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Original poster

Is this a bit odd?

29 replies

Pennies · 05/07/2006 19:33

I have had my house on the market for 9 weeks now with no offers at all (not even ridiculous ones). Anyway, I had one yesterday finally for £30k under the asking price, which was a bit lower than I hoped so he upped it by £5k. This is still a bit lower than I had hoped for but said I'd get back to them on it tomorrow.

Anyway, in the meantime another bloke comes to looka t the house today. I was in the front room and saw him just march up to the house. I thought this was a bit odd because most people coming to view a house check out the outside before coming in. Anyway, in he came and the agent took him to the back of the house and showed him the kitchen and garden and then he showed him into the front room where I was and to cut a long sotry short he made me an offer that matched the higher one I already had. When I said that I had a matching offer he upped it again. I said that I'll think about it and he was going "Can I give you my solicitor's details" etc. I almost felt quite bullied by his approach and he also hadn't even been upstairs.

The agent thought it was odd and I can't help but feel that I don't want to sell it to him even tho he's offered me a good price, can move soon and I'm also sick of it being on the market. He just seemed dodgy as hell (tho he asserted he wasn't WTF?!) and when he left he jut marched off again - didn't look at the house again. Agent said to me that when he came through the door the first thing he said was "I've come to buy this house".

Not sure what my question is really but suppose just wondering if anyone else would have concerns about selling to someone who seemed so dodgy.

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Twiglett · 05/07/2006 19:36

if your gut tells you he's weird .. he's probably weird

some people do things like this for power kicks .. dunno why ..

tell him you want asking price and tell him to arrange survey and once the survey is done you'll take it off the market

bet you don't see him for dust

neena28 · 05/07/2006 19:36

Is it an old house that he might have had something to do with in the past or could he possibly want it for some other reason ie big plot, knock it down and build 2 houses?

Just some thoughts.

FWIT though the people who were going to buy our old house who seemed lovely dropped us in the sh$t at the last moment and the ones that I hated immediatly bought the house virtually problem free.

HTH

Ledodgyherring · 05/07/2006 19:36

He was probably a property developer, is he a cash buyer?

marthamoo · 05/07/2006 19:37

He sounds very weird - I can't believe anyone would buy a house without looking upstairs. I'd be extremely wary - he could just be a serial-go-er-round-peoples'-houses-making-mad-offers-and-not-following-through-er.

Does the Estate Agent know anything about him - has he viewed other houses, does he have a property of his own to sell etc?

fattiemumma · 05/07/2006 19:38

i would trust your instincts.

he may have family in the area and already know the layout of the houses? or just wants the actual plot of land for rebuilding the house?

Twiglets suggestion about the survey is good

EvesMama · 05/07/2006 19:38

see if he'll up his offer then tll him you'll sell to him but wont take it off market until survey done and solicitors all informed.
be cautious!

EvesMama · 05/07/2006 19:39

oops great minds twiglett!

Original poster
Pennies · 05/07/2006 19:46

It's not a big plot - London terrace. Also not a good option for a developer because it's recently been developed (1994) and we comepletely re-did it with new kitchen and bathroom just 18 months ago. Also I think it's not a good price for a development property - he'd never make any money on it.

He was also obsessed by what we were potentially leaving, particualrly a chandelier we have in the front room. He wanted me to write down there and then what we were leaving. Needlesss to say I didn't!

He said he wanted to live near his cousin who lives nearby and he also said he's been looking for 5 months and was sick of looking. In which case why hasn't he been here before now as it's been around for 2 of those 5 months.

Curiouser and curiouser. I so hope offer no. 1 comes up trumps and can up his offer - he was so nice. I can just tell that this guy will be a complete PITA.

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Original poster
Pennies · 05/07/2006 19:47

Good idea Twiglett and Evesmama - will do that if we take his offer.

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EvesMama · 05/07/2006 19:48

very odd, sounds scary to me..tell him to put his money where his mouth is!
do it all by he booktho, hell be type to want to bypass legal bodies!

Original poster
Pennies · 05/07/2006 19:48

My overwhelming concern was that he was actually casing the joint IYKWIM

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Original poster
Pennies · 05/07/2006 19:49

Yes, you're spot on - he was scary. I'm so glad that the agent was there and that I wasn't having to be alone with him.

