Found a house I like but vendors won't allow us to have a second viewing

[suebfg]

as the wife felt 'ambushed' during the viewing. Have been wondering what we did wrong but we only asked a question re the neighbours, weren't intrusive and were there for about 20 minutes (just DH, me and DS).

We've viewed lots of houses and this is a new one on me. What is wrong with people?

[Mintyy]

Oh Gah! didn't spot it was a zombie thread. But where was the zombie warning?!

[NoArmaniNoPunani]

Why do so many zombie threads keep getting resurrected lately?

[KingJoffreyLikesJaffaCakes]

They're hiding something.

Leave it.

[Holstein]

Sue- what did happen?

[ragged]

I thought Husky meant her house she saw was on market again as observed by her in her area, not that she has viewed the same house as OP.

[DuchessDaisy]

If someone won't give a second and more viewing it screams of neighbour issues - I have had this when buying a flat in the past - vendor not happy to do evening viewings. Being suspicious (and nosy) drove to the said flat at 8pm one Friday evening - the flat above the one for sale had all windows open and music blaring out. Needless to say my interest in flat was over.

(Not relevant so much for houses, but for flats, always try and do a viewing in the evening and/or weekend, speaking as someone who has suffered awful flat noise issues)

[HoneyDragon]

Husky,did you google and come across this thread? How weird do do you think it's the same house?

[Mintyy]

The two agents might be happy to share the commission - agent 1 will be happy because they don't have to deal with the vendors any more , agent 2 because you are a very keen second viewer and in a good position to buy.

Agree that you need to go to the second agent and just be honest. They will want to know if the vendors are wasting everyone's time.

[CFSsucks]

How do you know it was the same house though? Seems a bit off to keep going through this process if they aren't actually willing to sell.

[Husky1010]

I recently viewed a house matching your description. When tried to arrange the second viewing I received EXACTLY the same feedback. The husband called the agent claiming his wife was "ambushed" by the questions (I asked usual questions which everyone asks when making one of the biggest financial decisions in their life). It is 2015 now and the house is on the market again as it did not sell back in 2012. Incredible.

[thisoldgirl]

She's a nutjob now, she'll be pure poison later.

[digerd]

I went to see next door neighbour but one, who has been here since 1961 and is now 83 and was told nothing much. My immediate attached neighbour now 80 turned out to be a nasty piece of work, and got nastier to me, over the past 14 years. Her next door neighbour I spoke to before is only interested in keeping her sweet as she is a real pain in the neck and their side doors face eachother. My divorced male neighbour on the other side of me - we are all semi detached bungalows and retired- has also become more shirty and unhelpful in recent years. His neighbour, the 83-year-old and my neighbour don't speak to him due to a row several years ago before I came here. He and the 83 year-old have been here since 1961, and have a close friendship ,the other neighbours of mine are 2nd owners, but I am the 5th owner of mine. Think that says it all. And I wanted to have really friendly neighbours, especially the women, as lost my husband 15 years ago, and the 2 older neighbours are also widows, but despite my best efforts of friendliness, it did not work out that way.

[MarthasHarbour]

oo yes too many ishoos. she either doesnt want to sell, and will mess you around or (most likely) neighbour problems. Our neighbour plays electric guitar all-day and we are dreading putting the house on the market for that reason

[TremoloGreen]

I would forget this one and move on. It sounds like she isn't committed to selling. We had this problem the first time we tried to buy a house. A lady selling up because her children had left home. She was never really committed to selling, just floating her house to see what she could get. She wasn't keen to have us check the house too thoroughly when we were around. Then she hired a cheap useless solicitor which made everything very slow, arsed about not getting a mortgage, changed her mind about buying the house she was going to (but said at this stage she would still move out). Six months down the line, she pulled out and didn't sell, costing us about £2,500 in fees. Also house prices went up during that time, pricing us out of the area that house was in.

In short it was a total nightmare. If the seller doesn't seem committed to selling you are going in in a weak position. I would see what other houses you like the look of.

[thelittlestkiwi]

If the neighbours similar house has been up for sale I would approach them to see if they are interested in selling without an agent. Saves fees and you might be able to find out what the issue is.

[Lizcat]

They have also changed agents so could it be that if they found you through agent 1 sold through agent 2 they are actually subject to higher agents fees in some dual agency clause in their contract.
When I bought our current house first viewing was witht the vendors I requested a second viewing with the agent so I could do all my lying on the floor etc (house was empty) and the female vendor took exception to this. It took the agent 5 days to calm her down and point out that her house that had been on the market for 6 months with no seond viewings and no offers (in 2006!) finally having a second viewing was a good thing.

[MarygoeZforgold]

Divorcing couple, husband wants to sell, wife doesn't?

[CuddyMum]

Or is she the problem neighbour? Do you know anyone who lives locally?

[suebfg]

It's a detached house but on a modern estate so the houses are fairly close to one another.

[CuddyMum]

Defo sounds like neighbour problems. I would welcome a second viewing with open arms!

[Rhubarbgarden]

This screams neighbour problems to me too.

[AvonCallingBarksdale]

I was going to say exactly what Hectate did! Neighbour problems. Is it a semi-detached? My guess would be that the neighbours are v noisy and your vendor is actually desperate to sell, but doesn't want you back in case you hear anything from next door which could put you off! (ahem, I may be projecting slightly here!)

[notcitrus]

Definitely knock on neighbours' doors and ask what the street is like to live in (aka get the gossip on the vendors!)

We decided against making an offer on a maisonette after 10 minutes of annoying smelly neighour couple telling us all the gossip about the vendors and the other six couples in the block, including how many people came and went from each of them each day, and various racist and homophobic and other nasty slurs about most of them. We moved to a block across the street and spent the next couple years being shouted at, the woman asking why 'her' block wasn't good enough for us. I pretended I couldn't hear...

In contrast the neighbours in the semi ajoining our current house were a real bonus and have been wonderful for the last few years.

[CokeFan]

Sounds like a "difficult" seller already. Remember, if you go ahead and buy a house from them you have to rely on them to do all their paperwork, communicate with their solicitors, EAs and removal people and sort out whatever financial stuff they have to do to move out. If they're anything less than enthusiastic to sell at this point then you may have trouble with them.

Our seller was apparently "cautious" (property being sold because of divorce). There were problems up the chain but she compounded things by agreeing to break the chain and then 1) not getting the fixtures and fittings list and other paperwork to us until days before exchange because she was deliberately delaying, 2) not arranging a mortgage (had an in principle agreement only) until days before completion was supposed to take place. Our solicitor had to go ahead with things she shouldn't have been doing until exchange because the seller left things so late. We had 3 days between exchange and completion in the end and we didn't know until exchange that we were definitely moving, which really messed the removal company around and our cash buyers had to be out of their rented property because it had already been let to someone else.

The (slightly long) point being that lots of house sales fall through and it's usually because someone is playing silly beggars.

[IDontDoIroning]

You need to be aware that if the old agents introduced you the new agents won't be keen to sell to you as the old agents will be able to claim the fees.