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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

To want to know why vendors are selling

185 replies

shoebedobedobedobedoo · 20/10/2019 17:39

We are at exchange stage(as in about to). Nothing has come up in survey or searches. When we first looked at the house EA said vendors were moving due to ‘change of circumstances‘. On second viewing we were told vendors had already moved out into rented. They had taken NOTHING with them. No furniture, no kids toys, nothing. It looked like they had walked out one morning and hadn’t come back. We had our offer accepted (had to increase twice). We have subsequently had 2 other nebulous reasons as to why they are selling, and most recently told they wanted to move to a detached house. On our 3rd viewing all the woman’s was gone, but not the mans. All kids stuff still there. Pre exchange visit almost everything gone.We know (via reliable village gossip) that they have moved into a much smaller rented property less than 1/2 mile away. Were they sleeping and sitting on the floor? Neither direct neighbour even knew they were moving or that the house was on the market until we knocked on their doors. They haven’t spoken to the neighbours to tell them they are going/have gone.
The house has had extensive work done by the vendors, all in a diy kind of fashion.
Why would anyone move out of an obviously loved family home into a smaller rented place before they have even had an offer on their house? And why all the odd reasons for moving. Why not at least just give one reason and stick to it. We are worried that there may be something major wrong with the house, not picked up in the survey (there a long list in our last purchase) or the vendors know something about an as yet unpublicised building project (it’s surrounded by farm land). Would you be worried about buying this house or am I over thinking this?

OP posts:
Gazelda · 20/10/2019 18:24

Maybe they're sick of the reliable village gossip you mention in your first post, and are keeping things confidential to avoid further gossip?

I honestly don't think it's any of your business, so long as their reasons don't affect you or the house you are buying.

Mydogmylife · 20/10/2019 18:24

Well, would you expect your purchaser to supply reasons for buying your house so you could check they wouldn't pull out? As long as your solicitors and surveyors have done their jobs properly it shouldn't make any difference to you why they are moving. If ,after you move in you find your surveyor hasn't spotted major something they should , surely you would sue them for the costs incurred?

ThatMuppetShow · 20/10/2019 18:26

When I’m spending 6 figures on something I think it is my business.

of course it's not.

Every time I sold a property, I lied about the reason. Nothing sinister, but what would have been the point of telling the truth, which could more or less be summarised as "I am buying something better". Who would attract attention to the negative points of the property they are selling? Do you put negative points on your CV?

Sounds to much faff to move with furniture when it's a short let, and a house looks better - and bigger - with furniture in it anyway.

ThatMuppetShow · 20/10/2019 18:28

For the poster who mentioned needing a new roof, a survey won't tell you that, a surveyor is not a roofer. They are not plumbers or heat engineer either.

Scardanelli · 20/10/2019 18:33

XH and I said, when we sold our marital home, that we were downsizing. The truth was that we didn't want it to feel 'tainted' (ridiculous as it might sound, all three EAs said some people were funny about buying a house where people had got divorced, in case it was contagious Hmm).

timshelthechoice · 20/10/2019 18:34

Then hire people to assess those points of the house, too, do a search with the council to check for neighbour disputes and the like, check the Land Registry to make sure no serial killers committed crimes in the place, a woo person to make sure it's not haunted, but that's the buyers responsibility, not the vendors to divulge personal details.

Roselilly36 · 20/10/2019 18:35

Why would you care? It’s none of your business tbh, you are buying the property you don’t need to know about their lifestyle. If it bothers you so much don’t buy the property, but then how can you be sure what another Vendor tells you is the reason for sale is the truth?

Popetthetreehugger · 20/10/2019 18:36

Sorry haven't read all posts , so may have been said ... please really dig in about people living close by ... a family member had to sell house at huge lose because guy over road is a nightmare. He was somewhere secure at the time . EA lied threw teeth as did vendors . They had restraining order out for there house at time of purchase but my family member had no idea . She was lucky to escape with life . Maybe sounds dramatic but I'd ask police and local vicar . Can you look up crime for area ? Yes there is a law against this , but didn't help .

WhenISnappedAndFarted · 20/10/2019 18:38

Absolutely none of your business.

