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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

Strangers in my house?

95 replies

Wildflower123 · 11/01/2020 14:55

I’m selling my house at the moment, the estate agent has done all my viewings. Had one today and I came home around 2.5 hours after it had been done.

About 20 mins after I got home the doorbell rang and it (so they said) were the viewers from this morning and could they have another look.

Is this normal?

OP posts:

PianoTuner567 · 11/01/2020 15:37

I’ve sold through some agents where the vendor does the viewings, but they were still by appointment! People don’t just bloody turn up.

saraclara · 11/01/2020 15:40

If they can't prove who they are, then of course you shouldn't let them in. Anyone could see a For Sale board and knock on the door claiming to be legitimate former viewers.

If you'd seen them when the EA brought them, so could identify them, it would be a different matter

MrsExpo · 11/01/2020 15:48

I think I would have called the agent to ask the question "Mr and Mrs Bloggs are here ... are they the couple you showed round earlier? They want to second view" ... that way everyone is informed.

Thefaceofboe · 11/01/2020 15:49

When we bought our first house, we did the same. We viewed with the estate agent but we loved the house and was so desperate we knocked on the door an hour later to speak to the owner and she agreed to accept our offer. Might of seemed weird but it worked

AraGrand · 11/01/2020 15:54

Did you let them in or not?

unlikelytobe · 11/01/2020 15:55

No! This is what the agent is for and they are meant to vet the viewers to some extent to weed out time wasters. Your sales board/info should also state 'by appointment only' and that does not mean knocking on your door on the off chance. It's disruptive enough as it is cleaning and clearing before viewers come round.

They are either really keen and have disregarded the protocol (in which case they can come back at another time) or are just pushy people. Either way I wouldn't be pleased

Pardonwhat · 11/01/2020 15:57

I’d say a little unconventional but a very promising sign.
It depends how much you’d like to sell your house really!

listsandbudgets · 11/01/2020 16:02

I had a complete stranger knock on the door when we had our last house up for sale. They wanted to view. As dp was at home and children werent I agreed.

They looked round and offered the asking price on the spot. I directed them to the agent at that point and they obviously went right there. No chain on either side whole thing went through 6 weeks to the day they knocked on my door :)

Pemba · 11/01/2020 16:19

I would call the agents to check their identity, then let them in. Sounds like they might be really keen and it is a good opportunity to find a buyer.

You do have to put yourself out a bit when trying to sell a house. Your thread title 'Strangers in my house?' is completely OTT. This might be someone who might soon be willing to pay you thousands and thousands of pounds, not some random trying to impose on you.

So basically YABU.

1forsorrow · 11/01/2020 16:22

Ever sold a house 1forsorrow? Yes, why would I be commenting about what I've done when buying/selling if I'd never done it? I bought my first house nearly 50 years ago and I've sold a few and bought a few. Completed the sale of house last month.

museumum · 11/01/2020 16:23

Almost all viewing where I am is open house style Sunday afternoons and Thursday evenings. Houses marketed “appointment only” will get far fewer viewings.

Maryann1975 · 11/01/2020 16:24

I did this when we bought our house (and didn’t think I was a CF, but it seems others think I was). We had a viewing in the morning, then went and viewed two others. We liked the first one best, but wanted to check dimensions on one of the bedrooms (the floor plan didn’t really show the layout properly). We knocked, they let me back in, I was less than 5 minutes checking what I needed. The offer went in first thing on Monday morning and we moved in 2 months later.

1forsorrow · 11/01/2020 16:25

listsandbudgets that sounds perfect. I hate it if it is dragged out, the house I sold last month was 9 weeks from start to finish but if someone further back in the chain hadn't gone on holiday it could have been 7, he just didn't expect it to all go through so fast.

Maryann1975 · 11/01/2020 16:28

You do have to put yourself out a bit when trying to sell a house. Your thread title 'Strangers in my house?' is completely OTT
I do also agree with this. Whilst it is completely still your house, you have to give a little bit when you are trying to sell. Those ‘strangers’ may well be living in the house in 3 months time, if you don’t let them in, they well keep looking and find somewhere they like better and you loose out on the sale. All because you wouldn’t let them come in and have a quick look to confirm they want to live there. (I don’t think people would come back for a second viewing on the same day if they weren’t super keen).

yellowellies · 11/01/2020 16:29

When we moved to a different area (years ago, before Rightmove etc) we had some appointments booked on over a weekend, but also spotted other houses nearby while we were there. We knocked on doors to ask to arrange a time to view, but 99% of vendors let us in straight away

Butchyrestingface · 11/01/2020 16:34

I would probably be okay with letting them back in had they been there 20 minutes prior with the EA. When I was selling a few years ago, I facilitated viewings when the EA was unavailable to attend. But they had been pre-booked by the EA.

Like fuck would any random be getting over the threshold having seen the for sale sign on the street and wandering up.

DecisioNN · 11/01/2020 16:34

No read other replies but if you’re wanting to sell your house, I’d let them have a look round

DecisioNN · 11/01/2020 16:34

It’s not ideal but who cares if they buy it!

1forsorrow · 11/01/2020 16:38

Like fuck would any random be getting over the threshold having seen the for sale sign on the street and wandering up. Like fuck would I be handing thousands of pounds to someone who displayed that attitude to me.

diddl · 11/01/2020 16:39

Surely if they are genuine & interested they can view with the EA again?

What did you do, OP?

ptumbi · 11/01/2020 16:45

No way would someone who just knocked on my door be let in! You have no idea who they are!

@HugoSpritz The EA is there FOR YOUR PROTECTION in that they get details of any potential buyers. They do check into addresses and they take bank details. They don't take just anyone round; after Suzy Lamplugh they really tightened up their security.

IF the potential buyers are still in the area and want to come back, they should ring the EA and request another viewing right away. The EA then phones you to check if this is ok.

That is how it goes, FOR YOUR PROTECTION. Never allow someone into your home (esp if alone) if you don't know who they are.

And most EA don't close for lunch!

katewhinesalot · 11/01/2020 16:47

We knocked on a door once when we were in the area, saw a house when the estate agents was shut and wouldn't have been able see it else. We bought it and didn't dick around.

They might just have liked it and been too excited to wait to see it again.

Butchyrestingface · 11/01/2020 16:52

Like fuck would any random be getting over the threshold having seen the for sale sign on the street and wandering up.

Like fuck would I be handing thousands of pounds to someone who displayed that attitude to me.

That's absolutely fine. As a single female living alone, I'd rather risk losing to a sale to an impertinent prat than risk being robbed/raped/murdered by someone who claims they just happened to see the sign and couldn't be arsed to go through the proper channels etc, etc.

The advice about letting strangers into your home is there for a reason.

Frenchw1fe · 11/01/2020 16:54

@Butchyrestingface overreaction much.

NeedAnExpert · 11/01/2020 16:54

If you let them in you could find they push their luck and try to do a deal that cuts the agent (and all your protection) out.

What protection?!

Estate agents contracts mean that if they introduced the buyer they are due their fee. So there’s nothing to be gained by attempting that.

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