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Original poster

To buy without viewing

21 replies

nicetoseetgesunsout · 17/04/2023 13:53

In need of some advice and your experience.
I'm looking to move from outer London to the coast. There are not many properties available that suit my needs and budget and those that are, are going really quickly. Prices are also rising obv due to their scarcity.
I've accepted an offer on my property and my buyer is 'ready to go' having accepted an offer on hers from first time buyers - she doesn't require a mortgage. Neither do I.
Now, a property has come on the market which looks perfect but I can't get down to see it for a week. My friend who lives in the town is going to view on my behalf.......if all looks as it seems on paper/photos, would I be foolish to make an offer of full asking without viewing myself?
Advert says OIRO so should I offer below full asking initially?
I'll obv have surveys etc done ahead of exchange.
Any info gratefully received.

OP posts:
Moopyhereagain · 17/04/2023 13:56

I think you are fine to make an offer esp if market moving fast. It doesn’t bind you until you exchange and happens all the time. We have a house on the market and have had a number of such offers - annoying when they don’t come to much but part of it all. OIRO - I would go in a bit below but it all depends on how much you want it! Offer subject to survey etc and you can potentially renegotiate if survey shows a lot of stuff up

Movinghouseatlast · 17/04/2023 13:58

I did exactly that and am sitting in the house now! Friend viewed and I offered full asking.

Sanch1 · 17/04/2023 14:08

Could you get your friend to facetime you while there and take you on a virtual tour? The couple that bought my last house did this, she called him as he was in the services and away.

KievLoverTwo · 17/04/2023 14:13

She needs to get you on zoom call and you need to get her to direct the phone to what you want to see.

She also needs to be your eyes, ears and sense of smell. She needs to listen out for noise around the house, in the area, she needs to sniff for funky damp smells, she needs to look at the surrounds and have her eyes fully open re: roads around, what's on them, whether things look crappy, if there's a new build estate going up next door that you can't see on google maps, etc.

You'd be putting an awful lot of trust in her, really.

I think I'd get her to do the viewing and then get up there myself, even if it means an emergency day off work.

2bazookas · 17/04/2023 14:31

You'd be completely foolish to buy unseen.

With the best will in the world; is your friend a property owner? how experienced is your friend at buying houses? or guessing the price to bid?

2bazookas · 17/04/2023 14:34

I would add, that were I the seller in a fast moving market with lots of competition to buy,, I'd still PICK THE BEST BUYER. (The best buyer, is not necessarily the highest offer).

and someone who had never even viewed it, would not be top of the list.

Saschka · 17/04/2023 14:37

Where are you they houses are selling faster than a week? They are taking months to go here.

Honestly, just go and see it this weekend, and put an offer in then. They aren’t going to take it off the market when they still have other viewings booked in.

2bazookas · 17/04/2023 14:37

Now, a property has come on the market which looks perfect but I can't get down to see it for a week.

The evenings are lighter now. I'd drive or fly for an evening viewing, back home same night.

Cheerfulcharlie · 17/04/2023 14:37

As a seller I would not accept an offer until you had seen it due to the high risk of you pulling out once you'd seen it.

crazeecatlady · 17/04/2023 14:42

A lady from London did that with a house near where I live. It had fab sea views and was high up on a cliff so no chance of losing the view to developers. It sold at auction with a really good price. Thing is she didn't look at it or have a survey. Now her house is in the sea .Caveat Emptor

MissLucyEyelesbarrow · 17/04/2023 14:45

I have done this (London) and it worked out well, but I do agree with @2bazookas that a sensible seller will prefer a potential buyer who has seen the property.

Belltentdreamer · 17/04/2023 14:47

My friends husband tried to make an offer on a house without his wife seeing it (she was working away) and the seller point blank refused it as she said it didn’t show real commitment - if she didn’t like it, they’d just drop out and have wasted her time. So be prepared for this situation

LibertyLily · 17/04/2023 15:22

Belltentdreamer · 17/04/2023 14:47

My friends husband tried to make an offer on a house without his wife seeing it (she was working away) and the seller point blank refused it as she said it didn’t show real commitment - if she didn’t like it, they’d just drop out and have wasted her time. So be prepared for this situation

When selling our last-but-one house we had a viewing from a woman who our EA warned us (ahead of the viewing) was flaky because she'd offered on a couple of other places then pulled out.

She viewed our house with her mum and said her husband couldn't view till the following week. During the viewing she burst into tears, called her mortgage broker with regards to borrowing more as our house was on for more than they'd intended spending and finally made us an asking price offer before leaving.

Our EA called us immediately afterwards to say we shouldn't take her offer seriously till her husband had seen the house too. We ignored his advice, accepted the offer and (after her husband and DC viewed it a few days later - they loved it too) the sale completed within two months.

Saschka · 17/04/2023 18:38

To be fair @LibertyLily that buyer does sound a bit nuts! I would have been worried about the potential for drama and flakiness with her myself.

78thcat · 17/04/2023 18:53

I've recently done this. Friend went and sent me a video tour as I live at a distance. It ticked all the boxes and was on the market for less than I thought it should be, so I made an offer of full asking price the next morning. The offer was only accepted after I had viewed it a few days later, which was frustrating, but also understandable from the vendors POV. If you feel really confident about the property, I would get the offer in and then get down there and view it yourself ASAP to show that you're serious.

Original poster
nicetoseetgesunsout · 17/04/2023 21:03

Thanks everyone. Taken on board all advice and I've moved things around and so going to view myself tomorrow!
For those who asked location of properties selling fast - I'm outer London Zone 5 and sold STC in 3 days, 3 viewings, 2 offers of full asking so went to full and final and went £2k over. Where I'm buying is SE Coast and they are literally going as soon as they go on the market. There's not much going on the market so obv pushes the prices up.

OP posts:
WaitingfortheTardis · 17/04/2023 21:06

We weren't able to view our house as it was lockdown, they did a video for us though and we did a drive by to check it was actually there etc. We also made sure we had a pretty decent survey done. For us it worked out really well, but I would have the survey as reassurance.

WaitingfortheTardis · 17/04/2023 21:07

Sorry, cross posted 😀

maxi2100 · 17/04/2023 22:17

Wow buying a house without looking at it is bonkers!

CheeseMcKnees · 17/04/2023 22:20

I own a house I’ve never set foot in, standard Victorian terrace, passed all surveys fine so not sure what I needed to see really.

escapingthecity · 17/04/2023 22:25

I have bought a house based in a video tour.

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