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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

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

382 replies

HolidayHun2020 · 06/02/2023 15:39

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.

OP posts:
Hayliebells · 06/02/2023 16:31

I guess the sellers only want to book viewings with buyers who are in a position to proceed, which is their prerogative. It's a pita getting a house ready for viewings, I can understand them not being interested in letting you view.

Whatames · 06/02/2023 16:32

They are maybe just saving everyone the hassle. If you see it and love it you aren’t going to be able to compete with those who have already had offers accepted on their houses. That’s still very much the way the market is in my area so what would be the point?

Wiluli · 06/02/2023 16:32

BellaJuno · 06/02/2023 16:22

This is terrible advice. We had someone lie about their position when offering on our house and it caused so many delays, extra expense and stress that we ended up telling them to get stuffed. With our next move, we didn’t let anyone view our house without proof they were proceedable at that stage (evidence of cleared funds, confirmation from their solicitor of their position etc),this weeded out all the ones who thought they could blag it until
they’d sold or were just looking ‘on the off chance’.

Show quote history

I’ve been buyer and a seller and honestly some people here are to dramatic . I’m not saying she should make an offer ( that’s just being awful ) I’m saying she should be able to see most houses in her area . Also advise to others just plan all your viewings on the same day . That’s what I did , yes I accommodated a couple of them outside that set day but most were done on the weekend and within a few minutes if each other . Also how do you exactly confirm you are ready to buy . I have savings that I can in theory use to buy a house so can present the funds . Doesn’t mean that’s what they are for .

DalaiLlama · 06/02/2023 16:32

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!

This isn't a problem- just tell the agent you're with that you've changed your mind. You're not obliged to let them do viewings.

User137290646 · 06/02/2023 16:33

What happens if you are not selling your house immediately, we are cash buyers and would maybe want to buy a house before putting ours on the market

BitOutOfPractice · 06/02/2023 16:33

Do you think the EA has done this to make it hard for potential buyers? Or because of many many years of bitter experience of time wasters?

If you did go and see the house, how do you know how much you can offer if you haven't sold yours and got a mortgage offer anyway?

Youwhatnowbiggles · 06/02/2023 16:34

Actually, some common sense needs to be used here….. We did just that several years ago - everyone was up front about it and when we went to sealed bids they chose us even though at that point our house was not on the market. The crucial detail here is the house we needed to sell was in a hugely popular area where, at the time, they flew of the shelves (if they were priced right). The vendor’s agent spoke to the agent we were planning to use to confirm that it was the case. Our house did indeed go under offer the day we put it on (48 hours after the sealed bids) and that was that! How sellable is your house op?! That’s the million dollar question here!

FeinCuroxiVooz · 06/02/2023 16:35

yabu - there's no obligation to sell if you get your house on the market then don't get an offer accepted on this house you want. nothing is set in stone until contracts are exchanged up and down the whole chain on the same day. your contract with the estate agent only obliges you to NOT sell except as facilitated by them. if you never accept an offer and never instruct a solicitor you owe nothing.

meanwhile imagine the chaos if everyone behaved like you want to. each member of the chain that wants to put in an offer and then get their house on the market adds at least a month before contracts can be exchanged for the whole chain!

Shouldweno2 · 06/02/2023 16:35

I think it's the homeowners decision to make.

Write a card with your number on it.

Just say - we're very interested in this house, yada yada - unfortunately we can't do a viewing with your estate agent because we don't have ours up for sale. If you'd be willing to let us view please let me know via - telephone/number. Or alternatively let your estate agent know to contact us. Many thanks for your time.

It's down to the sellers if they can be bothered with the viewing. Maybe they need a quick sale maybe they don't and happy to wait for the right offer.

TheNoodlesIncident · 06/02/2023 16:35

The nice thing about Right Move, Zoopla et al is that you can be a looky-loo all you like, without causing any inconvenience to the vendor or wasting their time when you're not in a position to buy. Plus you can ensure that you're only making bookings to view properties you've already seen some of the inside of. You can pare down to only spend time viewing properties you're actually seriously considering.

It's very different from the old days when your house particulars had a single photo stuck to the outside of two sheets of A4 with a written description.

I appreciate OP is not a looky-loo and does want to buy it, but isn't prepared to put her house on the market to facilitate this. Even though she says she plans to move this year! If I really wanted a particular house I'd put my house on the market pronto, even if I planned to withdraw it if I couldn't get the property I wanted.

