Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. A phone that grows with your child.

Meet the Other Phone.
A phone that grows with your child.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Property/DIY

Join our Property forum for renovation, DIY, and house selling advice.

Original poster

How long to leave asking price offer on the table

102 replies

Mayjay18 · 13/04/2023 22:50

Hello! Just looking for some advice.
last Thursday we offered asking price on a house that we had fallen in love with. Seemed a reasonable price, if not slightly high, but we loved it so thought it would secure the deal.
We’ve sold our house to a cash buyer and are ready to go. Estate agents rang the vendor and they said they wanted to wait for the other viewings. Fair enough. One viewer cancelled and the other didn’t want to offer. I’m not sure if they had other viewings booked in, but the estate agent rang me on Tuesday and said the vendors wanted the night to think about our offer and they would ring on Wednesday. I rang the estate agent last night and they said they’d rang the seller 3 times, left a voicemail and text and have heard nothing. I rang again today and same thing. How long do we leave this offer on the table?! I loooove this house, but this is stressing me out big time! It’s been a week now since we offered asking price and we’re getting nowhere. We don’t live in an area where houses are selling above their valuation.

OP posts:
electriclight · 14/04/2023 15:59

Good luck op. I hope you get it. FWIW I think the vendors sound like knobs to keep you dangling without any update for so long. Given how many people have seen it and failed to offer, they're lucky to be getting the asking price.

TheFeistyFeminist · 14/04/2023 16:02

When our vendor was cagey about our offer I said it remains on the table while we view other properties. If we offer on something else, we rescind our offer to them.

They accepted in 24 hours.

Hold your nerve and good luck.

CellophaneFlower · 14/04/2023 16:02

It is... unless the ftb offers over the odds!

I would say this though - if I were to lose out on a house, I'd rather it be to a ftb. They are more likely to have a mortgage issue or panic after the survey and pull out.

Hope you get good news tomorrow or if not, the other house turns out to be amazing!

CellophaneFlower · 14/04/2023 16:08

Just to add - the fact they are so keen on no chain hopefully means they are planning on a quick sale. Also, you could take the positives from them keeping you waiting. It may mean they're less likely to dump you for a higher offer later down the line, as they've taken the time to assess rather than just accepting quickly and regretting it.

Original poster
Mayjay18 · 14/04/2023 16:11

I did tell the EA that our offer remains on the table until Monday evening when the 3 viewers have been and had the weekend to decide if they want to offer. I am getting a bit tired of their reluctance. I thought that too Cellophaneflower…it would be super rare for a FTB to get a house/mortgage for this amount but we shall see what the outcome is tomorrow. If I lose it, it is what it is I suppose and wasn’t meant to be.
fingers crossed for the house tomorrow!

OP posts:
Ihatecoding · 14/04/2023 16:16

I think the Vendor sounds like someone who has no shame in messing people around but good luck.

strawberry2017 · 14/04/2023 16:17

People like this make me suspicious that they are going to try and start a bidding war to get more money.

Ihatecoding · 14/04/2023 16:19

strawberry2017 · 14/04/2023 16:17

People like this make me suspicious that they are going to try and start a bidding war to get more money.

Yes I agree! Or they're likely to find a cash buyer down the line and ditch the original buyers and go with them instead.

Bitter experience :(

OP I would hope for the best but keep hunting just in case!

caringcarer · 14/04/2023 16:26

I would be telling EA the offer stands on the table but you are viewing other properties and you may put an offer in on one as other vendors do not seem keen to secure a sale with you. If I liked other property I'd offer on that and if the offer is accepted withdraw the first offer. The vendor does not sound very reliable in my view.

Cattenberg · 14/04/2023 16:36

Had the probate been granted yet? If not, I wouldn’t touch it with a barge pole.

Two other buyers and I spent months waiting for the probate to be granted on the house at the top of the chain. In the meantime, interest rates rose and mortgage offers expired. The CF’s at the top of the chain then pulled out, as they’d decided to sell their property to their son instead! Various buyers and agents could have strangled them. Never again.

CellophaneFlower · 14/04/2023 17:16

I'm not sure it is a probate house. OP just said it was empty but has been rented out to friends.

I think the vendor is being portrayed in quite a bad light here. If they've just put the property on and have a few viewings lined up, I don't think they're being unreasonable to see what's offered.

KievLoverTwo · 14/04/2023 17:19

Mayjay18 · 14/04/2023 15:36

So I just rang the EA and they said the vendors have 3 viewings tomorrow, one of which is a first time buyer. They want to accept our offer on the provision that the first time buyer doesn’t make an offer tomorrow. So they’ll ring us tomorrow evening.
The EA said that the sellers don’t want a chain as they’ve been ‘stung before’. I can’t understand this because we have a cash buyer and their property is empty. But hey ho, each to their own.
The house is a large 30’s semi but is priced well above first time buyer prices, hence it being for our family, but this could be someone’s inheritance I suppose. Seems a bit strange to me. Any thoughts? X

Just because you have a cash buyer doesn't mean your sale will be hassle free. Cash buyers, in fact, are more known to be dicks and pull last minute 'I want 5% off' tricks than those with mortgage.

