I'VE FOUND MY DREAM PROPERTY- how do I navigate the viewing/putting in an offer?

[dottypencilcase]

After looking for months and viewing over 57 houses (in random locations- we can work anywhere because of WFH), I've found my dream- ABSOLUTE DREAM- property!!! It's in an area I've been praying a house becomes available and it has!!! It was added on Rightmove today and I want to view it NOW! I've sent the EA an enquiry but want to know how I should navigate next steps? I want to offer without viewing but that's not an option so apart from dancing through the house when I'm there, what should I do? Should I share how excited I am and how much I want the house or should I play it cool? I don't want to be overpaying for the house but want it regardless. It's currently £55K under our max budget. Should I put in an offer on the spot or play it safe and do the overnight thinking thing? Please help me secure this house!

Bump!

We had similar situation recently too. When we got there we started by asking the estate agent about the sellers situation. Turned out the house is in probate and they wanted it to go to young (ish in our case) couple to be a family home. So we didnt hold back. We were our natural enthusiast selves and told them all about our situation. Knowing the market and that the house had some amazing features that would make it really popular, we went in 10k over asking. We weren't the highest but we got the house.
Speak to the agent / seller when viewing and dig for what they are looking for. Our seller had a deep emotional attachment and that's what was important for them. Also check how the viewing are done. Is it block booked open house with best and final offers (sounds like it might be), or is book and view as they come in. This will give you a guide as to how popular they expect the property to be and therefore a guide on if it is genuinely 'offers above' stated sale price or not.
And before you go figure out your absolute max offer incase offering there and then is an option and it a popular property.

Good luck! 🤞

Bump!!

@PlntLady

We had similar situation recently too. When we got there we started by asking the estate agent about the sellers situation. Turned out the house is in probate and they wanted it to go to young (ish in our case) couple to be a family home. So we didnt hold back. We were our natural enthusiast selves and told them all about our situation. Knowing the market and that the house had some amazing features that would make it really popular, we went in 10k over asking. We weren't the highest but we got the house. Speak to the agent / seller when viewing and dig for what they are looking for. Our seller had a deep emotional attachment and that's what was important for them. Also check how the viewing are done. Is it block booked open house with best and final offers (sounds like it might be), or is book and view as they come in. This will give you a guide as to how popular they expect the property to be and therefore a guide on if it is genuinely 'offers above' stated sale price or not. And before you go figure out your absolute max offer incase offering there and then is an option and it a popular property.

Good luck! 🤞

Thank you @PlntLady- I'm struggling to contain my excitement and will probably be worse when viewing! The house pictures show children’s rooms fully decorated and we'll be moving out of our flat because we have toddlers that need more space. How did your convo go with the EA? We'll likely offer over asking (even though that doesn't sit right with me ethically but I'm willing to break a few personal rules) but assuming we're the first to view, they're likely to hold out for more won't they? I really don't want to get into a bidding war.

The listing says nothing about an open day so I'm imagining they're going to do a viewing by viewing basis. I don't want to go in too enthusiastic and offer over asking in case the vendor thinks they've underpriced their house and relists much higher. I want to put in an offer and insist no one else views but not sure how that'll go down.

We just sold our house 2 weeks ago and have 4 full price offers on the house after the first day of viewing. We had the house on at £450 and got 4 offers of £475, £467, £465 & £458. We went with the couple who offered £467 because they were very complimentary on the viewing and said how much they loved the house. They also sent a lovely email to the estate agent saying how much they wanted the house - we just loved them. Yesterday they sent us a beautiful bouquet of flowers and a card "Thank you picking us".

How much is the the house currently on for and how much are other houses in the area going for over asking in price. Where we are most are going for max £10k over budget and if our buyers had called the estate agent and offered £460 but said they wanted it take off the market straight away, we would have said yes there and then.

You've 'sent an enquiry'? You need to be on the phone charming the agent to be first through the door. Assume you are proceed-able?

I can feel your excitement.... I'm excited for you!

How much over asking would you happily pay for it?

Personally there's F'all on the market here & I can't find anything I like, let alone love (in my price bracket!). If I found something I loved, I'd put in an offer for the max I was happy to pay and give them a fixed amount of time to accept or decline, on the understanding of it being taken straight off the market!

