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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

AIBU to find these house buyers and estate agent rude?

55 replies

Echocave · 08/08/2014 16:25

Ok, firstly I admit I am a bit oversensitive but am quite annoyed about something that's just happened. I bet I'm being unreasonable but hear me out.

We are selling our house. Due to complete in 4 weeks' time. I'm happy to be moving but still feel quite attached to this house at the moment.

We agreed our buyers could come round at a set time today to measure up. I'm not quite sure what the rush is but anyway. I made clear in email to agent the time was due to babies' naps ie a string hint there'd be someone in.

At the agreed time, I had just got kids up from nap and there was a noise in the lock. The estate agent let the couple in. I called down from upstairs that I was waiting for a knock and was a bit surprised. I was smiling and trying to be nice but felt a bit irritated she hadn't even knocked first. Estate agent (why do they always let themselves down?!) didn't even say sorry properly.

Buyers then come in and start measuring everything. Weird but ok. The man is measuring fridge door when I come into kitchen. Doesn't even look up to say hi.

I told estate agent the blokes already got a letter for him here (seems to have put his address as ours on utility bills already).

Woman doesn't even say hello either or goodbye.

I know this is a real first World problem but AIBU to think all three of them were rude?

OP posts:
Original poster
Echocave · 08/08/2014 18:21

I don't mind the measuring up at all! That's fine. I'd shifted furniture away from bedroom windows to allow them easier access. (Even though we are leaving everything except one set of curtains so I still don't get the rush. Our washing machine is 6 months old and fridge is quite new too). More the way they all behaved this afternoon.

OP posts:
Original poster
Echocave · 08/08/2014 18:23

thatsnotwhatisaid excellent point! I wasn't going to do much cleaning tbh. Just bathrooms and perfunctory Hoover. They can now do it themselves.
Although the way these two carry on, we'll probably find a cleaning firm knocking on our door the day before the move....

OP posts:
mumminio · 08/08/2014 18:24

YANBU. Coffee nailed it...take the light bulbs with you when you leave Grin

If buyer's name is on the utilities, does that mean they have already taken meter readings and they are paying? Sounds odd but in your favour.

Original poster
Echocave · 08/08/2014 18:25

mumminio, I thought that but I think it may be, as someone said up thread, his statement re his current flat. I doubt the water company would have given him a customer number yet, would they?

OP posts:
Nanny0gg · 08/08/2014 18:34

To be fair, you might be leaving it, but they might not want it...

However, I would be having strong words about the agent not knocking.

Very rude.

zzzzz · 08/08/2014 18:35

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

bryte · 08/08/2014 18:39

Yes - they all sound very rude.

Original poster
Echocave · 08/08/2014 18:40

I understand that Nanny but I don't see why they have to be in such a rush. The house we are buying has some kind of horror tumble dryer/machine combo which I will replace but I'm not pushing for measurements just yet. Although I don't mind the measuring as such.

I do however love Mumsnet and it's users. I thought no one would answer or would take DH's view of 'why worry?' but I feel a bit vindicated. I am usually rather unreasonable so have very little perspective at times!

OP posts:
zzzzz · 08/08/2014 20:06

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

zzzzz · 08/08/2014 20:08

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Spickle · 08/08/2014 20:19

My buyer arranged for his broadband to be installed in our house just before Xmas last year (he wanted to move in by Xmas). A router arrived in the post and I received a letter from my broadband provider informing me that I would be disconnected as I had decided to terminate my contract with them. This was the first I knew of it. I think my buyer's broadband provider had sent a MAC code to my provider without my agreement or knowledge, we hadn't even exchanged and I had to get in touch with my broadband provider immediately to make sure I still had an internet connection. I was fuming and then we didn't actually exchange and complete until the following April! Some people have no idea.

deakymom · 08/08/2014 20:20

ooh i would hate the not knocking thing when im alone i tend to use the loo without shutting the door so ds can wander in and out at will Blush

Original poster
Echocave · 08/08/2014 20:39

Gah, what is wrong with these people, Spickle? Unbelievable!

OP posts:
wheresthelight · 08/08/2014 21:51

To be honest unless you actually stated that you would be home I can see why they would have expected you to be out but they still should have knocked to confirm.

