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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Aibu to write to the house seller?

212 replies

ButterMelonCauliflower · 18/04/2025 10:56

Long story short… we have sold our house but nowhere to buy. We want to stay local and understand the local housing market.
There’s a house we like but it’s out of our price range. We think it’s over-valued (massive development planned next door to the property - probably why owners are selling). The agent it’s on with has a reputation for overvaluing and the vendors are asking way more than local average increase in the 10 years that they’ve owned it. They tried to sell 2 years ago but failed. Since then the asking price has gone up for no obvious reason.
Two weeks ago we offered 18% below asking price and were rejected.
Yesterday we offered 15% below but agent says they are not willing to negotiate.

AIBU unreasonable to contact them, explaining that we love the house, are not trying to take the piss and are hoping they might reconsider?

YES you are BU. It’s their house and they can ask what they like

NO you are not BU. A letter can’t hurt as long as it’s not too bossy/pushy

Any thoughts?

OP posts:
FidosMum84 · 18/04/2025 11:27

Don’t contact them. It will backfire. And make you look desperate. You’ve been told that they won’t accept your offer.
If the house is really overpriced then it won’t sell and the vendors will bring the price down in a month or two. That’s what’s happening to loads of overpriced houses near me.
You can then go back in with your offer.
If it’s not overpriced then it’ll sell to someone who’s willing to pay more.

SeaShellsSanctuary1 · 18/04/2025 11:27

Writing a letter telling them you are not taking the piss is the equivalent of them writing a letter to you saying you are taking the piss.

Trying to educate someone that you know better than them is rarely successful when they hold all the cards

MoistVonL · 18/04/2025 11:28

Don’t write to them, you would put them off even more!

Do you think if you said “but I really want it,” they would see the light and drop the price 15%?

No. They would think you were an intrusive CF who thinks she can bypass the agent.

JackieDaytonaLuckyBrews · 18/04/2025 11:28

DH was selling a rare sports car a few years back and we had several begging (and quite rude) messages from a guy wanting to pay thousands less because he said it was overpriced (it wasn't) and that he would be the best owner for the car and would love it the most etc. We totally ignored him and sold it above the asking price to someone else. Why does it matter to us how much you love something or if you think it's overpriced?!! It's fine to make an offer, but an accompanying sob story isn't necessary. It also comes across as being the start of a pain in the arse sale -someone who will whinge and moan and cause issues and try to renegotiate mid sale.
Best of luck with your search. You never know; leaving the offer open and stepping away might be worth it in the long run.

Nowthereistwo · 18/04/2025 11:28

You might as well letter drop other houses in the area you like to see if you can get a bite that way

Frauhousemouse · 18/04/2025 11:29

They’ve made their position quite clear. This would piss me off and make me not want to deal with you if you kept badgering! Either as an EA or a vendor!

OneWaryCat · 18/04/2025 11:30

Our house is in the market but we are not desperate to sell or move. We're probably only going to consider offers 5% under asking. If someone sent me a letter I'd just find it weird and ignore it.

Whynotaxthisyear · 18/04/2025 11:32

mynameiscalypso · 18/04/2025 11:00

Why would you? They’ve made their position clear. My response would be that if you love the house that much, make us a higher offer.

It's pointless. They don't want to lower their asking price to what you are offering and won't care how much you love the house. They might be interested if you offered some clear benefits as a buyer, eg being a cash buyer who can be flexible about completion dates, but the agent can pass that on for you; no need to write direct.

Inmydreams88 · 18/04/2025 11:33

You can’t afford this house. You can’t tell the sellers what price you think they should sell at, they probably need a certain amount to move to their dream home.

BlondiePortz · 18/04/2025 11:34

I would say if you want the house so much pay what it is worth

HateThese4Leggedbeasts · 18/04/2025 11:38

There is a house near me that originally went on the market a year ago. Since then it has dropped 20% in price and still not takers. (It's unusual so not many comparative properties).

I suspect the owners would accept a much lower offer now than a year ago. I would hold off and see whether they changed their minds in a few months . Keep looking for something else though.

ARichtGoodDram · 18/04/2025 11:40

Bypassing the agent, when you've had two offers rejected already, would make me not sell to you regardless of price.

It shows a complete lack of respect for their clear instruction - no negotiation - and writing to them to tell them their house is over priced is just arrogant.

They've priced their house for what they're willing to sell it for. Either buy it for that or walk away and find something you can afford.

