Your WTF Moments As Sellers

[Smokeahontas]

First time seller here, it’s about to go on the market. To prepare myself a little, what’s the most WTF question / demand you’ve had as a seller?

When we sold a woman came to view the house. Seemed happy but wanted a 2nd viewing with husband and never showed up.

We accepted an offer, that fell through and when it went on again same couple asked or a viewing again. Against my better judgement I said yes. Opened the door with a cheery hello, invitied them in showed the round the downstairs out into the garden and explained that some poor brickwork would be sorted before the sale. The wife said "OK" that was the first word either of them uttered to me! Rude!

The offer that fell through was a bit odd too actually. They pulled out saying moving and legal costs were more than they expected - estate agent had more then 30 years experience and said he'd never heard that one before!

Crazy woman who brought her dog with her and let it shut in the garden. Then didn't pick it up.

Came back for a second viewing. Did it again.

The estate agent was hugely embarrassed and collected the poo both times.

Someone looked inside my fridge (which was clearly not included in the sale)

Woman told the estate agent that she had decided against buying our house because we had a cat. I hadn’t been planning to include him in the fixtures and fittings!

I'm never selling to a FTB again. Our house went to best and final offers as a lot of interest, sold in 6 days. FTB offer was accepted. Requested multiple visits, measuring things, showing extended family around several times etc. We were always accommodating despite a heavily pregnant me having to take the dogs out for a walk every time. Had a survey done. Nothing major highlighted, house only 13 years old, garden wall possibly needed rebuilding in the future (not urgent) and some pointing around the roof. Checked with buyer they were happy to proceed etc. Got to day of exchange and suddenly they wanted over 10% off the house price because of things in the survey. They had apparently had a friend quote and it was tens of thousands of pounds of work that needed doing. We told them no. Got our own quotes for the garden wall which was the only bit they could maybe have had a genuine concern with and they came in at a couple of thousand. We offered this amount off the price, or we would get the wall repaired but they refused and said they still wanted the full value off that their 'quote' said and we'd probably want to just agree to that quickly as 'we can see you're pregnant and need to move.' We told them to sod off and put it back on the market. It sold again within 3 days, for more money. And we managed to move to a lovely house before I gave birth 😂

My first house was a Victorian end terrace. When I came to sell, a single woman with her parents viewed, it was going to be her first home.
All good until her "builder" uncle came round, then they wanted the costs of a new roof, all windows and full central heating system knocking off the asking price, not because there was anything wrong with them as it stood at the time they were buying it, but because "a few years down the line these will all need replacing"

Moved house across country as a teenager. Arrived with our moving men at new house to find that the sellers hadn't packed anything. Pictures still on the walls, kitchen cupboards still full of stuff. Absolutely nothing. Even worse? They were at work. Hadn't booked the day off were just expecting to do everything after they got home. We couldn't afford to keep the van and men waiting for hours so had to unload into the back yard then drag it in ourselves later after the sellers estate agents demanded they come and clear out because and I quote as I still remember her words; 'you've signed the contracts, you're illegally squatting you dumb ass f*ckwits'.

Also had a nightmare with first time buyers. They were using her aunt as their conveyancing solicitor and their demands were off the scale. The worst one was when their surveyor, noting the age of the house (150+years), reccommended that the floorboards, which we had covered with wooden parquet tiles, were checked in case of woodworm. We tried to tell them multiple times that the original flooring had been replaced years before, but their solicitor aunt insisted. To gain access to the original floor, we had to cut a 0.5m square hole in our beautiful parquet flooring for inspection, to prove us correct, before they would consider exchanging. Then on completion day, they knocked the door to move in, before funds were even released. The last thing I saw of them, was the bloke staring folornly at the large hole that they had insisted we created, in what was now their living room floor. Karma!

The buyer of our Victorian terraced house wanted to know if there had ever been any break-ins at the house.

Not just since we had lived there, but ever. In the whole 100+ years the house had been standing.

We just said we didn't know

When we last sold, a single gent in his late 50s came to view. I duly cleared out with the kids and dog to let the estate agent do his thing. Walked past 30mins later and they were still there. Did another lap, still there after an hour, another lap, still there.... 2 hours later he finally left. He'd apparently spent 30 mins in the front garden meditating / checking the zen?!?! He requested a second viewing a couple of days later and exactly the same happened. Thankfully, he bought the house!

Currently selling, received email from. Buyers solicitor asking how deep the patio footings are, can we tell them who built it and confirm we have planning permission. It’s a concrete slab with drainage and paving..

