Is this normal when making an offer on House?

[offerquery]

I've seen house to buy. It's been on the market for around two months or so. It's already been reduced in price online.

When it was reduced, I made an offer slightly under the asking price. After a couple of days they said they want full asking price.
So I immediately offered the full asking price.

Anyway, I haven't heard anything so I've just called the estate agents and they said the family want to think about it. So they will get back to me on Tuesday.

I was really confused about this because I've offered the full asking price so I'm not sure what there is to think about?

She said they feel somebody else might be interested in the property. I asked a couple of questions about this… It turns out the person who is "interested " hasn't sold their house and hasn't said they want to make an offer. They've simply said they like the house. But have not indicated at all that they are looking to make an offer.

I have a feeling I know who this is because when I was viewing the house for the second time, a woman was there and I heard her say that she likes the house and that was it. So I'm not sure if that's the person

I just don't understand. I'm not sure if they're trying to get more than the asking price from me. Or if they're just waiting to see if they get any other offers over the next few days?

Go and have another look round the fallen though house - try and forget the messing you around house entirely as you do it. Try and think if it has what you need and if you are still interested in it.

Then go home and work out if can afforded the extra price - can you get extra mortgage amount and the repayments that come with it.

I know two sisters who are no longer on speaking terms over 5k because the London centric sister was so greedy wanting another 5k divided by two. So for 2.5k she fell out with everyone in her family and friends who thought she was bonkers and her husband family who thought she was unhinged

People go a bit loopy over inheritance money.

A house is a house a home is what you make it.

The two houses we have bought my partner didn't want to view! It took several weeks to persuade my partner to view our current house.

Until the keys are in your hands you have to treat each house as just a house. Bricks and mortar. The sentiment can only come when you are in. With both of our house sales they nearly came crashing down in the final weeks. It's such a stressful process and if they are bringing you stress now they certainly will be bringing you stress in the weeks running up to exchange!

Go look at the other house and any other house you have even half considered viewing.

There was a house we wanted to view but it was unofficially under offer but not listed as so as the offer was on the condition that the sellers found a place to move to. Two years later this house is still on the market!!

There was a house mysteriously on the market for four years near us. Looked Ideal for a family. A bit tired but lovely big garden for children, views of a castle and the river. I checked on sold house prices. It was sold for 45k ten times less than it's true market value. Someone got a bargain.

The other House that has contacted me… I went to see it a few weeks ago and the second I walked in. I absolutely knew that I wanted it. I made an offer on the spot that was £6000 under the asking price. They accepted somebody else's offer And I was absolutely devastated. I cried my eyes out.

It was only last night I actually looked online to see if it was still sold subject to contract. So I was amazed when I saw their message today to say it is going back on the market and to let them know if I want to make an offer.

The thing is I have genuinely fallen in love with the other House, mainly because of its location

I really don't know what to do. But I know I don't have long to think about it. The other house that has contacted me today will not be on the market long. I can guarantee that because it's absolutely beautiful inside

@justasking111

Wow that's absolutely amazing. They really did get a bargain. Wonder why it was on for that long ?

If you're desperate for this second house, and were in a position to spend 70k more a few weeks ago, just make an improved, above asking price offer on the grounds it's taken off sale immediately and no further viewings take place 🤷‍♂️

An asking price is an asking price. The house is worth what someone wants to pay for it

Probate games

If you dither neither could be an option. I would view the house again and see if you get the feeling again. If it's the location that is the appeal for the other house another could come on to the market and be better or in a better situation for sale.
Do you have a plan B because 6 weeks really isn't a long time for buying a house. To get a house turned around in that timeframe you really need everyone on board with that plan and nothing you have said makes me think the sellers are on that page. You can love it all you want but what could the cost be to you if you kept pursuing it and they continue to mess you around?

@offerquery Obviously go back and see this first house again, you may well fall back in love with it. They are also likely to be keen for a sale so your previous offer (or less) may well be accepted. This is also going to go through much quicker than a probate sale in which the vendors can’t even be reached by their estate agent.

Do you have a plan B because 6 weeks really isn't a long time for buying a house. To get a house turned around in that timeframe you really need everyone on board with that plan and nothing you have said makes me think the sellers are on that page. You can love it all you want but what could the cost be to you if you kept pursuing it and they continue to mess you around?

I'd have look round this house again - and they may well be motivated to move quickly with one sale fallen through - but if you have just 6 weeks left then you probably need to be looking at storage and rental/alternative accommodation options.

Do you know why the sale has fallen through? Dodgy survey perhaps? It’s hard to give advice given you’ve been saying you absolutely can’t afford more than the probate houses asking price. But all if a sudden can offer in a house worth 70k more.

