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Original poster

How long?

21 replies

noddyholder · 03/09/2011 17:57

If you put in an offer on a house and the sellers were considering it how long would you wait? Knowing that they were having other viewings in teh hope of getting more. Also we have now seen another house which fits our bill and they would accept our offer

OP posts:

fresh · 03/09/2011 18:10

I'd let them know straight away that you'd found something else, and ask whether they'd made a decision? I'd put it politely, but it makes it clear that by delaying they risk losing a buyer. It depends how much you want it, do you prefer it to the second one you've found? I wouldn't wait, you might as well know and it puts the pressure back on them.

Original poster

noddyholder · 03/09/2011 18:14

I think I prefer the 2nd one now and I am cross that after having theirs on the market for months with no takers they are still doing this! Drove past today and there were people outside to view but it is in a really 'family' area and the house is a bit of an odd layout so needs major money spending which according to the agent is why it didn't sell. They know I am still viewing others but I may put an offer on 2nd house monday and it will be early as the agent knows it will go as do I! House 1 sellers hard to get hold of so probably can't contact them in time!

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SybilBeddows · 03/09/2011 18:15

what Fresh says. I'd get back to the agent for the first house and explain you need to move fast on another house so you need to know their decision.
It would be too gutting if you missed out on the second one because you waited for the first one to respond.

Beamur · 03/09/2011 18:16

If your offer on the 2nd is accepted, then I would contact the agents for the other house and withdraw your offer.

Original poster

noddyholder · 03/09/2011 18:22

The agents know we have seen another house today that we like but are acting shifty as they had viewings there today! I think they thought I was bluffing to hurry things but I do like house 2 as does dp AAAH! They are chalk and cheese too one is period which is all I have ever had and the other is grand design y modern

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Beamur · 03/09/2011 18:42

If there is (suddenly) a lot of interest in house 1, then it's right that the agents are trying to get the best deal for their clients, but they do need to be straight with you. My Mum sold a house a couple of years ago and there was loads of interest, so the agents set a date for all parties to submit their best offer by.

Original poster

noddyholder · 03/09/2011 18:46

I am happy with that but tbh there has always been interest in it because of location until people get inside. I am an interior designer and even I had a job working out how it could work but I spoke to builders who explained rough costs etc. I agree they should get the best price but think they were just giving it one last weekend I suppose. Am coming round to house 2 now anyway so it probably doesn't matter!

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fresh · 03/09/2011 19:14

Sounds like house 2 is the one. If you can't see easily how house 1 would work, with your design experience, I think that's significant. As an interior designer you will always want to find a solution to an awkward house, but sometimes there just isn't one. Which is the period one and which the grand designs one?

Original poster

noddyholder · 03/09/2011 19:17

The period one is the difficult one strangely and I have re worked many of these! It is a good location but a big job and dp is leaning towards a complete change and the modern one! It also needs stuff doing to get it right but it could be amazing with views etc and big gardens. Other one is more urban which is my thing but maybe a change is due I am up for a challenge

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fresh · 03/09/2011 19:39

Can see your problem. Can only say that I live in a 70s house which is really light, which was a massive change for me as I'd only previously done up period houses, dahling.... Love the light now, love the fact we've been able to knock down walls without worrying about period details, love that I can do whatever I want to it without clashing with said period details....it's a blank canvas. That said, I am typing this from my office newly papered in trad paper with roses, honeysuckle and birds. Sorry, didn't mean to hijack...

Original poster

noddyholder · 03/09/2011 23:41

I love modern if it really is modern iygwim. Yours sounds great. The one I have seen is a 1920 bungalow on a big plot already extended into the roof and downstairs but room for something more dramatic because of the gardens and views. V tempted and am going back Monday to look again. Period houses are my big love and I feel unfaithful

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fresh · 04/09/2011 16:06

Absolutely get what you mean. Still, sounds like a great project. Let us know how you get on once you've seen it again...

CointreauVersial · 04/09/2011 16:14

Noddy - house 2 sounds just like ours, now light, airy and contemporary once the layers of anaglypta had been removed and poky layout sorted.

I'd go back to the owners of house 1 and tell them you are withdrawing your offer cos they dithered so long you found something else. So nerrrr to them.

Original poster

noddyholder · 04/09/2011 18:03

I am going back to house 2 tomorrow to look again AM tempted by the space and light but daunted by the garden although if I get my way we will use a large chunk for extension. My dp really doesn't want another victorian I can tell this one lights his fire probably because he has eyed the garden office as a music room!

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fresh · 04/09/2011 19:36

Ha! Can report that providing a music room gets you mucho brownie points..have just converted DH's old office into a room especially to store the incredible amount of amps/leads/music which were cluttering up the house for him to play guitar in and he is now one very happy bunny. I do lose him for long periods during the day though...

Original poster

noddyholder · 04/09/2011 20:57

We need it it does drive me mad at times and he keeps adding to it all!
I could probably have carte blanche with the house if he gets the music room!

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PigletJohn · 04/09/2011 22:15

You can reasonably expect a response to your offer within a week. If it has been two weeks, you can either (1) carry on looking or (2) tell the vendor you are disappointed not to have had a reply and ask why not.

You are not obliged to withdraw your offer, especially if you have not yet had an offer accepted on something you prefer.

If the first vendors respond after a long delay, you have the option of expressing surprise and saying that as you did not hear from them you kept looking. That's what you should do, anyway, since you did not receive an acceptance.

Ktay · 07/09/2011 13:45

Sorry to gatecrash your thread but I noticed it earlier in the week and we now find ourselves in a similar position. We've been waiting 2 days for a response to our (improved and IMO very competitive) offer and are going off house 1 a bit the longer we are left stewing. (It is all down to someone at the top of the chain dithering and being a bit greedy)

I was interested to see PigletJohn's response - should we really be giving them a whole week to get their act together? (They know our position and we can probably stall house 2 for another day or two but like I say I'm going a bit lukewarm on no. 1 anyway). When we got a good offer on our house last week we accepted it within the hour.

PigletJohn · 07/09/2011 14:05

the reason I say a week, is when I had a house on the market in July, we had a bunch of viewers, followed by offers trickling in over the next ten days or so (some will not have investigated their mortgage availabilty in advance, for example)

So they might be comparing offers, or waiting for others to come in. Obviously they can't make you wait for ever, but a week seems reasonable to me

BTW the offer I accepted, was from someone who enclosed evidence of their "in principle" mortgage offer, and their availabilty of savings. You might not want to expose your privacy so much, but in my case it helped me choose among potential buyers. I had, and turned down, a slightly higher offer from someone who had not yet put their house on the market...

Ktay · 07/09/2011 14:13

Thanks for the quick reply. The financial adviser at the estate agent has checked out our credentials (house under offer, agreement in principle and reasonable, easily accessible deposit) so I would hope they shouldn't have any concerns on that score. Also the house we're trying to buy has been on the market for ages. I get the impression our offer is the first that has been in serious contention - or at least, that they are only now starting to accept what a realistic value is for their house.

PigletJohn · 07/09/2011 14:16

Then give them a few more days, and ask why they're being so slow to reply. If your assessment is that they are not mentally prepared to sell at that price, sod 'em and go elsewhere. If they come crawling back later, you can, if you want, say you've changed your mind and will have to think again about how much you are willing to pay.

I'm not keen on being messed about, I bet you aren't either.

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