Putting an a house offer has become such a hassle

[AvacadoChic]

I've moved house several times over my life, the most recent about 7 years ago. I've been looking at a new place and expected the process to be the same as always but this time around it's dragged on and we haven't even got as far as putting an offer in yet.

We saw a house, and phoned the estate agent with a low offer. The estate agent got back to me by email the next day and said that I have to fill in a form with a lot of questions and documents to upload. I didn't have time to look at the form until the following day and then I saw that it would be quite time consuming, so emailed back asking if they could get an idea if the offer would be accepted, as it was a lot of work if the seller would say a flat out no. The eatate agent refused but said that we didn't have to fill out the form, just send him some documents. I sent the documents and the he replied asking for more documents. I've sent those and I'm waiting for his reply. This process has taken more than a week and I don't have any idea if the seller if willing to accept low offers. It would have taken them 30 seconds to ring up the seller to see if he would even entertain our offer. It just seems such a pointless waste of time.

In the past, I've always put in an offer overr the phone and only when it's accepted does all the paperwork begin. It's a lot of extra work for a house that I might not even get.

Is that standard now? What a palaver. I hope that's just one weird agent rather than being normal now. Haven't bought for 9 years now but same as you, rang and put in an offer and agent called vendor to say yes or no same day.

Why the offer so low. You sound like you think you bring cheeky and the fact the agent is making hard think they agree. Never heard of forms etc before and I moved last year.

Round here some of the agents won’t let you look at a house unless your own home is already under offer.

This makes it rather difficult, if you’re only looking to move if the right house comes up!

You must be in England and Wales. The Scottish system whilst imperfect is better and in the absence of something even better, advocate it being adopted in England and Wales.

The estate agent could have said that the low offer will not be accepted, don't want to waste time even contacting the seller. It could be that the seller had specified a figure below which they will not even consider it.

I'm mid house purchase and that's not standard, at least not in Scotland, I know the process is really different in England. I offered on 2 properties, at different times, one they accepted a higher offer on, but the 2nd was accepted. The only documents I had to sort were with my own solicitor in order for them to process the sale, they were happy to offer on my behalf as long as I got underway on the registration with them.

I think it’s to weed out time-wasters: people who can’t actually afford it and won’t get a mortgage. No point even putting an offer to the vendors if you’re in dreamland. Estate agents have just tightened up their practice over the years because of previous experience.

Also, is it harder to get a mortgage now?

Are you sure the documents aren't them trying to shoehorn you into using their mortgage advisor? What documents?!

Sounds like the particular estate agent, I work in the industry and this is not the norm.

This sounds suspect. I wouldn't be sending them any documents.

Instead if you're really keen, I'd drop a letter through the owners mailbox with your offer and say if there's anyway they would entertain the offer, tell their REA to get in touch with you.

Yep. It’s outrageous isn’t it. I viewed a property the other week. Estate agent wanted me to provide proof of funds. Ie email screen shot of my finances. So nosy! Lots of forms to fill. Pay an admin charge to place the offer. And put pressure on me to make best and final offer by the next day with no chance for a second viewing. I told them to stuff it because I’m not prepared to be pressured like that. Also they wanted to know if I wanted to write a short piece to the vendor. I honestly laughed at that. I’m a cash buyer what more would they need to know? I’m not asking the vendors to stay there and co habit with me so what on earth would they need to know apart from if I can afford it. It was unbelievable! Happily I don’t actually have to move but just this experience puts me off dealing with agents at all. I told the the agent good luck with dealing with your buyers trying to cobble together their mortgages- come back to me when those fall through if they do but I’m not jumping through your hoops like this on your time scale. I miss the days when a simple verbal offer sufficed to get the ball rolling.

Estate agents are obliged to pass on all offers. I would submit the offer by email, reminding them of that fact, and decline to fill out their forms or provide them with any documents at this stage.

I sold and bought 2/3 years ago. I accepted the offer same day over the phone for my house and same process for the house I bought. It went ‘under offer’ until I’d completed paperwork and proof of funds, the said ‘sold subject to contract’. That’s such an unnecessary ball ache if the offer is likely to be declined, but everybody knows the first offer is a starting point!

Yeah we had this with one agent when viewing houses. They wanted to see proof of funds before even submitting the offer to the vendors. We gave them everything, they submitted our offer (over asking price) .. then never even bothered getting back to us to say if it had been accepted or rejected.

Gotta love estate agents 🙄

Yep. This!

They have to pass offers on. BUT it is also reasonable to have to provide evidence of funds before the seller accepts.

I actually feel by asking for proof of funds so early on it takes away your powers to negotiate effectively like showing your hand in a card game. Surely once the estate agents know your full financial status they will try to rinse you out for as much as they can. It seems seriously unethical.

Sounds as they were Estate Agents are finally earning their money doing their due diligence before everybody waste their time and money on surveys, etc

Surely once the estate agents know your full financial status they will try to rinse you out for as much as they can. It seems seriously unethical.

The agent is working for the vendor. It's their job to get the best price they can.

The only time I've had to do all this is when the house went to best and final offers.

They are legally obliged to pass on all offers. You do not have to fill out any forms.

I'm interested in what documents the estate agent is asking for?

I would not be sharing personal information.

Just bought a property and no, we were able to put an offer in after a telephone conversation with the estate agent. Once it had been accepted we had to do the ID/evidence the source of funds and provide solicitors details before they would stop visits by other parties and mark it under offer on the websites.

I wonder whether this is because your offer is so low and/or they/the sellers have been messed around by people who have not been in a proceedable position.

Offered on a house three weeks ago, nothing was asked of me at all. The EA did ask me if I had mortgage in principle and whether my own property is on the market before agreeing the viewing but that was it.

We've been told we can't offer on a property until we have an offer - we just lost the house we wanted

The estate agent I went with only allowed viewings with clients that were immediately proceedable. I think this makes sense. I also didn’t view properties until I’d sold mine.

@KatyMac you can still offer but the vendors won't agree to take their house off the market until you are under offer.

There's not much point in making offers until you have already accepted an offer on your own house and are proceedable. That's quite standard.