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Original poster

Estate agent showing buyers round

16 replies

ArthurBrain · 22/10/2017 11:06

We accepted an offer in September after our buyers came round for 2 viewings. We have 4 kids and lots of stuff and even though we've been sorting through stuff and chucking loads, we still have a lot of things. We've started getting things out of the loft to sort through and have moved the kids round so we can fill a room with boxes and sort through. The buyers have asked if they can come round to measure up and show children their new house. I'm possibly a bit of a people pleaser and said yes even though I was a bit annoyed. However we realised we still have a lot of stuff to sort through and cancelled. It was rearranged for yesterday and according to the estate agent the buyers are now concerned we have something to hide. The kids were really ill with chicken pox last week so not a lot got sorted and then we went away for a few days. I phoned to cancel as honestly it looks like we're massive hoarders, my underwear was drying over the bath and I didn't clean the bathrooms before we left. I found out this morning from a neighbour that the buyers went round yesterday before we got back. I'm absolutely fuming. I would be embarrassed for my best friend to look round my house at the moment, never mind people who want to buy it. What's the etiquette for this? If the buyers pull out because our house now looks so different to the house they viewed I will probably go fucking mental at them. I shouldn't have agreed for them to come back in the first place but was swayed by the estate agent saying the kids were upset they hadn't seen it and them worrying something was wrong with the house. Bloody estate agent, they obviously didn't think I'd find out.

OP posts:
misscph1973 · 22/10/2017 11:14

Your estate agent is completely out of order. Demand an explanation and remind him you are his customer.

I very much doubt that your buyers will pull out because you cancelled or because they saw your underwear drying.

Thumbcat · 22/10/2017 11:58

Your EA was completely in the wrong to bring them round without your permission and I'd be inclined to give them a major bollocking.

However, I don't think it's at all unreasonable for your buyers to want to come and measure up and show the house to their kids as long as it's at your convenience. They won't be expecting it to look the way it did when you were having viewings.

KitKat1985 · 22/10/2017 12:37

Your EA was absolutely wrong to show them around without your permission and needs a bollocking. But, I do think it's reasonable as a buyer to ask if they could come around and measure up / show kids around, and as a buyer I'd be seriously twitchy if a vendor wouldn't let me see the house we were buying. I think it would have been better to have got the EA to have said something to your buyers like 'the vendors are happy for you to come around and measure up but have forewarned that they are mid clearout so apologise for the clutter'. As a buyer I personally wouldn't care because the stuff would be gone anyway by the time we moved in. But yes, the EA never should have showed them around without your permission. That's not on.

ThroughThickAndThin01 · 22/10/2017 13:01

I'd be twitchy if you didn't let me come round. You cancelled them twice.

WhatwouldOliviaPopedo · 22/10/2017 13:12

I'd have been worried if you'd cancelled twice, thinking there was either a problem with the house or you were about to pull out of the sale. But no way should your EA have taken them round when you weren't there against your specific wishes. I would be seriously losing my shit at him in the morning if I were you.

MovingOnUpMovingOnOut · 22/10/2017 13:17

Yabu to think letting them look round is doing them a massive favour. They are spending a lot of money - of course they want to look round and measure up. I'm not surprised they think you have something to hide - you're being really awkward about it.

As for the estate agent showing anyone around, including your buyers, without your express permission - I would got ballistic. Huge invasion of your privacy and completely different to a planned viewing. So ywnbu to give your EA a roasting.

user1491404899 · 24/10/2017 19:55

tbh if you cancelled on me twice id be having second thoughts....don't be surprised if they pull out!

The estate agent going round without your say so is bang out of order...

Bahhhhhumbug · 24/10/2017 22:41

Oh fgs you are trying to sell your house and this is a massive life changing purchase for most people which they really need to be sure about. Just keep your house clean and relatively tidy.

ihatethecold · 24/10/2017 22:47

Yabu.
You either want to sell the house or you don’t.
You’re not doing them a favour letting them see their purchase!!

Beaumatrix · 25/10/2017 07:44

Have you spoken to ea to see off they did do that ?
When I last moved house the buyers did the same they messed me around for weeks with delays then insisted on measuring up. I really wasn't happy as the house was a mess as I was moving out before completion but I did it.

NotMeNoNo · 25/10/2017 10:01

Any buyer will understand that family life goes on and people will be sorting out and packing before a move. If I needed to measure up/check details before moving I'd be pretty annoyed to be put off because a bathroom needed cleaning.

You may be uncomfortable with people coming into your home but please be kind to your buyers and let them make their plans.

pinkdelight · 25/10/2017 10:28

"If the buyers pull out because our house now looks so different to the house they viewed I will probably go fucking mental at them."

If the buyers were going to pull out because you cancelled on them twice and seemed unwilling to let them see the house again, wouldn't you be grateful that the EA kept them on board by showing it to them?

Not saying the EA should have done it without letting you know, but if the EA had asked, you would have said no again, wouldn't you? Which could have lost the sale. I guess they took a calculated risk as you were away. It's only laundry and stuff, no doubt they'll be understanding.

Ttbb · 25/10/2017 10:33

I doubt that the buyers will care but you need to put the fear of God (or rather the law!) in your estate agent so that nothing else goes wrong m.

Bluntness100 · 25/10/2017 10:34

If you cancelled on me twice I’d also assume you were hiding something. This is a huge purchase for them and their request to see round is not unreasonable. However if your estate agent showed them round without permission, I think that’s not on, I would though assume they did this because you were about to lose the sale.

Many folks would be strongly considering pulling out based on your refusal to let them view, and im guessing they artculated this to thr agent.

We viewed our house again when the sellers were in the midst of moving, all the boxes makes no difference. However a repeated refusal to let us in would cause me a lot of concern.

Bluntness100 · 25/10/2017 10:44

I’d also speak to thr agent, I’d assume your buyer was pulling out. You may be in a difficult position now or the visit may have saved it, you won’t know until you speak to them. I’d also do so in a reasonable manner and find out what occurred and why they did it.

Raindancer411 · 25/10/2017 19:50

Did you speak to the estate agents. If the buyer was thinking of dropping out, they should have spoke to you to push for an appointment but not gone behind your back... don’t get them get away with it

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