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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

...to be pissed off with the rude git who booked to view our flat this morning and hasn't shown up?

25 replies

frazzledgirl · 17/05/2009 10:57

We have found a house we like and need to sell. Have reduced price after a few quiet weeks.

Guy books to view late y'day, we agreed 10.30am. Have spent morning tidying and cleaning and trying to stop DS getting out all his toys.

Is now five to 11, no sign of viewer, estate agent says phone's gone straight to answerphone.

AIBU to think it's f**king rude not to let people know you're not coming, even when it's 'just' a house viewing and you've never met them?

I'd got my hopes up a little bit... sigh

OP posts:
peggotty · 17/05/2009 11:00

Maybe he's just late and is on his way? Rude to be late at this time on a sunday morning, definately. And if he doesn't turn up at all he is indeed a twat.

Original poster
frazzledgirl · 17/05/2009 11:05

This will be the fourth time someone has booked and not showed up. Out of nine bookings. Is this normal? Haven't sold before.

DS now asleep, because it's his nap time and that's why we booked the early viewing.

Honestly, I would never do this. We looked at one house where the street was so bad we didn't even want to park, but we still went and looked round the house.

OP posts:
peggotty · 17/05/2009 11:10

I wouldn't do it either, it's just bloody rude. You can't vet the personalities of your viewers though (unfortunately) and it isn't just going to be nice, considerate people who view your home. It seems worse that you have to tidy up for some complete bloody stranger to come and nosy around and then they don't even appear. Have only sold once and I can't remember if people didn't turn up or not as it was a few years ago now. Maybe it's something to do with the state of the market at the moment that people feel they can mess sellers around like this. Or maybe you have just been unfortunate.

tattifer · 17/05/2009 11:11

Have a chat to your estate agent - they should at least be firming the bookings up or making quite sure of the level of interest in the first place.

tattifer · 17/05/2009 11:12

Also, as you're paying them to sell the house, make sure they do accompanied viewings - I bet you won't have quite so many cancellations then.

tattifer · 17/05/2009 11:13

Oh, and I have sold many times. Tidying up is essential. sorry.

Original poster
frazzledgirl · 17/05/2009 11:15

The flat does look nice and it needed doing, so I don't mind that quite so much, it's just the stress and nerves of waiting for the guy to show up, and then the disappointment.

Estate agents will claim it's not their fault I'm sure, but I do wonder whether they're kind of pressuring people to say they'll view when they're not too interested.

I am also going to say to them that I won't be doing any more viewings. It's too annoying when they don't show.

OP posts:
tattifer · 17/05/2009 11:18

Keep up a good relationship with your agent - that's as essential as tidying the house.

Say you'd like them to accompany the viewings as you don't feel you're going to do a good a job as they will at selling the property. It's flattery designed to maintain a good relationship not meant as an insult to your ability to sell.

violethill · 17/05/2009 11:21

oooh that is rude and annoying.

But at least your house is tidy!

Original poster
frazzledgirl · 17/05/2009 11:22

It's a bit late for the good relationship bit - they've been so awful that we gave notice that we were terminating their sole agency on Weds.

Haven't had a row or anything, but their sole sales technique has been overvaluing to get us to sign, then pressuring us to reduce three weeks later when the viewings dried up. And never any feedback.

OP posts:
TrillianAstra · 17/05/2009 11:25

It is very rude, YANBU.

PfftTheMagicDragon · 17/05/2009 11:27

Did you speak to the man yourself? As in, are you sure the agent didn't invent him to make it seem they were doing better?

Original poster
frazzledgirl · 17/05/2009 11:34

I'd wondered whether he existed, too!

No, I didn't speak to him. And I wouldn't put it past the buggers.

OP posts:
newpup · 17/05/2009 11:35

It is rude but when we sold our house 2 years ago it happened quite a few times. Usually for Sunday viewings!!!

If it turned out to be nice weather or they did not fancy getting out of bed I guess.

It is a pain when you have young children and can't get out any toys or let them go to bed etc.

Hope you sell soon.

tattifer · 17/05/2009 11:45

In that case frazzled you're doing the right thing - find a new agent, establish good working relationship and hopefully you'll sell as part of the spring spike!

