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Original poster

Will estate agents tell us no chance of this

52 replies

KaylaW · 16/12/2025 16:55

We are thinking of moving but haven’t got our house on the market currently.

There are some houses we’ve seen which have been for sale for a week weeks or longer and may have also had a price reduced.

If we were to ask to view, would you expect EA’s to say no as we aren’t currently proceed-able?

OP posts:
PullingOutHair123 · 16/12/2025 16:58

I wouldn't bother viewing until my house was at the very least on the market, if not under offer.

No point seeing a house you love, but being unable to proceed. Someone else will snaffle it.

HomeStress · 16/12/2025 16:58

I sold my house recently and I was happy to have viewers regardless of their status.

Twiglets1 · 16/12/2025 16:59

KaylaW · 16/12/2025 16:55

We are thinking of moving but haven’t got our house on the market currently.

There are some houses we’ve seen which have been for sale for a week weeks or longer and may have also had a price reduced.

If we were to ask to view, would you expect EA’s to say no as we aren’t currently proceed-able?

Seeing as the market is flat in most areas they may allow a viewing. Or they may tell you to get your own house on the market first. Your house doesn’t necessarily need to be sold but some EAs & sellers are reluctant to allow viewings from people who haven’t got their own property even on the market yet.

Didimum · 16/12/2025 16:59

We’ve viewed many houses in the past without having ours on the market or under offer. We viewed the house we currently live in without ours being on the market.

RandomUsernameHere · 16/12/2025 17:00

In my experience, they would only say no in a really hot property market, which it isn’t at the moment.

Poms · 16/12/2025 17:00

It would be a no from me

MatildaTheCat · 16/12/2025 17:00

In this market you might be allowed to see some but it’s really disruptive and annoying for vendors to be asked to show their house to someone in your position.

If you want to move you can get a very good idea of what you can get on rightmove etc. Then get yourself into a position to get on the market and get viewing once your getting interest.

Imagine seeing a dream property when you aren’t even on the market. No way to get an offer accepted unless you have very deep pockets.

RandomUsernameHere · 16/12/2025 17:03

We also viewed our current house before we put our old one on the market.

UserNom · 16/12/2025 17:03

It was a real arseache to get our house viewable every time (DCs and pets to get out of the house, also WFH) so it would be a No from me.

In a slow market there's even more reason not to let chancers/dreamers come and view - their home isn't even on the market, and the slow market applies to them too!

TheTaupeScroller · 16/12/2025 17:06

You can't do anything even if you like the house

and you expect the sellers to go through all the trouble of making their house visitor-ready, which is an absolute pain.

Doesn't that sound a bit selfish and unreasonable to you?

TreadSoftlyOnMyDreams · 16/12/2025 17:11

Unlikely this side of Christmas. People will think you are just sizing them up to burgle them !

You can always ask and in the same breath as the agent to value your house and give you a quote. It at least shows you are serious about it.

MoominMai · 16/12/2025 17:12

UserNom · 16/12/2025 17:03

It was a real arseache to get our house viewable every time (DCs and pets to get out of the house, also WFH) so it would be a No from me.

In a slow market there's even more reason not to let chancers/dreamers come and view - their home isn't even on the market, and the slow market applies to them too!

Edited

💯
I wouldn’t expect to have an in person guided tour of a home when mines not even on the market and so it would be a No from me also. I would expect the interested person to rely on internet info which should suffice especially as dimensions/floorplans etc are usually all on there also.

Enduser1 · 16/12/2025 17:52

I wouldn’t have you view my property, no.

Lostinbrum · 16/12/2025 17:56

Depends what its like in your area i suppose. Market is still pretty strong where I live. My parents have their place sold they are top in the chain and had three of their offers on properties rejected cos the seller went with cash buyers who had already completed. Someone whos house wasn't even on the market wouldn't get a look in round here

Erin1975 · 16/12/2025 18:01

How would they know if your house was on sale or not?

Enduser1 · 16/12/2025 18:02

Erin1975 · 16/12/2025 18:01

How would they know if your house was on sale or not?

estate agent asks for listing

Common practice

ACynicalDad · 16/12/2025 18:16

The best you will get is a viewing and if you make an offer it being accepted but not held until you are able to proceed.

Lifejigsaw · 16/12/2025 18:20

Enduser1 · 16/12/2025 18:02

estate agent asks for listing

Common practice

Show quote history

Not at the moment in my experience, having just sold and bought

tinyspiny · 16/12/2025 18:23

I don’t know about estate agents but I wouldn’t want viewers who hadn’t at least got their house on the market , far too much aggravation .

yorkshiretoffee · 16/12/2025 18:24

Lots of people where I am, view when not on the market. I personally don't see the point, but I know someone quite recently who viewed a house, liked it, put theirs on the market and bought said house in matter of weeks.
If I was selling, I would not stop people viewing but I would not consider an offer from someone not proceedable.

thetruthisinhere · 16/12/2025 18:26

Even if you view the house a seller wouldn’t accept your offer or take it off the market until you’ve had an offer on yours.

We had a nightmare of a house selling and buying time over the last 2 years. It’s much more strict and rigid now than it was 10 years ago when we bought our previous house. Chains are constantly breaking. People are constantly withdrawing or changing offers.

My advice would be start getting your house cleared and sorted ready for sale immediately. Even getting your own survey done so you know the issues you might have in advance, and get those fixed.

We had 3 of our buyers drop out for various insane reasons, god I wish we’d known about these before we even went on the market.

Onesipmore · 16/12/2025 18:26

There is little point you viewing as even if you liked it you couldnt buy it.
It would be a waste of time for the Estate Agent and a pain for the owners tidying up for the viewing. The Agent however may show you, to then try and list yours

Enduser1 · 16/12/2025 18:46

Lifejigsaw · 16/12/2025 18:20

Not at the moment in my experience, having just sold and bought

Show quote history

Your house was on the market when you were looking

and the EA didn’t ask your circumstance and for proof before showing you around?

WittyUser · 16/12/2025 19:14

Is there a way you could be chain free without having to sell?

DP and I own a property each and haven’t even been thinking of buying or selling but an interesting opportunity came up which we went to view.

I was so surprised when our mortgage broker said we could borrow 5.5x our combined salaries and as long as we got consent to let on our existing properties, we could borrow the full amount towards the new property. This does require the rent to cover the existing mortgage(s) and that you have enough for a deposit/second home stamp duty on the new place, but means we are attractive as can be chain free, and also we are not under pressure to sell quickly (and once we sell then we use those funds/the second home stamp duty refund to fund renovations)

Lifejigsaw · 16/12/2025 20:26

Enduser1 · 16/12/2025 18:46

Your house was on the market when you were looking

and the EA didn’t ask your circumstance and for proof before showing you around?

Show quote history

They asked my circumstance but not for proof or my listing