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Original poster

Anyone ever put an offer in on a house which was already SSTC?

28 replies

Oncebitten · 01/06/2007 23:07

I am a first time buyer and stumbled across the house of my dreams last sunday. As it was a bank holiday, I had to wait until Tuesday to call the estate agents, and knowing my luck, expected it to be SSTC, but was told that it was still on the market. Hurrah! So I was given an appointment to view it friday (today).

However, yesterday as I was flicking through the local paper, i saw said house with a SSTC on it. I called the estate agents immediately and they said that the sellers are still taking viewings incase the sale falls through. I was very tempted to call off the viewing because I was scared of getting my hopes up but on the off chance that the sale fell through, thought it was worth it and went along. It was just perfect, perfect location,beautifully decorated, so humble and homely. (and a bargain) I want it!

The seller mentioned that the person who has put in an offer, offered 500 less than the sale price, so I was thinking about calling tommorrow and offering 500 more than the sale price. I don't really know the protocol but want the house sooo badly. Would this be a waste of time or is it worth a shot? Anyone else had experience of this? I know its a bit pants for the people who have put in an offer already but surely this is the nature of house selling/buying?

OP posts:
Pixiefish · 01/06/2007 23:12

If they've accepted the offer then what you are proposing is gazumping.
I'm sure that there is legislation against this- check first as I may well be wrong.
Morally wrong imo though

jules99 · 01/06/2007 23:15

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ChippyMinton · 01/06/2007 23:15

Go for it, you have nothing to lose.
BTW i have been gazumped, it happens. And we bought our house after the vendor got fed up waiting for his SSTC buyer to proceed and put the house back on the market.

Original poster
Oncebitten · 01/06/2007 23:16

The seller was being very ambiguous about what call I should put into the estate agent (and if I had a better offer etc..) Which made me think that perhaps it is morally wrong and she wouldn't care to admit to considering such a thing... I just want the house sooooo much...

OP posts:
Original poster
Oncebitten · 01/06/2007 23:19

Thats a brill tip about the deposit. Was thinking that if I did it to the buyer then someone might do the same to me! The seller said she hadn't anticipated so much interest and had been wondering if she could have put it up for sale at a higher price. Its a real gem.

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jules99 · 01/06/2007 23:24

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wannaBe · 01/06/2007 23:26

no legislation against gazumping unless you are in scotland. but it's morally wrong. Someone else has set their heart on this house before you, it's sold stc, it's not meant to be. how would you feel if you offered on your perfect house and the seller then sold it to someone else? do unto others...

jules99 · 01/06/2007 23:36

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Original poster
Oncebitten · 01/06/2007 23:37

Thanx guys, didn't know if there would be anyone out there with experience of this. Its new to me!

Yes wannabe, I know that it's a wretched thing to do to the other buyer, apparently, they are having a bit of trouble with the deposit after their first lower bid was refused... Oh now i feel sorry for them... but i feel sorry for me too. The house is just off my mums street, which is just sooo perfect for childcare. I grew up round there, I feel like I have a vested interest... maybe im just trying to convince myself it'd be ok to gazump (sp).

OP posts:
crunchie · 01/06/2007 23:45

personally IMHO it is morally wrong from the seller not from you. IYKWIM They are the seller, they are still leavin gthe house n teh market when they have accepted an offer

jules99 · 01/06/2007 23:46

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Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Original poster
Oncebitten · 01/06/2007 23:53

well yes, the owner was being remarkably cagey about what we should do, now we have fallen in love with it, hook line and sinker. Which is why I came online to have a nosey about whether the vague hint about telling the estate agent if we had a higher offer, was a vague hint or not...

I thought it was all a bit risque, having other viewers even though its SSTC, hence my inclination to call off the viewing... I never listen to my intuition and now im in a right pickle...

OP posts:
jules99 · 02/06/2007 00:02

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Original poster
Oncebitten · 02/06/2007 00:07

please dont laugh... (it is a small northern town) it's 82,500 and the buyer has offered 82,000 which they have accepted, i was going to offer 83,000... they do have an upwards chain though, will that make them less likely to take it off and put it on at a higher price?

