House STC, no contact from EA

[PurplePansy05]

Hi All

We recently found a house that we really liked. We've been in touch with the estate agent for several weeks, expressed our interest, were due to put our house on the market. We've had multiple very pleasant chats with them. The EA told us the owners were not accepting viewings in person yet, but they'd start this week (we're in Wales) and they'd call us as soon as they have an availability schedule from them (they're wfh). Fine. DH has been trying to get in touch every day this week, just a courtesy call, but busy lines.

Tonight I'm scrolling through Rightmove to find out what was supposed to be our next home "Sold STC".

I am livid and upset in the same time as this looked like a perfect place for us.

Where did we go wrong?

Can anything be done now?

Will appreciate advice from someone who's been in a similar position 😔

There isn't really such a thing as "I'm first in the queue to view a house". It just doesn't work like that

You also aren't in a position to proceed. People who are will always go in front of u as sellers always want this

Call and ask what happened. But it doesn't sound dodgy at all so bad mouthing to all your friends etc is going too far

Actually just ready your updates.

You sound incredibly bitter and unpleasant.

Have you bought/sold many times before? This is how it goes. As a vendor I have never ever accepted an offer from a party who couldn't proceed (ie hadn't sold their house/even managed to get it in the market).

You need to get your place sorted. View other properties when you're on the market but understand that you need to be proceedable.

The estate agent isn't going to tell you directly that you're not considered serious because that is already universally understood.

They prob didn't mention it as they probably assumed it's obvious.... your house isn't even on the market

I totally understand why your gutted

If I were the seller I wouldn’t have wanted a viewing from you if you weren’t on the market, they could have said to the agent they didn’t want you to view.
It’s hard work preparing your home for a viewing, and it’s all much stricter at the moment.
The fact you were ‘first in line’ is irrelevant, because if someone who enquired days after you was a FTB or in a proceed-able position they would have been given priority.
I would suggest not looking at any properties until yours is sold or at rhe very least on the market and you know what interest you might get.
It’s a horrible game. We are so close to exchange now after first trying to sell our house 18 months ago, it’s been a long and stressful process with many many tears shed.

Well it isn't "universally understood". Thank you for pointing out my stupidity so bluntly.

No, we never sold before. The plan was to sell up in another couple of years' time anyway, but suddenly the house that was perfect for us came on the market in May this year and we were going everything we can in a difficult time during the pandemic to get our valuation, AIP and put our house on the market asap.

I'm upset over how it's panned out and I get the message that I've been stupid not to market my house a lot sooner, you don't need to hammer that in again.

I agree with pp, it will be because you aren’t in a proceedable position. You need to get your house on the market at least, and even better, accept an offer. Then you will be an attractive buyer.
I’ve been in your position- with a house I knew would sell quickly (it sold within 24 hours of being put on the market in the end) but EAs weren’t keen to show us houses.
The EA won’t tell you the price that was accepted, and probably won’t show you the house. I would assume the terms of the offer were to take the house off the market. You could let them know you are vvv keen if something should go wrong with the current vendor, but in the meantime keep looking.

PS I don’t mean that to come across bluntly so hope it doesn’t. Sorry you missed out on the house you loved :(

I've worked as an Estate Agent in the past.

You haven't got your own house on the market. You're not in a position to proceed. If I'd had a tenner for everyone who 'genuinely thought their house would sell quickly because of XXXX' I would be much richer than I am.

The estate agent has not behaved inappropriately at all. They've likely got the best deal for their client.

You have been one of 'those' 'buyers' who aren't actually a buyer at all. You've not viewed it, you've not made the step to sell your own house, you haven't formally done anything. Would YOU prioritise you over a proceed-able Boyer?

To avoid this again, proactively get your own house in order with a sale, then you will be in a strong position.

Thanks @Robs20 @noitsachicken, lesson learnt. I never knew our house would have to be sold (do you mean under offer?) before we even start looking to buy. It isn't something that is obvious to me and most of our friends are FTBs too, parents only bought once many years ago and another set of parents is abroad with completely different rules on house buying. So we were clearly naive that things work on a basis of fairness, but it's all about the immediate proceedability. Our first house was bought no chain so again, we had no issuss with any viewings whatsoever.

Buying will be a lot more complicated going forward I can see.

@PurplePansy05 house buying and selling in this country is bloody difficult at times and I don't mean to dismiss your disappointment.

In all honesty you're in for a ride once you go on the market. It is best to wait until you have accepted an offer on your house before you go mass viewing as you'll be in the perfect position then and, you'll find, estate agents will be keen to be in contact.

Also brace yourself for disappointments (and the odd tear). We've moved a good few times and the last time was gazumped on what I thought was our dream house. We actually found a house twice as good and I'm glad I'm not in that first place. So you have to have nerves of steel and a sense of you'll end up in the right place eventually.

Plus when you're in a chain communicate communicate communicate with your estate agents and conveyancer. Be polite, but be firm and keep the wheels rolling by asking every other day or so where you are in the process.

Good luck.

Hard lesson to learn but house buying not easy. We have a couple of places we are interested on and working flat out to get ready for ours to go on market.

We’re not going to ask to view until we have a buyer with things as they are and I don’t want anyone in the house unless they have a buyer and an agreement in principle for the mortgage as DH is vulnerable so want to minimise people coming through the house.