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EvesMama · 05/07/2006 19:50

agent will have his detail, so youd be able to trace him..im actually tense thinking about him, i imagine he was almost on fast forward and in your face!

apronstrings · 05/07/2006 19:52

I would see what the estate agent thinks - if they're good presumably they could check if he's good for the cash. You don't want to lose thousands unnecessarily.

When we sold our last house I thought the people who bought it were nosey timewasters.. they came on a sunday with granny and grandad - i really got the feeling they spent sundays having a nose at other peoples houses - walked quite quickly room to room saying ooh lovely and gossiping about my decor.....I was not happy 3 kids at the time to tidy up round and keep out of the way. They didn't even have their house on the market....BUT they calle dthe agent 9 am monday , put theirs on to sell quickly at a good price and bought it!!!!!I am generally a good (ish) judge of these things but you never know

Original poster
Pennies · 05/07/2006 19:54

That's true - providing he gave genuine details. Suzi Lamplugh's (spelt?) murderer springs to mind. But obviously we're not in anythng like that situation. However, it does cause me to question the fact that the agent does seem to prefer me to show people round the house and I have no idea who (or what!) they are going to send me. Will have words with them about it methinks.

Also if he was casing the joint why bother to make an offer - you'd just say you didn't like it wouldn't you. But then nothing he did met my expectations.

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DevilsAdvocado · 05/07/2006 19:56

Well, he sounds like my BIL. That's the way he bought his last house. He was just so fed up of looking he was driving past a house one day and saw it had a sign up "Viewing by appointment only" But he is a right cocku so n so and he went up, knocked the front door, explained himself to the man and he let him in for a look around. About an hour later he took his wife round, made him an offer of the asking price but then guy said he had an offer of more than that so my bil said he would give him the asking price in cash (he's a knob, born with a silver spoon etc)..... and a few months later he and his wife moved in!! So not all fellas who make decisions like this are dodgy, my bil is a knob but he's not dodgy

bramblina · 05/07/2006 19:57

Maybe he tooka drive round one night and liked the look of outside already? Maybe he's a property developer/rental agent who doesn't care what it looks like, just wants to buy it? Where I live (remote scottish highlands) 2 houses have sold on the net without even being viewed- one went for £225k. Now that's wierd.

DumbledoresGirl · 05/07/2006 19:58

Tell him you have had an offer of the asking price and see if he goes above that. Maybe he didn't need to look around too much because he had already seen a similar house down the road? have any other houses in the vicinity been for sale lately?

Original poster
Pennies · 05/07/2006 20:04

HI DDG - I don't think he'll up it again. He said he didn't want to go higher because he'd seen some things that he would need to spend money on to sort out (tho god knows what that could be the place is in tip top condition). WRT knowing the houses our house has a fairly unique layout (which is what seems to put most people off!) - but you could be right - it's just that he seemed to have decided to buy it before he was even through the door.

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DevilsAdvocado · 05/07/2006 20:27

Do you think he's maybe buying to rent it out? If that was the case it won't matter to him what size the garden etc is, only a matter for his prospective tenants?

shimmy21 · 05/07/2006 20:31

My friend made an offer on a house that she hadn't even been inside (just peered in through a window). She knew the type of houses in that street, it was in the right position for her at the right price.

She has lived there happily for five years now. Not all keen buyers are dodgy!

edam · 05/07/2006 20:44

Just make sure your estate agent has spoken to his solicitor and mortage broker so you know he's good for the money and in a position to move.

LIZS · 05/07/2006 21:01

hmm does seem odd but then we've had some pretty odd viewings too. Could be he is looking for a buy to let but the agent should know that or be able to check it out.

One of ours just grunted as he looked around and asked about the cracks but not anything about the house itself or the area. I was glad I had my mum staying as he would have creeped me out otherwise (agent was too busy to show around that day ) He'd also been looking a while but somehow missed ours - for 5 months ?! tbh it was a relief when he told the agent he decided against it , wouldn't have wanted to do business with him.

tubismybub · 05/07/2006 21:01

Are you happy with your agent? It's just that a common trick when a house isn't recieving any offers is that the agent will call the seller with a made up offer that is very low so that when someone else comes along and offers slightly higher the seller jumps at the chance. It's a way of agents shifting houses quickly if things are slow. I may be way off here but i've dealt with a lot of crap estate agents. I would hold out for more money.

Original poster
Pennies · 05/07/2006 21:30

Well, the fake offer thing did occur to me but surely they can't do that? Aren't they regulated in any way to ensure that doesn't happen?

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