Viewing a property without even seeing a photo

fairydustandpixies · 15/04/2021 10:55

Yep had that happen a lot when I was viewing. Also when I was an EA it was common practice to phone everyone who could proceed the moment a suitable property came on. Get in there, if you don't then someone else will and you may lose out on your perfect home.

CrotchetyQuaver · 15/04/2021 10:59

Go, take a tape measure with you and hopefully no problem about you taking photos when you're there.

Outnumbered99 · 15/04/2021 10:59

That's how we got our current house, it was only just coming onto the market, we had lost out on another house in the area and the agent knew it was the size and area we wanted. We viewed and offered within a few hours of getting that phone call!

eurochick · 15/04/2021 11:02

If it has been sold in the last few years the historic details might be available on Rightmove. Not much use if it has been massively extended or something since though.

Bluntness100 · 15/04/2021 11:08

Yes quite normal. They’ve just not had the chance to measure up and photo yet. You’re getting first foot in, which is great.

You’re acting like it’s some form of con though 😂

Hallyup5 · 15/04/2021 11:24

I'd appreciate this. Get the address then street view, look at other similar properties, check sale history etc. You can always cancel the viewing if you feel it's not right.

HelpMeh · 15/04/2021 11:29

It's quite normal and the market is insane at the moment. I've missed out on viewing a lot of houses as they've sold before they make it onto the website.

Sometimes they can get a few photos and a floor plan to you before you view.

Go if you can.

Original poster

MedusasBadHairDay · 15/04/2021 11:40

@Bluntness100

Yes quite normal. They’ve just not had the chance to measure up and photo yet. You’re getting first foot in, which is great.

You’re acting like it’s some form of con though 😂

I think it's because the guy on the phone was doing his very best not to answer my questions about it, he managed to make it seem shifty.

We did agree to go, though he was meant to send us an email with the address which he hasn't done yet. He was very put out we couldn't just quit work for the day and go straight there so wonder if he's decided not to actually book us in. Starting to wonder if the guy just doesn't want to be an estate agent at all 😂

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nickymanchester · 15/04/2021 11:41

We've done this before. We were literally the first people there and we were viewing it while the EA was actually taking the photos.

Springchickpea · 15/04/2021 11:44

Possible that the paperwork hasn’t been signed yet so he can’t disclose the address. Sounds like a motivated seller, and you’re getting the opportunity to get your foot in. On our street this happens often, and it is not unusual for things to come onto RightMove already sold, or sold within a few hours.

ShirleyPhallus · 15/04/2021 11:45

We went to see one like this that the estate agent tried to sell us as an “exclusive, brand new to market see it before anyone else” type thing

It was absolutely disgusting. The bed in the teenage boys room was unmade with filthy sheets, the place reeked of weed and there were a skiddies in the toilet. I was about 8 weeks pregnant and had to leave because it made me retch (that isn’t a dramatic “the smell of Subway makes me vomit”, I was at that very sensitive nose stage of pregnancy)

I have heard of this turning out well though

GrumpyHoonMain · 15/04/2021 11:45

@MedusasBadHairDay

Had an estate agent call the other day to say they have a new property on the market, not listed on their site yet, and did we want to arrange a viewing. I asked if there were any photos we could see, and they said no.

We're FTB, so no idea if this is normal? It seems silly to go to a viewing when you have absolutely no idea if the property is even vaguely what you are looking for. They seemed a little cagey with answering questions on room sizes, no actual numbers, just "generous" or "good size".

So, is this normal? Has it ever worked out for you if you sent to a viewing this way?

Yes normal. You want EAs to do this so you get access to the best properties first

Original poster

MedusasBadHairDay · 15/04/2021 11:49

It'll be interesting then to see what it's like then, so far all the info I have is that it's a 3 bed with a "generous" kitchen-diner and a "good size" garden which is "low maintenance". No other information was revealed 😂

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HopeHappy · 15/04/2021 11:49

If it's the type of property I was looking for I'd definitely have a look. There's no cost to looking!

Ultimately the EA is hoping to get a deal done on the property before they've had to pay out for things like photos and advertising, etc. The quicker they sell it without having to pay for stuff the quicker they'll get their commission and the higher the profit for them will be.

That said, he doesn't sound a very professional agent if he couldn't answer your questions, then hasn't successfully managed to book you in!

readytosell · 15/04/2021 11:52

Yeah very normal. And I appreciate it might seem like he's being shifty or cagey, but at the moment the market is so crazy he probably has a list of 20 people to call and just wants to get people through the door - if you aren't willing to bite, plenty of others are!

Original poster

MedusasBadHairDay · 15/04/2021 11:56

That makes sense, the pushing to arrange viewings without full information and at short notice is complicated by us moving towns. It's about an hours drive from us, and as we're not allowed to take the kids we also need to arrange childcare, so he probably thought I was being difficult not immediately jumping at it.

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ZombeaArthur · 15/04/2021 11:59

I once went straight from viewing a house I didn’t like to one the agent knew was about to come on the market. Literally drove from the first house straight to the second knowing absolutely nothing about it. The second one was amazing too.

Bells3032 · 15/04/2021 12:02

when we saw our current home we knew nothing about it other than the road. We fell in love the moment we stepped through the door.

We saw a couple of houses before they went on the market. They probably don't know exact measurements yet or anything. My agent said she likes to get people in before putting it on the market as once it's on the market other agents start approaching the seller etc so it's quite normal if they feel they can match people up before they make it public

WeAreAllCompletelyFine · 15/04/2021 12:04

It was absolutely disgusting. The bed in the teenage boys room was unmade with filthy sheets, the place reeked of weed and there were a skiddies in the toilet. I was about 8 weeks pregnant and had to leave because it made me retch grin (that isn’t a dramatic “the smell of Subway makes me vomit”, I was at that very sensitive nose stage of pregnancy)

Eh excuse me but the smell of Subway is horrendous 🤢 although I always assumed it was just me that felt that way!

OP if you have time to go and you're serious about buying you probably having nothing to lose by going. Hopefully it's worthwhile.

WeAreAllCompletelyFine · 15/04/2021 12:05

Ah sorry just saw the post about it being an hour away and no kids allowed. That would be a no from me (unless childcare is easy to come by)

HouseyHouse21 · 15/04/2021 12:09

If you're both going, then you can take the kids, leave them in the car and go into the property one at a time. We had to do that when viewing during lockdown. That's assuming you're driving of course.

Original poster

MedusasBadHairDay · 15/04/2021 12:13

@HouseyHouse21

If you're both going, then you can take the kids, leave them in the car and go into the property one at a time. We had to do that when viewing during lockdown. That's assuming you're driving of course.

That's an idea, we've been rushed through a few viewings, but I guess they'll need to decided whether they'd rather we got there with little notice and doesn't more time looking around, or work with our free times and we'll be done looking quicker.

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Original poster

MedusasBadHairDay · 15/04/2021 12:14

Ah, I hate typing on my phone.

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thismeansnothing · 15/04/2021 12:35

The way things are going round here very normal. Things go on the market and sell in a day round here, so if there's an opportunity to see something before it hits Rightmove etc, you go wit the little detail you have and take in as much as you can in your 15 min viewing

Fleurchamp · 15/04/2021 13:02

Yes! This is how we found the one we ended up buying.
Call from the agent on the Friday, viewed on Saturday. Beautiful house, I could see myself living there straightaway. At that time they hadn't even agreed an asking price just a range/ offers over (which was over our budget).
They took the photos on the Monday and we had particulars by Wednesday (with the asking price which was top of our budget) but it was already under offer by then. Gutted.

A month later I called the agent to see whether anything new was coming on/ was the sale of the beautiful house progressing and he had just heard that the buyer's chain had fallen apart and so the house was going back on the market. We viewed again that day and made an offer straightaway (5% under asking but they were asking too much) which was accepted. I do believe it was fate.