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Original poster

Can I accept an offer on my house but still allow this weekends viewings

302 replies

mum61 · 26/03/2022 05:55

My house has been on the market for a couple of weeks and I have had an offer from a guy who made a low offer then a second offer just below the guide price.. I said I would accept his offer but wanted to honour 2 viewings for tomorrow after which, if no other offers are forthcoming I would formally accept and take the house of the market.
My agent is pressuring me not to allow the 2 viewings to go ahead and take the house off the market.( I think because of pressure from the guy who made the offer, saying he's very assertive)
Am I being unreasonable?

OP posts:
HTH1 · 26/03/2022 07:45

I also have a bad feeling about your potential buyer (he sounds like he would be a nightmare to deal with and probably try to lower the price at the last minute).

The market is really hot and you’re not in a rush so why bind yourself to only these two viewings? You said you were inclined to accept the offer, not that you would definitely accept it.

Look at it this way: if you met a CF stranger in the street and he asked you to transfer thousands of pounds into his bank account, you would laugh and walk away. So why is this potential buyer trying to force you into accepting a low offer and therefore lose out on what could be tens of thousands any different?

WashedupTroll · 26/03/2022 07:46

For goodness sake, you don’t owe anyone anything at this stage - what a load of nonsense saying you are being dishonest etc!

Agree and all the nonsense of previous posters saying that they would pull out if you didn't cancel viewings. It's a sellers market the demands of sellers that used to work don't cut the mustard anymore.

WeAreTheHeroes · 26/03/2022 07:46

What you should have done is say you'll await the outcome of the viewings before deciding whether to accept his offer. From what you've posted it sounds as though you've rejected his first offer and said something along the lines that if he makes a higher offer closer to the guide price you'll accept it. What are you going to do? Continue to allow viewings right up to exchange, just in case you get a higher offer? You're obviously not happy with the offer. Be honest. Estate agent valuations are often guesswork and they do have a tendency to value high in order to flatter you and get your business.

If I were viewing and found out you'd already accepted an offer I wouldn't trust you. If I thought you'd accepted my offer then found out you were having other offers, I wouldn't trust you.

balalake · 26/03/2022 07:48

You've been honest with him but it is not what I would have done.

Reading this, I would be a bit concerned about dealing with this potential buyer at all. I can forsee his 'assertiveness' leading to some dirty trick/practice should none of the other two people viewing the property making a better offer. He seems the kind of person who a day or two before completion would try to get you to drop your price for some spurious reason.

Zonder · 26/03/2022 07:48

@ZoyaTheDestroyer

Your mistake was accepting the offer. Better to leave the offer on the table, allow the booked viewings to proceed, then accept or decline the offer.
She didn't, so that's good.

What happened was the potential buyer made a low offer ,which I rejected then made a revised offer just under GP and pressure to take house off the market (He knew we had 2 viewings the next day)
I Thanked him for the increased offer and said I was inclined to accept but wanted to allow the 2 viewings I had already agreed to.

Lilac57 · 26/03/2022 07:52

I thought it was usual for viewings to stop once the survey had been booked, but not before? Then at least you know they’re serious buyers. If your agent is telling the truth, your buyer sounds like they could turn into a bit of a nightmare, so you might be better off with a different buyer anyway!

EyesOpening · 26/03/2022 07:52

YANBU
Being as some buyers ask that if the offer is accepted, if the seller would take it off the market, then it’s obvious that unless they do, the house is still very much on the market and therefore other viewings may happen.

ChateauMargaux · 26/03/2022 07:53

You are under no obligation to accept this offer. Also the idea that the house is taken off the market immediately when an offer is accepted is in part created by the TV programme, Location Location Location.. until your buyer had instructed a solicitor, you can carry on marketing and I have heard of races to exchange, though I disagree with that as money needs to be spent to get to that stage.

Ireolu · 26/03/2022 07:53

Hope the viewings go well today and you r able to proceed with someone you feel comfortable with. Your original potential buyer sounds like hard work...

CovidCanDoOne123 · 26/03/2022 07:54

You're definitely not being unreasonable, you've been super clear and it's part of the negotiation process.

The buyer is (obviously) trying to avoid people coming in with a higher offer, but that's not in your best interests. You will kick yourself if he flakes and you hadn't allowed the other viewings.

