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

[MRex]

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?

This is the problem with booked estate agent viewings. It is such a terrible system which seems designed to give estate agents the pretence of having some active involvement in selling your house. Where I lived open viewings on a sunday afternoon or thurs eve were the norm, and they were done by the people who live in the house. SO much better to be shown around by someone who lives in the house, knows it and can actually answer your questions (and you feel you have a better chance of sussing out how honest they are being in person). Bloody estate agents I asked questions to about the house when buying where I lived now NEVER knew the answer. And it is so bloody hard to get a viewing if you work as estate agents only work office hours in the week. SO so stupid. All they do is put a barrier to potential buyers seeing the house. And all this phaff of owners having to leave their own home for viewings. It really is just stupid.

Sorry, bit of a rant there.

It seems a bit strange to say you want somebody to have an offer on their house first, selling and buying both take time. I wouldn't accept offers on my house until I had somewhere with an offer accepted to move to because there wasn't much choice available where we were moving to. We had some offers kicking about, then found the house and we confirmed both on the same day. We moved in with DH's parents for a few weeks to break the chain as it was easier for completions, but we knew our new house was going through.

I wouldn't accept offers on my house until I had somewhere with an offer accepted to move

Well you risk going round in a viscious circle with that one, as estate agents won't generally put your offer to sellers if you haven't accepted an offer yourself. Remember that they work for the sellers, and only get paid when the house sells. You are in a very poor position as far as they are concerned.

It would be outrageous and dishonest to book a viewing, most people get stressed and clean like mad. Be honest, drop a note in and say why you want to look at the house. Take a bottle of wine. By the way you may be able to go on the planning dept website and look at plans submitted

@BarbaraofSevillle - no really it wasn't a problem at all, we agreed both sides on the same day after agreeing the price in principle each side. Selling with nowhere to buy would have been a much bigger problem for us and morally I couldn't have accepted an offer if I might have had to back out.

@Confusedbeetle - already moved on from there.

I’d find out if there was an open house as this wouldn’t be a waste of the owners time and if anything might make the house look more in demand and help sell it! win win