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Original poster

Cheeky couples on Location Location Location

137 replies

Arbesque · 12/08/2022 09:35

Just watched another episode where Bob and Lisa have been trying, for 2 years, to find a house within their 350k budget that meets all of their criteria.
Kirsty finds them one that has the 3 bedrooms, tick, big garden, tick, off street parking, tick and is in one of their preferred areas. It's on at 350k
Bob and Lisa love it and are beyond amazed that the perfect house in the perfect area, within budget, exists because in their 2 years of searching they have never one.

They decide to go in with a 'cheeky' (insulting) offer of 325. They are a bit miffed when this is turned down and up their offer to 330. Again, to their amazement this is turned down and the Estate Agent patiently explains that the vendors feel the asking price is fair.

Bob and Lisa very reluctantly up their offer to 340 and are shocked and hurt this is also rejected. They decide to 'walk away' and 3 months later are 'still looking' for their dream house.

No wonder, with that attitude.

If the house is worth it and you have the money just PAY THE ASKING PRICE and stop mucking everyone around.

OP posts:
PyjamaFan · 12/08/2022 09:38

I agree.

I had a buyer make a very low offer and then when I refused repeatedly raised it by £1k at a time.

It annoyed me so much that I wouldn't have sold to him even if he had ever reached a fair price.

Twat.

ComtesseDeSpair · 12/08/2022 09:38

The ironic thing is that I think it was LLL which popularised the idea that buyers should always offer under asking even if they really liked the property and could find little fault with it, and that generally you should expect to be able to get the magic figure of 10% as a discount on the list price. Most house buyers now seem to think of this as the standard way to buy property.

Icanstillrecallourlastsummer · 12/08/2022 09:38

I always get the feeling that on LLL the couples are encouraged to give a generous budget range. I suspect they probably get some encouraging financial advice on what they could, hypothetically, borrow and are encouraged to use that. The houses are often top end of their budget range too. I suspect they often get cold feet about actually borrowing the maximum they can afford.

That, and clearly if you have been looking for 2 years and seen and rejected a trillion houses you have unrealisitic expectations of what you can get for your money.

LoobyDop · 12/08/2022 09:38

Even paying the asking price doesn’t cut it these days. I have made two offers recently for £45k and £50k above, and lost out both times by some way.

bloodywhitecat · 12/08/2022 09:39

A house is only worth what someone is prepared to pay for it. Offers are normal aren't they, they were the last time I bought a house. I'd be interested to know if that house was still on the market 3 months later.

Icanstillrecallourlastsummer · 12/08/2022 09:39

Oh, and of course the producers encourage the bidding. It builds suspense and the prospect of a "good deal". It's a TV show for entertainment afterall.

Original poster
Arbesque · 12/08/2022 09:42

bloodywhitecat · 12/08/2022 09:39

A house is only worth what someone is prepared to pay for it. Offers are normal aren't they, they were the last time I bought a house. I'd be interested to know if that house was still on the market 3 months later.

Kirsty thought it was a bargain and you could see she was frustrated the couple were stubbornly refusing to go up to the asking price.

OP posts:
DillonPanthersTexas · 12/08/2022 09:52

I always wonder where some of the couples get their enormous budgets from when they come across as being utterly thick unemployable fuckwits.

RosiePosie80 · 12/08/2022 09:53

Maybe they didn’t think it was worth the asking price, or not to them? Kirstie may be the expert but it’s not her money 🤷‍♀️

I think the show always makes it sounds as if the buyers are sitting there with a pile of cash which they’re meanly refusing to part with. Actually they’re likely to have a mortgage same as anyone else.

Minecraftatemychild · 12/08/2022 09:53

ComtesseDeSpair · 12/08/2022 09:38

The ironic thing is that I think it was LLL which popularised the idea that buyers should always offer under asking even if they really liked the property and could find little fault with it, and that generally you should expect to be able to get the magic figure of 10% as a discount on the list price. Most house buyers now seem to think of this as the standard way to buy property.

Yes. It’s dumb.

I’ve never sold or bought at below asking price, I think it’s a myth. I’ve occasionally tried to haggle but people thought I was mad.

Different if you’re on a tv show 🙄

OnlyEverAutumn · 12/08/2022 09:57

I’ve bought and sold houses for 25 years and have ALWAYS gone in with an offer below asking - and had same from buyers. Totally standard behaviour. (And worked in an estate agency when I was younger and it was accepted then too). Nothing new or unusual about it. House prices are very ballpark figures dreamt up by estate agents, they’re not science 😄.

ILikeHotWaterBottles · 12/08/2022 09:59

Well it only hurts the couple doesn't it? Another two years of looking before they might end up realising it's them, or maybe they are too stupid to realise. Either way, it's them missing out on a house, not the person who ends up buying it.

Original poster
Arbesque · 12/08/2022 10:03

OnlyEverAutumn · 12/08/2022 09:57

I’ve bought and sold houses for 25 years and have ALWAYS gone in with an offer below asking - and had same from buyers. Totally standard behaviour. (And worked in an estate agency when I was younger and it was accepted then too). Nothing new or unusual about it. House prices are very ballpark figures dreamt up by estate agents, they’re not science 😄.

I agree there's no harm starting with a lower, although realistic, price. But booking 2nd and 3rd viewings and stubbornly refusing to offer the asking price on a house you can afford, really love and have seen nothing to match it in 2 years seems silly, and must annoy the he'll out of Phil and Kiesty.

