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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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:
Snowflakes1122 · 26/03/2022 10:46

Not sure where you are, but around here houses are like gold dust. I would rush to accept an offer just yet. Most are going way over the asking prices right now.

So, YANBU

Snowflakes1122 · 26/03/2022 10:46

Wouldn’t*

Whinge · 26/03/2022 10:49

@fuzzyduck1

Any house that comes on the market in stoke on trent is going 10-20% above asking price so I’d let the viewings go ahead and see if you attract any more offers
I don't think OP said they were in Stoke on Trent, but perhaps i've missed an update.

OPs house has been on the market for a few weeks and they only have 1 offer (and 3 total viewings). Although the market is fast moving in many places, perhaps OPs area isn't one of them or the house isn't appealing to many buyers.

Honeyroar · 26/03/2022 10:50

I think you shouldn’t have accepted the offer until the others had viewed (surely would be normal as his offer wasn’t full price anyway). I haven’t bought a house for a long time. It used to be considered sold when an offer was accepted, so bad form to allow more viewings. Back in the late 80s houses were in demand where I was living because they’d improved the train lines to London, and “gazumping” was a thing, where a cash buyer offered a higher price on a house that had already accepted an offer. It was really frowned upon. Now it sounds like the done thing.

maddiemookins16mum · 26/03/2022 10:56

@Zonder

He sounds like a bit of a bully which could have implications for how the sale proceeds. I would say you can't accept an offer until you've honoured all the booked viewings.
100% this.
RobertsRadio · 26/03/2022 10:57

You are doing the sensible thing to allow the pre-arranged viewings to go ahead, and haven't lied about this to Wi-Fi man or your EA. See what next week brings before making a decision. I agree that Wi-Fi man sounds like he will be a scheming bastard down the line and for that reason I really hope you get a better offer from someone else. Good Luck Op.

MyrtlethePurpleTurtle · 26/03/2022 11:01

@vastgrandupgrade

You can’t have it both ways. Either accept the offer and cancel the viewings, or leave the offer on the table and wait for the outcome of the weekend viewings. But be honest with the person who has offered.
Of course she can have it both ways!
BingBangB0ng · 26/03/2022 11:06

@DancingBarefootOnIce

Are you in the UK? I’m surprised any house is going for under the asking price (assuming it’s reasonable and close to valuation). I wouldn’t rush to accept the offer and have more viewings. Though obviously I don’t know your situation and whether you’re rushed.
I bought for 10% under asking in London a couple of months ago.
Headabovetheparakeet · 26/03/2022 11:18

I think what you're doing is sensible and given how the potential buyer has behaved with you, I'd be open to accepting the same offer from someone else if they seemed less challenging to deal with.

We moved to a different city last year (about 200 miles from the last one) and travelled back and forth for viewings. We saw a house on Rightmove that was perfect, we loved it. Booked a viewing, both took a day off work, booked train tickets. The night before the agent called and said the vendor had accepted an offer so the viewing was cancelled. We were gutted.

Four weeks later, got a call from the agent saying that the sale had fallen through and asking if we could view it straightaway as the vendor was concerned about losing her next house and needed to get the sale through before the Stamp Duty holiday ended.

We were away at the time and weren't able to make the viewing. The EA even suggested we fly over to see it and then go back. She was clearly desperate to find a new buyer quickly. We declined and bought another house a few weeks later. The other house wasn't marked as Under Offer until 3 weeks after they called us so she definitely missed the Stamp Duty holiday.

Iwannerbeyourslave · 26/03/2022 11:22

Mmmmm, I was in a similar situation several years ago. Pressure fron EA to accept an offer. Turned out the buyer was a property developer (told me he was buying the house as a gift for his daughter - turned out to be a lie) and a friend of one of the EA directors. Most EA's will hold off more more viewings so they can create a bidding war and get you the maximum offer possible. They work for you...not the buyer!

gingerhills · 26/03/2022 11:25

I wouldn't accept it and continue with offers. This sounds like you don't know what you want. I'd say you are considering it but honouring the weekend viewings and will review the offer in the light of them. You could also say that full asking price will secure the house and the viewings will be cancelled. but not for less than that.

collieresponder88 · 26/03/2022 11:26

You should not have accepted the offer until the other two viewings were done. Essentially you would blow your buyer out if you were offered more so it was underhand and to accept his offer

C8H10N4O2 · 26/03/2022 11:28

@collieresponder88

You should not have accepted the offer until the other two viewings were done. Essentially you would blow your buyer out if you were offered more so it was underhand and to accept his offer
Its not remotely underhand if you accept provisionally and make it clear the house will stay on the market.

