not sure what to do about offer...help!

[BramblyHedge]

I am hoping for a bit of advice please. The scenario is this: our property went on market on Thursday and has had about 8 viewings with two more booked this week. It is on at £190k.

This morning our agent arranged a second viewing with couple A for tomorrow at 6pm.

This afternoon agent called with offer from couple B of £175k. We said no. Now increased to £180k. This is a respectable offer. I have now said I need to chat to husband and will get back to them tomorrow.

Do we let couple A still see it before decision making and delay answer to couple B by a day? Is this acceptable?

Do we accept offer as it isn't bad and we might not get another.

Any thoughts? If it is relevant we have seen a possible place to buy but no dream home lined up and may consider renting for a bit.

Yes of course you let them look. They might outbid the other couple.

A house I offered the full asking price on is still on the market - the agent had 3 people offering the full asking price on it in one day - mine was first on first viewing!

Even now, after they've accepted our increased offer its not off the market until we send the agent documentation etc.

I think its OK to delay as long as you ask EA to thank couple B very much for their offer, you are considering it carefully as there is another viewing etc and keep them well informed. We put an offer in on a house with a similar scenario, but were kept waiting weeks, and it really put us off the whole thing (turns out vendor didn't really want to sell anyway). We wouldn't have minded so much had they communicated better with us.

I agree with bear
We're buying a house at the moment and if we were told vendors were considering it but already had planned second viewings etc, then we'd consider offering higher if loved it (and believed agent...) or wait it out.

As a vendor though, def wait for second viewing to go ahead - sounds like its a popular property!

Thanks for the opinions. They confirm what we were thinking. It is a character two up two down which we don't want to sell but too small for family of five!

Yes, wait for the second viewing tomorrow and see what happens. Current offerors are unlikely to pull out between now and then and you might get a better deal.

Thanks. I hate all this. We may want to make an offer on another property ...apparently the vendors had a sale fall through and will take an offer. I have no idea what this means in estate agent speak? 10% 15%. Useless at reading between lines!

Agree Brambly, I hate trying to decipher the EA speak. Sounds like your house will be sale agreed very soon though and that puts you in a great position to be offering. Good luck!

Wonderful getting so much interest so quickly.
I too would wait and let the others who have booked viewings come and take a look. You never know what will happen.

I think 'making an offer' depends on the price tbh. 10% below is considered acceptable by most (as in, not cheeky) but, For example, we recently sold dh's old house for 118k - people offered lower and we said no (was on for 122,500). Whereas for a more expensive house, 10% lower isn't a massive loss, relatively. Does that even make sense?!

The place we're buying was on for 275-285k and we offered 250k (for obvious reasons) then upped to 258, initially rejected but came back to us and accepted (they'd found somewhere to move to and didn't want to lose it).

Find out the vendor's position and judge the value of the house based on others nearby/renovations needed, then offer away! They can only say no...

Good luck with your second viewing :)

Thanks everyone. Shall see what tomorrow brings!

Just offered on the one we like at less 10% and the agent almost laughed at me! It has been on for a year and had one sale fall through.

Interesting as she said she wouldn't put it to them. Guess it doesn't count as a formal offer as haven't accepted ours yet.

We offered 10 grand under the OIEO price for our last house. Estate agent still put it to them (we agreed on the OIEO price in the end). Your estate agent sounds like an arse.

Same as ruby , when we sold dh's property even though we rejected verbally a couple of offers, the ea said they legally had to put it in writing to us (it can be email I assume as this is what our vendors ea does).

Ignore ea reaction and insist it is put to the the vendors. Sounds like they may be being a tad unrealistic with their asking price...

Apparently it was because they had an offer fall through which was substantially higher.

Oh and our second viewing for tonight has cancelled.

It doesn't matter if a higher offer fell thorough Bramley, call and tell the EA he must give the offer to the vendors, it's not his offer to reject. If he still refuses, I'd put a note through the door and let the vendors know he's not passing on offers. then move on to something else.

I hate this game.

We accepted the 180 and now they aren't sure.

We offered 5% down on the desperate to sell house and apparently it isn't enough...

urg it is all horrid isn't it! stick with your 180 but keep the house on the market and ask the Ea to keep promoting it.

in terms of the house you are interested in we found plenty who weren't prepared to negotiate and had been on for a year. we basically decided they didn't want to sell and moved on. people are wierd. I wouldn't bother market my house if I didn't want to move!