Not allowed to view a property!

[MissMildred]

Just wondering if this is a 'thing'.....
We're not officially 'on the market', but are tentatively looking for a sideways or upwards move in the same area to gain a larger garden, fewer neighbours and room to extend in the future. We are in the south east but outside of London. The idea would be that if we see something that fits the bill, we'll go on the market immediately and we do have a really saleable house (school catchments/ nice interior/ not much else in the price range).
Thing is, I don't want to waste the time of agents and buyers, because if we go on the market now, it could be some time before we find something that fits the bill.
So......there is a an old cottage on the market less than 10mins away, we drive past it regularly, have seen the interior pics. Looks chocolate box from the outside and ticks the garden/location box, but clearly needs a lot of updating, despite the blurb saying 'well presented'. I can tell from comparables that it is overvalued. It has been on sale for 3 months and I keep coming back to it as it might be suitable - from the photos I can't tell if the ceiling height is low and can't see a good view of the kitchen. Hard to judge the potential.
Just contacted the agent to arrange a viewing and just had a call back to say the vendors refuse to allow viewings from anyone not on the market. I asked if it was under offer and was told 'no offers' but had lots of viewings. I explained that we were serious for the right property, but was told that the vendors are firm that they will only have viewings from people on the market or under offer. It has been on since the end of Feb.
I used to work in the London market many moons ago and never really came across this. Thing is, we could actually view it and if suitable, go straight on - hard to know until we see it! Is this normal now - AIBU?

There are a lot of people now wasting people's time viewing properties as a sort of hobby.

I blame all those real estate/home improvement television shows.

I think the vendors are probably just being sensible.

MissMildred They are just stupid sellers because they are likely to lose a buyer with this attitude. Unfortunately there's nothing you can do. Recently I asked for particulars of a house for sale on Rightmove and the Agent phoned apologetically to say it was sold a long time ago but the vendor is keeping it on the market right to the end in case anything falls through! When selling my house once, following death of my husband, the buyer asked to exchange and complete in one go. We were three days from moving, all packed and removal firm booked when my Agent phoned to say the Agents further down the road had phoned him to say my buyer had just gone to them and put an offer on another house. So he ducked out at the very last minute but didn't even tell me. People can be shit about buying/selling houses.

I worked in EA for seven years and saw enough time wasters to last me a lifetime. I wouldn’t entertain a viewer that wasn’t on the market.

caringcarer Terrible advice. You have to sign a contract you know. If you take the property off the market you still have to pay the estate agents fees

I once tried to view a house and was asked by the estate agent whether our property was under offer. Our property wasn't under offer so we couldn't view it. Left us with a nasty taste in our mouths so we never viewed it even though we sold our house and moved and that property was still on the market.

I definitely wouldn't let you view my property if you didn't have your house on the market. Pretty standard rules these days.

You may think you can sell your house in 5 mins, the market and real world see it differently.

Play the same game, and play by the same rules, or miss out.

FrancisCrawford

I don't think putting a hand made sign in your window or whatever is going to make you look like a good prospect for a buyer TBH

Not standard rules - and London is becoming more a buyers market.
But we've done it when "testing the waters". And I can understand it if it will affect their B and B business.

We've also known of the person who refused to allow children at viewings - it took him a while to sell.

I'd say they obviously aren't in a hurry to sell, and may well have to hang on the market for a couple of years or so.

We refused viewing from people who handy even put their house on the market. They tended to be time wasters and I didn't have the time or inclination for people like that.

I priced my house now to sell quickly and it did. But the market isn't very fast here some houses have been up for years. I wasnt willing to sit around waiting for their house to get an offer. The offer I accepted was the one where they were capable of completing in 6 weeks.

It didn't hold me back. It was my property and I can refuse viewings from anyone I want to. No one has a right to view my property. Whatever the outcome it's the vendors decision, as is the consequences.