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AIBU?

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Original poster

To withdraw offer?

81 replies

Gill123789 · 24/09/2023 21:47

Viewed a house on Monday and put an offer in on Tuesday, I live in Scotland - so we’ve offered 2k under Home Report. The house is an ex-rental and needs a lot of work, it’s a 4 bed detached.

I called the estate agent on Wednesday to see if there was any feedback on our offer - I was told that sellers were hoping for a 1st time buyer to avoid ended up in a chain - we have a house we’d need to sell. I agreed to sit tight until the end of the week as they wanted to allow other viewing to take place before making a decision, it was hoped we’d have an answer by Saturday.

I chased the estate agent on Saturday, to basically be told the same sort of scenario. Estate agent did confirm that as of Saturday we were the only offer. Now the house is a 4 bed detached so estate agent did tell me that they’d tried to explain to the seller that it might not be the type of house a 1st time buyer would go for. I’m expecting to hear back from the estate agent tomorrow.

I am anticipating that they might try and ask us to hold out for a bit longer, I feel like our offer is likely being used to try and sell the home to others. AIBU to tell them if we don’t have a decision by Tuesday (1 week after initially offering) we are withdrawing the offer?

OP posts:
BrightGreenMoonBuggy · 24/09/2023 21:49

They are reasonable to hold out to see if they get a better offer that suits them and you are reasonable to withdraw if you don’t want to wait.

Star81 · 24/09/2023 21:51

Is your house on the market at all or ready to go on asap ? Many people won’t accept an offer if it’s not so this may be the issue. I probably wouldn’t be willing to remove my house from the market for an offer from someone not in any position to proceed. Unfortunately yours isn’t an attractive offer at present.

You can remove your offer but I don’t think it sounds like your in the position to use this as a way of forcing an acceptance.

Motheranddaughter · 24/09/2023 21:54

Offers under Home report are not particularly sought after
Wjere is the house
Nothing to stop you withdrawing of course

Gro · 24/09/2023 21:55

I wouldn't accept an offer from someone without a buyer. If your home hasn't sold yet I would work on that before offering on other property.

Magicisuponus · 24/09/2023 21:59

As pp said, we’ve just sold our house (and moved so have gone through the process), and we wouldn’t have accepted an offer from someone who hadn’t sold their house yet.
I am with the sellers in this case.

Original poster
Gill123789 · 24/09/2023 22:01

I have 2 young children, I cannot sell my house without one lined up to move into.

OP posts:
User183642 · 24/09/2023 22:03

Gill123789 · 24/09/2023 22:01

I have 2 young children, I cannot sell my house without one lined up to move into.

Then to put it quite frankly I hope you like your current house as you have no prospect of moving from it. Nobody is going to wait an indefinite amount of time before moving and if you aren’t even willing to go on the market until you have had an offer accepted it could be several months until you get a suitable offer before the usual period of months to actually move kicks in.

SomePosters · 24/09/2023 22:03

Then you’re not una position to offer!

Magicisuponus · 24/09/2023 22:05

What we did , and everyone in our chain (of 5!), was first sell your own home, and keep a close look on houses for sale (already view them); then once your home is sold, you know which houses are of interest- book more viewings straight away and make an offer at that point.

So, we received and accepted an offer at the end of May, then made an offer a week later on a property which was accepted- very quickly done

Original poster
Gill123789 · 24/09/2023 22:08

Magicisuponus · 24/09/2023 21:59

As pp said, we’ve just sold our house (and moved so have gone through the process), and we wouldn’t have accepted an offer from someone who hadn’t sold their house yet.
I am with the sellers in this case.

When we moved into our current home, we sold our house 1st, had my parents house lined up for my husband and I to live in if need be while looking, we were lucky enough that a house we liked came up pretty quickly and we didn’t need to do that.
Fast forward to now, and we have 2 young children, sofa surfing at the parents isn’t possible and I wouldn’t want to end up settling for a house out of panic because we have nowhere to live. We need to find a house then sell unfortunately.

OP posts:
Myrightboob · 24/09/2023 22:09

Yeah you have to sell yours first. We had the same situation but we were the sellers - a lovely couple wanted to buy our house and offered a lot of money to do so but didn’t want to sell their house until we accepted their offer. We couldn’t accept their offer as it was meaningless without them having sold so we waited until one came along from someone who was actually proceedable - first time buyers incidentally on a 4 bed detached… this was England though, I don’t know how/if the Scottish system is any different but I doubt it.

dcsp · 24/09/2023 22:09

I've known quite a few people (also in Scotland) who've sold before buying, with a short spell in-between with family or in a rented property, and with most of their stuff in storage. It put them in a far stronger position when it came to offering on houses,

Original poster
Gill123789 · 24/09/2023 22:20

I think most of the replies are from people who live in England as it is perfectly common practice here to put an offer on a house and if accepted then sell - hence why this seller is hoping for a 1st time buyer. The house I have offered on is in the same estate as mine, houses here if in good condition and priced correctly generally sell within 2 weeks. Our house in is walk in condition - far better condition than the house we’ve offered on - so selling our house isn’t a concern to us, perhaps how much we will get for it is, but not the actual selling of it.