Have been thinking about this, what are the odds of a sale falling through? should i just settle into 2nd position and hope that it is to be? It does have my name written all over it, honestly, my furniture will just slot right into place.

OP posts:
jules99 · 02/06/2007 02:08

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Pixiefish · 02/06/2007 07:52

Forgot to say in earlier post it's the seller who is morally wrong- not you

lyrabelacqua · 02/06/2007 08:13

I know it's morally wrong but I'd go for it. It's unfair on the buyer but it's not you screwing them over, it's the seller.
You are in a strong position as a first time buyer, especially if there's already an upward chain as the chain will end with you because you've got nothing to sell.
Do get the buyer to agree to take the house off the market as a condition of your offer though.

Original poster
Oncebitten · 02/06/2007 11:08

thanks for the comments guys... ive just chickened out of offering more. I called the estate agent to test the water, said I loved the house and what was the situation. They sounded very despondant like I'd missed the boat. So I just said to make me next on the list if it falls through. Kicking myself now. Would have thought estate agent would have asked if I had a better offer, if they were up for that sort of thing. It is a very small town maybe gazumping (sp) doesn't take place around here?

OP posts:
Hulababy · 02/06/2007 11:16

gazumping is morally wrong though.The people who are buying it may love it just as much but may not be in a position to offer more. They currently think they have their sale sorted and going ahead, and then to have that knocked from under them. Just seems a bit mean to me. Don't think i could do it.

And even if they had asked full asking price, this can still happen - by the gazumper to offer even higher than full selling price.

hippipotami · 02/06/2007 11:25

I for one am glad you did not gazump. If it is meant to be, then it will happen. What is meant for you will not pass you by!

When we bought our current house 10 years ago we offered the full asking price as we fell in love with it. In response, the seller pulled it off the market. It then took 9 months to complete the sale (long and nightmare chain) but all along the seller stuck to his word about selling for us for the asking price (by the end of the 9 months the house was worth almost £20K more and the estate agent kept pressuring the seller to pull out and re-list property at the highter price) and I will forever to grateful to him for being so honorable and decent.

Fwiw - my best friend was in your exact situation a year ago - dream house, backing into fields with horses, large plot, but sstc. So she asked estate agent to contact her the minute it fell through. Sure enough, she got a phone call 6 weeks later, sale had fallen through, was she still interested. She has been living there for a year now and feels it was meant to be.

Original poster
Oncebitten · 02/06/2007 11:33

oh hippi, i hope that happens to me... this one backs onto feilds with horses too... with an immaculate garden for DD

OP posts:
noddyholder · 02/06/2007 11:37

I think gazumping is morally wrong and will come back to haunt you in some way.How would you feel if you were the other people who thought the house was yours and meanwhile behind your back all this is going on?I had the opportunity to do that this weekend as we had an offer yesterday but an open day booked for today.I cancelled the open day and went with teh people who offered

LIZS · 02/06/2007 11:53

to get sstc in the paper it was done earlier than this week . The vendor obviously has decided not take it off the market, or maybe put it back on, so perhasp the offer on the table is form someome not in a proceedable position ie not sold themselves/theirs fallen through whereas you are a ftb so no chain. Think you should speak to EA again to ask if you are wasting your time and energy. If they are prepared to mess one potential buyer around they might do so you in turn . It sounds unethical on both the vendor and EA's part to continue to allow viewings and entertain offers if that offer is still going ahead, in which case you could complain to the NAEA as I suspect it is against their Code of Conduct.

lyrabelacqua · 02/06/2007 12:16

If they're still arranging viewings, they're still open to offers, or what's the point.
Put your offer in - if you don't someone who's viewed it after you probably will.
I know it's mean but if it's your dream house it's worth treading on a few toes.

crunchie · 02/06/2007 14:53

personally I would put in an offer, I did this when buying the house we bought, we saw this house the same day as someone else, we offfred £%k below asking price which was accepted, 1 week later the other people offered £2K more than us, so we had to up our offer until we both ended up on the asking price, we had to sell our house too!! Luckily the seller decided to go with us, but this does happen and the EA HAS to pass on any valid offer to he seller, who then can turn it down or not.

Put in your offer of £83K and wait

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