To ask people if they are thinking of selling there house?

[bebemad]

Dh and myself love a certain area and houses do not come up for sale often and when they do they sell fast. Would it be rude if we were to put a letter through doors on the street sking that if they ever think of selling please could they contact us?

I think that's common practise. They do it on location location location. I have a friend who lives within the catchment area of an oversubscribed school and has had letters like that.

Fine to do it.

That's how my db got his house.He wanted one in a particular area but very hard to find one.so he put letters through some letterboxes and bought a house privately ( no estate agent fees for vendor) a couple of months later.dream home for him

We got a letter like that at a point. While we didn't want to sell at that point, it made us think about it. It was handwritten nicely, which felt more personal than a typed letter might have been.

We get about 3 or 4 estate agent letters a month, sometimes personal letters. Wouldn't bother me, just goes in the bin.

Do it.

I live in a "desirable" small close and two of the twelve current owners got their house this way. (I am about to put mine on the market by the way and dreading it. I would be delighted if someone put a note through and saved all those "prospective buyers" traipsing through my bedrooms.)

I think it's fairly common practice these days, not rude at all. I average about 6 a year! Not that I'm selling but it's nice to know there are plenty of people who would buy my home should the need to sell arise.

I get them too, and my house is not even desirable, I mean, it is to me, but people will send these letters to the houses they think are in their price range I think. So everybody can get them.

My parents sold their house to someone who rang on their doorbell!

If people do want to sell, it makes life a lot easier to have a buyer ready and waiting.

Look at it this way, what have you got to lose other than some paper?

YANBU!

Location managers often find film location this way too. Handwritten with a story I reckon.

Good luck

We did it, the owners were getting divorced but had decided not to put the house on the market until after Christmas - we saw it Christmas Eve, put an offer in straight after Christmas and moved in at the end of Feb - so I'd go for it

Thank you for all the replies we will be posting letters soon wish us luck :)

good luck, we bought our first house that way. Dropped notes in letterboxes in our favourite street, one couple answered, we loved the house, bought it privately, no estate agent involved.

My Mum bought a house that way. Knocked on a door (she wanted a specific house), asked if they wanted to sell, they said no. She left her details; a fortnight later and they came back and said yes.

We get loads of letters like that. Tbh if it did tempt us to sell we'd still go via an agent to make sure we were getting a good deal (but obviously negotiate lower fees).

We get letters like that from time to time. We're in the catchment for a very desirable and sought-after primary school so even though our house isn't amazing, it would sell quickly.

I would do it, OP.

I had someone post one of these notes through my door a couple of years back. I didn't find it rude at all, I was pleased that someone liked my house enough to bother.
I was getting back home at the time and caught him so we had a chat, and he was most apologetic in case I thought he was being too forward / rude .

I didn't sell and never will though...

If you don't ask you don't get :)