To expect people to do a bit of research before viewing a house?

[iswhois]

Had three people turn up so far and have turned the house down due to a "showstopper" which they could have easily for seen had they done some research on the location or looking at the floor plans.

I know they are entitled to not buy the house for whatever reason they wish but it just feels like a massive waste of everyone's time.

Maybe I'm just bitter and desperate to move haha

@squeekyclean after the pub feedback I have done- got another chap coming to view on Monday and asked them to be sure he is aware of the layout/location of the house

Glad to hear it's not just me!

It's a real pain having to keep the place immaculate, sorting someone to look after the dogs etc, just for this! I would rather they say they just "weren't feeling it"!!!

second woman put off by proximity to local pub, again could have figured this out from looking at the location of the house on google maps or similar

But, again, people will look at houses with a wish list and then if it’s the right house it doesn’t matter if it doesn’t tick all the boxes

I had loads of stuff on my wish list - garage attached to the house for example. The house I bought I fell in love with so it didn’t matter to me it didn’t have that. If I’d visited a sad house I might have given lack of attached garage as the reason even though I knew about it before I arrived

My friend lived in a bungalow. Viewers would often comment it was a shame there wasn’t an upstairs. That would make it a house then not a bungalow.

Do you think the estate agents have pushed them to view though? They know it’s unsuitable but convince them anyway.

We had one couple who said our road was too quiet. We lived in London.

I think you’re being a bit unreasonable but it’s understandable. People need to see something sometimes to be sure it isn’t right. They probably really liked something about the listing and thought the benefits might outweigh the negatives.

But it’s annoying, I agree.

@JoJoSM2

I don’t understand the annoyance.

Almost all buyers feel that they need to compromise somewhere. I think you can only decide on a particular house once you have seen it in person.

If you find everything amazing, you can be willing to compromise on the location or the small garden or the downstairs bathroom etc.

This is, of course, true. In fact, two of our three offers came from people who had seen the house, rejected it due to the parking and then a few weeks later, seeing how much less house you got for your money if you insisted on a driveway, came back. But it just feels so horrible to keep getting a house viewing-ready for people to then come in and immediately reject it on the basis of something that was made clear in the description, it's so dispiriting.

I understand your frustration however sometimes even if it doesn't look quite right on plan you need to see it to be sure. We didn't like the house we're currently buying online but it was the only thing left on the market that vaguely met our brief and we didn't want to lose our buyers by delaying. I loved as soon as I walked in, no idea why, just got the 'feeling' about it. If we'd snider it from the ad we'd have missed out.

We had someone announce at the end that there were not enough bedrooms. Huh?!?!

I’m a total people pleaser so was desperately trying to remember the secret door that opened up to an extra bedroom.

@iswhois

I mean something that would stop a show mid performance (actor falling desperately ill, power cut etc)

So something than renders the house completely unacceptable to them

One was, he didn't understand the layout of the house in that the main bathroom is accessed through the bedroom (it's a really old, tiny cottage), and it was for him and his adult daughter so wouldn't have worked- fair enough, but had he looked at the floor plans he would have known not to bother

second woman put off by proximity to local pub, again could have figured this out from looking at the location of the house on google maps or similar.

These are all things I would do prior to viewing

Oh this is annoying. I was going to say your agent should make potential show stoppers obvious (for example, our old neighbours had access through our garden, and our new house has a hefty management fee - these were all made clear on the listing) but these are things people should scope out before a viewing!

Perhaps when the agents speaks to them they should try to have a bit more of a chat to see how much research they've done.

A showstopper means an amazing thing. I was so confused reading your op

Snider?! Discounted it from the ad.

Also it’s unlikely the reason given is the full, true reason. They’re probably withholding reasons that might insult you (don’t like the area, living room too dark) or they just didn’t fall in love with it but felt they had to give a reason.

Oh crumbs! I suppose it does we use the phrase at work a lot (planning) to describe something that would prevent an application being granted

Council workers are a strange breed haha

I looked at a lot of places, none of them ticked all my boxes because I know that I can't afford everything on my wishlist.
Viewing lots helped me work out what I wanted and what I could and couldn't compromise on.
Next to a pub - depends on the pub depends on the pub if its ok or not - you need to see it to know.
Bathroom through the bedroom, in some houses you can rearrange rooms eg swap the living room with the bedroom. Again you need to see it, to know it.
Or see it and decided if its amazing and you can live with other annoyances.

