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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

“If you are ever in the market we would be interested in your house”

247 replies

Foodfoodfoodie · 20/01/2022 21:48

We live in a desirable village in an expensive area. Today we had a letter through our door, summarised it read something like:

we are looking to move in the area and have flagged your home as one we would be interested in of you were in the market to move. If you consider selling in the near future we would love to hear from you and would be willing to negotiate a price around the X mark, which we believe to be higher than the asking price you would be recommended by an agent

AIBU to think this is really cheeky and intrusive? They are being very upfront about essentially eyeing up my home.

I’m not in the market to move but if I was they would be bottom of the list, regardless of money.

OP posts:
BobBobbity · 21/01/2022 01:15

We live in a fairly nondescript house but in a good location (an increasingly popular London suburb) and get these semi-regularly. We’re not in the market to move so they go in the bin, but if one happened to turn up at a time we were considering it, I’d be happy to consider a buyer who did this.

mathanxiety · 21/01/2022 01:17

It's neither cheeky nor intrusive.

This is how people find a house to move to.

Mamanyt · 21/01/2022 01:31

I would feel a bit smug, that they liked my house that well. I would also respond to them, very kindly, stating that, while you appreciate their interest, you are in no way interested in selling at present, and wish them well. No reason to get shirty with someone who may become a neighbor!

avamiah · 21/01/2022 01:36

@mathanxiety

It's neither cheeky nor intrusive.

This is how people find a house to move to.

Yes same here.

I’m in London and regularly get these through the post box from different estate agents in the area, there is nothing wrong with it as this is how a lot of companies get new business.

starfishmummy · 21/01/2022 01:37

We have lived in house in a sought after area for 25 years and this sort of thing has been happening since we got here.

Longingforatikihut · 21/01/2022 02:32

One polite note of enquiry. No problem.

When I moved in here I had a 4 letters from the same investment company over the course of about 2 months offering me cash for a quick sale. I paid asking price. Turned out the company had been outbid when it was on the market and the young portfolio owner was not happy about what he saw as losing. I told him if I received any more correspondence I'd get him done for harassment.

Topseyt · 21/01/2022 02:37

It's not something I'd do, but it isn't unreasonable I suppose.

You don't like it and don't want to sell, so just file it carefully in the recycling bin.

Chasingaftermidnight · 21/01/2022 04:28

We’ve had these on a couple of occasions. The wording of this note is a bit clumsy.

You’d be absolutely nuts to turn down a possibly higher sale price and no EA fees just because you took exception to a note.

Plantagenous · 21/01/2022 04:31

Intrusive would be them doorstepping you. A polite note with the content you describe is not intrusive.

Plantagenous · 21/01/2022 04:32

On our next move we have identified four houses that would suit us and plan to do the same.

HeronLanyon · 21/01/2022 04:42

Not cheeky in the slightest.
The word ‘flagged’ is odd - I’d never use that feels a bit ‘stalkerish’
I’d also never put what I would offer in figures
I find both of those a bit odd but overall I’d think - sensible and pretty usual if you’re somewhere in high demand in a ‘good’ property.
I’d also think - that’s good if ever I do want to sell I am indeed in a great desirable house which I already knew anyway.
Wouldn’t think about it again. Would put that letter somewhere if ever I did think of selling.

Missey85 · 21/01/2022 05:48

Yabu I get these in my mail all the time if your not selling just ignore them? Their not doing anything wrong

londonrach · 21/01/2022 05:53

Yabu. It's what's advised by MN, Kirsty etc and all estate agents to name a few. It's really common now. In-laws have it all the time. They just bin the letters.

SusieSusieSoo · 21/01/2022 06:10

Happens to us regularly - first time was easily 15+ yrs ago

Imtryingveryhard · 21/01/2022 06:27

You can also find out (for a vast majority of properties, not all) the last time a house was sold, and for how much, with a free online searches. That probably helped them with the pricing point.

HoppingPavlova · 21/01/2022 06:35

It’s standard I thought? Cuts out the middle man so seller not paying commission, bonus all round.

You are not obligated to sell! If this is not in your plans in the future then you just put the letter in the bin, no harm done. Not sure why, if you were planning to sell, you would ensure ‘they were the last people you’d sell to’, talk about cutting your nose offConfused.

Scarby9 · 21/01/2022 06:36

I lnow people who have sold and bought that way - saves oon the faffing and cost of an estate agent.

Not quite the same, but friends were approached out of the blue by an estate agent saying they had a prospective buyer interested in their house, which they had designed themselves and had built four years previously.

They pointed out that the house was not for sale and were about to put the phone down when the agent told them who the prospective buyer was and asked if they could view the house anyway, 'just to get a feel for that type of property'.

Ridiculous request, BUT the interested party was the new signing for the local premiere league football club and my friends had a football mad dad and son. So they agreed, on the clear understanding that the house was not for sale.

The footballer and his wife and kids came round, they showed them round the house, had coffee and a kickabout in the garden. Lovely family, and bragging rights established for son at school. Everyone happy.

The next day, the estate agent rang and passed on a ridiculously ridiculous high offer for the house. Really stratospheric price.

To cut a long story short, they sold. Moved into a rented house for a year and designed and built their own massively bigger house. The footballer has long since moved on, but I always think of the story when I drive past the house. Money talks...

WutheringHeights66 · 21/01/2022 06:39

The idea is fine, my mum and son have had letters through before, but the wording is a bit Rude and it would get my back up. Sons letter was lovely about about the couple looking and not intrusive. Mums was a simple, give us a call if you’re interested, but this one is, well, as though you should sell to them and be bloody grateful too!

Was the price realistic or CF too? 😀

cookiemonster2468 · 21/01/2022 06:46

It happens quite a lot around here, not that unusual at all and it cuts out a lot of fees. I can see why people do it.

Thecheeseiscrackers · 21/01/2022 06:47

My MIL had someone on the door asking if she was thinking of selling. They pointed out it was a big house (6 bedrooms) and grass had not been cut in a while. It was a bit much for a single woman. Her husband had died about a month before. He was a well know man in the community and obviously these people saw this as on opportunity. They left a phone number and DH rang them up and gave them a piece of his mind for putting pressure on a grieving old woman.

Thecheeseiscrackers · 21/01/2022 06:48

Knock on the door that should be.

DrSbaitso · 21/01/2022 06:52

@Thecheeseiscrackers

My MIL had someone on the door asking if she was thinking of selling. They pointed out it was a big house (6 bedrooms) and grass had not been cut in a while. It was a bit much for a single woman. Her husband had died about a month before. He was a well know man in the community and obviously these people saw this as on opportunity. They left a phone number and DH rang them up and gave them a piece of his mind for putting pressure on a grieving old woman.
Asking if she's thinking of selling is one thing. Attempting to pressure her to move is another.
NiceTwin · 21/01/2022 06:53

So you could possibly sell your house above market value, without agent's fees and you are somehow insulted by that prospect.

Absolutely bizarre way of thinking.

DropYourSword · 21/01/2022 06:55

I get letters like that from time to time.

I'm not interested in selling so they go straight in the bin.

If I was interest med in selling I'd definitely contact them. Why wouldn't you want to contact an enthusiastically keen and motivated buyer. Not to do so is bizarre. Why would you cut your nose off to spite your face?!

blametheparents · 21/01/2022 07:01

We bought our current house that way.
We identified an area that we really liked and put leaflets through a few doors asking people to contact us if they were thinking of selling.
So it can work out.
Love our current house and I’m glad we did it.