I had a viewing turn up with 5 dogs that they wanted to bring in!

I love dogs (and have a dog myself) but I would never bring her to a viewing. We had 3 different viewings turn up with one dog each which I did allow in although I was too impressed but 5 was just taking the p! And they weren't little, they were all medium-large dogs. Tbh I don't think my house would be big enough for them anyway!

I had one buyer request I give her one of my dogs as part of the sale as apparently she had 'bonded' with him when she viewed the house.

I had FTBs who wrote a very long email explaining Brexit to me and as my house was old it would need ongoing work (I had just refurbished it), the bedrooms were small (they were standard doubles) and how they could get a new build cheaper. Their offer was so insultingly low. I refused. They then wanted a second viewing after I had sold.

Ìve had viewers insult my home, how their home is so much nicer, they want more bedrooms, a bigger house, they could get bigger for cheaper. As if I'm interested in their critique.

I’m in Scotland and mostly it’s the owner of the property that does the viewings.
We had a viewer who made an offer while viewing our house. It was a massive amount under its value. I said any offer had to be formally made through the estate agent/solicitor.
He then got quite irate and told DH to ‘get your woman told, I will be buying this, I’ll wait outside while you sort her’ or words to that effect.
He then stood outside the house until Dh opened the door to repeat what I had said and then the door got locked.
He never contacted the estate agent and no DH didn’t get me told, or sort me out.

1st time buyers in rental....accepted low offer because two had fallen through and we just wanted to get on.
Prize PITA. Wanted to exchange early but were cool about completion as long as it was by end of March to meet stamp duty deadline, they were really down to their last penny with offer. Heard that one before anyone? Turns out they were planning all sorts of work. The early exchange bit was to do with not wanting to tell their landlord they were moving...tried to turn their issue into our issue as well.

Not my house, but when I friend of mine sold her house, all was set, all fine. Two weeks before completion the buyer turned up and parked two motorbikes on her driveway because he" had nowhere to keep them and the house was practically his anyway"!

Reading about qst time buyers has reminded me about the people that bought mine. The guy was obsessed with any little crack in the plaster - there were a few as we'd removed a wall downstairs and there had been a minor amount of settling. I said I was happy to fill them do a coat of paint. He kept saying he wanted it sorted as it was structural. I was torn between pointing out it wasn't structural or pointing out if it was structural a bit of filler and paint wouldn't help! I just kept quiet and filled it!

Also a slightly different vein but my friend showed up to view a property to rent.... The landlord hadn't told the existing tenants he wanted them out! They viewed the bedroom (very briefly) with the woman living there crying on the bed!

After agreeing the price and some weeks into the process, my buyers came round with multiple family members, walked through every room and insisted I leave about £20k worth of furniture, appliances, garden stuff and curtains for them. For free. I'm no pushover but they made me feel very uncomfortable.

Another case of karma. Due to various convoluted developments, we ended up changing buyers, receiving a much higher price for the house and the new buyers were lovely people that I'm still in contact with.

Viewers saying it was too small / too big - floor plans and measurements included in the listing.
As a seller, dealing with buyers asking about flooding - in one of the best-drained areas in the entire country..... clearly Google wasn't their strong point.

I accepted an offer on my flat and the buyer did a survey. She then pulled out citing that she was concerned as she wouldn't know who the neighbors would be years down the line. I just said I'm sorry I can't help you with that

The first time buyer ones fill me with dread, most houses in my area are sold to FTB with some BTL.

The entitlement is astonishing!

@Smokeahontas

The first time buyer ones fill me with dread, most houses in my area are sold to FTB with some BTL.

The entitlement is astonishing!

I have found this too. I think it's partly because many have previously been renting and have no concept of responsibility for maintenance (ie you have to do it, it isn't done for you!). Also, the difference between what you can afford to buy versus what you have been renting can come as quite a shock for some.

Someone came to view our two bed terrace, then gave feedback to the estate agent it was too small because they needed a three bed

Our buyers had their flat under offer when we accepted their offer on ours over someone else who was just about to put theirs on the market.

Their flat came back onto market after their first buyer fell through and they told us it didn’t matter as they could afford to buy without selling their flat.

So weeks passed with us incurring lawyers costs etc then they revealed they couldn’t buy without their flat selling. Luckily their flat was timed to co-incide with their purchase of ours but that was lie number one.

Just as we were about to exchange (so had committed to a rental), they revealed they didn’t even have a 10% deposit.

I just don’t get how people can tell such barefaced lies!!!!