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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

AIBU to view a house I've no intention of buying?

106 replies

MRex · 30/01/2019 13:47

It's a similar style to our house, but they've extended it to the back and above the garage as well as set up a utility room in the garage. We want to do some of those extensions (above the garage I'm just curious how it looks as I'm not sure we could do it, the rest we plan to do one day). But it's someone's home so that's rude, plus wasting the estate agent's time. I've thought about how I'd feel if it were my house and don't think I'd care, I assumed some viewings at my old house were non-serious buyers anyway.

I will abide by the majority decision. What do you think, is it being too much of a CF to go and view?

OP posts:

CocoCharlie83 · 30/01/2019 14:14

I agree for major CF. When I sold my last place I did the viewings myself which were usually during the day so I had to leave work to do the viewings which was time I had to make up and also spend a lot of time cleaning and staging the property.

Plus if the seller was like me and desperate to sale it would get their hopes up which would be the most CF part of it for me

Original poster

MRex · 30/01/2019 14:16

@ChrisjenAvasarala - we have a loft done. It has the bathroom door and bedroom door off the hall, which gives lots more bedroom wall space, highly recommended. You'd be welcome to see it!

@pallisers - that sounds great, I love poking around other houses and miss house hunting (even though not finding anything suitable for ages was a bit of a worry).

OP posts:

morningconstitutional2017 · 30/01/2019 14:16

I wouldn't pretend to be a buyer. Just knock on their door and say that you love what they've done (a bit of flattery never hurts) and ask if you could take a closer look. Tell them you live nearby. Ask which builder they used and would they recommend them? It's best to be honest.

ShatnersWig · 30/01/2019 14:17

I wouldn't. Used to love visiting show homes, weirdly, that had no intention of buying, but you're not really wasting anyone's time as there's plenty of people looking.

RCohle · 30/01/2019 14:17

In the real world people do this all the time.

LiverpoolVictoria · 30/01/2019 14:19

We've had our loft converted, and if a neighbour asked to have a look as they were thinking about it I would be fine with that.

lalafafa · 30/01/2019 14:19

When we were looking to buy the agents had to have proof ours was on the market and we had to show we could buy another property. They do t just randomly let you view.

Bigsighall · 30/01/2019 14:20

We had a note thru the door when we were selling from people saying could they have a look because they wanted to do something similar with their house. We were fine with it (prefer that to a bogus viewing because we didn’t have to tidy up!)

daisypond · 30/01/2019 14:20

I did this once - for the same reason. Told the estate agent, and they were fine about it. I think they thought it would be worth giving us a bit of time now if we ever wanted to sell.

BeanTownNancy · 30/01/2019 14:20

I'm thinking of redoing my kitchen so am thinking of knocking and asking if I can take a peek at the identical houses for sale in my estate to see how they feel. Wouldn't want to go through an estate agent though, mostly because they would probably hound me for months about houses I have no intention of buying.

Cutesbabasmummy · 30/01/2019 14:21

Yes YWBU. My parents have just accepted an offer on their house after it being on the market for a year. Every time they had a viewing they would spend at least half a day making it look more immaculate than it already did. They would also have to leave the house for half an hour, sometimes at 9am in the morning or 6pm at night. Just knock and ask them and be truthful.

notfromstepford · 30/01/2019 14:21

Just knock on and ask - we did and the owners were only too happy to show off what they'd done with the place.
We sold a house with a black high gloss kitchen (which was unusual at the time) used to really piss me off when people booked a viewing and it was clear they just wanted a nosey of the kitchen. We were doing our own viewings so was a massive waste of our time.

pepperjack · 30/01/2019 14:22

I did this once, to view their loft conversion.
But I knew the estate agent and the builder and the absent owner(vaguely)

Mmmhmmm · 30/01/2019 14:22

If the owners still live there then it's double rude. I'm currently tidying and moving things to inconvenient spots because someone is coming to view our place. My plans for the day are changed every time we have a viewing and because I'm on maternity leave I'm always here.

CocoCharlie83 · 30/01/2019 14:23

In the real world people do this all the time

In the real world a lot of CFery goes on, it shouldn't be an open excuse for use all to be CFs to each other just because others do it.

BarbaraofSevillle · 30/01/2019 14:23

So on Mumsnet, where half the people won't even answer the door to their own relatives if they turn up unannounced, people are suggesting that it's reasonable to knock on the door of a complete stranger to ask if you can have a nosy at how they've done their extension .

Just look at the rightmove photos and floorplan, maybe go to the open house if there is one, but anything more is ridiculous.

cornflakegirl · 30/01/2019 14:24

I would write a note, and include what you said above about the length of the kitchen. People often like to be asked for advice, and to be complimented on choices they have made, so they may well respond positively. Plus that way, you can ask questions about the extension rather than having to feign interest in the rest.

TheWaiting · 30/01/2019 14:24

When we were selling we had a mum from DS’s class view. The EA had said the client would like to view when we were out so out we went but only across the rd to our neighbours. Naturally I was curtain twitching and was stunned to see her arrive. She was not moving and the EA confirmed to me that she hadn’t viewed anything else so I’m sure she was just being nosey.

InSightMars · 30/01/2019 14:25

Just be honest OP, explain in a letter through the door that you want to do similar remodeling on your house and would they mind if you saw theirs. Don’t waste their time or the estate agent’s time, you wouldn’t like it if someone did that to you.

This is why the open house viewings we have here (USA) are the best thing for a seller and an agent. Everyone, interested buyers and lookieloos, all come on the same day when everything is prepped and staged. Genuine buyers here have to have their own agent and he goes through the sellers’ agent if they’re wanting to private view.

CreakyBlinder · 30/01/2019 14:26

That's a real dick move. Don't do it.

UnderMajorDomoMinor · 30/01/2019 14:26

Ring the agent and explain. the vendor will probably be happy to show you round but if they know and advance it will save them all the stuffing things in cupboards

CallMeVito · 30/01/2019 14:30

people are suggesting that it's reasonable to knock on the door of a complete stranger to ask if you can have a nosy at how they've done their extension

well, in the middle of viewings, yes. You can assume the owners are ready for complete strangers to come in - it's just mean to make them clean and tidy up even more for nothing. If there's a time to ask, that's the one.

Butterfly84 · 30/01/2019 14:31

I agree with pps, it's not fair to view it if you're not seriously interested in buying it. The homeowners will most likely clean, tidy and stage everything for the viewing.

Just knock on the door and ask if you can see the extension. The worst they can say is no.

DailyMailFail101 · 30/01/2019 14:31

I had a newborn last time I moved house I was so tired and went without sleep cleaning the whole house if I knew sombody was comming to view, I would be really annoyed if I knew sombody just wanted a nosey around. Just knock on the door and ask, don’t waste anybody’s time, most people are generous and would be willingly to let you look around.

caughtinanet · 30/01/2019 14:31

the vendor will probably be happy to show you round

If I was selling my house with all the stress involved no way would I be happy to show someone round who had told the estate agent they had no intention of buying it, would others really be happy?

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