Good luck! (And let us know how you get on!)

Musicaltheatremum · 26/03/2022 07:56

In Scotland you don't have to accept an offer either and frequently especially just now you set a closing date and go to best and final offer. If you got another offer from these two viewings I would do that rather than a bidding war. Friend of mine had 14 people offer on her house! She made about 25% over the asking price!

Original poster
mum61 · 26/03/2022 07:57

@rwalker
Because I had already agreed to 2 viewings and told the potential buyer I wanted to honour them .
I did this because I had a previous experience where a buyer whose offer I accepted pulled out weeks down the process because he felt he'd bitten off more than he could chew financially ,I lost the house I offered on because of it.
So id ont want to piss off any other interest incase this offer falls through.
I don think 2 viewings id already agreed to is being a twat respectfully.

OP posts:
AnotherEmma · 26/03/2022 08:00

I think your error was in telling him you are "inclined to accept".
You should have said that you would consider his offer over the weekend and get back to him Monday.
No need to even tell him about the other viewings, given how pushy he is.
If he wants you to take it off the market immediately he'll need to offer more.
But I'd be disinclined to sell to him anyway, he sounds like a bully. The wifi thing would have started the alarm bells ringing for me.
Hopefully one of the people viewing this weekend will match or beat his offer.

NeverAgainSam · 26/03/2022 08:04

The estate agent doesn't care if you get an extra £10000, as say2% of that (their commission) is only an increase of £200.

They just want a sale. For any amount. They 100% do not care what price it sells at. So of course the EA will not be thinking "Oh these viewing may mean and extra £10/15K in Mum61's pocket" They just want the deal done.

Normandy144 · 26/03/2022 08:05

I think what you're doing is sensible. He's trying to pressure you. Respectfully say that you wish the remaining two viewings to go ahead. I personally wouldn't have given him feedback on his second offer, other than to say you'll let the estate agent know once you've had those other viewings, but it's done now.

Cocopogo · 26/03/2022 08:06

I would go ahead with the viewings and tell the EA to do final and highest by Wednesday

Malibuismysecrethome · 26/03/2022 08:09

Go ahead and have the viewings. He hasn’t bought the house yet and as he’s so assertive I wouldn’t engage with him directly. I would also be advising the agents that they don’t work for him they work for me.

emmathedilemma · 26/03/2022 08:10

Don't accept his offer until the weekend viewings have taken place.

user3837313202 · 26/03/2022 08:11

As someone trying to buy at the moment, having viewings cancelled because they have accepted another offer is infuriating.

On one occasion it was (based on Rightmove info) my dream house with an unusual feature that would be perfect for me. I took the first viewing date offered, and intended to offer significantly over the asking price. Then my viewing got cancelled because they'd accepted an offer from someone who was allowed to view before the open house.

VerbenaVerveine · 26/03/2022 08:13

Oh no, not the WiFi guy!
He shows all the signs of being a nightmare buyer, aren't you worried that he messes you around again? Like revising his offer down once you're committed to buying somewhere?

DisforDarkChocolate · 26/03/2022 08:16

Your buyer already sounds like he's going to be hard work. I'd definitely let the other viewings go ahead.

Franklin12 · 26/03/2022 08:18

Never again is right. Yes, there is more commission on a higher price but if you work it out which some people seem puzzled about doing the difference between £10k in the sellers pocket and a few hundred in the EA’s shows that a higher price isn’t really something they would be pushing to get. Our neighbour put their house on market and got a number of asking price offers. It was clear it should have gone on higher with a maybe a best and final. In a hot area.

The EA took their foot off the pedal assuming their job had been done. Eventually neighbour decided not to sell which is another story.

Franklin12 · 26/03/2022 08:20

Also what is it with these dominant men thinking they can bully and aggressively put themselves to the front of the queue.

NoSquirrels · 26/03/2022 08:20

I Thanked him for the increased offer and said I was inclined to accept but wanted to allow the 2 viewings I had already agreed to.

You’ve been honest. Let the viewings go ahead.

Andacherryonthetop · 26/03/2022 08:20

You are being entirely reasonable. I would have just not said ‘accept’ but rather ‘not declining and will respond on Monday’ but you’ve been upfront with everyone so not dishonest at all