AIBU to think we should be able to view a house even though we aren’t selling?

[HolidayHun2020]

So a house has come up for sale near us, we’re in a position that it’s not the ideal time for us to buy BUT for the right price and property we could make it work. Our house isn’t on the market but if we wanted to go for something we would put it up straight away. We plan to look at selling and actively trying to move within the next 6-12 months. I want to go and see this house as I saw it a couple of years ago and fell in love with it. It’s come up again, but the estate agent has said that we can’t view it unless we proceed with putting our house up and then if it’s a no from us on the house we are viewing we would then need to get out of the contract to sell our house!

AIBU that this is ridiculous? We just want to see this one house on the off chance it’s the one? If we offer and they say no under the circumstance fair enough. Should we just walk away until we are definitely ready to move.

Having sold in both sellers’ and buyers’ markets in the past my maxim is to have as many people through the door as possibly. Every viewer has a 50/50 chance of giving false hope, you could have dozens of proceedable viewers who don’t like it enough to make an offer.

@HolidayHun2020 I've sold and bought homes far too many times over the past 30 years and, whilst in the early days, we were able to view potential houses before we had sold or were even on the market, since (probably) around 2000 it hasn't been encouraged. There were lots of people around that time (including my mothers friend 😡) who would spend their weekends 'viewing' properties for no other reason than pure nosiness and, quite rightly, the EA started clamping down.

Yes it was inconvenient for us as sellers to prioritise our buyers requirements over our own wants as we had to move into rented/live with family/in a caravan in between moves but we were lucky enough to be able to do that. My friend refused to move out until she co-ordinated her sale and purchase to complete on the same day so lost two buyers in succession because her purchase took much longer than anticipated. We weren't willing to take the chance of not finding another buyer so took the hit ourselves.
The last two houses I've bought (2015 then 2019) , I've not been able to book viewings until I had a firm offer for mine. Still ended up living with parents again as my buyers wanted to move in before I could move into my new place. I'm NEVER moving again now!

But the OP isn't 50/50 @Blossomtoes. She's got to like it then market her home then get a buyer.

And that makes her a very motivated seller.

But that's irrelevant if there's no buyers like you're suggesting @Blossomtoes

It’s highly relevant. The slower the market, the more motivated sellers have to be. There are a lot of people who are going to have a hell of a shock over the next few years if they’ve only bought and sold in a sellers’ market. The rarity of the lesser spotted buyer makes the entire process different.

This is the norm now affordable houses are so scarce now all estate agents have rules like this

OP I agree with you that this is annoying but it is the way a lot of estate agents currently work!

We strongly considered moving last year, there's nothing wrong with our house we just would like a little more space for our growing family. We only wanted to move for the right house. We found some Estate agents were stricter than others on the "must be for sale first" but ultimately we didn't want to sell up without being guaranteed something better so we didn't sell. The ones I liked best seemed to come up with one of the strict estate agents. So they've lost themselves some business haven't they?

DH really likes our house and won't want to move unless there really is something he likes more so I guess we'll just stay cramped forever :/

I'm sure house buying used to be different, didn't people even see houses more than once to be sure they liked it? The market is slowing so perhaps things will return to a slower pace instead of the current view once and put an offer in immediately and house is sold within a week craziness

Call it ‘entitlement’, Stupidity, naivety… whatever. And I don’t say this with any attitude or anything but I just can’t get my head around the logic of putting my house on the market to see ONE house. Genuinely we won’t be seeing any more because there aren’t any in our current budget. To have an estate agent round, photos taken, listing uploaded, potential viewings booked to then turn around and potentially say the next day; We’re taking it off a day later because we don’t actually like house, or it’s gone within an hour of the opening day because someone’s offered a silly amount in cash, surely that inconveniences more people? To have a quick view around on an open day, call the EA the next day find out what the situation is, get ours up and make an offer - I don’t see what’s so unfair to the seller in that scenario. Surely we’re the only ones who would lose out? There are a fair few posters who have said they’ve been in this situation and it’s worked out and no one’s been hard done by because ultimately the sellers have sold and the buyers have bought.

