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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:
timshelthechoice · 20/10/2019 18:58

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

Yeah, always a good idea to visit the place at different times of the day and night/week.

PandaTurtle · 20/10/2019 19:01

We moved from one house to another (still have old and initially did have lots of our furniture in). In our case it was to get children into a good school elsewhere without delay due to their ages and one with ASD so need a suitable school. We didn't put other house on market as needed work on it so are doing that first but could have done.

If women's stuff has gone and man's hasn't would imply some kind of separation which maybe one of both wanted immediately. You generally don't know when you buy a place, just up to you to get a survey done and legal checks to ensure no issues or manageable ones.

AgathaF · 20/10/2019 19:02

Not your business. I feel quite sorry for them having all this speculation aimed at them - you've put this out here, talked to their soon to be ex- neighbours, talked to people (gossips) in the village. Really, let it go now. If you're concerned about the state of the property then take a reliable builder round for a good look, which is probably a better idea than relying on surveys which are usually just arse-covering exercises.

TamarindCove · 20/10/2019 19:04

None of your business. Even if they'd given a reason and stuck to it there's nothing to say it was the truth.

You do your due diligence via Solicitors and Surveyors. The vendor is the last person you should be relying upon to provide information.

I moved house for personal reasons. I didn't take any furniture or even crockery with me and I also moved out just before it went on the market. People probably thought I was weird to.

PrincessScarlett · 20/10/2019 19:10

If you haven't even exchanged/moved and already know the neighbours can provide you with reliable gossip (and there's nothing obvious wrong with the house) then I think you have your answer. The locals are a nightmare.

PandaTurtle · 20/10/2019 19:10

It could also be they don't want to be there when people are viewing it - I didn't, prefer to move out first.

ThatMuppetShow · 20/10/2019 19:15

I would think that the EA is really shit and can't come up with a plausible excuse or reason, and is messing things up.

pancaketits · 20/10/2019 19:18

Haunted. Has to be haunted. Check the deeds for burial grounds, etc... Wink

MissConductUS · 20/10/2019 19:21

I got so tired of hearing this nosy question the last time we sold a house that I took to explaining to people that we were selling because the disabled alien spacecraft buried in the garden had started glowing and making strange noises and that we were a bit concerned about it's power source possibly destabilizing.

It makes no difference why they are selling. You are buying the house "as is". Never rely on the seller for any disclosure unless it's required by law and it can be checked independently.

PandaTurtle · 20/10/2019 19:21

Your solicitor would pick up any forthcoming building projects. Maybe worth viewing house late at night / early in morning to see for any noise issues.

It's possible they moved to be in a better catchment for schools and they may not want to advertise that. Rental to get it, detached house for once they are in. But really you only need to know about the house.

Booksandwine80 · 20/10/2019 19:21

@ThatMuppetShow

They don’t have to give a reason, it’s no ones businessHmm

justasking111 · 20/10/2019 19:21

My DIL was an EA, she would keep anything private to herself as does a friend of mine who is also an EA. Divorce, death being two reasons.

misspiggy19 · 20/10/2019 19:22

From past experience “change of circumstances” is almost always because the couple are splitting up/ getting divorced

ThatMuppetShow · 20/10/2019 19:23

They don’t have to give a reason, it’s no ones business

A decent EA will come up with something to say, just to make a smooth sell.

The same way you find a good reason to explain why you are looking for another job, or another candidate, no one tells the truth, but it's the way you present it that matters.

Comefromaway · 20/10/2019 19:26

It’s really none of your business.

When we were looking most vendors were open about their reasons but they were not always nice. One man bought his dream house then 2 years later his kids went to uni and his wife left him. Another lady had cancer and had to stop working.

ScruffGin · 20/10/2019 19:26

I agree, I'd always want to know!

I got asked by every viewer when I sold my lady house and was happy to say, even if there's a reason you don't want to disclose, surely people just make something up!

Can't be a big money issue, otherwise they wouldn't be paying rent whilst trying to sell surely?

Mintychoc1 · 20/10/2019 19:27

OP I think if there was a dodgy house-related reason they were moving, they’d be keen to conceal it, so they’d make certain they had a good sorry and that they stuck to it. The fact that they haven’t would suggest there was something personal going on, such as marriage breakdown

PandaTurtle · 20/10/2019 19:31

I can't imagine anyone every selling and saying the reason I'm selling is because all our DIY is terrible / the neighbours are noisy / the pub is noisy / there's been a few murders around here.

So even if you are given a reason it doesn't help much as it may or may not be the truth (or only part of the truth) and onus is on buyer to find out any issues with a house via solicitors and survey.

ladybirdsarelovely33 · 20/10/2019 19:31

I would want to know. It does sound odd.
Call them and / or the estate agents out on it. Tell them you won't exchange until you know exactly why.
This is a a huge life thing.
My friends moved out of their flat and didnt tell the new owners what a nightmare neighbour they were about to get.
This was done without a hint of suspicion.
I was formerly an EA and it is most likely financial.
However it could be something else. Correspond in writing and enquire about neighbours/ leaks etc.

What have you got to loose?
They wont pull out. Go with your gut.

MulticolourMophead · 20/10/2019 19:37

I would want to know. It does sound odd.
Call them and / or the estate agents out on it. Tell them you won't exchange until you know exactly why.
This is a a huge life thing.

What makes you think you're entitled to know someone else's private business?

If they've disclosed all the legally required info, anything else is none of your business.

tempester28 · 20/10/2019 19:39

Really annoying neighbors that they haven't necessarily fallen out with.

pusspusslet · 20/10/2019 19:40

A lot of people here seem to be missing the point that you’re concerned that the vendors may be trying to conceal something that is your business, e.g. nightmare neighbour.

This happened to me. I put an offer in on a tiny cottage in a beautiful and sought-after village. Whilst waiting for the sale to go through I did some Googling and realised that ‘my’ house, and the one next door, had between them sold something like 8 times in the previous 5 years. It didn’t make sense. I rang the EA, but of course was simply told first-time buyers moving on, etc, etc.

In fact it turned out that the neighbour on the ‘other side’ (all three properties back onto the same space) had been making his neighbours’ lives a misery for 20 years or more, and had come to take great pride and malicious delight in driving people out.

As it happens, he’s now gone. A long story with a good outcome. However, in this situation I totally think OP is wise to be cautious because she’s been given more than one story. It may be perfectly innocent or it may not, but it’s definitely sensible and understandable for OP to wish to know more.

ThatMuppetShow · 20/10/2019 19:45

Call them and / or the estate agents out on it. Tell them you won't exchange until you know exactly why.

how is that going to help? At best, they come up with a reasonable lie, you will have no way whatsoever to figure out if they are telling the truth or not.

They will tell you what you want to hear, no more. That's what EA are paid for!

Mydogmylife · 20/10/2019 19:45

@ladybirdsarelovely33

Call the estate agent out on it

Cannot believe this - personal reasons for sale are NOT the buyers business! As long as all legalities have been observed you are not entitled to know personal business

ladybirdsarelovely33 · 20/10/2019 19:46

Multi In the hugely personal process of house buying/ selling, people ALWAYS want to know why someone is selling. The circumstances OP is in her highly irregular if not explained to her.
I have sold properties in situations where there there has been a repossession and the dad obviously didnt tell his family what was going to happen because they left the house as if they were just all leaving to go to work/ college that day and would return later.
The house had to be sold in that state.
However as applicants knew why it was like that, e.g. make up in a bag strewn across the bed, they understood and it didn't take too long to sell.