Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Child-safe in minutes.

Meet the Other Phone.
Child-safe in minutes.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To be annoyed with these house sellers…

179 replies

NewKidOnTheBlock99 · 21/04/2023 16:49

So I know I probably am being unreasonable but actually just need a vent.

We put in an offer on a house earlier this week, we fell in love with it and offered £12k over asking. We met the sellers and got on like a house on fire. They took a lot of pride in the property and seem to want to take in to account who will be buying their house. I know there were another four offers but from what the EA would tell us we were the highest (all offers were asking price and above). The sellers haven’t found anywhere as they are moving to a different city so it’s just slower as they can’t just nip for viewings and our house is on the market but not sold (viewings are commencing next week) the EA told me when they had the viewing that they had more viewings booked in for this weekend but as they had, had so many this week plus offers they were looking to cancel and accept an offer before the weekend. I just felt in my gut the house was ours…

Just heard from the EA that they are planning on commencing with viewings this weekend. AIBU to be a bit miffed?

Can anyone who has sold before give me any possible insight to what they are thinking?! Surely you would want to be sold as quickly as possible and with solid offers on the table would pick one. Especially as you have a couple of offers over asking?!

OP posts:
MsWhitworth · 21/04/2023 18:16

Some estate agents do not even let you view a house if your own house isn’t under offer. There was a thread on here a few weeks back as someone was complaining about it.

GoodChat · 21/04/2023 18:17

WimbyAce · 21/04/2023 18:15

At one point the agents weren't even allowing viewings unless your own property was under offer. I know the market has changed a bit since but I still can't imagining putting in an offer if my property wasn't under offer.

We bought last year and this was the deal where we were

GoodChat · 21/04/2023 18:20

To be honest @NewKidOnTheBlock99 I'd pull out of this one. They're going to push for much more than the house is worth and you've said you'd find a better house if this one fell through which suggests that, although you love it, it's not your dream home, so not worth paying over the odds for.

ActDottie · 21/04/2023 18:28

You’re not proceedable though so your offer doesn’t really mean anything yet

Walkacrossthesand · 21/04/2023 18:34

I moved house last year. I couldn't start proper viewings (as opposed to drive-bys) until I had a solid accepted offer with completed chain behind it, on my house.
The first place I viewed & liked, I offered asking price but lost it to a cash buyer (buying 2nd home or already completed on their house sale).
When you have accepted an offer, you will be in a good position to have an offer accepted, but may well lose to a cash buyer.
Let the selling EA know when you e accepted an offer and are proceedable - the house may still be on the market and you'll be in a stronger position. Good luck!

TheKobayashiMaru · 21/04/2023 18:35

MsWhitworth · 21/04/2023 18:16

Some estate agents do not even let you view a house if your own house isn’t under offer. There was a thread on here a few weeks back as someone was complaining about it.

Trouble is if you allow those without properties under offer to view, you can get lookie-loos. Just wanting a nosey, maybe they live in the area and want to see what their house is wort compared to another or just plain nosey!

viques · 21/04/2023 18:42

NewKidOnTheBlock99 · 21/04/2023 17:29

And we still haven’t got it…. Yet 😂 I was feeling pretty disheartened but this thread has spurred me on which makes no sense as there’s nothing else I can do other then then hope for the best.

lookong forward to coming back on Monday and letting everyone know we got the house 🙃

Show quote history

Well, technically, you won’t have “got” the house. You will have had an offer accepted. You could still lose the house because

your house doesn’t sell
your house is valued very low
your mortgage offer doesn’t come through
a survey brings up too many negatives to continue

please for your own sake rein it back and focus on getting your current house onto the market.

Toddlerteaplease · 21/04/2023 18:43

My parents got offers above the asking price. But went with who could move quickly.

SparkyBlue · 21/04/2023 18:51

OP where I am they wouldn't even accept an offer unless you were good to proceed asap . We once lost out on a house to a lower offer but a cash buyer

Original poster
NewKidOnTheBlock99 · 21/04/2023 18:54

Thank you @Clymene & @CantFindTheBeat!! POSITIVE ENERGY I LOVE IT!!

OP posts:
Original poster
NewKidOnTheBlock99 · 21/04/2023 18:55

@viques It must be so boring being realistic and logical all the time 🙄 if I want to get ahead of myself and be positive and in denial about the situation just let me.