OP posts:
Zooeyzo · 12/08/2022 10:04

I think offering low is fine if you think that it's overpriced by comparing to other sold houses on the same road. Standard practice. But if you really want it and it's in a place that it's desirable then stump up asking price and secure it. Some people go over asking price in a bidding war when they really want it.
People spend so long looking for a bargain that prices keep going up and it gets increasingly difficult.

AntlerRose · 12/08/2022 10:07

I saw an advert for couples to go on the programme looking in my area and it said cash buyers only. Dont know if it was for a special cash buyer episode as i didnt look any further than the advert.

Antarcticant · 12/08/2022 10:07

Remember shows like this are edited - perhaps they didn't 100% like it and thought it would need work doing to make it into their dream home. But 'couple lose dream home by messing about with their offers' makes for more dramatic telly than 'couple factor in price of new kitchen and bathroom in their offer, and vendor declines'.

Candleabra · 12/08/2022 10:07

It can be a bit annoying with the fussy buyers but LLL is generally the only property show where people actually end up buying something.

The worst ones are the “Escape to….” genre. I don’t think I’ve ever seen anyone buy a house on that show. It’s very frustrating for the viewer.

hennybeans · 12/08/2022 10:10

Yes, I never understand how people can search for ages, find a great house and then let the whole thing fall through because they can't reach an agreement over £5 or £10k. It's a lot of money, but not when the whole house is costing you £600k. And prices are rising. And you're paying rent.

It happens so often on these programmes that I suspect a pp above is right about the producers pushing buyers to a budget they aren't really comfortable with.

gatehouseoffleet · 12/08/2022 10:11

If the house is worth it and you have the money just PAY THE ASKING PRICE and stop mucking everyone around

Exactly.

I said yesterday on the other LLL thread that I end up shouting at the TV in these instances.

I sometimes wonder if some of these couples just want their moment on TV and have no intention of buying anything. I know they have to be proceedable to take part, but that doesn't mean they will proceed, just that they are either renting or are cash buyers etc and don't need to sell anything to move.

If you really want it, you will pay the asking price.

If you don't, you'll make a cheeky offer and then walk away if you don't get it. Fair enough, you didn't want it enough. Or you didn't think it was worth the money but then there should be a discussion with the estate agent about what is a reasonable amount, rather than just putting in a silly offer.

Original poster
Arbesque · 12/08/2022 10:12

Antarcticant · 12/08/2022 10:07

Remember shows like this are edited - perhaps they didn't 100% like it and thought it would need work doing to make it into their dream home. But 'couple lose dream home by messing about with their offers' makes for more dramatic telly than 'couple factor in price of new kitchen and bathroom in their offer, and vendor declines'.

The problem is it seems to have given a widespread impression that paying the asking price is some kind of 'defeat' and you should haggle to the death.
I'm in Ireland. Unless there's a recession most houses go for over the asking price. Prices are deliberately set low to get people in the door and bidding against each other.

That's frustrating for buyers!

OP posts:
gatehouseoffleet · 12/08/2022 10:15

OnlyEverAutumn · 12/08/2022 09:57

I’ve bought and sold houses for 25 years and have ALWAYS gone in with an offer below asking - and had same from buyers. Totally standard behaviour. (And worked in an estate agency when I was younger and it was accepted then too). Nothing new or unusual about it. House prices are very ballpark figures dreamt up by estate agents, they’re not science 😄.

Yes but were they silly offers or reasonable offers?

If a house is on the market for £400K, offering say £380 is ok.
If it's been on the market for six months, you might get away with a first offer of £370.

But offering eg £340 would be really cheeky and silly in my view. It depends on the circumstances, but generally I'd say any more than 10% under the asking price is taking the mickey.

Antarcticant · 12/08/2022 10:25

I'm in Ireland. Unless there's a recession most houses go for over the asking price. Prices are deliberately set low to get people in the door and bidding against each other.

This is probably area-dependent. Where I am (area of England where houses are relatively very cheap) if they are ready to move into, they seem to go on high and then get reduced a couple of weeks later. Refurb ones usually go on as 'offers over'.

JudgeJ · 12/08/2022 10:26

Antarcticant · 12/08/2022 10:07

Remember shows like this are edited - perhaps they didn't 100% like it and thought it would need work doing to make it into their dream home. But 'couple lose dream home by messing about with their offers' makes for more dramatic telly than 'couple factor in price of new kitchen and bathroom in their offer, and vendor declines'.

I would imagine that very few people buy a house that needs nothing doing either for taste or repair, though we did. We spent 5 minutes looking round a house, sat at the end of the garden, offered the asking price and it was accepted, moved in 7 weeks later and have done little in 12 years other than repainting a bit!

SleeplessInEngland · 12/08/2022 10:28

I imagine the producers are good at finding slightly difficult couples otherwise there wouldn't be much of a show. "looks good, we'll take it" isn't very dramatic.

Icanstillrecallourlastsummer · 12/08/2022 10:29

Arbesque · 12/08/2022 10:12

The problem is it seems to have given a widespread impression that paying the asking price is some kind of 'defeat' and you should haggle to the death.
I'm in Ireland. Unless there's a recession most houses go for over the asking price. Prices are deliberately set low to get people in the door and bidding against each other.

That's frustrating for buyers!

Show quote history

LLL has followed the same format for years. Decades maybe even? It started in a market where offers were very much the done thing. They are clearly tring to keep that format going in a very different environment. And a huge amnount of this is orchastrated by the producers for viewers. And it works, you are talking about it on a public forum!