PancakeAndKeith · 20/10/2019 18:38

Ghosts. It’s always ghosts.

Are any of the walls bleeding?

AFairlyHardAvocado · 20/10/2019 18:39

@Nofunkingworriesmate

Bloody hell thats awful, sorry to hear you went through that Thanks

TheFaerieQueene · 20/10/2019 18:39

It really isn’t your business why they are moving. Your solicitor will be checking the details of the sale via the search and your surveyor will be checking the property to be in reasonable condition. If that isn’t enough then pull out.

raspberryk · 20/10/2019 18:40

It is none of your business, I am sure we told our EA we needed to sell to split the proceeds in our divorce but I have no idea if they passed it on or if they lied.

Robs20 · 20/10/2019 18:40

The searches your solicitor will do will show up any planning concerns and the survey will show if it is structurally sound.
We are moving and have also told our buyers it is due to a change in circumstances- in reality it is because I am pregnant and we can’t face having a baby in this house after the death of our first child at the start of the year. But that is absolutely none of their business so I won’t be telling them!

FreshwaterBay · 20/10/2019 18:44

Vendors normally want to transfer a pile of bricks and tiles, plus a area immediately round those, in exchange for some money. I could be wrong though.

You job is not to wonder why, just how much money.

Butterisbest · 20/10/2019 18:48

Agree with everyone else, it's none of your business. There's many reasons why people move house, lots of which they won't disclose, not enough storage, problems with neighbours, if there's been no record of disputes they don't have to tell you.
Maybe they can't stand the reliable gossiping villagers, perhaps one of them or their children has a a diagnosis of a terminal illness.
Maybe they've gambled all their money away.
You do not have a right to know.
Good luck with your move

Mydogmylife · 20/10/2019 18:49

@thatmuppetshow
I wasn't referring to roof repairs actually, more of a general point that if either the surveyor or solicitor hasn't done their job re searches etc properly there will be recompense .

billandbenflowerpotmen1 · 20/10/2019 18:50

Do you think it could be due to reliable village gossip?
You may thrive on this but many people don't. It really doesn't sound as if they have moved because of something to do with the actual house and I think you know this
Anything else isn't your business
I sold my last house because of awfully sad and personal circumstances. I certainly wasn't going to disclose this to potential buyers

Janedownourlane · 20/10/2019 18:50

The neighbours?

Our vendors told us they were downsizing. After we moved in and heard the neighbours rock music, we put 2 and 2 together...

OMGshefoundmeout · 20/10/2019 18:52

It’s absolutely NOYB. Your solicitors will have carried out searches to ensure there are no significant building works in the offing that might bother you. Your lenders will have ensured that the property is suitable security for your loan. Your surveyors have been paid a lot of money to look for structural defects. Your vendors have a legal obligation to reveal anything that might materially affect you (boundary disputes, historical building defects). Apart from that it’s up to you to carry out due diligence and ensure you want the property as is. Caveat Emptor.

thegirlanachronism · 20/10/2019 18:52

Haunting was my immediate thought. But admittedly I am a little preoccupied with the dead/ undead today as the house opposite us have put up a lot of Halloween decorations and I am now confronted by a grinning skeleton scaling their front porch everytime I look out the window or leave the house Grin

timshelthechoice · 20/10/2019 18:54

Ghosts. It’s always ghosts.

Nah, demonic activity. They used ouija boards and held seances in there. Haven't you ever seen 'Paranormal Witness' Grin

Pope has a point, though. Check things like that, everything you can. Really cannot expect the vendors to share beyond the legal with you, though, or the EAs, they're in the business of selling.

batvixen123 · 20/10/2019 18:57

Check out newspapers for the last fifty years for any strange deaths in your house, followed by family after family moving out under strange circumstances, maybe with a few more deaths along the way.

mrscatmad31 · 20/10/2019 18:57

We bought our house a few months ago, I asked the estate agent at the time why they were selling and he was very vague and basically didn't answer, I already knew the reason which was that the owners were divorcing, he either didn't want to say or didn't know!

RedRec · 20/10/2019 18:57

What difference does it make?