OP posts:
Bellavida99 · 24/09/2023 22:23

You don’t seem to understand how the property market works. If you’re not even on the market yet nobody will accept your offer. Put your house on the market. Start looking. Once you’ve got a firm offer you can make an offer on a house that will be taken seriously. Do you honestly think you’re the only person who has children and doesn’t want to break a chain? Sell your house then quickly find a house that’s kinda how it works

Nicknacky · 24/09/2023 22:24

I’m in Scotland and I have previously bought houses then sold and by nothing more than luck it worked out. But I think it’s changed days up here now and you can’t be guaranteed that your house will be quick to sell.

So you might be lucky and they aren’t in a rush to move and will accept your offer but it’s a weak offer you have submitted.

DoubleFunMum · 24/09/2023 22:26

When we moved in 2021 ( in Scotland) we had our offer accepted before our house was even on the market. We got our house on the market within a week and went to closing date 9 days later. Got 5 offers, no problem. Perfectly normal practice here. I'd be telling the estate agent that your offer decreases by £500 per day until they accept!

Wheelz46 · 24/09/2023 22:26

You need to have your house on the market and be in the chain already.

Any decent estate agent in your scenario would advise the sellers to keep the house on the market and keep up with viewings until you at least have your property on the market and an interested buyer. What if you don't find a potential buyer for months, are the people you are wishing to buy off just meant to sit around and wait?

Viviennethebeautiful · 24/09/2023 22:27

If your current home has made the price you wanted could you consider a rental for a few months. I did this to get the house I love. It’s a pain and 2 moves in 6 months is horrible.
Five years later I am so glad I did it

Nicknacky · 24/09/2023 22:29

If houses are so sought after in this area then there is no incentive for them to take your below home report offer with no entry date at this time

ChOcto23 · 24/09/2023 22:30

DoubleFunMum · 24/09/2023 22:26

When we moved in 2021 ( in Scotland) we had our offer accepted before our house was even on the market. We got our house on the market within a week and went to closing date 9 days later. Got 5 offers, no problem. Perfectly normal practice here. I'd be telling the estate agent that your offer decreases by £500 per day until they accept!

we’re not in 2021, we’re in 2023 and the market has changed.

OP, I’ve sold houses for 10 years in Scotland and sadly I’d be telling your seller to keep their house on the market and wait for someone with an offer on their house, or chain free.

is your house ready to go on the market at all- photos taken, home report done, literally ready to put on market tomorrow if they accept your offer?

Original poster
Gill123789 · 24/09/2023 22:33

Bellavida99 · 24/09/2023 22:23

You don’t seem to understand how the property market works. If you’re not even on the market yet nobody will accept your offer. Put your house on the market. Start looking. Once you’ve got a firm offer you can make an offer on a house that will be taken seriously. Do you honestly think you’re the only person who has children and doesn’t want to break a chain? Sell your house then quickly find a house that’s kinda how it works

I understand perfectly how it works, we have been looking on and off for over a year, MOST of the houses we’ve viewed have been up for sale because the home owner has a new house ALREADY to go to, I live in Scotland and stated this is my original post. I wish people from the rest of the UK who have a totally different system would stop commenting.

OP posts:
Nicknacky · 24/09/2023 22:35

People from Scotland are commenting……

Banshee9 · 24/09/2023 22:40

When we bought and sold in 2005 we did as you say and offered first before putting ours on the market.

2018 we moved again and no one would take an offer from us until we had sold. Our house went to closing with a large number of offers so we weren't concerned about that but it was stressful trying to secure our house after we sold. Same as you we had kids in the mix this time.

We're in Scotland too. I much preferred the way things used to work but PP are right, it does seem to have changed.

Original poster
Gill123789 · 24/09/2023 22:42

ChOcto23 · 24/09/2023 22:30

we’re not in 2021, we’re in 2023 and the market has changed.

OP, I’ve sold houses for 10 years in Scotland and sadly I’d be telling your seller to keep their house on the market and wait for someone with an offer on their house, or chain free.

is your house ready to go on the market at all- photos taken, home report done, literally ready to put on market tomorrow if they accept your offer?

Show quote history

No, I’m not going to get a home report, that’s only valid for 12 weeks unless I have a house to buy? If offer is accepted then we can have it on the market as soon as an estate agent is able to. The selling of our house really isn’t an issue as far as I’m concerned, I know it’s value roughly as we had it valued for mortgage purposes a year ago. It’s also worth mentioning that I’m in a fixed rate, so I’m not going to sell unless I have something to port it to.

OP posts:
Original poster
Gill123789 · 24/09/2023 22:45

Wheelz46 · 24/09/2023 22:26

You need to have your house on the market and be in the chain already.

Any decent estate agent in your scenario would advise the sellers to keep the house on the market and keep up with viewings until you at least have your property on the market and an interested buyer. What if you don't find a potential buyer for months, are the people you are wishing to buy off just meant to sit around and wait?

My house will sell within 2 weeks of being on the market, no problem

OP posts: