House SSTC-viewing offered

[Purplecarrots]

Hi everyone,
Yet another post by me.
DH contacted a few estate agents a while back with regards to houses in a particular area (register interest for anything that came up). There was a house that has been under offer, but upon contacting the agents he was told that the sale may fall through on that one due to issues etc and they would let us know, that’s all fine. However, we have now been offered a viewing soon and advised that we can make an offer. The thing is, by the sounds of things the other sale hasn’t fallen through. I don’t understand why the estate agents have suggested this? The sellers have already bought another property and are pretty much moved out. It’s quite difficult to work out whether the other buyer is just having problems possibly selling their house? Wondering if anyone else has been in similar situation? Or if you were the seller and the estate agents suggested similar to this?
Thank you

Bentoutofshape-that’s exactly DHs way of thinking, that we go off the information we have and not come to our own conclusions
Someone mentioned waiting for the sale to fall through, so it is back on the market and taking it from there. That is exactly what I would prefer to do.
It’s been a little bit strange with this house hunting, initially there weren’t any available properties in the few roads we really liked. Registered with estate agents and what not. Only a few days ago, there was another house that was SSTC, estate agent rang and asked if we wanted to view during the same day. When we agreed (I couldn’t work out head not rail), the EA said the buyer had completely disappeared (just before the last step), and they’d chased this person for a good few weeks. EA explained that the house was going back on the market, but they decided to contact people who had shown interest in similar properties or that one. The house has gone back on (went on later that evening). Everything sounded good and we were happy but then (different EA) told us about this current SSTC house. It has buggier garden etc, so DH is on hold (until tomorrow). I’m hoping I can ask a little more (as in is the house going back on the market similar to what has happened). Sorry for the waffle, just trying to draw a clearer picture. I did for a moment wonder if it was the same person buying both (are there any legalities stopping you from doing that?) I doubt it is, but two houses in the same area with the same story?

Sophie- I would never be able to live in a house where suicide/murder took place. It’s not the woo, I know I would constantly think of how/why/when.

Thank you everyone for your replies, hopefully will know what is what tomorrow. If not, then we will definitely leave this property alone, just because we really don’t want to gazump anyone, or just make it harder. Sorry for any typos

Should say couldn’t work out head nor tail!

Do FTBs really think EAs are impartial middlemen? If so they are not very bright. The facts they are an agent being paid by the vendor are fairly big clues. When I bought my first house I made my offer direct to the vendor as the EA didn't answer the phone and I had the vendors contact details. I don't recall having much contact with the EA at all.

wow If it was disclosed to them properly by the EA, I could confidently say that all buyers would be aware the EA is not working in their interests. But since it is not a requirement to make it clear, the answer to your question is unknowable.

They shouldn't have to disclose it though - it's obvious. EAs are sales people and good sales people build a rapport with the people they are dealing with. I'm sorry your experience has been so bad - the opposite end of the spectrum really from mine.

wow it might be obvious to you, but that does not mean it is obvious to everyone.

Thank you all for replies.
Wow- I understand EAs are not impartial, and my family insists only ever directly buying. However I cannot do that, as I don’t know the vendors, if I do meet them I will take contact details but usually with viewings it’s EAs showing us around.

I have had another look at Rightmove and the estate agents website. I had always assumed under offer and SSTC were the same thing. When browsing the EAs website I noticed that they have houses marked sold STC and some under offer (this one is labelled as under offer). After having a look around on Rightmove for clearer definition I came across the following

Under Offer & Sold STC
Sold 'Subject to Contract' (STC) or 'Under Offer' (UO) means that the homeowner has accepted an offer from a buyer but the paperwork is not yet complete. Under offer (UO) is also used by some Estate Agents to indicate that an offer has been made, but not yet accepted.

You can still enquire about an Sold STC or UO property as the sale is not complete until the signed contracts are exchanged. Technically the property is still available.

It may still be worth contacting the estate agent to discuss the strength of the accepted offer, particularly as there is no legal obligation on homeowner or homebuyer to complete the sale. On average about 15% of Sold STC or UO properties come back on the market after the sale has failed to proceed.

STCM
The house buying and selling system in Scotland is slightly different in that once offers are made they are legally binding if accepted; there is no 'subject to contract' stage. However the concluding paperwork (known as missives) may in rare cases fall through hence we use Sold Subject to Conclusion of Missives (Sold STCM).