Zebedee999 · 18/04/2025 11:41

tryingtobesogood · 18/04/2025 10:59

Go for it, you have nothing to lose

Exactly. If you don't ask you don't get. What the agent tells you and what the truth is can be different.

Heylittlesongbird · 18/04/2025 11:48

If you did this to me I wouldn’t be prepared to risk dealing with you, even if you offered the asking price.

Riaanna · 18/04/2025 11:49

You literally are taking the piss.

Seaitoverthere · 18/04/2025 11:50

It is one thing sending a letter with the first offer (which we did a couple of years ago when buying a probate property having just had one when selling a family member’s property that was also a probate property) and then very different sending one when you had 2 offers previously rejected as in your situation.

I was fine receiving the letter when selling and I got why they did it was were offering a lot less than the previous offer which fell through when another family member died just before exchange and actually that is why we sent one with our offer as similar circumstances. I wouldn’t dream of doing one in the situation you are describing.

Ellie1015 · 18/04/2025 11:50

They want more money, I dont think it is personal so I don't see how a letter would help. Perhaps in time they will realise it is on for too much, or perhaps they will get a better offer. Think you just need to wait.

CantStopMoving · 18/04/2025 11:51

You are perfectly reasonably giving a low ball offer (I have done this before and been successful)

but they have said no. They prerogative. They just won’t sell. They are probably the sort of people if they took the low offer now, would much you around nearer the time to best stay clear. Let the EA know the lowest offer stands and you will keep looking and they can come back to you if they change their mind

Reprimandme · 18/04/2025 11:52

This reply has been deleted

This has been deleted by MNHQ for breaking our Talk Guidelines.

Notsuchafattynow · 18/04/2025 11:53

I had this, and the letter really annoyed me. I told the EA that even if they came up with a full asking offer I'd turn them down.

Original poster
ButterMelonCauliflower · 18/04/2025 11:54

SeaShellsSanctuary1 · 18/04/2025 11:27

Writing a letter telling them you are not taking the piss is the equivalent of them writing a letter to you saying you are taking the piss.

Trying to educate someone that you know better than them is rarely successful when they hold all the cards

This is what I think I already knew. Thanks x

OP posts:
AthWat · 18/04/2025 11:54

ButterMelonCauliflower · 18/04/2025 10:56

Long story short… we have sold our house but nowhere to buy. We want to stay local and understand the local housing market.
There’s a house we like but it’s out of our price range. We think it’s over-valued (massive development planned next door to the property - probably why owners are selling). The agent it’s on with has a reputation for overvaluing and the vendors are asking way more than local average increase in the 10 years that they’ve owned it. They tried to sell 2 years ago but failed. Since then the asking price has gone up for no obvious reason.
Two weeks ago we offered 18% below asking price and were rejected.
Yesterday we offered 15% below but agent says they are not willing to negotiate.

AIBU unreasonable to contact them, explaining that we love the house, are not trying to take the piss and are hoping they might reconsider?

YES you are BU. It’s their house and they can ask what they like

NO you are not BU. A letter can’t hurt as long as it’s not too bossy/pushy

Any thoughts?

They don't give a damn whether you love the house. Why would they?

If you think the agent isn't passing on your low offers (which they have to do by law) then by all means write to them. Otherwise, they have heard your offer and rejected it. They want more. They are not going to sell it to you for less than they believe it to be worth because you love it, and they want to be nice to you. As you are not in a position to wait a few months to find out if their expectations are unreasonable, it's best just to look elsewhere.

Original poster
ButterMelonCauliflower · 18/04/2025 11:55

Thanks all for your advice - I think you’re right that we should just leave offer on the table and hopefully something more in our price range will come up 🤞

OP posts:
CantStopMoving · 18/04/2025 11:55

The only trying i worry about though is has the agent actually passed the offers on. You can never be 100%. He might just be holding out for higher commission.

I once called an agent to ask if they would take a low ball offer and they wouldn’t even entertain passing it on. I lowballed on another property (it was at a time when everything was being overvalued) and got it and the other property stood unsold for ages and then they eventually sold for less than I had tried to offer!

Paperthin · 18/04/2025 11:56

Did the agent pass on your most recent offer? Or are they assuming it’s not acceptable. I’d make sure it has been passed to the vendor, then leave the offer on the table. Vendors may come back to you after having a think, you never know.