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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

AIBU to tell Estate Agents to only allow viewers to view my house if they are in a position to proceed?

37 replies

pgwithnumber3 · 17/01/2009 12:09

In the current market, obviously any viewings is better than none but at nearly 38 weeks pregnant, I am getting pissed off with nosey bastards coming to view my house and either (a) not even put their property on the market or (b) house is on the market but not even an offer on it.

Why do people do this? Do they not realise how inconvenient it is to the seller? I would never view a house unless I was in a position to buy and I disagree with people who say "we just want to see what is on the market" - if you can't buy, what's the point?

AIBU to tell the agents to only let viewings with people who are in a position to put an offer in?

I hate selling houses.

OP posts:
stickybeaker · 17/01/2009 12:13

Oh I know - I REALLY hated this process. However - my advice would be to let every tom dick and harry in.

I had someone come to look at mine and I was moaning that she wasn't genuine.

She was.

I don't think you can be fussy tbh.

Good luck though!

2pt4kids · 17/01/2009 12:15

I think you ought to let them all look too.
If you put rules on who can see it, then you might turn down someone with no offer on theirs. They might then get an offer and they will offer themselves on something they've probably already seen (which could have been yours!)

Original poster
pgwithnumber3 · 17/01/2009 12:16

Oh I know, just can't be arsed when so heavily pregnant.

How come your purchaser went from not being genuine to buying it? Did she not let the agents know her position?

OP posts:
RaspberryBlower · 17/01/2009 12:16

I really, really wouldn't limit yourself by doing that. There might be someone you'll put off who could have been your potential buyer. We first viewed our house without being in a postition to buy but a few weeks later it was still on the market and we were, so we bought it. I do sympathise with you though.

Northernlurker · 17/01/2009 12:19

we hadn't put our house on the market when we looked at the house I'm sitting in now! We looked, loved it and then pushed like mad to get ours sold.

Original poster
pgwithnumber3 · 17/01/2009 12:20

Glad I asked this as I thought most people would agree with me but it seems I was wrong!

To be honest, I am very clean anyway and if it is a case of just spending an hour getting straight and that viewer turns out to be the one who buys my house then I suppose its worth it.

You just get demoralised by constant viewings and no offers.

Agent has just rang and cancelled one of my viewings, supposedly they want a Detached (we have a Semi), the wife viewed it yesterday and loved it and was coming back today with her DH. Why bloody look at Semis if you want a Detached. ARGHHHHH!!!!

OP posts:
siriusmew · 17/01/2009 12:22

I do know how irritating this is. We are renring and moving out of our current property at the end of the month. We've had 11 Viewings in the last week or so and not one person has submitted an application. So we have to go through the whole rigmarole of trying to pack, looking after 2 LO's and making sure the house doesn't look like a hovel!!!!!!!! Very difficult! Esp with you being so pg!!

smartiejake · 17/01/2009 12:56

Surely if everyone waited until they had an offer on their house then no one would be out there to make an offer on another?

LIZS · 17/01/2009 12:59

It's annoying but yabu if you want to sell in this climate. Perhaps in your circumstances you should take it off the market for a while to avoid the inevitable stress.

Cosette · 17/01/2009 13:03

We viewed this house before my DH and I had put either of our 2 houses on the market! We needed to have a look around to see what we could afford for our (anticipated) money, and decide on an area. We didn't want to be in the position where we'd sold our houses, and were still figuring out where to live.

So I think it's an essential part of the process, and in some cases, such as ours, this house was available when we were ready to proceed.

However given that you're 38 weeks pg, I think it's reasonable to say to the agent that you don't want viewings unless the viewer is a cash buyer or has their house at least on the market. Having an offer I would say isn't that important, as who's to say they won't get one or reduce their price if they like yours anyway.

But if you're keen to sell, think you do want to accept any viewings..

tootyflooty · 17/01/2009 13:11

I work in an estate agent and we get our share of time wasters.But in this current climate it may be better to not limit yourself. You can be selective but you may get far fewer people through the door. If your agent is doing their job properly they should be able to weed out the timewasters if they view regularly but have not got their own house on the market.But any one who has a property on the market is doing as much as they can already so would definatly not restrict to buyers who are ready to go.

OHBollox · 17/01/2009 13:12

Why not put things on hold until the spring ?
I moved when the baby was 5 weeks old, it was hell, I then bought the wrong house because i was full of hormones, I'd give yourself some space and do one stressfull, life changing thing at a time.

Original poster
pgwithnumber3 · 17/01/2009 13:13

Thanks everyone, all great advice. I will continue to let genuine viewers in (house on the market at least) but anyone else will have to wait! It is too much hard work being 9 months pregnant to let EVERY Tom Dick or Harry in.

OP posts:
fluffles · 17/01/2009 13:14

I think you should take any viewing you get to be honest but if you were to open the door to me at 38wks pregnant i wouldn't expect the house to be like a showhouse, i'd be very tolerant of mess in that situation so maybe let them come but do less preparation?

Original poster
pgwithnumber3 · 17/01/2009 13:14

Unfortunately due to bad finances, we HAVE to sell asap. We have a part exchange that we are considering so as a back up, we can always do that.

OP posts:
fluffles · 17/01/2009 13:14

A serious buyer will also be more likely to see through a 'lived-in' look.

compo · 17/01/2009 13:14

I agree with Lizs, if you aren't in the right frame of mind to move now (and who would be at 38 weeks pregnant!) maybe take it off the market?

compo · 17/01/2009 13:15

oops sorry, x posts

OHBollox · 17/01/2009 13:19

I disagree, we lost £65k because the house was a tip, the people took one look at my bump and knew we were desperate and all in all it was a disaster.
If there is any way on earth you can tread water for 3 months I would (oh and we went down the part exchange route too, the house is awful I hate it but we paid 20% too much for it and are in NE and stuck).
Wait until your head is clearer, you won't regret it.

badgermonkey · 17/01/2009 13:47

We looked round loads of houses before we had a offer on ours, but it was a good thing because then we got an offer and they wanted to proceed really quickly and it meant we'd already worked out what we wanted so we managed to see the house we ended up buying the next day and moving six weeks later, rather than wasting a few weeks going round houses that in all honesty looked great on paper but really weren't right.

herbietea · 17/01/2009 13:50

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ThePregnantHedgeWitch · 17/01/2009 13:56

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LynetteScavo · 17/01/2009 14:02

There are probably people out there like me; I wasn't allowed to view a house because I wasn't in a possition to proceed. When we did have an offer on our house I was so annoyed that I hadn't been able to view it before I didn't even bother with it. With hindsight, it's a good job, as i would have fallen in love with it, and we've since had another baby and it would have been too small.

missorinoco · 17/01/2009 14:03

i see where you are coming from, but i am now about to buy a house i looked at before mine was on the market.
i worked on the basis that if there was nothing i wanted to buy i wasn't going to put mine on.

LynetteScavo · 17/01/2009 14:08

pgwithnumber3 - We asked for no viewings on our house the week I was due. DH alowed a viewing when DD was a week old. I was quite but they are the people who we ended up selling to.

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