Lullabies2Paralyze · 06/02/2023 16:36

Honestly I’m sure when I was selling my house that people were viewing with no intention of buying because they’d say stuff like “oh we’ve just got a new sofa which won’t fit in here” who buys a new massive settee just before they move house??

I do think we should be able to just look around though but it would only work in an open house kinda thing like they do in America because as others have pointed out, it takes time for estate agents or the sellers to arrange the viewing.

GoldDuster · 06/02/2023 16:37

User137290646 · 06/02/2023 16:33

What happens if you are not selling your house immediately, we are cash buyers and would maybe want to buy a house before putting ours on the market

In which case you tell the EA that you're cash buyers, because you are, and therefore genuinely proceedable.

pairofrollerskates · 06/02/2023 16:37

YANBU. I bought a house last year without putting my own on the market. I then prepped mine for sale, and had the "new" house redecorated before moving in. They are being ridiculous. Just tell them you aren't selling but are thinking of buying it as a "buy to let"

PomPomSugar · 06/02/2023 16:38

Are you suggesting the estate agent is saying you can only view the property if you put the house on the market through that agency?

WishIdDoneItYearsAgo · 06/02/2023 16:38

We had this too and it was so frustrating. We ended up putting ours on the market with the EA just so they’d let us view. However, by the time we’d done all this it had sold. We then ended up wrangling with the EA because we wouldn’t accept an offer on our house (received 3!) because we only wanted to move for the absolute right forever home. We didn’t need anything bigger etc so we were only moving for something very specific. They really couldn’t or wouldn’t understand and seemed to think not getting ‘the’ house was fine as others would come up. They didn’t get it at all.

arethereanyleftatall · 06/02/2023 16:39

Yabu.
It took me three hours per time to clean my house ready for a viewing, and then I had to make sure I and my dc were out,
Not an arsing chance would I do that for someone who just wanted a nosy, and might get round to putting their house on the market as x point in the future.

Ultravox · 06/02/2023 16:39

That’s ridiculous. We viewed and offered on our current house before our last house was on the market. Made an offer on the new one and managed to to get ours on the market within 2 days and it sold in a week!

JonahAndTheSnail · 06/02/2023 16:41

Why not ask the listing agent if they will value and market your house? It would shown you're more of a serious buyer than someone who's not started the process. I would say it's sensible for estate aganets to exercise some discretion in who they book in for viewings. If they're expecting a lot of interest and offers from proceedable buyers, it makes no sense to do one with someone who isn't on the market yet.

dogdaydown · 06/02/2023 16:41

neverknowinglyunreasonable · 06/02/2023 15:44

If you just enjoying looking around houses for fun why not join the National Trust?

😂

londonrach · 06/02/2023 16:43

Yabu and time waster to seller.

bilbodog · 06/02/2023 16:44

OP if you want to be taken seriously by vendors and estate agents get your house ready to go on the market. Have photos taken and floorplans drawn up/EPC done - and if you think this house could be the one then use the agent that is selling it.

Hopefully if you book all this in they will allow you to view. Make it clear to them that you will put your house on the market with them at the right price to sell if you decide to offer on this house but if you dont decide to go ahead could you keep your house with them low-profile until another house comes up?

if they know what you are looking for they will ring you if something is coming up before it hits rightmove. It also helps if your house is in a sought after area and in saleable condition.

WishIdDoneItYearsAgo · 06/02/2023 16:44

I’d also say be careful as our EA tried to say we were breaking the contract by not accepting and offer but we argued that we weren’t willing to move into rented and pay double what we paid in mortgage for what could end up being 4 or 5yrs. Who wants to do that? I think if what you’re looking for is just a large family detached and there’s likely lots to choose from then it’s fine but we were selling a large 5 bed detached in a very popular area with outstanding schools and only wanted to sell for something very specific.

Ireallycantthinkofagoodone · 06/02/2023 16:45

If you viewed the house before, and can look at it online now, that should be sufficient.

Killerfail · 06/02/2023 16:48

User137290646 · 06/02/2023 16:33

What happens if you are not selling your house immediately, we are cash buyers and would maybe want to buy a house before putting ours on the market

If you have cash in the bank to buy, that’s a different matter.

mummabubs · 06/02/2023 16:48

So before I'd sold a house I would completely get your position. Having now been on the other side my response comes from knowing how long it takes to get a house viewing-ready with two young children and a dog, changing my diary around to accommodate viewings etc. You have no clue how long your house would take to sell, especially in the current market. And the vendor has no way of knowing that you're serious about offering on their house if you're not even on the market. As a seller we ended up only allowing viewers who were proceedable to book.

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