic]

I think it's unreasonable if the house is one that you'd never be able to afford buying but don't think it is if you're in the market.

We didn't look at many houses but definitely looked at ones within our price range) that we were 80% sure we weren't going to buy. With the houses we've seen it really is a good idea to establish what what represents good/bad value for money etc.

[PipkinsPal]

Arranging a viewing of a private house with no intention to buy is wrong. However having a nose around a show house on a building site is acceptable.

[Lweji]

I have never viewed an immaculately clean and tidy house, nor would I expect to.

Our flat was when we sold (first viewing and asking price) back in old 2007.
I'm not sure I'd have kept it up if we had to prepare for a further 3 or more viewings.

[Hopasholic]

madbuslady Estate agent actually had the audacity to call us and point out that we shouldn't be rude to viewers.

Estate agent also got a mahoosive bollocking about not doing their frigging job and told not to send anyone who hadn't got their house on the market or was actually in a position to buy.

We did receive an apology from the branch manager the following day.

It's not about whether your house is in a marketable position, ours was. But prior to a viewing, i would always have hoover round etc. We accepted the viewing even though 7pm is not a great time with two under 2yrs and we had both been at work all day. It's rude, nosey and inconsiderate.

Phew glad I got that off my chest

[Decoy]

YANBU. This wastes the time of the owners and the agent. It's selfish and nosy. Hopasholic I'm glad to hear you got an apology from the branch manager!

[Iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii]

YANBU.......at all.


However, when I was buying a house my estate agent took me to houses that were clearly not suitable. He said it was so that I could get a sense of the local market . He only showed me 'unsuitable' houses that he had the keys for and where the owners were out. It seemed a bit though.

Viewing just for a nosy is definitely NOT on.

[Soupqueen]

We went to see a few before we were in a position to buy - to suss out the areas/work out what we could afford. However, up here (Edinburgh) most properties have open viewings twice a week so there was no question of making an appointment and disrupting people's lives.

[Oldraver]

Very very rude in my book

[Groovee]

I don't think it is fair but the person who bought our old house was only having a nosy and fell in love with it and ended up buying it. So you never know.

[yegodsandlittlefishes]

I've only sold 3 houses, but each time I have made it clear to the estate agent that I don't want time wasters being shown around my house and I get them to agree to this. I don't mind if that means there are no viewings for weeks in a slow market. If they clearly cannot understand that from the outset, I pick a different estate agent.

[mawbroon]

As per Soupqueen a lot of properties here have open viewing Thurs 7-9pm and Sunday afternoons.

I think it's fair game at open viewings tbh, but not if it's appointment only.