Some useful advice here, thank you. I really had no idea how hard this is going to be and because we're honest people, we assumed that if we expressed our interest and worked flat out to get our house on the market that this would suffice. Clearly it's a bit more brutal than I thought, but I see why things are different to what I imagined now everyone's explained.

I know it's a how long is a piece of string type of question, but we are looking to buy in a particular area where houses don't go on the market very often (or if they do then they need a significant amount of work, we're talking north of £100k - too much for us). I really do think our house will go quickly as it's renovated, good layout, good location. In fact we have no reason to move other than we really love the other area. So how do I go about things? I put ours on the market, it likely goes quickly, but then I'm stuck waiting for another nice house in the area we like? I'm then risking losing my buyer and looking silly, as if our house was unattractive and on the market for ages?

I don't think we'll ever buy there at this rate 😔

It is hard and I am not enjoying it so far one bit and not even on the market for another two weeks.
Think I would put yours up and get agent to make clear you are looking but it could potentially take a bit of time.
I’d also be a bit proactive if possible and think about maybe asking asking if they would do a mail shoot in area you are looking for or do one yourself if you felt you could.

It’s a stressful game, but get yours on the market and see what happens, in our area (SW) lots more are starting to appear now.
I thought ours would sell quickly as it’s a nice house in a lovely road, but it took 8 months to get an offer, we had so many viewings, we were ready to give up!
No reason why you can’t keep an eye on rightmove, see what’s in the area and make enquiries, but especially at the moment most agents won’t do viewings unless you are sold and have mortgage approved.
Hopefully with the stamp duty cut things will start to get going even more.
Try not to get despondent, and also don’t pin all your hopes on one house.

When we bought our first house it was so quick and simple, but this time has been the most stressful experience of my life!

You're not proceedable? Estate agents were not interested in us until we had an offer. You need to get on the market ASAP to get in the game, keep an eye out, I imagine lots of sales will fall through atm.

Sorry just seen I'm your updates. It's really hard when you're committed to a small area, we couldn't offer on a house we loved last year as we couldn't see quick enough. I really regret buying this house and wished I'd shot for the forever home first, we are moving out of area now (into rented in between selling and buying).

*sell

Unfortunately the house buying system is a bit bonkers especially if you live in a popular area, but as others have said many estate agents (and sellers) won’t let you even look unless you are proceedable (ie your house under offer or sold).
That’s often why sales fall though as although you have a buyer for your house you might not find anything to buy so end up pulling out and staying put.
Anyway good luck with whatever you decide to do.

I'm sorry you're disappointed OP, but I do think PPs are right that EAs only take enquiries seriously from people who at least have their home on the market, if not already sold.

You mention that you're worried about the possible situation of selling quickly before securing a new home. When I sold my last house we negotiated our move out date with the buyers which may be a possibility for you? Not everyone expects the sellers to move out straight away thankfully!

Most agents will only show properties to people with their own property on the market. If you haven't got yours on then you're seen as a time-waster.
This is why you wouldn't have been contacted as you aren't in a position to offer.

It's really hard. But essentially u make your buyers wait or u sell and rent somewhere until a house u want comes on market

Renting in-between is not an option for us with 3 pets. I'm not sure if we could agree a moving out date with our future buyers if we don't actually know it ourselves, I would like to be honest with them. Thanks everyone for your suggestions though. This house is most likely gone now. I think we'll stay put for now as no rush to move, but saying that we'll put our house on the market soon now I understand we need to be proceedable asap in case something nice comes on the market. There may be more houses coming up on the market in the area we're interested in in the current climate.

Or maybe it's a sign to wait it out and have enough cash/equity for a 4 bed, not another 3 bed.

U don't agree a moving date until waaaay down the line. So don't worry about that.

You just tell your EA u will be looking and take it from there. It's always open ended. Your buyer has to accept that, as do u buying a house not know when that seller will be able to move out.

If your buyer says that need to move in my X date from the beginning that u have to have that into consideration when accepting their offer

It's always full of unknowns.

I was in your position, I saw a house I could actually afford in the area (very sought after) that I always wanted to live in. I spoke at length with the agent and agreed that we would put our house on the market with them within a week at a very competitive price. Rather than lots of viewing we had two open days (maybe not possible now...). We sold it within two weeks (and as it was priced so competitively two buyers competed and we got a good price), The agents knew we were serious as we showed we were.

If you want to buy in a sought after area, you need to sell beforehand unless you are very lucky. Think about who you are up against... cash buyers.... FTB's... people not in a chain....

Otherwise you are going to be continually disappointed....

OP you have to look at it from the perspective of vendor (which will be you, soon).

If you were possibly a bit anxious about having strangers traipsing round your home in the middle of a pandemic; or maybe didn’t want the hassle (ie cleaning/ tidying up after kids to make the house look pristine) of multiple viewings, and your EA had rung you up and said, actually I’ve got some people that are cash buyers/ or are selling but have already exchanged on theirs, would you let “you“ come round for a viewing, just because you’d rung the EA first??

I know if I was selling at the moment there is no way I’d entertain any viewings that were “speculative”: you’d have to be in a proceedable position, otherwise bugger off until you are.