Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Only the apps you allow.

Meet the Other Phone.
Only the apps you allow.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To wonder why estate agents can't be flexible with viewing times.

63 replies

flipchart · 28/04/2014 15:15

We've seen a house we are interested in viewing. I've rung up but the estate agent said they are doing the viewings. That's fine but then it's only between 9.00 and 5.15 Monday to Friday or after 12.30 Saturday.

Well I st my week on days and my weekend in this week. DH works in a different county but would be home for 6.00pm

The house has been on the market since November. Surely there should be an option to view after 5.15pm!

OP posts:
Chattymummyhere · 28/04/2014 15:17

Because people still have lives?

If I was trying to sell my house I would want the agents to deal with it while I was out of the house not interrupting my children's dinner/bedtimes. Unless the house is empty people are going to put time limits in place. Even more so if it's tennants saying when the owner can let the agents do viewings. Maybe they are not in a hurry to sell.

CQ · 28/04/2014 15:17

Estate agents are only in business for themselves, not the vendors or the prospective buyers.

I'd be tempted to pop a note through the door of the house letting the vendors know how obstructive they are being.

Hemlet · 28/04/2014 15:18

That's probably what the owner has specified. We've almost completed buying/selling and that was the case with us - nothing to do with the agents.

CQ · 28/04/2014 15:19

If my house had been on the market since November I would be bending over backwards to accommodate viewings.

Mintyy · 28/04/2014 15:20

I can't fully understand what you are saying (there's a couple of typos in there) but the viewing times have probably been specified by the owners. Have you explained your problem to the EA?

sillymillyb · 28/04/2014 15:23

I used to be an estate agent - I used to bend over backwards to accommodate viewings as that was tied into my bonus. Some vendors are really strict on the times they want viewings though, especially if they have kids - which is totally understandable. Also, not all people who have their houses on market actually want to sell.... We had several properties where the owner would be deliberately difficult as it was a forced sale through divorce.

BitterAndOnlySlightlyTwisted · 28/04/2014 15:23

The viewing-times appear to be perfectly reasonable to me: Mon to Fri office-hours plus a slot at the weekend. If you're not prepared to put yourself out why should anyone else?

SantasLittleMonkeyButler · 28/04/2014 15:25

I agree with CQ. If you want to sell your house then to have to let people view it! Confused

Taking time off work to view a property just isn't practical when you consider how many houses most people want to view before they find the right one. Even if you do buy the first house you see, you will still probably view twice - so, with a half day off each time, that's a day's annual leave which seems a little unnecessary TBH.

I have sold a house whilst having two small children - evening viewings can be a PITA but we still offered them!

Original poster
flipchart · 28/04/2014 15:25

The house is empty. It looks like a possible retrocession.

OP posts:
SantasLittleMonkeyButler · 28/04/2014 15:26

Unless of course, it's an empty property & there is no-one actually there in the evenings.

SantasLittleMonkeyButler · 28/04/2014 15:27

Ahh, x-post. In that case, it could well be a bargain.

Original poster
flipchart · 28/04/2014 15:28

bitter. I was prepared to put myself out.i asked if I could take annual leave for half a day at work and they have said no, not this week. I am on holiday next week. I asked if I could swop shifts with someone but they couldn't accommodate due to their own plans.

OP posts:
SantasLittleMonkeyButler · 28/04/2014 15:28

Although, I don't quite understand why a repossession would still be for sale after 6 months? They are generally priced to sell & snapped up aren't they? Confused

MarcusAurelius · 28/04/2014 15:31

The agent is being deliberately obstructive and wants it for his own portfolio?

Original poster
flipchart · 28/04/2014 15:31

Yes there was a typo minty but what was you struggling to understand. Everybody else seems to have understood.
I said it's my week on days, ie in work in the day time and it's also my late shift at the weekend. That is the only time the estate agent will allow viewings.

So do people take annual leave every time they view a house if they work normal hours?

OP posts:
Original poster
flipchart · 28/04/2014 15:33

santas. We've looked at it from. Outside and peered in through the window. It could be described as 'quirky'. Defiantly unconventional with a huge overgrown garden on many levels.

I think that would put some people off.

OP posts:
fishybits · 28/04/2014 15:35

Sellers market. If you want to view it, make the time.

EvansOvalPiesYumYum · 28/04/2014 15:36

My o/h works for himself - he often has to work weekends, simply because of selfish people who expect him to and they are not prepared to put themselves out. I had one chap a little while ago phoning our home number, on a Saturday, asking if he (o/h) could go round to his house immediately, because it would be convenient for him, the customer Hmm
I said unfortunately not, our employee doesn't work at the weekend and o/h was doing family, Saturday stuff at the time. The chap on the phone was really sarky and made the comment "Oh, your business must be doing well if you don't want to work at the weekends". Cheeky bastard - do people really expect everyone to work seven days a week?

Sorry, OP, but viewings for six days in the week is very reasonable indeed, and I don't think they are being at all obstructive.

Original poster
flipchart · 28/04/2014 15:37

fishybits. It doesn't appear to be selling though.

OP posts:
EvansOvalPiesYumYum · 28/04/2014 15:38

So do people take annual leave every time they view a house if they work normal hours?

Yes, and also if they need their washing machine repaired or the gas boiler needs servicing. That's life

BackforGood · 28/04/2014 15:38

I think I'd go back to the agent, tell them you are genuinely interested, but clearly not going to buy a house you've not even seen, but can't make any of the restrictive times they've said - ask them if they want the sale enough to make it work for you.

BackforGood · 28/04/2014 15:41

Nobody is saying 7 days a week Evans, but I would have thought you could get a lot more viewings during the day on weekends than say on a Monday or Tuesday during the day. Some agents also have 'viewing agent' type people who have the keys and meet clients at properties outside normal office hours - working on a 'just doing the viewing' basis, very often Part time.

Original poster
flipchart · 28/04/2014 15:41

evans don't get me started about washing machine repairs! 4 times in 3 weeks I took in leave in February and it was the same fault every time!

I had planned to go away at some point this year! Lol!

OP posts:
CQ · 28/04/2014 15:42

I think some repossessions are hard to get a mortgage on, depending on the circumstances and condition of the house.

Housing market is still struggling in many parts of the country.

fishybits · 28/04/2014 15:42

If something isn't selling then the price is usually too high.

Do you want to get involved in a property that the owners don't seem to want to sell?