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Original poster

How far can I push this viewing back before annoying potential viewer

59 replies

startingoveragainagain · 30/10/2023 21:26

This person's house is on the market but not sold.

They wanted to come on Wednesday but the house isn't clean and I don't have time to tidy it, my cleaner comes on Friday (every other friday). So I said to the agent one day next week, but thinking about it, next week is going to be tricky. I don't really want to pay the cleaner to come an extra day so, I'm thinking three weeks time - is that out of order?

OP posts:
BooBooBaloo · 30/10/2023 22:34

And there isn't anything to say they won't sell their house in the next few days

Mumaway · 30/10/2023 22:35

We don't let people who aren't 'proceedable' (ie, under offer/sold/in rented with cash or mortgage) even view, so I wouldn't worry about putting them off

Pinkpinkpink15 · 30/10/2023 22:44

Mumaway · 30/10/2023 22:35

We don't let people who aren't 'proceedable' (ie, under offer/sold/in rented with cash or mortgage) even view, so I wouldn't worry about putting them off

@Mumaway

oh well that's your loss & fine if you're not a motivated seller.

@startingoveragainagain

why did you put it on the market if in your opinion it's not ready to view?

you've had other viewings, hiw can it be that dirty it can't be viewed?

i want to see the rooms, the sizes the garden... I don't care if it's not a show home, people live in their houses.

maybe they work weekends??

id write you off as an unmotivated seller if I couldn't view for 3 weeks.

zurala · 30/10/2023 22:48

Three weeks!??? I'd think there was something you needed to cover up. You can't put a house on the market and then be difficult about viewings, it makes you look like you aren't serious.

SheilaFentiman · 30/10/2023 23:02

Just have them at the time they want, if you can, and don’t clean first.

LovesFood1987 · 31/10/2023 01:55

We've done viewings before we're sold, I get it's annoying for vendors but we are deciding our sales price based on how much we want the house we've seen.

Viewings are a massive pain but they're part and parcel of selling so you gotta suck it up unfortunately!

PickledPurplePickle · 31/10/2023 05:45

YABVU I wouldn’t wait 3 weeks that’s ridiculous, do you want to sell or not?

Cardsonthetable · 31/10/2023 06:03

Tell the agency not to accept viewings from people who haven’t sold. Clean your house yourself in between the cleaners visits. Why is it so hard to work out?

Witchinawell · 31/10/2023 06:13

If the (prospective) buyers house hasn’t sold yet then they are unlikely to be proceedable. They can’t buy OPs house if they don’t yet have the funds yet. How long has your home been on the market OP?

Persipan · 31/10/2023 06:26

we are deciding our sales price based on how much we want the house we've seen

Eh? That... is not how any potential buyers of your house are going to judge its value.

terraced · 31/10/2023 06:39

Having to wait 3 weeks would put me off.

ibelieveinmirrorballs · 31/10/2023 06:40

@Mumaway are you still having a lot of viewings? I just had my offer accepted on a house I viewed when I wasn’t on the market, but fell in love with and listed my house as a result. So viewings from people who aren’t under offer don’t necessarily lead nowhere.. 😁

I decided I wasn’t really bothered about people’s status but that’s because my viewings were all done in a block at the weekend - so it didn’t directly affect me to find myself cleaning the house for people just having a nosy. Other than one occasion when I offered to show a couple around on a Sunday and it became clear quite quickly that they hadn’t even decided to relocate to the area and it really was just a whim to come and view 🙄

GracePalmer33 · 31/10/2023 06:41

Haha, what?! Do you want to sell your house or not? You obviously have the right to push the viewing back to whenever you want, but it's not going to help your house sell 😂

ChocolateCakeOverspill · 31/10/2023 06:41

Is there a reason you need to wait for a cleaner? Can’t you or someone else in your house clean?

kweeble · 31/10/2023 06:45

It’s your call surely if they’ve not sold their own house? They aren’t in a position to buy so I would say you’d rather they didn’t view. They can view your house when they are free to make and offer.
However you do really need to keep your house so tidy that you can be ready for viewers on a weekly basis.

Fulshaw · 31/10/2023 06:48

I can see why you’re pissed off. Lot of time-wasters. But as others have said, there are things you can do. Tell the agent you only want people who are proceedable. Fix some times with the agent that the house is available for viewings so it only as to be clean then.
can the dogs be in the garden or the car?

NancyJoan · 31/10/2023 06:54

Three weeks? No, I’d just walk away. You sound like you think you’re doing them a favour by letting them view at all. Perhaps you should tell the agent you only want viewings from people who are ready to proceed. And once the house has been cleaned on Friday, keep it tidy enough to accept a viewing when they call.

eternalopt · 31/10/2023 07:00

If you only have a cleaner once a fortnight, surely you keep on top of it in between? Why would you need to pay for an extra clean if the viewing was next week? Surely you don't just expect to be open for viewings once every two weeks and that's it ?

smartiesneberhadtheanswer · 31/10/2023 07:03

This would stop me buying your house as I'd assume you'd also be a nightmare during the sales process. You'll seem very flaky

DrySherry · 31/10/2023 07:05

I can't see a way of selling this to the potential buyer that won't put them off. If you want to sell you need to be proactive not obstructive.

HaplessRhombus · 31/10/2023 07:08

When we were selling our house, the expectation was that we'd be available for viewings within a week, ideally more like two days. Unwritten expectation and I'm sure we could have pushed back on it, but that was the norm.

Hiddenvoice · 31/10/2023 07:10

I think if you’re keen to sell then I’d be open to all viewings as long as I was able to be there- not working.

If a seller said next week and I was keen then I’d wait but if they contacted again and told me 3 weeks then I probably wouldn’t hold my breath and would think they don’t actually want to sell. I would start looking elsewhere.

When I sold my last house the person who put the best offer in hadn’t even put their house on the market so I was really hesitant but they managed to get their house ready for sale, online and sold within 2 weeks because they had a perfect starter home in a good area. you don’t know how quickly their house might sell but you can also state that you’ll give them 6 weeks to sell or your house will go back on the market.

FredaFox · 31/10/2023 07:16

I wouldn't wait 3 weeks I'd think you'd mess me about the whole process to suit your own needs only

Original poster
startingoveragainagain · 31/10/2023 09:32

Thanks all, interesting to see it from the other side. I guess I was only thinking about it from where I'm standing - and if they hadn't sold there was no hurry on their side either... but hadn't thought it would make them think we'd be like that for the rest of the process - we definitely wouldn't be!

There are a few reasons why I can't keep the house ready for viewings all the time, that I don't want to go into, but they are valid. I'm not planning on viewing anything until we are under offer as I don't want to waste other people's time nor do I want to be heartbroken if something I love gets sold and I can't buy it, as mine isn't.

When we moved here 3 years ago, we had to be proceedable to view, and the agents even phoned the agent we sold with to check. I think things are just different right now...

OP posts:
Original poster
startingoveragainagain · 31/10/2023 09:42

So... I've suggested this weekend, or Monday/Tuesday (with a few hours when I'm unavailable due to work meetings - and I'll take the dogs for a walk then and hope my boss doesn't realise I'm not at my desk). I've also said I could do Wednesday if they can't do any other day, but it's not ideal as it would mean driving to my parents very late on the Tuesday (as I have evening commitments that cannot be broken) or very early on the Wednesday as I have to be in the office that day for 9 (parents over an hour away and work 30mins from that).

Subconsciously I probably don't want to move as it's my dream house but due to ill health and divorce it has to go.

Thank you all for your POV's

OP posts:
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