OP posts:
user1471538283 · 21/04/2023 18:57

They want someone proceedable and you are not. I accepted a lower offer from someone who could move quickly and then I rented for a while.

You need to sell before you can make an offer.

Sunset6 · 21/04/2023 19:01

YABU for going on viewings before you’ve sold your house. You’re just wasting the time of the sellers - an estate agent worth their salt would only let you view if you were proceedable.

Lolliesareonme · 21/04/2023 19:02

We have done it 7 times here (and 2 times extra ready to proceed).

Have never put an offer on a property unless we had either a FTB, cash buyer, or someone renting with funds and mortgage approved in chain.

Makes for a stress free transaction.

Youcancallmeirrelevant · 21/04/2023 19:04

NewKidOnTheBlock99 · 21/04/2023 17:08

It is on the market, we have our first 8 viewings booked in next week as I said in my op…

Show quote history

That isn't proceedable, you need to have accepted an offer on your house

knittingaddict · 21/04/2023 19:19

When we were selling our house years ago we had a lovely couple who wanted our house, but didn't have an offer on theirs. Another couple viewed and wanted it too. They had nothing to sell. Despite really liking the first couple we sold to the second (who weren't particularly likeable).

It's a business transaction. Making it personal is a huge mistake.

Original poster
NewKidOnTheBlock99 · 21/04/2023 19:23

Sunset6 · 21/04/2023 19:01

YABU for going on viewings before you’ve sold your house. You’re just wasting the time of the sellers - an estate agent worth their salt would only let you view if you were proceedable.

I mean are we wasting their time or are they wasting ours letting us view a property in which they would absolutely not accept an offer…

We have asked to view properties and been turned down as the sellers only want those that have sold and that’s fair enough. I think if a seller is happy for us to look round then that’s fine.

I think this whole need to have sold is ridiculous. I say this as a current seller.

OP posts:
Original poster
NewKidOnTheBlock99 · 21/04/2023 19:24

knittingaddict · 21/04/2023 19:19

When we were selling our house years ago we had a lovely couple who wanted our house, but didn't have an offer on theirs. Another couple viewed and wanted it too. They had nothing to sell. Despite really liking the first couple we sold to the second (who weren't particularly likeable).

It's a business transaction. Making it personal is a huge mistake.

That’s fair enough! A friend said to me they went with a higher offer over people they preferred and they regretted it as the person they sold to was an absolute arsehole (kept trying to knock down the offer once it had been accepted)

OP posts:
JudyGemstone · 21/04/2023 19:27

if they’ve not found anything yet they might appreciate a more leisurely pace and go with yours ? <clutches at straws!)

They might be heart over head types and go with who they preferred rather than who’s in what position?

I really hope you get it! But if not don’t worry, there’ll be others. I feel for you, it is so stressful!

lunaloveroo · 21/04/2023 19:34

Tbh you've shot yourself in the foot a bit. You've gone 12k over asking which the agent will tell the people viewing over the weekend so the price may well go up, and you weren't even proceedable anyway.

TonightImGonnaPartyLikeIts1989 · 21/04/2023 19:38

You haven't sold your property

You are not able to proceed

No vendor will accept your offer over someone who has a a sold property Ie a complete chain underneath them

Whatever offer you make is a whisper of smoke as your property isn't yet sold

I am selling my house
I've had a 10 month belly full of incomplete chains

Yabu

JellyBeanFactory · 21/04/2023 19:38

Bless you OP, you sound just like one of my DC who naively "falls in love" with every property on Rightmove - albeit a first time buyer. She naively thinks she can view and move in a week later. The length of time it takes and the hoops/red tape is just beginning to dawn on her! The reality of house buying is so stressful.

Good luck.

Wenfy · 21/04/2023 19:44

Estate Agent advised us to only start looking at houses when ours was under offer

CorsicaDreaming · 21/04/2023 20:03

To put in perspective how early in the process you are (you say you are "on the market" but haven't actually even had one viewing of your own house yet) we moved during the pandemic, and due to the covid restrictions, many EA would not even let you view a property unless you already had an offer on your own.

So, you really are quite premature to expect them to accept an offer from you and pause other viewers when you haven't even had one viewing of your own house.

PippaF2 · 21/04/2023 20:04

Tell the EA that you will continue viewings then and you won't instruct a solicitor until the house is marked sold subject to contract and removed for viewings. It's only fair.