To want to send flowers or something to the house we pulled the offer on

[Tobytoesgoes]

We put an offer in on a house that we genuinely would have been very happy in but it was not the dream home. Literally later the same day the perfect house was listed on Rightmove. We didn't see it had come up before we put in the offer. It was our first offer and we anticipated a bit of negotiation so decided we had time to go view this house and booked that but the offer was accepted. We went to see the house anyway just to explore the possibility and it was honest to goodness, perfect for us. Every box was ticked and we can see ourselves living there forever. We offered the asking price straight away as it was so new to the market and they accepted. We immediately pulled our offer for the other house. The agent did sound so annoyed when I told him. I feel honestly terrible for the first house owners. It had been on the market for 2 years and the agent sounded so genuinely excited when we said we wanted to put an offer in. We honestly never meant to string them along or mess them around.
I said to DH we should send them some flowers or chocolates to apologise for retracting the offer but he said that's ridiculous and I need to stop worrying about it. I know I should.stop worrying really, we had to do what was right for us but can it hurt to just send a small token to apologise?

[ComtesseDeSpair]

If the house has been for sale for two years with no interest then, unless it’s very niche, they’re being unrealistic about their price. It’s sad they got their hopes up at your offer but you haven’t cost them anything, it’s in no way comparable to the posters describing having lost thousands of pounds in fees and months of time when buyers pulled out just before exchange

[mellicauli]

If no one put an offer on in 2 years I suspect it was priced too high

[user1473878824]

@pandafunfactory

No you did an awful thing. Those poor people. Leave them alone.

How ridiculous. The OP is meant to buy and live in a house she doesn’t want for the sake of their feelings? Selling is shitty sometimes it’s also life and these things happen.

[MrBennsshop]

Of course you didn't do an 'awful thing'. I never understand how some peoole consider a house purchase so emotionally. It's a transaction. You changed your mind, and did so quickly. The vendors won't have incurred any costs. Don't send flowers, it's not appropriate.

[ShastaBeast]

No way. It was quick and no expense was incurred. It’s very normal and common as you don’t know whether an offer will be accepted - if you don’t make offers sooner than ideal you’d lose it in some markets. We pulled out as the EA was pushing up the price, claiming there was another offer, we then found out I was pregnant so couldn’t afford it comfortably anymore, the EA was horrified and said he’d accept the original offer (he didn’t know about the pregnancy). Clearly there was no other buyer.

[poppydull]

That, and never offering a penny below the asking price or you’re the world’s most reprehensible and insulting arsehole

Yes whereas in the real world I've never known anyone to not start with a lower offer.

[Mnhealth202020]

No you did an awful thing. Those poor people. Leave them alone.

Errrr, did we read the same OP? I don’t think OP has done anything as nasty as you’re making out. Dramatic much?

OP shouldn’t continue to buy a house she doesn’t want as to not upset the sellers Yes, their hopes may have been diminished but if the house has been on the market for 2 years, there’s probably something wrong with it or the price. If they rectify the issue they’ll actually attract prospective buyers.

[AmaryllisNightAndDay]

Well, how would you feel if your "dream house" sellers dropped you for a better offer and sent you a bunch of flowers instead?

[WTFisthisabout]

I'm going to go against the grain and say I would appreciate a box of chocolates or flowers in this situation. It was 48 hours, they've been waiting 2 years, so I doubt they have even got around to doing anything more than an online search, they won't have lost any money or the house of their dreams. It's totally unnecessary but I would think it was a nice gesture if you did it.

[WhatsTheFrequencyKennneth]

Oh for goodness sake, some of these responses are ridiculous. Its just an unfortunate series of events.

[Pixxie7]

It’s a business transaction if the house wasn’t right for you sow be it. Just put it down to experience.

[WeBuiltThisBuffetOnSausageRoll]

I’m not sure what people on here would have you do?

Spend hundreds of thousands of pounds on a house you didn’t want, just to be polite?

That does seem to be the MN rule of house buying. That, and never offering a penny below the asking price or you’re the world’s most reprehensible and insulting arsehole

If the sellers were true MNers, they should have just given OP and DH the house as soon as they expressed an initial interest

[chillied]

Yeah - no flowers. We did similar though, and not so quickly. We had arranged to buy our next door neighbour's house. But they were held up in a chain and nothing happened for ages. Then a new house cane in the market, so much nicer, we offered straight away (and still live here now). So we had to explain this to our friendly neighbours. They were (to our faces) really understanding though. I think their chain was falling apart - they ended up not moving for years.

[CucumberTree]

OP, of course they will be disappointed, but what you did was what yo needed to do and happens all the time, even though it sucks. I am in the minority in that I think sending flowers is a nice gesture.

[WeBuiltThisBuffetOnSausageRoll]

Does anybody remember the Eurovision programme from 2007 where the act representing the UK was selected? Terry Wogan announced that Cindy had won the vote, but then it was revealed soon afterwards that he'd made a mistake and it was actually Scooch who'd won it.

Yes, it must have been very disappointing for poor Cindy, but nobody rushed down to Thorntons or Aurora Florealis to buy her a token of consolation. IIRC, Wogan just commented "What's the big deal? Nobody died!"

[FunTimes2020]

@pandafunfactory

No you did an awful thing. Those poor people. Leave them alone.

Don't be nutty! So you wouldn't buy your dream house, but instead spend thousands on a house you don't really want so as not to upset strangers?! Come on, get real! Don't be bitchy for the sake of it

[HalloumiSalad]

Don't feel bad op, until contracts are exchanged no seller should count their chickens so to speak. If they do they're naive and the agent was unprofessional showing annoyance.
I'm a softy and would feel bad about this too, but you absolutely did the right thing and have nothing to feel guilty about.

[Longdistance]

Just leave it. Pass on your apologies to the EA.
Quite frankly the English property buying system is a crock of shit.

[BluePheasant]

It's a nice thought and I can understand why you want to show you're sorry for messing them about but it's the nature of buying and selling houses. It's just bad luck that the other house didn't go on the market a day earlier. Don't send flowers, it's just rubbing salt in the wound tbh. One has to wonder why they haven't sold it in two years anyway.

[CuppaZa]

Some very dramatic responses here

FWIW OP, I think you’ve done the right thing. You can’t spend hundreds of thousands on a property just so you don’t piss of the vendors. You haven’t cost them an money, you pulled out pretty quickly, it happens all the time.

[CuppaZa]

*off

[villamariavintrapp]

You did what's best for you and that's fair enough in house buying. It will have been shitty for them though, and you don't actually know that it didn't cost them anything, it could have. They might have drunk all their best champagne, if nothing else. But a gift from you won't help.

[2020wasShocking]

OP don’t worry about it. Different if you done it the morning before signing the contracts!

[FishyDuck]

I’m nearly falling out my chair at some of the hyperbole on this thread. “You did an awful thing”

Are people seriously expecting the OP to spend hundreds of thousands of pounds on a house she does not want and lose out on her dream home just to avoid inconveniencing the sellers?

They will have more offers in soon but the OP would have been stuck forever with a home she didn’t want.