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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

To want to view a house without putting mine on the market

75 replies

Cornishbelle · 04/02/2022 12:48

Contacted estate agents yesterday to make viewing appointment for a house that has just come on the market. Was told would be called back but nothing. Rang again today and mentioned we would be interested in a price for ours so they are coming to value early next week then will arrange a viewing of other house. Is there an expectation that your house is on the market before you even go and look these days? We're not desperate to move but would for the right house, but it seems you have to be all in or nothing , what if you sell yours but can't find anything you want to move to?

OP posts:

bjjgirl · 04/02/2022 12:50

I wouldn't want to let someone view my house if it was on the market who wasn't in a position to buy.
All the cleaning, schedule organising, hope for no offer

ShallWeTalkAboutBruno · 04/02/2022 12:51

Yes, that is the expectation in this market. As a seller, would you want the aggro of cleaning/going out for someone who hasn’t even got their house on the market? It’s a waste of their time. The likelihood is that in this market they’ll have plenty of viewers who are in a position to proceed.

LittleGwyneth · 04/02/2022 12:52

Sellers are more rare than buyers at the moment, and I think they make the bulk of their money from selling, so EAs are under pressure to get your house on the market with them, whereas showing you houses is a lesser consideration.

Redlorryyellowduck · 04/02/2022 12:52

I think its changed in recent years. I always did it the way you say, find the next house then sell mine. Now estate agents want proof that yours is under offer first.
I'm like you, not desperate to move, but would for the perfect house. Guess I'm staying put 🤷

FedUpOfLighteningCrotch · 04/02/2022 12:53

Yes. I think this has been more prominent since covid, because viewing would only take place of buyers are serious; and with the state of the market it would be pointless to have someone view your home then wait god knows how long for them to go through the process of selling their own house if they did want to buy.

Lots of estate agents are asking that people are in a position to buy before viewing, some even requesting having a mortgage in principle I believe but I may be wrong on that!

ShallWeTalkAboutBruno · 04/02/2022 12:54

@Redlorryyellowduck

I think its changed in recent years. I always did it the way you say, find the next house then sell mine. Now estate agents want proof that yours is under offer first. I'm like you, not desperate to move, but would for the perfect house. Guess I'm staying put 🤷

Think about that from the sellers perspective. Why would they want to go to the aggro of a viewing for someone who isn’t that bothered about moving? It’s a sellers market, likelihood is they’ll have plenty of other viewers/offers.

ringoutthebells · 04/02/2022 12:55

@Redlorryyellowduck

I think its changed in recent years. I always did it the way you say, find the next house then sell mine. Now estate agents want proof that yours is under offer first. I'm like you, not desperate to move, but would for the perfect house. Guess I'm staying put 🤷

Same, yes I've found this really annoying. Completely different than when I bought my last two properties. But it's a seller's market, so can't see it changing til that does.

theemmadilemma · 04/02/2022 12:56

Yep, this was the case last year when we bought. Some places would allow viewings if you were on the market. Some would only allow if you were under offer.

It's a fast paced market atm.

user094746788 · 04/02/2022 12:56

I've got a house on the market at the moment. Perfectly happy for people to view as it's empty, and the estates agents are doing all the legwork.

We've had multiple offers from people who can move a lot quicker because they're cash buyers / renting / home is under offer already. It makes far more sense to go with one of them than to wait for someone else to faff about putting their home on the market.

Cosmois · 04/02/2022 12:56

I am just in the middle of buying a new house and selling our old house. I would have been annoyed if our agents had just let people come nose about our house if they hadn't even got their house on the market yet.

bagelsandcheese · 04/02/2022 12:56

Yeah unfortunately this is the expectation now as there are not many houses on the market.
the good thing is that most estate agents are no sale no fee so if you can't find a house you can just take yours back of the market even if you have a buyer. they won't let the buyer proceed with anything until you find a property so the buyer won't lose out on any money if you take it back off.
estate agents can also get you market ready, so they take all the pictures have the floor plans ready ect and all the admin side and once you have seen a house they can just click live so that yours is on the market.

