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AIBU?

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Original poster

Would this put you off? Re: buying a house

138 replies

Anon2136 · 04/11/2021 03:29

I’ve had my eye on this house for a while now but not sure if I’m BU or if normal. Please help! It is literally my dream house and in our budget.

phoned up estate agent 2/3 months ago but got interrogated with questions like what job does husband do, what job do you do. Can you afford it etc. Etc. I left it and went to viewings with another agency that were lovely and still am with. The initial agency just put me off viewing it and made me feel uncomfortable.

I then noticed yesterday the house was reduced! I phoned up again and this time they didn’t interrogate me and booked a viewing. Couldn’t sleep as I’m stressed right now so checked phone and there’s an email from estate agent saying “owners are asking you to be 100% sure you are happy with the living room dimension and garden as they don’t want to waste their time showing you around if it’s not a comfortable living arrangement”.

It’s made me really angry. I already told estate agent we are looking for a small garden as we don’t have time to maintain and the garden is actually bigger than we have right now!

Is this normal or a sign of more problems to come if we go ahead? We’ve walked past this house many times and I love the area and can see us being very happy there.

What kind of problems can difficult owners cause? The house we living in we had no issues. Went to view it in a Saturday and put offer in following week. it was so easy and hassle free.

OP posts:
Gottahavehighhopes · 04/11/2021 08:10

It'd very common here that you either have to have an mortgage in principle for the amount (which some estate agents refuse to let you view without seeing) or house on the market that's got offers/serious interest

Sweetpeasaremadeforbees · 04/11/2021 08:17

One of the worst parts about selling is the time wasters. The looky-lous who just enjoy looking around other people's houses (although online particulars have cut a lot of that back), the people who can't comprehend floor plans, the people who don't read the listing details, the people who don't check Street View for anything even though they have a long list of exacting requirements, the people who don't actually have the finances to buy your house but fancy looking at it anyway.

These vendors are just trying to cut down on the number of people who they've had to tidy up for but will not be putting a serious offer in for the house. It's not personal to you and not intended to be offensive.

This. My DH is trying to sell his mum's bungalow at the moment, thankfully the EAs are doing the viewings but the feedback is ridiculous. 'Lovely bungalow but we wanted a 3 bed really' so why did you view a fucking 2 bed bungalow!? Or they're downsizing from a large 4 bed house and say they don't think all their stuff will fit in. No shit Sherlock.

DH is just glad he doesn't have to deal with these idiots.

GETTINGLIKEMYMOTHER · 04/11/2021 08:21

I can imagine that the owners have had viewers who haven’t bothered to look at the floor plan etc., and then say, ‘Oh, but we really wanted a bigger (whatever)’.
It’s happened to me and it’s profoundly irritating when you’ve gone mad tidying up.

Never mind the EA, just go ahead if you really think it’s right for you.

Though sometimes it’s the EA’s fault, for pressuring people into viewing a place when they haven’t even seen the particulars - I’ve had them try that on with me, and have always refused. I need to see the particulars and have a good look from the outside first.

ittakes2 · 04/11/2021 08:21

I am sorry I also think you are overthinking this.

Staryflight445 · 04/11/2021 08:24

I don’t think the owners are being difficult.

‘ owners are asking you to be 100% sure you are happy with the living room dimension and garden as they don’t want to waste their time showing you around if it’s not a comfortable living arrangement”’ - all I get from this is that people are going to view it and then complaining it’s not for them because of the dimensions and garden.

I’ve heard friends say similar about people viewing too, not looking at the plans properly before going to see it and same old issues of unhappiness. It’s still their home atm at the end of the day and I think they’re being perfectly reasonable setting a standard as to not waste their own time or yours.

Badbadbunny · 04/11/2021 08:28

Yep, it's definitely because of time wasters. When we had ours on the market, it was very annoying to have to tidy/put away things and then go out for an hour every time there was a viewing, only for pretty stupid feedback, such as "no en-suite" which was bloody obvious from the description and floor plans. One of the worst was someone whose feed back was "we wanted a detached, not a semi"! Are these people blind or illiterate???

BeyondMyWits · 04/11/2021 08:31

I would take a very long look at the price compared to other sales in the area.
Size would be no surprise if priced accordingly.

TatianaBis · 04/11/2021 08:42

Well if it’s Purple Bricks or Foxtons or a small local agent you’re right to be cautious.

However all EAs ascertain where you are - is your house on the market, do you need to sell to buy etc - before they proceed with viewings.

DrinkFeckArseBrick · 04/11/2021 08:44

I think the owners are just sick of viewers turning up and then saying they arent buying due to reasons the viewers could have found out. I have a friend that had a 2 bed house with the second room very small, more like a small study or box room than a bedroom. This was made clear on pictures, on the description and on the plan. They still had loads of viewings who all said lovely house but we cant buy it as we want 3 bedrooms or 2 large bedrooms, it was such a waste of everyones time

NotSorry · 04/11/2021 08:46

When we were selling out two bedroom bungalow we had people constantly asking where was the third bedroom Hmm

When we bought our next house the lady opened the door and said “there is no downstairs toilet” - she was obviously fed up with time wasters who couldn’t read either.

When we bought our current house we told the estate agent to stop sending us details of houses with gardens of less than 50 foot as we wouldn’t be interested. We didn’t want to waste people’s time.

