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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

to be annoyed by not being allowed to view a house unless my house is sold.

220 replies

LemonSwan · 15/03/2021 17:08

I found a house I potentially really like, although its very unusual so absolutely have to view it to be able to be certain. It could be a disaster.

Apparently I need to have sold my house to view it!?

Our non negotiable requirements are very unusual and do not come up regularly (c. once every 3 months). I have been looking for a long time and only viewed 3 houses which were discounted because one was riddled with damp smell, another the seller was just pretending to sell (trying to get the agri tie removed), and the other looked bigger in the pictures.

What would you do in my shoes?

Voting:

YABU - Put my house on the market and sell it just so I can view this house which may be a complete non starter.

YANBU - Or just forget it and move on.

OP posts:
almostautumn · 22/03/2021 11:20

In a very similar position here OP. I’m extremely picky when it comes to property and very rarely see something I like that ticks all the boxes. Anyway, I saw a house recently that I loved and rang to book a viewing immediately. The (rather rude) estate agent point blank refused as our house isn’t on the market yet, and said they'd had a ton of interest and that the property was bound to sell very quickly. I considered rushing ours onto the market but then decided there wasn’t any point, as given what the agent had said, by the time we’d got an offer on ours, the one I loved would no doubt have gone anyway.

Three weeks later I searched Rightmove again and was surprised to see that the dream house is still for sale. I now wish I hadn’t let the agent put me off and that we’d rushed ours onto the market. I’m almost certain we’d have got an offer by now as several other houses have come and gone in our area in that time.

To be honest we’re not quite ready to sell yet as there are several areas we want to check out before deciding where we want to live - which hasn’t been possible with lockdown. So we’ve decided to wait a few months and put ours on the market in the summer or early autumn.

I would be pissed off if I was the owner of the “dream house” though as we could potentially have bought the place by now!

Bythemillpond · 22/03/2021 12:12

We are going into rented because we need a particular type of house.

I saw the perfect one just before we put ours up for sale and it went the same day. I saw another which has the number one priority for us (a very large drive we have 5 vehicles). That went again very quickly.
I think if you are very particular or need something in a house that doesn’t come with your standard 4 bed detached on an estate then when things do come up you need to be in a position to pounce.
They don’t tend to hang around.

Piglet89 · 22/03/2021 12:26

@Bythemillpond: examine the respective positions of all 3 of your offerors and make a decision (with advice) as to which you’ll accept.

Most important: be operating in a system in which you’re not allowed to “accept” 3 offers. I mean, do all 3 know about the other 2 you’ve “accepted”?

The overhaul I would give this system is just not ordinary.

Bythemillpond · 22/03/2021 13:19

One of them sold within 3 days so we will be going with them

Yes they knew we had other offers on the table from people in similar position.

triggers34 · 22/03/2021 13:29

We viewed a house before we were on the market. We loved it so much we immediately began to market ours . Then it sold , then it fell through we finally moved in a good year later Smile

Original poster
LemonSwan · 10/05/2021 00:40

Hi all,

Checking back in because we did find a house we loved. Put a prospective offer in and put our house on the market. We sold within a week, (sold 4 hours after being listed actually - just took them a while to sort photos etc). Insanity.

Original house fell through as they went with a lower offer from someone who already sold whilst we were waiting to be listed.

What on earth do we do now?!??!?!?

How do I find another house

OP posts:
Twoforthree · 10/05/2021 00:55

Isn't the one that's been on for two years still available?

Original poster
LemonSwan · 10/05/2021 01:16

No they have come off market I think. Not showing under SSTC or available on Rightmove.

OP posts:
Poppins2016 · 10/05/2021 01:27

I'd contact the agents of the original (2 years listed) property. It may be that they didn't sell but wanted a break from trying to do so and would potentially be open to it if someone proceedable came along. If you don't ask, you don't get (and you may kick yourself down the line for not finding out)!

earthyfire · 10/05/2021 01:27

When I sold my last house I had people view just to be nosey, one viewer came with an aunt plus cousins and openly admitted they just wanted to see what the inside the house looked like as they walked past every day. My did that piss me off, I had to leave work early for the viewing - so in light of that I would never entertain viewings unless I knew the person was in a position to proceed.

mrstt89 · 10/05/2021 02:12

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

CatAndHisKit · 10/05/2021 02:17

Completely different when a house has been on the market for 2yrs!I wouldefinitely let someoneto have a look if that person explained that they aer interested in specific houses only and would go on the market asap if they like it. OP may sell im a wek or two.
Why wouldn't the vendor give her a chance if obviously they couldn't sell so far and possibly not getting viewings / inerest at all?
If the agents won't let you, drop them a note, OP.

