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Original poster

Why do some sellers take so long to make a decision.

18 replies

Sitdowncupoftea · 17/09/2020 16:46

When I put my house up for sale I already had a price in mind of what I would accept. I had a few low offers. I know Estate Agents over value. I also had everything in place pre listing it for sale and knew where I wanted to move too. There's nothing worse than putting a good offer in on a house and waiting days for a seller to get back with an answe. Its not as if you move in the same day, it takes weeks. When someone put an offer in I dealt with it then or let them know the next day.
Why do some sellers wait ages to get back to you. I'm currently on day 2 of waiting to see if my offer is accepted.

OP posts:
2me2u2u2me · 17/09/2020 17:02

Estate Agents have an obligation to let the seller know of all offers, so they will know. I am selling mine and I was told the same day the viewings took place what offers I'd got.

If you've not offered the full asking price they may be hanging on for someone that does. I'd speak to their EA and ask what the hold up is.

NewHouseNewMe · 17/09/2020 20:26

It's been a week here Grin
We aren't going to wait much longer. I don't like being in limbo.

WhoWouldHaveThoughtThat · 17/09/2020 20:45

Hmm. Hang on, I'll come back to you on that...Confused

2me2u2u2me · 17/09/2020 21:19

@NewHouseNewMe Are you saying you’ve put an offer in on a house and the seller still hasn’t come back to you after a week? That’s just rude, why are you not chasing their estate agent ?

I’ve had an offer on my house and excepted it the day it was offered

NewHouseNewMe · 17/09/2020 21:26

Oh we have chased the EA. The vendor wants a cash buyer and while they haven't said it, they are hanging out for that mythical person.

It's not a cheap house either! We won't keep our offer on the table for much longer.

YellowNotRed · 17/09/2020 21:30

I think it's really bad practice to not reply to an offer within 24 hours, I'd withdraw it if they took longer (without an understandable reason).

Original poster
Sitdowncupoftea · 17/09/2020 22:03

I once waited 3 weeks from an offer. The EA chased her and chased her. The sellers excuse was she was looking to see if she could find another property. Eventually she got back and wanted another 15k. I said no that was too much. The house needed a lot of work. The house I offered on was then took off the market and put on with another EA. The seller swapped and changed EA four more times over the next year.

OP posts:
notheragain4 · 18/09/2020 08:21

If I was waiting days or weeks for an offer to be accepted I wouldn't have much confidence to proceed if they did eventually accept, I'd be worried they were either incompetent and the sale would drag on or if they would pull the offer for a higher offer or a different more flaky reason. I am such an upfront, do this now, kind of person I would clash terribly with someone like that and selling and buying is so bloody stressful I couldn't imagine going through it with someone like that.

tabulahrasa · 18/09/2020 08:24

I’m in Scotland so, it’s different, I know.

But, your offers are just open ended? We put a date on ours when we offered, so they have to answer or it’s not valid anymore.

Is that not what happens elsewhere?

Notsurewhatsgoingon · 18/09/2020 08:27

We waited 2 whole bloody weeks to hear back recently. EA hinted that ours was the best offer and a decent one at that but the vendors were stalling for no reason. House needed work and they were getting much lower offers! But we loved it so went straight in with a high offer.
Well we found something better for us in those 2 weeks so retracted our offer. Ha tough. Bet they sold to a much lower offer. In fact EA hinted as much.

WitsEnding · 18/09/2020 08:27

If they are in a chain with their vendors they may have asked them if they will drop, and so on along the chain .., only takes one person to be away for a few days!

TryAnotherNickname · 18/09/2020 08:30

If it’s on with multiple agencies or there are multiple sellers (eg executors / divorcing) then obviously it will take much longer. There could also be other 2nd/3rd viewers who they’re waiting to hear from.

ramblingsonthego · 18/09/2020 08:34

They may be stalling and using your offer to get higher from other viewers. This happened to us recently. The agents used our offer, that the vendors wanted to consider on a viewer the next day, and then that viewer went in higher. The agent called us yesterday as that offer has been pulled by the viewer but we have since found somewhere else. Karma is a bitch sometimes.

badacorn · 18/09/2020 08:45

We have previously I told the EA the offer is valid for 3 days, but we still had to chase them for it.

I just assume the offer is probably being used as leverage for another bidder and it’s not high enough for them to bite your arm off.

NewHouseNewMe · 18/09/2020 09:07

I think that's exactly what is going on - leverage for this mythical cash buyers they hear about and want to show up like a genie.
I'm telling the agent we're considering it rejected and off to view other houses tomorrow.

notheragain4 · 18/09/2020 10:10

For those listing reasons as to why an offer might legitimately take a while to respond to, that's fine, but no reason the seller/EA can't warn the buyer and give a potential time scale. We expect better customer service with a £50 meal than we do with a purchase amounting potentially multiple hundreds of thousands of pounds!

Viviennemary · 18/09/2020 11:35

I disagree. They may need to work out what they need to buy their next house. And if they can get a reduction on that. I'd say a few days was reasonable. Anything over a week too long. Or have more viewers booked in and waiting to see if thry get a better offer.

WombatChocolate · 18/09/2020 12:21

It's okay not to receive a definite answer for a few days..lF the EA communicates and updates the buyer regularly about what is going on. It is the radio silence that people object to.

Much as businesses see woukd send a holding email if they can't answer a question immediately, a holding email or phone message from EAs, with an idea if timescale or aspects being considered (if it's possible to divulge that) would make many potential buyers feel much better about waiting.

It's poor communication from EAs and solicitors which winds people up and it seems to be a area which is continually poor. I know the EA works for the seller etc etc, but a buyer is needed by everyone and basic communication is both necessary and a common courtesy. I think about the countless emails we now get from Amazon or similar telling us about our ourchase or bid and keeping us up to date about payment, dispatch, where the item is etc.....and this for items costing a few pounds. But you can offer hundreds of thousands and be expected to wait weeks with no updates unless you chose and chase. It is very poor.

One area I've seen some improvement is in terms of solicitors using online portals to show the stage the sale/purchase has got to so customers can see what has happened and what is still to come. But of course that's a bit further down the line..but it is very useful.

I totally see why people get frustrated. Often we will have to wait a few days or longer....but it's the lack of info and communication that's the problem.

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