KerrrrrrrChingADing · 04/02/2022 12:57

This has been the way for at least 30 years where I live. Mad I know.

HeyBlaby · 04/02/2022 12:57

I wouldn't be wasting my time having someone view who didn't have an offer on their house, had 8 viewings two days after house ad went up, all ready to proceed.

DreamerSeven · 04/02/2022 12:59

We recently sold and refused to see anyone who wasn’t under offer, it’s hard enough getting the house ready for viewers without doing it for people who aren’t in a position to proceed.

womaninatightspot · 04/02/2022 13:00

So much work involved in getting a house ready for viewing. I suppose the upside of covid for sellers is it's stopped people who just want to have a nose around your house :)

GrowBabyGrow · 04/02/2022 13:00

We were looking pre covid and were allowed to book a viewing before our property was on the market. Then covid hit and the market went crazy and when we were looking again last year some agents wouldn't let us look before we had an offer on our property! It's understandable though, it's a lot of hassle to get a place ready for a viewing and your offer will only be accepted if you are in a position to buy. So it sort of wastes your time as well as the sellers (unless you are a cash buyer) if you are looking without being able to put an offer in

Roselilly36 · 04/02/2022 13:03

@Cosmois

Me too! We moved last year, EA were told unless a viewer was proceedable no to viewing. Worked fine for us, our house sold quickly. Such a sellers market atm, why bother wasting time with viewers that aren’t in a position to buy? I went to a lot of effort for viewers making sure every room with clean, tidy etc, not easy when you are selling a large family home.

Ohbotherpiglet · 04/02/2022 13:03

Turn it around I guess, if they have ten people who want to view and 9 of them have sold their house already why would they need your viewing? It only makes sense to see people in your position if they are struggling to get offers/viewings

Letsallscreamatthesistene · 04/02/2022 13:06

Yes. When we booked viewings we were asked where we were along the process of selling ours.

ToykotoLosAngeles · 04/02/2022 13:09

Yes, and it was this way back in 2013 when I last bought. For all they know you will be one of those people who decides their house is worth £50k over what people will pay and take months to sell.

Kfjsjdbd · 04/02/2022 13:10

I just bought a house that I first saw without mine being on the market. However I was totally ready to sell, and the estate agent said that they wanted ours to list (which I was totally prepared to do). It all worked well and we are in our dream house, with only about 8 weeks between viewing and completing.

nansbigpants · 04/02/2022 13:12

I sold my last house not long before Covid and until we told the EA to only accept viewings from people with houses on the market we had loads of people looking round who were clearly not seriously considering buying. Mine was a first time buyer type property so we got loads of people who told us during the viewing that they were just getting an idea of the market for when they were ready to buy. In our area the EAs usually expect the owner to do the viewings so each viewing meant cancelling other plans not to mention all the tidying and trying to keep DC relatively quiet etc. I'm sure some of the people we took round just did viewings as a Sunday afternoon jolly (we're in a fairly tourist town too)

ChildrenGrowingUpTooFast · 04/02/2022 13:12

I bought my current house 6 years ago and the expectation was already you view when an offer was accepted in your current house. The market was hot but less hot compared to now. If your house is not under offer already, you are essentially wasting everyone else's time.

Original poster

Cornishbelle · 04/02/2022 13:13

It does all make sense I can understand why people don't want to entertain time wasters. Thing is we would be seriously interested for the right property. The house we want to view is no chain and looking at photos is an elderly person who's either passed away or gone into care. Believe it would be the estate agent showing us around.

As a buyer I'd be so upset to set my heart on something then have to find somewhere else as the seller couldn't find anywhere.

I guessed it's the market we'll just have to see how it goes thanks everyone for the input

OP posts:

Woobeedoo · 04/02/2022 13:13

I was trying to make appointments to view properties back in June, my house hadn’t yet gone on the market and each estate agent I tried to view with refused to let me through the door - they were even reluctant when the house was on the market but was 3 days away from Open House viewings (houses where I used to live would sell on first open house).

As soon as mine was under offer, agents were falling over themselves to let me view properties.

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