In this market, you probably won't pay over the odds for it.

I'd do it subject to survey as well though.

Good Luck 🍀 let us know how you get on!!

We straight out just asked what is important to this seller. You can ask about the asking price but even if they think I it's over inflated they likely wont say that (although we has some who did). Also you need to speak to the agent who is showing you round and connect well with them. Ultimately if there are multiple offers, this is the person who will champion for you and if they connect well with you it puts you ahead of the pack. Also keep their details and check in with them. If this house doesn't go your way, they may come across one that does and you want to be top of the list of ppl who they call about it. Lots of houses these days sell they day they hit the websites or even before.

If there are children's rooms then the house is a home. Seems obvious but ppl take pride in somewhere they view as a home rather than just a house. As a pp has mentioned, I'd be tempted not to hold back on the compliments. Let the EA / seller you have common ground with your own children. Tell them it feels like a placed that's been much loved and you'd love for your children to experience it. Really sell the family home vibe and drive home that's just what you want.

Also when the time comes to talk money, decide your absolute max you can go / are comfortable with. Since you have decided you will likely go above asking, make sure they know your offer absolutely maxes you out (even if it doesn't). That you are really stretching yourself because you love the house so much and really want to secure it so have gone as high above asking as you can.

The seller will also be looking for a sale not likely to fall through so all this will give them confidence and flatter them. Get your ducks in a row r.e. MIP, proof of deposit, etc, so you can get it straight across when the offer is accepted to secure the sale.... and male sure they take the house off the market!!! I had to hound our EA about this. Being on the market still means anyone can view and drop in a higher still offer.

You need to phone the estate agent first thing in the morning. My dh did this for our house. We were the first to see, it had a board up but wasn't online, offered full asking price if they took it off the market and cancelled future viewing. We were ftb (I know, the bane of selling houses) with our MIP in place, or nearest dammit (spent the next day getting paperwork organised with our accountant) Been here 5 years now. Good luck @dottypencilcase

I think you need to calm down a bit.

When you see it, it’s possible that it won’t be the dream property you currently think it’s going to be.

Try and act like a normal person at the viewing! Say some complimentary things about it but don’t scare them off by over-doing the enthusiasm.

At the end of the viewing, if you still want it, it’s OK to say something like “I think it’s a lovely house and we’ll be in contact with your estate agent” but try and say it in a sensible way not a deranged maniacal way!

It’s OK to put in an offer later that day, or the next day. Probably not from the car as you drive away, though.

Agree with @PlntLady in making sure vendors and estate agents know that you’re in a position to proceed and can be relied upon.

6 years ago sending an enquiry worked, currently agents have sound the house before they get round them.
On the phone the moment you see it ensure you are the first through the door. Submit your offer with all the detail. Having liost multiple houses last summer in this stupid market the one we eventually bought went on the market at 4.45pm on Monday by 4.50pm I had secured a viewing for 1pm the next day we made our offer at 2pm and it was off the market by 3pm.

Phone the agent. Do not rely on a zoopa/right move enquiry form.

Ring them first thing tomorrow and ask for a viewing.

Do you have a mortgage in principle?

Firstly you need to ring the agent first thing and secure a viewing, don't rely on an enquiry form.

Try to contain your excitement when viewing, it will make you look naive. If the owners are there do try to build a rapport and flatter them about the house, but not in a crazy way!

Offer wise, if this is your dream home it's probably quite a few other people's too. So in the current market you'll probably need to offer as much as you can afford (if you need a mortgage allow for the possibility of it being downvalued and make sure you could make up the shortfall.)

Don't make an offer there and then, because if the agent has more viewings after you, they'll be drumming up extra interest by telling them they already have an offer. Ring the office afterwards and make the offer.

Have a supporting email written and ready to send straight afterwards, with your mortgage in principle attached, ID, details of which solicitor you'll be using etc, so you look like an organised prospect.

Good luck!

Also to add, I disagree with the PP who said to emphasise that you are stretching yourself and maxing out your budget. This could ring alarm bells with a seller that you'd be the kind of buyer who is more likely to try and negotiate back down after survey, or if it's downvalued you would have to pull out etc.

Thank you everyone!