It sounds as though the estate agent is doing a good job of weeding out time wasters and if you’ve looked over the details carefully then just to got to the viewing and don’t overthink it OP

NewPapaGuinea · 04/11/2021 08:47

It’s a contradictory process as the sales advert lists all the positive points, and you only find out the negatives when you actually view the house. If EA adverts were more honest up front it might cut some timewasters, but then you might lose a potential buyer. Sometimes buyers will compromise on their “wants” for the right house and they only know that once they’ve viewed it.

NotSorry · 04/11/2021 08:49

Agree @NewPapaGuinea

We went on to buy the house with no downstairs toilet as we could see the potential and we put the toilet in ourselves a couple of years later

A580Hojas · 04/11/2021 08:54

The owners are fed up of feedback saying that the living area and garden is too small.

lastqueenofscotland · 04/11/2021 08:55

Yep sounds like the sellers are bored of everyone coming to see a house with an obviously small garden and saying the garden is too small. When I sold my two bed (two good doubles) the amount of feedback I had that they needed a third bedroom… why bother?!

emeraldjones · 04/11/2021 08:57

We had a similar situation where the Estate Agent was pretty negative. It turned out a friend of his wanted it. So don't be put off. It could be any of the reasons PPs have mentioned. You plough on and if you want it having seen it, go for it!

TatianaBis · 04/11/2021 08:58

When viewers give a reason for not following up, it’s usually a polite excuse rather than the actual reason.

They just didn’t like the property enough to buy it. If they had, the small third bedroom or small garden could have been overlooked.

thecatsthecats · 04/11/2021 09:04

I think house owners need to suck up viewings with unchangeable feedback personally.

Each house has different pros and cons. If I'd bought a different house in my neighbourhood I'd have told the ex owners of my house "it's on a main road".

Instead, I was telling other house vendors "we went for one with parking and a bigger garden".

Yes, I can see the place for myself online. But I'm not sinking hundreds of thousands of pounds into a purchase without checking if the WHOLE PACKAGE outweighs the pros and cons of a different house.

user1495885821 · 04/11/2021 09:04

@TatianaBis

When viewers give a reason for not following up, it’s usually a polite excuse rather than the actual reason.

They just didn’t like the property enough to buy it. If they had, the small third bedroom or small garden could have been overlooked.

This. Much easier to say I really wanted and upstairs bathroom, even if it is something you might have compromised on if everything else was perfect, than the owner seemed like a miserable old bag so the house didn't give my happy vibes.
girlmom21 · 04/11/2021 09:06

@TatianaBis

When viewers give a reason for not following up, it’s usually a polite excuse rather than the actual reason.

They just didn’t like the property enough to buy it. If they had, the small third bedroom or small garden could have been overlooked.

Generally, these days, people see property online first. You can see the decor, layout, etc. if they didn't like the look of it they just wouldn't waste their time viewing it.
minimecantrollerskate · 04/11/2021 09:08

I agree that it will be due to time wasters. My first cottage attracted a lot of interest but every single viewer initially said that it was too small and they didn't like the fact that the garden was on another level. BOTH those things were very clearly described, all dimensions shown, photos etc.

After that the EA would stress the bad points to stop wasting everyone's time.

LoislovesStewie · 04/11/2021 09:09

It even extends to really small things; when we sold last the kitchen appliances, all free standing weren't included. We made sure the particulars stared that as they were all new and expensive. how many people said they were disappointed as the items were not included? how many asked if the items were being left? Lots, it got tedious after a while.

Practicebeingpatient · 04/11/2021 09:15

You really can't tell if a property is right for you until you see it in person. The feel of it can be as important as the practicalities. If you really love it then suddenly having a shared drive or downstairs bathroom seem unimportant.

I was once looking for a flat and the absolute fundamental requirements were it had to have two bedrooms, two bathrooms and a private outside space. I went to view one that looked perfect on Rightmove and it was awful, dark and dingy with weird pitched ceilings to all the rooms that made a lot of the large floor space unusable. The estate agent insisted on showing me a studio flat with one bathroom and no outside space in the same development. I knew it was a waste of time but he was very persistent. It was beautiful, bright and spacious with a galleried bedroom floor and double height ceilings to the massive living area. I fell in love on the spot and offered the asking price without DH even seeing it. Luckily he agreed with me and we still own it and still love it.

ThePoisonousMushroom · 04/11/2021 09:16

Generally, these days, people see property online first. You can see the decor, layout, etc. if they didn't like the look of it they just wouldn't waste their time viewing it

True. But estate agents know how to take flattering photos, and some issues don’t come to light until you view. Otherwise no one would bother viewing and would just buy based on the online listing.
We’ve viewed houses that look in decent condition from the photos and then when you view it’s apparent that a lot of work needs doing. Fine if you’re looking for something to do up, but not everyone is.

YukoandHiro · 04/11/2021 09:20

Yes the feedback will have been on these things. Agents sound like morons and the vendors are doing their best to counteract it.

I'm trying to sell a third floor maisonette with lots of internal stairs and no outside space: the agent kept showing it to people who clearly wanted gardens (it's literally the main reason we're leaving ffs). And also an old man who manage stairs. Pissed me right off.

ChicCroissant · 04/11/2021 09:24

Are you a proceedable buyer, OP? Do you need to sell your current property to purchase the one you're looking at and is it under offer?

The vendors sound as if they are fed up of timewasters looking round their house. So if your own house is under offer and you are proceedable I'd emphasise that so they know you are serious.

However, if your house is not under offer - or not even on the market - I can see why they might be a little hesitant. Good luck with the viewing OP.