MorrisZapp · 17/05/2009 18:31

Here in Scotland it's mostly open viewings, usually on a Thursday evening and Sunday afternoon.

I've lost count of the amount of sellers I've visited in the past who don't remain home for their viewings.

It is of course appallingly rude but in the property market you're over a barrel if you need/ want to sell or buy. It's a total pain in the backside but it appears to be par for the course.

StealthPolarBear · 17/05/2009 18:33

open viewings
That sounds like a huge security risk - do the estate agents get any details about these people or can they literally just turn up?

Stinkermink · 17/05/2009 18:40

YANBU, however, we have turned up to houses before now and just known there was absolutely no point in going in, looking around and getting someones hopes up. But we've always called the agent to tell them "no NOT what we're looking for, try again", they should then follow that up and call the vendor. I know that's rude of us, but we have bought and sold a few houses over the years and know exactly what we're looking for/at when driving up.

It's good that your house was tidy though, maybe outside needs a bit of attention. Is the access good? Is it easy to find?

MorrisZapp · 17/05/2009 18:47

They just turn up - is considered totally normal here. Also, you don't 'sell' the house, you just show them round and answer any questions.

Makes watching English property shows quite odd for us!

But yes, some ppl do think it's a security risk, and ask all viewers to sign their name, though obviously no proof it's a genuine signature.

Some people don't do open viewings, increasingly so now that the market has crashed. No point having open viewing if one person or nobody at all is going to turn up. Also making appointment might deter nosy parkers who have no intention of buying (like us, mwah ha ha ha).

MorrisZapp · 17/05/2009 18:49

By Scotland I can only speak for Edinburgh btw. But we don't have estate agents up here who 'sell' houses, we do it through solicitors and property sells itself. It all goes online and it's up to buyers to find it, which is straightforward.

StealthPolarBear · 17/05/2009 18:53

That's weird - what would happen if someone did actively try to sell and promote their house? Would they have an advantage?
I suppose the security thing isn't much better here, estate agents ask for your name and address (I assume mainly so they can follow up and pester you for evermore!) and there's nothing to stop you making it up, but it does feel a little bit more secure.

Original poster
frazzledgirl · 17/05/2009 19:28

Stinkermink, thanks for the perspective. And if you call the agent straight away so they can call the vendor, I don't think it is rude, FWIW.

The house has a nice new driveway and has been painted in the last four years, so looks pretty good. There's a really rundown house next door, which may not help, but that's obv not something I can change... do you think it would make a difference?

OP posts:
Stinkermink · 17/05/2009 19:42

It might to be honest. We have made bookings for viewings then pitched up on a recce at different times of day i.e. 6pm or even pub closing times to see if an area is different or if there are 5 cars parked up next door that sort of thing. But then either gone ahead or cancelled the prospective viewing on that basis.

But we've been honest with the agent and said there's a really rowdy pub or lots of shouting quite late that kind of thing, whilst I'm not naive enough to think that a British estate agent would feed that back I'd like to think they might.

Not sure what you could do about scruffy neighbours, but if the outside of your house is fine then I would think about being more decisive about the marketing the agent is doing for you. When we sold our last house, I was not happy with the picture they posted in the property paper. And made them come back to take more photos. Never accept the agents fees on face value and negotiate a reduction if it doesn't sell within a given time frame.

One of the things that kick started our (very expensive) agent the last time into finding a buyer was telling him that we were going to move and let the property until it sold. They were not keen on that at all and it went within 2 weeks. This is 5 years ago mind, and I have no idea what the selling market is like these days. The only other thing I can suggest is take a really objective view of your house and start packing/clearing out the crap. Get all the packed stuff that you don't need right now stashed away at a neighbours or family and do a mass clear out as if you are moving of all the things you don't need. We seem to be indoctrinated by property shows and show homes and the least amount of stuff you have in the house the better, makes it feel bigger. Hope that helps!

Original poster
frazzledgirl · 18/05/2009 12:37

Update: the guy apparently told our estate agent that he decided overnight that he didn't want a three-bedroom flat.

Why f**king book to view one, then? A8sehole.

OP posts:
Stinkermink · 18/05/2009 13:20

Tosser! Hasn't got the money more like! Onwards and upwards...someone will come along

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