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Original poster

Buyers making an offer on my house before even viewing it

53 replies

livingasimplelife · 15/03/2019 14:58

I put my house up for sale this week and it went on Rightmove yesterday. I've had one viewing and have another 2 booked in for next week.

This morning, less than 24 hours after going live, my estate agent informs me that one of the viewers booked in for next week wants to make me a good offer even though they haven't viewed the house yet. They say they 'know' my house but I've no idea how or who they are although they are local.

As far as I understand, they have taken out a bridging loan in order to buy mine as theirs is not on the market yet. I've suggested that they go ahead with the viewing first before we discuss any offers etc.

I've never heard of anything like this before. Does anyone have experience or knowledge of something similar please?

OP posts:
Somerville · 15/03/2019 15:03

I’ve had an offer on a house unseen before. The eventual purchaser has missed out on another house on the same road at very last second, so they knew the layout and the garden size, had even done searches on the postcode. So they were confident to offer asking price.
I remember being slightly wary in case it was a swiz by the estate agent.. undervaluing it and then getting it for a friend or something. But I knew what other houses locally had sold for, so ultimately I accepted it as a great offer. And it all
went through quickly.

excitedtobehere · 15/03/2019 15:05

It could be a neighbour who is driving up the price of your property so it increases the price of theirs when they try sell it. If their house is not even on the market yet, be careful. It's a bad idea to sell to someone who is in a chain and hasn't put their own property on the market. The sale is much more likely to fall through.

NWQM · 15/03/2019 15:10

Same here. Offers without viewings as people us seen similar layouts. No reason to be wary but unless the good offer is above the asking price I’d say go ahead with the viewing.

OddCat · 15/03/2019 15:10

I had an offer like this, turned out it was my next door but one neighbour who was renting their property but wanted to own a house. Our houses were identical so they knew the layout etc.

Kintan · 15/03/2019 15:28

If a house came up on the road we really want to buy on I’d make an unseen offer. The potential buyer may just be desperate to have your house. If they make you a decent offer why wouldn’t you consider it?

EntirelyAnonymised · 15/03/2019 15:30

Do you live in a very desirable street where houses come up rarely? Where I am, there are a couple of roads like that and houses go as soon as they come on. People stalk the houses for years.

EntirelyAnonymised · 15/03/2019 15:32

It may be that they like the location, the plot and the overall aesthetic of the house but the interior condition and layout doesn’t really matter that much to them as they can afford to and are planning to gut and replan. Or as a PP says, they are buying to let, if it is near to something popular like a good school or a hospital.

TalkinPaece · 15/03/2019 15:34

I bought a house I'd never set foot in.
Lived there for years

Duvetdweller · 15/03/2019 15:34

We sold unseen for full asking price to a couple moving up from London. Went through really quickly but yes it was a desirable road where houses shifted quickly.

cranstonmanor · 15/03/2019 15:35

Maybe they have family in the same street and want to live close to them?

another20 · 15/03/2019 15:35

The offer is only valuable if they are proceedable. I would ask them to provide evidence of funds and approved bridging loan etc via a solicitor first for you to consider. I would not cancel the other viewings.

Do you have somewhere to go if this is a swift sale? Is the market particularly fast moving in your area or is your home type particularly unique / in short supply etc?

How close is the offer to the asking price?

Original poster
livingasimplelife · 15/03/2019 15:38

All the houses in my street are different. I'm assuming they've been into my house at some point before I bought it although I've been here a number of years.

Kintan - I didn't say I wouldn't consider their offer, I just think it's only fair to them that they view it first.

Entirely - I'm chuckling at the idea of people 'stalking' houses. I know it happens, it just conjures up amusing images in my head.

OP posts:
KinderMalo · 15/03/2019 15:41

Maybe they viewed it the last time it was for sale?

KitKat1985 · 15/03/2019 16:32

It's a bit unusual. I'm guessing they particular want a house in your location, and are therefore not too worried about the exact specifics of what your house looks like inside.

jeanniebrownhair · 15/03/2019 16:53

We bought our house without ever having seen inside it. We lived at the other side of the world at the time.

PeachPotato · 15/03/2019 17:03

I’d be more wary because of the bridging loan - we had an offer on a house at the time of the original brexit vote and they pulled out (quite a long way into the process) because they didn’t want the risk of owning two houses once the vote for brexit went through. So I’d be worried for you something similar could happen if we crash out! (Guess we will find out soon though)

Original poster
livingasimplelife · 15/03/2019 17:46

Thanks for all your replies. It's very interesting to hear that this happens more often than I realised.

Peach/Another - I will definitely be wanting to know the bridging loan is confirmed before I accepted their offer.

Another - the offer is just over 2% off the asking price which I am obviously delighted with. And no, I don't have anywhere to move to lol!! I'm frantically making appointments to view houses myself now.

The housing market can vary greatly where I live. Some houses go in days, others can take months or years to go. I thought mine might sell fairly quickly but I wasn't expecting this.

OP posts:
Spiritinabody · 15/03/2019 17:50

The Estate Agent should have verified they are in a proceedable position so, assuming they have, if the offer is acceptable then I would take it.

It does sound a bit weird though. I wonder if it is a house that one of the couple knew in their childhood?

Undies1990 · 15/03/2019 17:56

I made and offer and bought my current house without seeing it first...... I lived here, in this very house, 30 years ago as a child - it was my childhood family home! Obviously I knew the house well so felt comfortable buying it (just glad the 1980's wallpaper had been removed in the meantime!)

Take advice from your Estate Agent; can they verify the buyer is definitely able to proceed with the bridging loan?

HollowTalk · 15/03/2019 17:58

I would love to see your house!

Applesbananaspears · 15/03/2019 18:03

I would have bought my house without seeing it. We had been looking for a couple of years, there were only 3 roads we were considering, we wanted a doer upper and we had seen loads of houses so knew what they generally looked like. By the time our house came on the market the location was right, it was exactly the same layout as a house we had missed out on, the price was right and I could see from the photos that it was suitably horrible that it would need everything doing to it. I went to see it out of courtesy and was in there about 20 seconds before making an asking price offer.

70isaLimitNotaTarget · 15/03/2019 18:09

Is it possible that someone has done work on your house (builder/plumber/decorator) so has seen the inside and recognises it ?

TalkinPaece · 15/03/2019 18:10

A friend of mine sold a house for WELL over £1m to somebody who had just looked at it from the outside (and the rightmove pictures of course)

GarthFunkel · 15/03/2019 18:32

Is it a friend of yours?

Kernowgal · 16/03/2019 09:01

I had this, for £15k under asking, less than 12 hours after it going on the market. I told the agent to tell them to make an appointment to view like everybody else, and then come back with a sensible offer.

Didn't hear from them again, but sold for £5k under asking (exact price I wanted) a few days later.

I knew I was in a strong position though.