After reading that, and noting that the estate agents are using sold STC on some and a few have under offer, I am beginning to wonder whether actually the vendors have not accepted the offer. It doesn’t really make sense to me. I’m hoping to get more info today (I would link the estate agents page but it’ll be really obvious who I am )

Purplecarrots It is an old argument about what means what re UO SSTC etc. I wouldn't get too hung up on it though. They all boil down to a seller already being in some kind of informal relationship with a buyer.

If you think of it like a relationship, another potential buyer coming along is like a third wheel in the relationship - it all gets complicated! Better they end their relationship before you get involved in any way.

I agree - it's not something I would want to get involved with. Anyone considering gazumping or even just stepping in where a sale to AN Other has been agreed should have a think about how they would feel if it happened to them.

I think this is really underhand on the part of the estate agent. How do you know the sellers aren’t just hoping for a higher offer ‘under the radar’? They could do the same to you further down the line. I’d be reluctant to get involved as there would be serious trust issues and I’d constantly be questioning whether viewings were still going ahead despite my offer being accepted/survey carried out etc.

Funnily enough we are currently in the process of buying a two bed cottage in London. Our buyer has gone silent and we are absolutely killing ourselves trying to find someone else before the house we’ve been buying goes back on the market. The EA has been applying pressure and making threats (he is the most stereotypical EA i’ve ever had the ‘pleasure’ to deal with). We’ve now got a buyer, thank god, and it seems all is going to proceed although we’ve yet to receive confirmation. Hmmm could it be our EA who is up to no good and arranging viewings under the radar? We’re on the outskirts of North London/Hertfordshire/Middlesex. Now that would be spooky!

I truly hope not as we’ve invested so much time, money and emotion into this. I implore you to wait until the property goes back on if only to keep the process fair and ensure you’ll be able to trust the EA not to do the same to you in future.

This has definitely made me think. I wonder if they’ve been having viewings this whole time (two weeks since it all fell through). Nothing quite as nerve wracking as property buying!

Best of luck to you, whatever happens.

@Sippingtea I think this is really underhand on the part of the estate agent.

In fairness, there really hasn't been enough information supplied in this thread to decide whether it is underhand or not. We have no real idea of what the existing buyer has or has not done, nor what agreements have previously been made between buyer and seller, and whether those agreements have been broken or not.

Our buyer has gone silent and we are absolutely killing ourselves trying to find someone else
Sounds like you're doing precisely the same thing as the owner of the property the OP is discussing!!!!

Mildura Our buyer went silent weeks ago after failing to arrange a survey. The estate agent called and called and called. He finally got through and was assured they would instruct their solicitor and sort the survey. Three weeks later and the solicitor confirmed they had heard nothing. Cue more phone calls, more nail biting, more worry. No response. We held on for as long as we could but had no choice but to assume we had lost our buyer and had no option but to go back on the market. We have not been having viewings under the radar and the buyer was left countless voicemails and made aware that we would be going back on. So no. We are not doing the same thing by any means.

In my view it is underhand to carry out viewings if the property is supposedly under offer and not on the market. Trust in the house selling/buying process is already fragile for many and such actions only make it more so. If the buyer isn’t serious and can’t meet requirements then the property should go back on as this is the only way to ensure the process remains fair transparent.

Fair and transparent.

sippingtea OK, fair enough, no offence meant. Hope it all works out for you.

But as you've illustrated, there is always more detail to the story, and there has not been enough info provided here to decide for certain that what the seller/EA are doing is underhand.

Just thought I’d update. I managed to speak to the vendors about the current situation. The reason they have requested anyone who has shown interest to view property is because the current buyer is having problems securing a mortgage. They’ve waited around for quite a while, and now due to their own situation with new property have decided they cannot waste anymore time.
I also noted (admittedly I haven’t checked the website this evening) but the sale board on the actual property has been changed back from ‘under offer’ to ‘for sale’.

Just wanted to thank everyone for your replies.

Sounds like the sale has fallen through then, at least for now. In England (I know rules are different in other parts of the UK) that happens to around 1/3 of accepted offers for one reason or another. I'd say you're fairly safe to view now, if it's being marketed again.

]You obviously won't be able to do a direct sale now as the vendors are with an EA and you were "introduced" by them (EAs have a business to run after all). Our EAs insisted that all correspondence should go through them and the solicitors once an offer was accepted.

Good luck.