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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

to decline a viewing because they haven't got their property on the marketJ

108 replies

stripeytiger · 07/04/2014 22:50

Just wondering if I am being bit unreasonable?

Our house has been on the market for just over a month. Plenty of viewings, sadly no offers yet. Had a call from the agent today to say there is a lady who apparently knows the manager at the agent's really well, she has viewed our place on Rightmove and likes the look of it, would like to book a viewing, can't do daytime and wants us to show her round in the evening at 6.30 pm!!.....ok don't have a massive problem with that, however her house isn't on the market yet, she's thinking about it!! I told the agent that she could see what she needed to on Rightmove, could do a drive past but I wasn't prepared to do a viewing as she is clearly not in a position to proceed. I added that I would be more than happy to show her round once she has her place on the market.

My view is that our house is "for sale" not "open for browsing". Perhaps it's just me but I think she was being quite cheeky, especially trying to dictate the time of the viewing....I have two kids so keeping the place immaculate is stressful but obviously well worth it to secure a sale......but to do all that for someone who isn't ready to proceed?? My gut feeling was fuck right off.....

OP posts:
foodtech · 07/04/2014 22:52

We bought our current house last year and didn't have our house on the market. Once we decided we actually wanted the house we made the decision. I wouldn't be put off.

Shlurpbop · 07/04/2014 22:53

Yanbu - my dad used to view houses for sale with no intention of buying! Hmm
What a waste of time tidying etc.
Git!

GreenLandsOfHome · 07/04/2014 22:55

What business is it of yours whether her house is on the market or not?!?

We moved two years ago.

We started viewing houses before doing anything about ours, as we never had any intention of selling it. As soon as we found a house we loved, we contacted our current mortgage company, transferred it to a BTL and found tenants within a fortnight.

YABVU. If you want to sell, take any viewing possible.

GreenLandsOfHome · 07/04/2014 22:56

Also, my Aunt is a serial mover, and moves every two years or so. She's fairly recently bought her new house for cash before even putting hers on the market. She does this every time.

BadRoly · 07/04/2014 22:57

My Mum is on the lookout for somewhere to downsize to but won't do anything about her house until she sees the right place. She is in no hurry to move, is just keeping a look out. She would only contact an estate agent if she was genuinely interested.

Rauma · 07/04/2014 22:57

Knows staff at the estate agents = run a mile.

LaurieFairyCake · 07/04/2014 23:00

When I sold last year I said that the agents could only arrange for people who were under offer or sold or cash buyers to come round.

This is much more usual here though. I let one lot come round who weren't under offer but only when I was showing 5 round in an hour so it wasn't inconvenient.

Sold in 8 days to a cash buyer and had 2 offers above the asking price.

TheRealYellowWiggle · 07/04/2014 23:00

After work seems a normal time to want to view a house, do people really take time off work to do this? Do you make them take their shoes off too?
I can understand your frustration, but what if her flat went on the market to borrow and in a month's time you are still waiting for an offer?

cleofatra · 07/04/2014 23:00

We had cash to buy a house without selling the one we were in. More fool you.

MuttonCadet · 07/04/2014 23:03

I bought a new house without selling my old one. But you should know if that's the position they're in.

5OBalesofHay · 07/04/2014 23:05

Add a note on the for sale board that says 'potential buyers can fuck right off' that should reduce the hassle. Confused

Original poster
stripeytiger · 07/04/2014 23:06

Greenlandsofhome - of course it's my business...??!! I did actually check with the agent whether she was a cash buyer or needed to sell to be in a position to potentially buy ours....and it was the latter so yes i think it very definitely is my business in that case

OP posts:
foodtech · 07/04/2014 23:09

Again you never know. We thought we needed to sell but in the end managed to buy our new house with a 6 week moving date by getting a permission to let on our old house and buying the new one. You never know. Unless you have buyers knocking your door down I don't understand why you wouldn't let someone at least view your house.

ninaprettyballerina · 07/04/2014 23:10

yabu. We viewed our current house after liking the look of it on right move and hadn't even had our then current house valued. 4 months later we'd moved in

cleofatra · 07/04/2014 23:11

We didnt tell the agent we were a cash buyer. We hate agents.

Original poster
stripeytiger · 07/04/2014 23:12

I don't have a problem with the evening viewing at all, in fact i like showing people around myself, it's the agents who really don't like it they made it clear they prefer to do it if possible...maybe it's just different here. I do take the point, it's difficult to view properties when you work full time....
50balesofhay.....I have bent over backwards to accommodate viewings and really happy to do so...my brother in law did this to someone a couple of years ago and he had absolutely no intention of buying and hadn't got his place on the market....i just think selling is stressful enough without time wasters and i did say i would be happy to show her round at any time once she was in a position to proceed.

OP posts:
YellowTulips · 07/04/2014 23:13

No you are not being U if you want to limit the number of people who view and thus might buy your house....

cafecito · 07/04/2014 23:13

eh?

YABU

foodtech · 07/04/2014 23:14

How do you know she wouldn't love it and put her house on the market/get a let to buy if you let her view it?

cleofatra · 07/04/2014 23:16

OP do you ask about the situation for every potential viewer?

BackforGood · 07/04/2014 23:16

Totally up to you, but we went to view a house and put our house on the market in light of wanting that house.... had been drawing up plans to have a loft conversion before that.
Personally I'd accept all viewings if I were selling - even if it is just to push others in to making a good offer with "we have 3 other viewings this week" type comments.
Of course, if you are in one of those hotspots where properties fly off the shelf within a fortnight with people offering over the asking price, then you don't need to, but for most of us, it would seem sensible to let people see it.

I too think it's pretty understandable to need to view after work....

flipchart · 07/04/2014 23:17

This is interesting.
It never crossed my mind to move but on Friday DH came home saying he had seen a house in our old town that looked really good.

We have gone on Zoopla and I am hugely interested in this house. I have gone to have a look at it from outside tonight.

I am thinking of viewing it and if it ticks boxes for me I would seriously put my house up to get it.
There are no other houses I'm interested in.

SquirtedPerfumeUpNoseInBoots · 07/04/2014 23:17

But people can be in a position to proceed without the house they live in currently being under offer, or having told the agent they have cash.

If you want to sell you are cutting your nose off to spite your face.

splasheeny · 07/04/2014 23:18

It sounds like you really aren't in a position to be picky.

If you want to sell your house then let people view it. No-one will put an offer in from a drive by!

sands67 · 07/04/2014 23:19

Yabu we viewed the house we are in now before ours was on the market we Liked it and put our house up for sale the next day not exactly difficult to do is it?

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