I think either way you’re acting with your heart not your head. It’s hard to understand which house you’ve fallen in love with because you seem to have your heart set on both interchangeably. This leaves you exposed to being heartbroken. My recommendation would be treating the transaction like a business deal - be very clear your conditions and boundaries with the estate agent (and yourself) which you don’t seem to have been to date.

I waited 2 months to hear back about one house. The agents response was “the seller is just slow to respond” which frankly isn’t good enough and it was clear she was waiting for a higher offer - and didn’t want to say no to me just in case.

Joke was on her though as the agent told me no and she’s gone with a significantly higher offer. When I checked months later on RightMove she’d sold it for £2K more than my offer - and i would have offered at least £10K more.

I realise it may sound confusing when I'm saying this other house is a lot higher in price - it would mean me taking a higher mortgage with a different bank and a higher interest rate. Plus losing a redemption fee from my last mortgage.

It would also be a higher monthly payment which does feel a bit like a stretch.

I've arranged to view the house again.

The estate agent for the smaller house have said they'll ring me in an hour.

We had cash in the bank, sellers also so no chain. We skidded in just under seven weeks to complete basically because every form we got we both returned by hand informed our solicitors and each other that xyz, had been delivered. We both left our solicitors no bullshit room.

Am I right in understanding that the more expensive house is ready to live in but the cheaper house is a doer upper?

If you can afford the more expensive house I would have a further viewing and if you still love it go for it.

Building work is so expensive if the cheaper house needs things like electrics, plastering, kitchen and bathroom you will soon be needing 10s of thousands for work and have the stress of the work to manage and pay for. The more expensive house= no building stress and the greater expense is spread over the life of the mortgage.

@Winter2020

No. The more expensive house, they're in there until September/October time. I wouldn't need to do anything at all to the house.

The cheaper house, I would spend around £10k on it just to do the floors, shelves etc. but my monthly payments would be a lot less in the cheaper house.

I've spoken with the estate agents for the mystery house. He's finally got hold of the seller who said he'll be in touch tomorrow.

The estate agent advised me to view the other house anyway. But he also said if my offer is accepted tomorrow by the seller, all the solicitors stuff is already signed and in place so there would be no hold ups as they wouldn't require to be in contact with the seller, as they're dealing with it all.

This assumes you have no questions. We had many questions that came on the back of surveys that required the owners input. For example we needed the details of the builder who did some work to provide evidence that some work was "like for like" and thus it didn't need building control and extra paperwork. The solicitor said "look of Google maps you can see what it looked like before". The builder provided us with a brief letter saying I removed xyz and replaced it with ABC these are equivalent products. Without this we were just having to trust that it had been done properly and wasn't liable to fall down causing a significant problem!

You don't know what the surveys will show and if the solicitor can answer the questions!

We had a long conversation on another purchase where the sellers solicitor kept referring to the house as a leasehold when it was a freehold with a rent charge and are covered by different legislation and have different issues.

You can always say for the most expensive house that you need to go back to your bank about the higher mortgage.
in the meantime make a timeline for the second house so if they do accept your offer, you will be able to spell them out your conditions straight away.
I assume that you’ve got a solicitor ready as you just sold your house but bear in mind searchers and surveys can take time.
Personally I don’t think that probate sale of empty house always takes ages, ours was about 11weeks , quite straightforward. There were a few sellers involved but they gave clear instructions to EA and were quickly contactable.

Ugh this sounds like a nightmare. You wonder if they actually want to sell it or not!

@offerquery how have you got on with your houses?

@Daisys24
Well I went for a second viewing at the more expensive house that I had my offer rejected from a few weeks ago. I still loved it but felt a bit differently because of how much I want the little house.

I have since found out some more information about the house where I'm not getting a response from the seller. They have now finally responded and said they'll let me know within the next 48 hours.

The situation and their circumstances have been quite tragic to be honest and it makes sense why they haven't responded or replied. I really feel sad for them so I feel ok waiting a little longer.

I think from what the estate agent said, they are going to accept. They asked me to send all my ID stuff through to them. But they need to do something before accepting. Which is tomorrow. And I do really understand.

I thought they were messing about and playing games trying to get more money but that really isn't the case.

It turns out they've had a few offers which eventually were all withdrawn as they didn't hear anything back. I'm the only one who has hung on!!!

But I think they finally feel ok to let go of the house even though I know it'll be incredibly hard for them.

Oh that's very sad. But I do also hope things work out for you and you get the house. Good luck, let us know!