Not allowed to view

[Ilovemycat13]

We’ve just gone on the market and are now looking around at houses; what we can get in our budget etc. The problem is, we can’t view any as no one wants to accept a viewing from someone not under offer.

Now I understand not allowing someone to offer if they aren’t in a position to move forward but not even a viewing?? This is so frustrating!

What if someone offers on our property - have they then got to wait whilst we frantically look for a property of our own?!

Why is it like this I’m stressed before it’s even begun ☹️

It's shortsighted in my opinion.

We were on the market last year and were due to go on holiday. We needed up with second viewings booked for when we were away and two days before we left the dream house came on the market. I called up and asked to view explaining that we couldn't wait to see if offers came in while we were away and risk missing the house.

Agent was happy for us to view and we got an offer on two days later and made our offer (while sitting on the beach in Wales) to the house we wanted that day and were accepted. They'd had two other offers by then as well and if we hadn't been allowed to view before we went away we would have missed out... and still nothing else as good has come on the market since then (August).

I was happy for people on the market to view my house because i understand they could offer as soon as theirs sells. I wouldn't want speculative viewings from people not on the market though.

It's covid rules at the moment, unfortunately. Estate agents need to limit the number of people in contact with each other so they can only allow viewings from people who are in a position to buy. It's great for the estate agent, it means that people feel pressured to buy the first property they walk into because they have their buyers snapping at their heels.

It’s really not the norm and could be Covid related. Generally your house has to be on the market. Not under offer, it would limit too much potential buyers otherwise.

We've recently sold and stipulated proceedables only. The market is insane and we had so many viewers who COULD proceed that frankly it made no sense to add more.

With two young children (and nowhere to take them out these days!) and home working, it is more difficult than ever to accommodate viewings. I'm buying as well as selling and I understand this, and satisfied myself with Rightmove which is very detailed these days.

@Bluntness100

It’s really not the norm and could be Covid related. Generally your house has to be on the market. Not under offer, it would limit too much potential buyers otherwise.

It has been the norm for the last 6 months at least.

If everyone did that the whole market would grind to a halt!
How do vendors know that you aren't getting an offer on yours very shortly!
Lots of agents don't advise to do this.

I don't think its unreasonable to not want people who can't proceed to traipse round your house during a pandemic. (Although I wouldn't move now either. Or ever. Last experience of moving was so bad.)

I think it's totally fair enough. We have had loads of non-proceedable viewers look at ours (on estate agent's recommendation). 2 didn't even have the decency to turn up, despite being reminded a few hours in advance of the viewing (one rescheduled the viewing from earlier that day, and the other booked the viewing less than 24 hours before - both apparently "forgot"). There is hopefully a special place in hell reserved for these kinds of people - it's clear I have at least one young child from the photos and even if I didn't, cleaning and preparing my whole house for a viewing takes time and effort. What's the point anyway of viewing elsewhere if you get your heart set on it and it gets snapped up before you have a buyer.

But there's no point viewing and putting an offer in if you can't proceed- who would accept an offer from someone still waiting to find a buyer? Wait until you are under offer then you can offer.

We've moved recently and yes some people wouldn't let us view until we had an offer on ours. The market moves so quickly round here you really need to be proceedable before making an offer, we stipulated proceedable people only for viewings on ours in the end because we had a lot of time wasters through the door. It's frustrating but just the way it is at the moment.