In the past we have viewed properties without being on the market. I always got the impression EAs wanted people through the door. We had to provide proof of funds when submitting offers but nothing for viewings.

We’re in a similar position where we would potentially move for the right house but we’re in no great hurry as our house is fine for a young family. About a year ago a house came up for sale in my dream location and this prompted us to get ours valued. The EAs were confident they could get photos, floorplans etc done and the house on the market in under a week. The dream house sold immediately so we didn’t list. We have a 4 bed detached and larger family homes don’t come up in our area often- maybe a few times a year- so I wouldn’t want to keep a buyer dangling whilst we waited for a house to come up for sale.

We have an empty property on the market at the moment, there’s been lots of viewings but no offers, that’s just house buying and selling surely?

I don’t see the problem with you going along for a viewing at an open day. The vendor has to get the house ready anyway, so might as well maximise people through the door.

Good luck!

I would be willing to put my house up. To buy this one? At the moment with what we have, we could afford this house (if we got it for asking) that’s one house out of hundreds where we live that we can afford right now. In six months time, if the mortgage rates drop or the market stabilises a bit there may be six houses we can afford? Had this house not come up obviously we would want to wait for the latter scenario, I’m sure any house buyer would. I honestly just can’t see the logic of listing our house, potentially having buyers booked in to turn around and say sorry, when we are only viewing ONE house that we maybe don’t end up liking, or love it and get massively gazumped.

I just can’t get my head around the logic of putting my house on the market to see ONE house. Genuinely we won’t be seeing any more because there aren’t any in our current budget. To have an estate agent round, photos taken, listing uploaded, potential viewings booked to then turn around and potentially say the next day; We’re taking it off a day later because we don’t actually like house, or it’s gone within an hour of the opening day because someone’s offered a silly amount in cash, surely that inconveniences more people?

I know it sounds illogical, but I guess it's to filter out the timewasters/nosy neighbours. I know you are not one, but there are plenty out there, and the EA can't know which you are. As frustrating as it is for you, I guess that the EA/vendors think that they will have enough interest from potential buyers who are in a position to proceed, without having to take the time and effort to accommodate viewers who are not. It's the way it often works, and doesn't mean it's wrong, even though it doesn't work for you.

Would you really let someone in off the street and show them around your house without having the security of the checks the EAs make before they allow a viewing ? I wouldn’t. I’d refer them to the EA - that’s what you’re paying their fees for.

I honestly just can’t see the logic of listing our house, potentially having buyers booked in to turn around and say sorry, when we are only viewing ONE house that we maybe don’t end up liking, or love it and get massively gazumped

But if you don't do this, you won't be able to offer anyway. Most vendors won't accept an offer from someone who hasn't sold, let alone not put their house on the market, even if you love the new property. And if you love it has much as you think you might, so will others, so you're likely to get beaten to offering anyway. Get it listed, see if there's interest, then if you do have to take it off the market, as least you'll be all ready to go again if things improve in 6 months time.

OP like a lot of things in life today sometimes you just have to tick the boxes!

if the estate agent wont let you view now - call them - get them to put your house on the market on the understanding that you ONLY want this other house - it takes longer than 24 hrs to go on the market officially unless you already have an up to date EPC (they are valid for 10 years) as EPC needs to be done, normally along with the floorplan.

see the house you are interested in and if it doesnt work for you then take yours off the market.

buying and selling houses is difficult as you are finding out - like chicken and egg - just dont sign a contract agreeing to be with the agent for a few weeks - although when i worked in agency very rarely would an EA stop you from withdrawing your house from the market completely - those agreements are there to stop you moving to another agent and possibly ending up selling to people they could have sold to.

dont try and fight the system. They may know that this house is going to sell very quickly, possibly to CASH buyers and that even if your house is on the market you wont get a look in. Selling and buying another house, even without a long chain can take 4-5 months.

I know it sounds illogical, but I guess it's to filter out the timewasters/nosy neighbours. I know you are not one, but there are plenty out there, and the EA can't know which you are. As frustrating as it is for you, I guess that the EA/vendors think that they will have enough interest from potential buyers who are in a position to proceed, without having to take the time and effort to accommodate viewers who are not.

It's this - downside is it can weed out potential buyers as well.

The house we weren't allowed to view - never went back on our list because we needed to move fast when we got an offer and we weren't convinced they were serious about selling. We did second viewing on ones DH had already seen and we were in the new house months before that house sold.

I assume as it changes to a buyers market seller will have to get more flexible.

God, stop overthinking this and just go round and knock on their door. Have a chat and explain the situation and ask if they would mind you joining on one of the open days to view the property. If they say yes, just email the estate agent and advise you’ve spoken to the owners direct to agree a viewing. It’ll piss them off no end but needs must. Sometimes you have to be a little ballsy and take the approach of “the worst they can say is no”. Obviously if the property is really desirable and reasonably priced it’s unlikely the owners would accept an offer from you but no harm in trying! Let us know how it goes 🙂

This is a good point. And there’s another angle. I’ve been involved in a chain where the whole thing came crashing down because a buyer lower down pulled out when the property they originally wanted came back on the market after the sale fell through. I’ve also lost my own buyer on one occasion for the same reason - and the sale was almost at the point of exchange. You have to start again and face increased charges from the conveyancing solicitors for work already done. What the OP doesn’t seem to realise is that if your own home isn’t even on the market, you can only offer on something else in principle - it doesn’t mean anything because if another buyer comes along who can proceed, you’ll lose out. And what happens if you’ve put your home on the market in the meantime, you attract a buyer and find that the home you wanted has gone ? What the OP seems to be saying is that they would pull out in that scenario because they’re not prepared to sell for anything other than the property they wanted. Conveniently forgetting that the EA has introduced them to a buyer who is able to proceed, which makes them liable for EA fees. It demonstrates a lack of understanding of how things work.

And in the meantime be liable for EA fees if they introduce a buyer with the means to proceed.

So the initial EA I spoke to said I had to have a conversation with EA manager about selling. I explained that we only wanted to see this house and he said ‘Fine, not the done thing but go and see the house see what you think. If you like it whatsapp me straight away and I’ll have someone round to get yours up’

The first viewing day is tomorrow and is fully booked so I’m expecting the house to be gone by my potential viewing slot anyway.

I have been in this position as well. Viewed a house after accepting an offer on our own, and the seller wouldn’t accept our offer until they had secured their own sale. They dithered about so much that in the end we withdrew the offer and went for something else. That’s the chance you take.

And in the meantime be liable for EA fees if they introduce a buyer with the means to proceed

I've never sold a house where you had to pay the EA until exchange/completion. Most are on a no sale, no fee contract. Certainly never had a fee for introducing a buyer! IME, most EA don't operate this way, and I can't imagine many sellers would sign such a contract.

where you had to pay the EA until exchange/completion. Sorry, before exchange, not until

But this is the way it works !! Nothing in the process of buying and selling is set in stone and you have to be prepared to be flexible. If you accept an offer on your own, only to find you can’t find anywhere you like, then you have to communicate this to your buyer via the EA. You take the chance that either they will agree to delay until you find somewhere, or they will walk and take their business elsewhere. But you also have to accept that in that situation the EA, the buyer and the buyers’ legal rep will be putting you under pressure to find somewhere because you’re holding everyone else up, and the longer the process goes on the higher the legal fees. Your buyer may have their own buyer to consider and a lot depends on the pressures being brought to bear up and down the chain. You’re not just ‘inconveniencing’ the chain, you’re risking bringing the whole thing down, sabotaging other sales and increasing the legal fees for everyone involved. And you don’t appear to understand that once you accept an offer introduced by the EA, who is able to proceed, you then become liable for the EA fees.

And you don’t appear to understand that once you accept an offer introduced by the EA, who is able to proceed, you then become liable for the EA fees

I don't think that's true. Or at least, it needn't be. I'd stay clear of any EA asking for this sort of fee.