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Original poster

Is going for a third viewing unreasonable?

40 replies

MissBetseyTrotwood · 04/09/2013 20:37

It's a big, big decision; we are relocating family and work from city to country. We want all our (getting more elderly) parents to see it as, tbh, we might end up with them living there too a few years from now.

What do you think?

OP posts:
CaptainSweatPants · 04/09/2013 20:38

I think it's fine

at least they'll know you're serious

mumblechum1 · 04/09/2013 20:40

I think it is ABU yes.

But then we bought a house for half a million quid in the 90s without me even seeing it [shame] before exchange of contracts.

That was because we relocated from one end of the country to another and I couldn't face dragging two small kids, one with severe CP, to yet another viewing. DH described it to me over the phone and I said fine, just buy it.

So I'm at the other end of the scale Grin

cq · 04/09/2013 20:47

It's the biggest investment you'll ever make. Absolutely not unreasonable to be completely sure.

Any buyer serious about selling should not mind. Or even if they do, will not stop you of course.

mylovelymonster · 04/09/2013 20:54

Surely there isn't an actual limit? You are seriously considering this property, so as many as needed to help you make the final decision yes/no is the reasonable number??????? Your money, your future - worth a teensy bit of 'inconvenience' to the vendor before you agree to hand over the biggest amount of cash you ever will? (presumably :o)

Hope it works out & best of luck with it all. Negotiate like a demon x

LynetteScavo · 04/09/2013 20:55

YANBU.

I wouldn't (I've always known during first viewing if it was a yes or no) but that's just me.

If it was a close call between two properties I can understand why you would need to.

RandomMess · 04/09/2013 20:55

Biggest expense ever, absolutely go back and see it again. Far better to not go ahead than put in an offer and then pull out over niggling doubts that you've not explored now.

Original poster
MissBetseyTrotwood · 04/09/2013 20:56

mumblechum1 you are a brave lady. Grin

I don't trust my DH as much as you trust yours!

The seller can always tell us to get lost, can't they...

Thanks all!

OP posts:
Jaynebxl · 04/09/2013 20:58

Absolutely fine. You really need to be sure.

Kendodd · 04/09/2013 21:04

I did hear an estate agent friend of mine say that if somebody views a house more than two times they almost never buy it. What doubts do you have?

Naoko · 04/09/2013 21:11

Fine, of course, I've gone back to a shop three times before buying a pair of shoes before so why wouldn't you be really, really sure you wanted to buy a house...

(That said, the story of how my parents bought a house neither of them had actually seen is a family legend held in a certain degree of awe :o)

Original poster
MissBetseyTrotwood · 04/09/2013 21:11

We are torn between two places and just can't decide. In short, semi rural, great accommodation and garden but far from bus/train (DCs are 5 and 6, so teens before I know it)! OR, large, amazing Victorian post industrial space on the edge of nice small and bustly town but next to railway line and no real garden. Just. Can't. Decide. Grin

OP posts:
OldBeanbagz · 04/09/2013 21:12

We viewed our house around 4 times before making an offer. We had to convince ourselves that although it was unattractive at first glance from the outside, we could create something stunning from it as it was in the right location.

I'd ask if i were you though if your heart is set on it and your parents don't like it, what will you do?

Original poster
MissBetseyTrotwood · 04/09/2013 21:13

All these stories of buying houses never seen! Wow!

OP posts:
Original poster
MissBetseyTrotwood · 04/09/2013 21:15

I know it sounds wet but if they are very very against it I could never set my heart on it. And nor could DH; we absolutely respect their judgement (about property anyway, prob not decor!) and if they were very very anti somewhere I'd have to listen.

OP posts:
MNHQ
OliviaMMumsnet · 04/09/2013 21:34

We can't possibly help unless you link them Grin

goingtobefree · 04/09/2013 21:51

You are most certainly not being unreasonable
It is propably the most expensive buy you will ever do, so go for another viewing
We are in the process of buying and seen it twice and the
Third time with a builder (as work needs to be done)
before we put our offer
It is the same feeling we had everytime we went, weboth loved it.

HaveToWearHeels · 04/09/2013 22:07

YANBU, it really wouldn't bother me if someone came back to view my property three time. To be honest if someone came back three times then put in an offer I would feel confident that the sale would complete.

OH and I agree with Olivia we need to see them Grin

holidaybug · 04/09/2013 22:10

YANBU - it is a huge investment. I once bought a house I had only viewed once (although DH had viewed it twice). As soon as I walked in after buying it, I knew I'd made a massive mistake. The next house we bought after that we viewed over 4 times before we bought it.

Mintyy · 04/09/2013 22:11

Of course its not unreasonable!

Jan49 · 04/09/2013 22:50

I think it's OK to view 3 times but who do you plan to take with you - you say "all our elderly parents"? I wouldn't be happy about a lot of extra family members all turning up to a viewing.

I think you should explain to the EA that they might be living with you in the future and ask the EA to mention that to the viewers as the reason for bringing them to the viewing. Personally as a seller I'd be miffed if a buyer asked to come back a third time in order to show the house to other family members. My prospective buyer did that last year and I came close to yelling at them all to leave. Wish I had - they later pulled out anyway.

mylittlemonkey · 04/09/2013 23:08

We viewed our house 3 times because like you op we had a compromise with the
one we bought so needed to be absolutely sure the rest of the house was worth the compromise. I definately needed 3 viewings and when we moved in I was glad as knew we had made the right decision.

mumblechum1 · 05/09/2013 07:26

*mumblechum1 you are a brave lady. grin

I don't trust my DH as much as you trust yours!*

I just didn't see it as that big a deal. We needed a large house in the country within a commute of London. If this one had turned out to be crap after we'd bought it and I'd seen it, we would have just flogged it and bought another Grin

I was just fed up of taking two small kids on the plane to Heathrow more than twice

Erlack · 05/09/2013 07:40

Links! Links! Then we can make up your mind for you. Grin

I think people are way too apologetic about wanting to spend time seeing a place before they buy. On two occasions, I spent maybe a total of 30 minutes looking around the property we ended up buying, which when you think about it is absurd. I've spent more time agonising about buying a pair of shoes than that. If your elderly parents might end up living there, why shouldn't they have a chance to see it? Is a seller really going to say no, you are not allowed back?

wonkylegs · 05/09/2013 08:14

Not in anyway unreasonable - we saw this place 3 times and the vendors said we were welcome to come back more if we needed.
We looked at a lot of properties, and this one wasn't my favourite house but it was my favourite whole package (house, garden, location, utilities, potential, price etc) and I needed to weigh it up that this was the right thing to spend an awful lot of money & upheaval on.

OhDearNigel · 05/09/2013 17:06

we viewed a house three times once. We didn't buy it.

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