We are proceedable, in that, we have our buyer who is currently living with family and she wants to be out asap. We're the ones holding her up as we've not found anywhere ourselves. The house is on for £635,000 and is ready to move in to. It has lots of potential for extension but we don't want to face that hassle with young children so could happily live in the house as it is for years. We're currently in a flat. This house has an extra bedroom, a garden (oh, to have line dried clothes 🥰) and to open the doors and throw the kids out (not literally) in the garden is making my heart race like mad!

Best thing: it's chain-free!!! A short walk to the station and a short drive to the children's nursery. I reallllllllllllllllllly want the house. I can imagine myself making an offer from the car window as someone mentioned upthread!!

Ps. We have our MIP and our solicitor lined up (she's currently sorting out our sale). I'm happy to book in surveys, etc. if offer is accepted so as not to delay things.

@FitAt50- thank you for sharing. That's exactly what I'm going to do now. Prepare an email to the EA and send it once we've viewed! Might even send them flowers if our offer gets accepted! The only thing worrying me is that we're not cash buyers- a lot of people where we live are. I hope the vendor/EA doesn't see that as a negative :/

Do you know why it's chain free? Where are the sellers going?

@fourofwands

Do you know why it's chain free? Where are the sellers going?

I have no idea. I logged into Rightmove at 7pm this evening and almost fainted when I searched the area for new listings and saw this house as being 'added today'. A phone call to the agent in the morning shall reveal more.

You are in a similar position to me right now. A house we loved that was on the market over Christmas, and I called the very first day after the bank holidays following Christmas to view to be told it was sold, has just come back on the market. We can't get in to view until Saturday but have made it clear to the estate agent that we will be offering. Gutted we havent been able to view before then, it came back on on Monday. Really don't want anyone to pip us to the post! Our buyers have been so patient and have been waiting since August.

@fourofwands

Firstly you need to ring the agent first thing and secure a viewing, don't rely on an enquiry form.

Try to contain your excitement when viewing, it will make you look naive. If the owners are there do try to build a rapport and flatter them about the house, but not in a crazy way!

Offer wise, if this is your dream home it's probably quite a few other people's too. So in the current market you'll probably need to offer as much as you can afford (if you need a mortgage allow for the possibility of it being downvalued and make sure you could make up the shortfall.)

Don't make an offer there and then, because if the agent has more viewings after you, they'll be drumming up extra interest by telling them they already have an offer. Ring the office afterwards and make the offer.

Have a supporting email written and ready to send straight afterwards, with your mortgage in principle attached, ID, details of which solicitor you'll be using etc, so you look like an organised prospect.

Good luck!

Thank you- this is very good advice. Would it matter if our MIP was for a lot more? As much as I LOVE the house, I really don't want to get carried away. As mentioned previously, this house is listed as £635k (3 bed Edwardian terrace), another house on the same street, towards the end of last year sold for £645K but it was a 4 bed with a bigger garden and better layout. Another house in the area but on a different street (not as pretty) is listed for £700,000 and is a 5 bed semi. My max for this house would be £650K and not a penny more.

Did you do a drive-by tonight?
Check out sale history on Rightmove/ Zoopla?
Check out the local planning situation? Any obvious new developments nearby? New roads? Neighbours planning applications?
Even google street view/earth can be revealing if you use the timeline function.
Transport links?
Local amenities, school catchments/admission criteria etc .

Loads of research you could be getting on with tonight.

What time does the agent open?

@FleeceNavidadfromtheSheep

Did you do a drive-by tonight? Check out sale history on Rightmove/ Zoopla? Check out the local planning situation? Any obvious new developments nearby? New roads? Neighbours planning applications? Even google street view/earth can be revealing if you use the timeline function. Transport links? Local amenities, school catchments/admission criteria etc .

Loads of research you could be getting on with tonight.

What time does the agent open?

I know the area well- I have friends who live there and I take the children to the playgroup at the local church!!! I've done Google street view and have been up and down the adjoining streets as well :D

Agent opens at 9:00 and I will NOT be getting any sleep tonight :(

I don't know what the market is like near you, but where I am anything decent has been selling for 5 - 10% over asking. There's not much point comparing with sold prices from last year especially when you factor in that the offer would have been made months before the sale date on the land registry, prices have risen a lot.

Basically ask what is it worth to you rather than what you think it should be worth - I would offer what your decision in principle allows if you really want it.