Then the buyer is also free to make other offers or withdraw or increase their offer.

astoundedgoat · 26/03/2022 11:32

Wifi man will drop down to his original offer after the survey, at most.

If he is being "assertive" already, which is code for "fucking scary and bullying the EA" he is going to make your life a misery and squeeze you for everything you've got.

I would be inclined to just decline his offer, on the reasonable assumption that he isn't going to stick to it, and is highly likely to try to bully you down the line, especially if you're not in a massive panic to sell.

I feel like a lot of the people above haven't read your OP where you literally say that you told him you would accept his offer ONLY IF no better offer came through over the weekend?

astoundedgoat · 26/03/2022 11:33

@collieresponder88

You should not have accepted the offer until the other two viewings were done. Essentially you would blow your buyer out if you were offered more so it was underhand and to accept his offer
From the OP: "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."
EthelTheAardvark · 26/03/2022 11:40

@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.
OP didn't accept it. She said she was inclined to accept, but would decide after the two viewings.
MrsMoastyToasty · 26/03/2022 11:40

Tell him you will take sealed bids/ best and final offers by end of play Monday. If the guy wants it so much he needs to play against the competition.

IVFConfusion · 26/03/2022 11:47

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

notanothertakeaway · 26/03/2022 11:50

@Geezabreak82

The answer to this depends on where you are in the UK. If you are in Scotland and verbally accept an offer you can be expected to pay compensation if you go back on the agreement. If you are in England I believe you can back out without consequence until a formal agreement is signed by both signs.
@Geezabreak82

In Scotland, either side could pull out before missives are concluded, in the same way that, in England, either side could pull out before contracts are exchanged

Legally, it's quite similar. The difference in cultural. In Scotland, it's very much not the done thing, poor practice. In England, I've always understood it was more accepted as a risk

Maggiethecat · 26/03/2022 11:51

sounds OP was indicating that his offer amount was acceptable provided there was no better offer from the pending 2 viewings.

that's why the buyer is keen to force her hand.

you've done nothing underhand as you have told him about the pending viewings and it must be evident that you'd only do that with the intention of considering offers from them or else what would be the point of showing? for them to admire your curtains?

Viviennemary · 26/03/2022 11:51

No you can't do this. You accepted the offer. You should have said you still had more viewings and then would get back to him.

MaudieandMe · 26/03/2022 11:52

Just pass on to the prospective buyer that you're still thinking it over and let others come and view your house.

Years ago the estate agent tried to get me to lower my asking price as he had some sort of deal with a local businessman who was buying up houses on my estate to rent out to tenants. It was a nice small estate but near to the city centre.
Obviously, I didn't know about his deal at the time but I stood firm on my (higher than average) asking price because I knew it was a sellers market at the time and I was moving to a much more expensive area due to work so needed to get as much as possible for the house.

Interestingly, this businessman agreed to pay the higher price immediately because he was so keen to have it. I only discovered about the arrangement by accident a few months later when talking to my ex neighbours.

Basically, estate agents want their commission asap with as little effort as possible. They're supposed to be working for you but act like they're doing you a favour.

EthelTheAardvark · 26/03/2022 11:52

@Viviennemary

No you can't do this. You accepted the offer. You should have said you still had more viewings and then would get back to him.
No, she didn't accept the offer. Read her posts.
girlmom21 · 26/03/2022 11:54

@IVFConfusion

My gut tells me that you should dump the EA and the person that has made the offer - wait for the price you've asked for.
I agree. I wouldn't trust the EA.
Viviennemary · 26/03/2022 11:54

Sounds like OP was clear in which case thats fine and she shouldnt be bullied by the estate agent. Sorry I misunderstood.

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