So perhaps they have experience of cash buyers messing up chains.

If I was them, I would go with the FTB over you because of this. Sorry.

Original poster
Mayjay18 · 14/04/2023 17:26

No, I completely understand that they need to let all the viewers in, it’s only fair at the end of the day.
I do understand a FTB from a chain point of view would be better, and I agree I would probably go with them as well if given the choice.
however, a FTB may not always be hassle free in terms of getting a mortgage, especially in the current climate with interest rate and the property not actually being a FTB house (unless of course they’ve come into a fair amount of money). I can see it from all points of view, and I don’t think they’re being unreasonable…it’s just frustrating from my end being in limbo.
im going to keep viewing the houses and keep my offer on the table until Monday; fingers crossed

OP posts:
Ihatecoding · 14/04/2023 17:43

OP, in the nicest possible way you've absolutely convinced yourself that FTBs are hassle, have low deposits, possibly low incomes and are general PITAs.

I think if you were to speak to FTBs you'd realise that a lot of them are savvy mid 30s with decent incomes!

So, in the nicest possible way - please stop overthinking it all. You don't have all the facts and you won't get all the facts

Original poster
Mayjay18 · 14/04/2023 18:12

You are right- I bought my first house when I was 20 and so I’m just assuming everyone is the same, which is ridiculous of me to do. I don’t think they’re hassle though, as I said above, I would absolutely pick a FTB given the choice.

OP posts:
Erictheavocado · 14/04/2023 18:28

I wouldn't be prepared to wait any longer. You made your offer over a week ago - when did they book in the viewings for this weekend? I would be surprised if they were booked before your offer, which suggests to me that they would , for whatever reason, prefer another buyer. The house would have to be truly amazing for me to allow them to treat me in this way. If they accept your offer, I wouldn't be confident that they wouldn't screw you over if they got a 'better' offer even after they accepted yours.

SheilaFentiman · 14/04/2023 18:34

I think this sounds hopeful. It took them a while to come back but it has been Easter and they may have been away. Fingers crossed!

CellophaneFlower · 14/04/2023 18:41

Erictheavocado · 14/04/2023 18:28

I wouldn't be prepared to wait any longer. You made your offer over a week ago - when did they book in the viewings for this weekend? I would be surprised if they were booked before your offer, which suggests to me that they would , for whatever reason, prefer another buyer. The house would have to be truly amazing for me to allow them to treat me in this way. If they accept your offer, I wouldn't be confident that they wouldn't screw you over if they got a 'better' offer even after they accepted yours.

I assume they'd prefer another buyer if they offered more? Nothing wrong with that, it doesn't make them arseholes. Who isn't going to want the best price for their house?

Honeyroar · 14/04/2023 21:54

I really hope that you like the other house more and can tell them you’ve changed your mind when their first time buyer hasn’t made an offer.
I wish we had more rules re buying and selling houses in this country!

Starlightstarbright1 · 14/04/2023 22:05

Honeyroar · 14/04/2023 21:54

I really hope that you like the other house more and can tell them you’ve changed your mind when their first time buyer hasn’t made an offer.
I wish we had more rules re buying and selling houses in this country!

This is exactly my thoughts too

CellophaneFlower · 15/04/2023 08:57

Honeyroar · 14/04/2023 21:54

I really hope that you like the other house more and can tell them you’ve changed your mind when their first time buyer hasn’t made an offer.
I wish we had more rules re buying and selling houses in this country!

A rule that says a vendor can't sell to whomever they choose? Surely everyone selling chooses the best option for themselves, whether it be shortest chain/higher offer etc? Yes, if the vendor had accepted OP's offer then went with someone else then that's wrong, but they haven't.

Honeyroar · 15/04/2023 18:28

OK, good point, fair enough. But there are lots of cases of bad behaviour in buying/selling houses nowadays.

CellophaneFlower · 15/04/2023 19:10

Any news @Mayjay18

Original poster
Mayjay18 · 15/04/2023 20:14

Cellophaneflower we went to view the other house, it was lovely inside but the area was too built up for us unfortunately :(
the EA from the house we offered on never contacted us like she said she would, so I’m guessing it’s probably not good news :(

OP posts:
cathyandclare · 15/04/2023 20:17

Mayjay18 · 15/04/2023 20:14

Cellophaneflower we went to view the other house, it was lovely inside but the area was too built up for us unfortunately :(
the EA from the house we offered on never contacted us like she said she would, so I’m guessing it’s probably not good news :(

I wouldn't assume that- you may have heard if the first time buyers had offered. I'd guess they want to give them a day or two😋

Swipe left for the next trending thread