Just because someone is under offer does NOT mean they've sold, so many sales fall apart due to the dreadful systen in England, buyers can pretend they aer buying for a couple of months and then pull out.

CatAndHisKit · 10/05/2021 02:19

exactly mrstt - depending on how active the market is where OP is, she may go o tye market and get an offer within 2-3 weks - those sellers been waiting 2 yrs, so what's a month to them!

CatAndHisKit · 10/05/2021 02:23

Just saw your update, OP. Well what I and 'mrs* predicted happened exactly - you've sold immediately.
Yes, the poor vendors probably had enough of trying to sell - definitely contact their agent now that you've sold.

Original poster
LemonSwan · 10/05/2021 20:24

Eughh this is a nightmare. I cant even find the details for that house anymore. I am going to have to drop a note through the door.

Well fingers crossed now we are sold people will actually let us view and we find one. Fingers crossed 'the one' comes up quickly and the buyers will wait around. Will keep you updated!

OP posts:
SonnyWinds · 10/05/2021 20:28
  1. Is this the seller's rule or the agent's? If it's the agent's rule then go over their head and write to the vendor directly. I know so many people who would be FURIOUS at this from their agents. The vendor doesn't benefit from this rule but the agent does.
  2. I wouldn't necessarily expect you to have sold but you should at least be on the market at a minimum. Otherwise it looks like you're just snooping around for fun.
SonnyWinds · 10/05/2021 20:29

Should've RTFT shouldn't I hahahaha Blush

lulugee · 10/05/2021 21:23

YANBU I had the same issue - a little bit of persuasive talk to the agent about how serious I was however and they changed the rule! So if you're persistent and persuasive then have a go

justanotherneighinparadise · 10/05/2021 21:34

That’s exactly the position we expect to find ourselves in. I fully expect we will sell immediately and the kind of house we’re looking for will take some hunting for. We are already anticipating having to go into rented while we look.

dodobookends · 10/05/2021 21:52

@luxxlisbon

Normal procedure. It is a waste of the estate agent's time to show you around a property that you aren't actually in a position to seriously offer on right now.
In that case the estate agent appears to have forgotten that they are supposed to be acting on the seller's behalf, not to solely line their own pockets. The estate agent is being paid for their time.

Bunch of freeloaders if you ask me.

mrsbyers · 10/05/2021 22:04

I have strict instructions to my agent not to accept any unqualified buyers so they had to either have their property on the market and a mortgage offer in principle or be chain free - it’s a massive waste of peoples time having people just going for a nose and also there is a pandemic to consider

Sarjest · 10/05/2021 22:11

If you’re in a position to do so, tell them you’ll be renting yours out so are chain free. If you get to see the house and don’t like it, nothing lost. If you do like it you could extract equity from yours and get a buy to let loan on it so you can move quickly. You can then sell it once you’ve moved in to the new one. It has its risks but if you’re keen...

FluffyMcWuffy · 10/05/2021 22:11

we had this recently, I was shocked that the market has changed so much that this is now the norm. I can understand why when there is a property boom. EA are ridiculously busy so its an easy way to filter out potential time wasters. I was advised by an EA friend to get particulars/photos drafted up on my property so that I could quickly get it on the market if I found a house I really liked.

lulugee · 10/05/2021 22:12

Agree with @Sarjest tell them you'll rent yours out - I forgot to add I also told them that and it worked

JudgeJ · 11/05/2021 09:47

@Finfintytint

I wouldn’t engage with you if you were not at least under offer. In recent years and various house sales , I only accept viewings from first time buyers or those in rented.
But if all the potential chain imposed that condition, how could the sales proceed, no-one will be able to see any houses unless someone at the bottom had nothing to sell, they could see house 2, once that's under offer they could see house 3 etc etc. It could take far longer to seel house 5!