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Original poster

EA not allowing people to see the garage ?

53 replies

NCForthisxox · 26/10/2021 12:28

I've come across this a couple of times now seen a really promising house today asked to look inside the garage and measure we have a classic car that can't be left outside it's a deal breaker for us .

We would have strongly considered putting in an offer on the day but the EA said they can't show us the garage but it does fit the car in. How can we know that without seeing it? Am I being unreasonable to say if I'm going to spend hundreds of thousands of pounds I want to be able to see what I'm buying and how big it is?

OP posts:
HopeHappy · 27/10/2021 09:52

@Hilly17

You might be able to fit the car in it but will you be able to open the door to get out? Lots of garages on our newish estate are too small for most cars. Beware!
Same. My DP was adamant he wanted a garage to put his car in when we went house hunting because his dad has one, so he has to have one too

I'd told him that most houses with garages in our price range were going to be far too small for his house, so got him to put his car in the garage at my old house. Needless to say it didn't fit! I could just about get my Clio in it but still had to have a piece of carpet attached to the walls do I didn't scrape my door!

Large double or detached garage would be fine... most regular houses? Not a chance. There's a reason most people have converted them to rooms.

Potcallingkettle · 27/10/2021 09:58

We had same with viewing a loft. EA no clue where pole and loft ladder was and obviously not keen to waste time showing us. We insisted on a separate second appointment to see the loft. It wasn’t boarded but fortunately that wasn’t a deal-breaker for us.

Mildura · 27/10/2021 11:09

I can see why viewing the garage is useful, but I think going up in the loft on a first viewing is a bit unnecessary.

Comefromaway · 27/10/2021 11:35

I was really proud to show people our loft as it demonstrated the house had tons of storage.

cansu · 27/10/2021 11:38

There is something to hide. I would dig my heels in and say that you expect to see it.

senua · 27/10/2021 11:43

[EA} said, "there's nothing I can do the owner has private things in there"
To which the response is a Hard Stare and, "it sounds like they are not really serious about selling".
Take it for the hint it is. If they are trouble now then chances are they will be trouble during the whole selling process.

AllThingsServeTheBeam · 27/10/2021 11:45

You definitely do need to see in the garage. We were naive FTB and didn't and the day we moved in we realised the garage was completely unusable. Roof like a sieve. Cost us 2k to put right.

TheYearOfSmallThings · 27/10/2021 11:45

They have just piled all their stuff in there, and as soon as you look at it you will realise there is nowhere to store the hoover, the ironing board, the food processor, the plug in radiators (which are required because the heating is ineffective), the wellies, the boxes that usually go under the beds and on top of the wardrobes, the children's toys, the winter coats, etc etc.

Duchess379 · 27/10/2021 11:50

Very weird! I've just sold my house & we have a garage which is separate from the house. During viewings, I always left the garage key out for the agents in case the viewer wanted to see the garage. I have a lot of junk in there, but the viewers aren't buying my junk, so I didn't care.
I do remember a story a while back about a family who bought a house with a 'garage' attached, they clearly didn't look very carefully because when they moved in, it was a 'dummy' garage door attached to the wall - no garage at all! Say you are seriously considering putting in an offer but you want to see the garage first. Good luck 🤞

Aqua55 · 27/10/2021 12:01

We couldn't gain access to the garage on the first viewing, but put an offer in anyway.

On the second viewing we found that the garage had an inch wide crack down one of the walls (hidden by bushes on the outside).

We ended up dropping the offer by £10k purely on that alone.

TwoLeftSocksWithHoles · 27/10/2021 14:27

Perhaps they are breaking stolen cars in the garage?

A shrine to Gary Glitter?

Alternate Entrance to Hades?

Lovelymincepies · 27/10/2021 17:52

False garage? As in just a garage door stuck to a wall??? How weird! Why?

Emmelina · 27/10/2021 17:57

It’s probably full of all the junk they removed from the house to make it viewable ;)

TheNarwhalBalloon · 27/10/2021 19:16

Private things, wow! I would be DYING to know what is in there, OP.

jaundicedoutlook · 27/10/2021 19:26

There’s a decomposing body in there and the EA is in on the crime.

Just tell them to open it the f* up or you’re not interested.

Roselilly36 · 27/10/2021 19:29

I can imagine the garage is floor to ceiling full of junk. I know when we looked at the garage of a house we purchased, we couldn’t see the wall the other side!

Paddingtonthebear · 27/10/2021 19:44

Utterly ridiculous. The garage is part of the house so needs to be available for viewing. Is the garage listed on the particulars? I’d let the agent know you are unable to make any sort of offer without seeing the whole property as it looks as if the vendor has something to hide if they are unwilling to show you everything that you are supposed to be paying for. Maybe drop in a line about the property misdescription act too. Cheeky sods.

Duchess379 · 27/10/2021 22:49

@Lovelymincepies

False garage? As in just a garage door stuck to a wall??? How weird! Why?

I kid you not! They literally just stuck a garage door on the wall to give the appearance of a garage. This was a good 15yrs ago but I always remember reading it & laughing my head off, but more importantly to check everything before you commit!

Couldhavebeenme3 · 27/10/2021 23:12

@SoupDragon

the owner has private things in there

A sex dungeon?

I can't imagine what is so private that you can't show someone the garage. Shove a sheet over it before viewings or something!

I don't think you are being unreasonable at all.

Dammit, I'm looking for a house with a garage to build my own sex dungeon, HOW WILL I KNOW IF IT WILL FIT ALL MY REQUIREMENTS if I can't see inside?
GreenLunchBox · 27/10/2021 23:16

@tanstaafl

Fake garage? Used to be one but they’ve turned it into an extra room/gym/office but keep it quiet to keep the council tax banding the same?
That's not a thing because council tax doesn't change for the current owners after an extension
Mildura · 28/10/2021 10:22

@Paddingtonthebear

Utterly ridiculous. The garage is part of the house so needs to be available for viewing. Is the garage listed on the particulars? I’d let the agent know you are unable to make any sort of offer without seeing the whole property as it looks as if the vendor has something to hide if they are unwilling to show you everything that you are supposed to be paying for. Maybe drop in a line about the property misdescription act too. Cheeky sods.
The Property Misdescription act hasn't existed for nearly 10 years!
MyAnacondaMight · 28/10/2021 10:28

Cannabis farm is my bet.

Ablababla · 28/10/2021 10:38

We had this - EA would only show the garage to us once we’d put the offer in and he’d checked our finances. We insisted on seeing it before completion wondering WTF could be in there that they were so worried about.

We saw a perfectly normal neat garage with a perfectly normal car in it.

After we moved in we discovered that the car was over the entrance to a purpose built wine cellar. I guess they must have had some super expensive wine stored down there that they wanted to keep quiet about?

lurker101 · 28/10/2021 10:40

Is it a relatively high value home? If so it might have high value items (wine/coins/artwork/other collectibles) that they don’t want advertised to all viewers