My experience of buying a home was that I viewed about 10 properties but only actually enquired into and viewed the details of 3 of them...the agents suggested “if you are interested in property A, I will also show you B and C which I have the keys for and are in the same area” and yes, some of those properties were a waste of time (no garage, awkward location etc). They would show up with a floor plan in their hands rather than passing the details on prior to viewing.

Double check it’s not your estate agent messing you about. I do think it’s sort of par for the course to have to keep your house clean and presentable almost every day. Last minute viewings happen unfortunately and if you want to sell your home then you have to be prepared. I really get that it’s a frustrating process.

@YesINameChangeEveryDay

A showstopper means an amazing thing. I was so confused reading your op

Glad it wasn't just me who thought that! I was wondering why something amazing would be putting people off

Sometimes the online info and pictures can be really misleading. We viewed what we thought would be a perfect house - it’s main selling point was the gorgeous view from the back of the house... It was only when we viewed we found that there were no upstairs windows of the view ( only high velux) the bedroom windows all looked out the front and over a brick wall.

The agent obviously realised this was a down side and so had avoided it in the particulars. For us it was the waste of a 4 hour round trip to view.

However the location of your bathroom would be obvious so in that case YANBU.

Perhaps agents could have more realistic particulars to reduce disappointment on both sides.

All part of selling a house I am afraid. I doubt I ever looked that closely at floor plans to check how to access a bathroom, it wouldn't cross my mind that any home would have access to a main bathroom via a bedroom only. I am sure lots of people don't look that closely. It wouldn't cross my mind to look at distance from amenities either, I would want to see it for my self (is there a footpath to walk to it for example). Most people will compromise for the right home. They may have stated those as the reasons, but I bet there's other reasons too. Most people wouldn't know access to a bathroom was a deal breaker for them in advance because they just wouldn't expect to ever encounter it in my opinion!

The layout is obviously going to be an obstacle but I am sure you will come across the right person eventually.

Everyone has made valid points which have helped me see reason so thanks

Just an agonising process which I want over as soon as possible! (As we all do!) it's just a waiting game really

When I was househunting, I found the EA so pushy, they would almost force me to go and view somewhere.

I had a huge hole in my ceiling for years, then one day I fixed it. Nobody noticed.

OP I think you mean a "deal breaker"

Sometimes looking at google maps and floor plans doesn't give the same impact as viewing in person. The loo thing should have been picked up on but I think proximity to the pub might seem more real in person.

When i last moved it was to a new town. We told the local EA what we wanted, we were exceptionally clear, and we showed up on the day and one of the houses had one of those points you would consider an obvious show stopper. The EA actually told us not to mention this to the home owners, who were home when were viewed, because they kept complaining about being viewed by people who didn't want to be on the main road. I was aghast but it wasn't my fault. I stopped using that EA.

completely agree. My old house had a downstairs bathroom, which was pretty standard for the type of house, and VERY clear in the description and floor plan. Yet people would still view the house and say that was what put them off

I don’t know. I would still probably view a house if everything else is right- like the o/p’s bathroom and access, i’d view to get a feel for the space and size of the house, and see if, for example, i could put an upstairs bath in a small bedroom and lose the downstairs one, or create an access elsewhere.

The house I eventually bought I’d dismissed for some reason, but the market was slow and there was nothing else. The stuff that had put me off was easily fixable, if I hadn’t viewed I wouldn’t have seen that, even with floorplans and photos.

I’ve had this numerous times. The two most notable were:

Selling a two bed terrace and a woman who was downsizing from a four bed astutely observed that she wouldn’t get all her furniture in. No shit!

Selling a house with no off road parking, told the agent to be crystal clear about this. The viewers loved the house but had no idea what they’d do with their three cars! Fuckwits.

While my first reaction was to agree with you, several points in defence of viewers:

Size: some people (me) can't translate written measurements to how big something actually is and EAs do use angles and lenses that can be deceptive for room sizes

Also, my last two houses were ones that I scrolled past the particulars for a number of times and ruled out and only eventually ended up viewing out of desperation as we weren't finding anything. After viewing we fell in love and purchased so now I would be more inclined to view something even if I didn't feel the love from the advert and h thy ought it was likely not right.

I get your frustration though. Selling my last house with two small kids and keeping it viewing ready was a bloody nightmare and time wasters are irritating.