Perhaps the buyers felt embarrassed by the EA's behaviour and felt staying silent was better than upsetting you further maybe? clutches at straws

Original poster
Echocave · 08/08/2014 21:56

Yes I suppose that's true about the buyers wheresthelight but I think a hello and thank you wouldn't have killed them.

We did say that the visiting time was fixed around the children's naps so I thought the agent might realise from that that there would be people in at the time.

OP posts:
MorphineDreams · 08/08/2014 21:59

I'd be ringing up and complaining about them just letting themselves in. Very rude and very wrong

TunipTheUnconquerable · 08/08/2014 22:05

Spickle, I had that too but it was only a few days before the move rather than months, so I forgave them!

Original poster
Echocave · 09/08/2014 09:50

Tunip, I agree, I'd let that one go I think.

I'm off to get my keys back now. At least no one will be able to blunder straight in again, even if we have just received another couple of letters addressed to our buyer at this address (very tempted to bin but am sure that's illegal or something...)

OP posts:
SpicyPear · 09/08/2014 12:22

How the behaved in what is till your house is extremely rude. If the letter is buildings insurance it's reasonable as you are responsible for insuring the building from exchange. Any other utility etc, it's plain odd for them to have set up accounts already.

LRDtheFeministDragon · 09/08/2014 12:44

YANBU.

As a general point, when you're expecting EA calls, can you leave your keys in the door on the inside? It means they can't use theirs so have to knock. I rent, so am used to doing this to stop the LA walking in on my in the bath.

Clarinet9 · 09/08/2014 13:44

Yeah just to be fair when I bought my first house I applied for the mortgage then the place fell through (the f%^$#*g seller refused to sell it unless I gave him another 10% - which I didn't have) luckily I bought somewhere else realised I had no paperwork. When I phoned the mortgage company they told me they had sent it to the fallen through house!

Coffeethrowtrampbitch · 10/08/2014 20:54

I think the post thing is really cheeky!

When I think about it, we got letters from a mortgage company for the other couple who had gone to sealed bids with us over our house. Even though they had been outbid we received letters for them for the next five years. It always put me in a bad mood as it was a reminder of a very stressful time. The mortgage company marketing department should have received an award for plodding desperation though!

LokiBear · 10/08/2014 21:19

We sold our house a few weeks ago and the buyers changed their address stupidly early too. I kept having to drop their post in to the estate agents because it was apparently documents they needed! They also turned up at the house whilst we were moving out demanding they keys! We had packed up the van with as much stuff as possible and sat waiting for the call to say we could have our keys to the new house. When we returned with the van to pick up the final set of boxes they were stood outside of the house complaining that they wanted their keys. They stood and watched us load the van tuting and complaining. We had no control over the moving time as we were second to last in the chain. The agents had rang us 20 minutes after we had got the call to say that we could have the keys saying the buyers had been phoning them every hour to find out when they could have their keys. We explained our situation and said we needed two hours to complete our move. They promised that they would tell the buyers this and assured us that they wouldn't turn up at the house but they did. It was horrible. Sorry, no advice but I do sympathise x

bedraggledmumoftwo · 10/08/2014 21:52

We also had to have buildings insurance docs delivered before completion- mortgage company require you yo insure before exchange, even though that is a few weeks earlier. No idea on water bills, but that might be a legitimate reason for the later letters. We did warn sellers though in case they thought it rude!

far ruder is them only forwarding mail for one month, then promising to pick up sackloads and never coming. We still get more for them than us three years later. And i am pretty sure some are bank statements.

Thruaglassdarkly · 10/08/2014 21:59

YANBU - it's presumptous of them to behave in this way before completion. I'd speak to my agent about the whole thing in confidence (so as not to jeopardise the sale), because I think your agent is in the wrong for letting themselves in when they knew you'd be there and without ringing the bell first. Someone is getting a bit carried away there, I think.

But moving house IS stressful, so once you've said your piece, I'd just get things moving asap and chalk it down to the annoyance of the whole moving experience. You are right, OP, it IS a first world problem, but certainly I think you need to express your dissatisfaction with the agent.