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Original poster

Gazumping. Should we do it?

184 replies

Itsrainingten · 05/08/2024 15:55

We viewed a house about 6 weeks ago. Loved it. Had a second viewing and wanted to make an offer. Spoke to seller, explaining we were awaiting an offer on our house first but we had someone who had seen it 3 times and was apparently "just waiting for her husband to return from his business trip on Friday" and then would offer on ours. Well unsurprisingly she then went radio silence. I was in touch with sellers EA regularly letting them know we wanted it but still weren't in a proceedable (?) position. Even put forward a full asking price offer if they'd hold on for us. They didn't want to wait. Fair enough. Well this morning I looked on RM and it says it's SSTC. It wasn't on Friday. Thing is we've literally (like 2 hours ago) accepted an offer on ours so now we ARE proceedable. We are considering getting in touch and offering them £750k - asking price was £735. What do you think? Is this too immoral? Would you do it?

OP posts:
penguinonmybag · 06/08/2024 11:48

romatheroamer · 06/08/2024 09:43

Sold Subject To Contract. The contract is when you exchange.

Show quote history

ah ok - maybe some agents use it differently. Ours said that after we had exchanged but not completed.

TooManyTabs · 06/08/2024 12:06

Itsrainingten · 05/08/2024 16:16

"someone like you" is a bit harsh! We haven't actually done anything. I do agree it's a bit shitty which is why I'm in two minds. But it's not like we've appeared out of nowhere. And it only showed SSTC today when we've been after it for weeks.

So might the buyers be. If they're spending that much money on a house it's likely their dream house too. You're considering taking that away from them.

Strongbeatsskinny · 06/08/2024 12:34

Well the OP hasn’t commented and I suspect that they’ve been told no by the estate agent unless their awaiting a response from the vendor. Would be nice to get an update from them wouldn’t it.

We are also waiting to exchange contracts for our dream home and praying our buyers don’t pull out us. On rightmove both properties are sstc and have been a while now. It’s the waiting game now which feels never ending.

Original poster
Itsrainingten · 06/08/2024 13:28

Well I haven't updated because I'm waiting myself! Spoke to the agent this morning who has put our original offer forward again with the note that we are now proceedable and details of our exact position. I don't know how much the other people offered. He confirmed that it was only accepted yesterday. I do not feel guilty at all!
They were literally a couple of hours ahead and we saw it first. I have told him I'm not going to go into a bidding war though. They either accept or reject our offer and that's that.
I don't really know why we weren't contacted before they accepted if I'm honest. I get the feeling the EA fucked up a bit.

OP posts:
Britishsummertime22 · 06/08/2024 15:09

I don't understand why you think you should've been contacted before they accepted the other people's offer.

Britishsummertime22 · 06/08/2024 15:10

"We saw it first"
It doesn't work like that...

FancyBiscuitsLevel · 06/08/2024 15:24

@Britishsummertime22 - it would be perfectly normal in the OPs situation for the EA to say there’s an offer on the table to see if the OP was just making her mind up and another offer was coming in.

Loveg00d · 06/08/2024 16:31

Except the EA knew OP wasn't just "making her mind up"... she wasn't proceedable. She could have continued to not be able to move forward for months! Why on earth should the EA contact her?!

The entitlement. You have no idea how many other people have seen that house, if there were others also wanting it but waiting til they had an offer too etc, if the buyers were also waiting... who knows? It's not your house just because you saw it first!

theresnolimits · 06/08/2024 17:04

This happened to us. We offered full asking, started all the paperwork (costs) and then the EA decided to show it to another party ‘just in case as a back up’. They offered above asking and we were asked to match it. We had two small children and were already stretched but down already in costs. We had to extend our mortgage to afford it but said that was it. I think the sellers felt so guilty in the end, they stuck with us - but at the higher price of course.

It’s a really lousy thing to do and I bet the gazumpers would have found a reason to drop the price later in the process. It’s one thing to go to bids etc, but if you’ve accepted an offer, you’ve accepted it. It’s not just about the money, it’s about the heartbreak and disappointment you’re meting out to the people who think/ believe they have secured their dream home.

That house is gone. Find another.

Tupster · 06/08/2024 17:19

Britishsummertime22 · 06/08/2024 15:10

"We saw it first"
It doesn't work like that...

Also no way of knowing if this is true. The other buyers may also have been interested in the house for weeks/months and desperately trying to get in the proceedable position in order to make an offer.

MrsHemswoth · 06/08/2024 17:42

I've bought and sold many times and in house buying it's dog eat dog! I would go for it - nothing to lose!

LindaDawn · 06/08/2024 17:46

Itsrainingten · 06/08/2024 13:28

Well I haven't updated because I'm waiting myself! Spoke to the agent this morning who has put our original offer forward again with the note that we are now proceedable and details of our exact position. I don't know how much the other people offered. He confirmed that it was only accepted yesterday. I do not feel guilty at all!
They were literally a couple of hours ahead and we saw it first. I have told him I'm not going to go into a bidding war though. They either accept or reject our offer and that's that.
I don't really know why we weren't contacted before they accepted if I'm honest. I get the feeling the EA fucked up a bit.

I agree it would have been reasonable to expect the estate agent to come to you to check if you were still,interested and had a buyer.

openforall · 06/08/2024 18:05

Maybe rhe sellers had identified their own purchase and needed an offer to proceed

If I were them, I wouldn't stop to ask about the randoms who viewed but weren't proceed able

ThisRedLion · 06/08/2024 18:28

It's not even gazumping yo7 don't know these people it's not like you've got so far down the road like last min pulled out express your apologies go for the house you wanted originally don't listen to everyone bad advice do what your heart wants 😉

Gcsunnyside23 · 06/08/2024 18:36

Buying houses is dog eating dog, everyone here is taking a business transaction so personally. hope you get your dream hobe

NewGreenDuck · 06/08/2024 18:40

I think the moral of the story is not to view until you are in a position to make an offer. Not if you don't like the way we sell houses on the UK.

Greytulips · 06/08/2024 19:04

I stupidly thought I could do a deal with the owner and avoid agent and that it might tip the balance in my favour if my offer would be without agents fees

I would never except an offer on the sly like that - estate agents run background checks they know who the serious buyers are ~ and more besides - why would you even think that’s a thing?

BirthdayRainbow · 06/08/2024 19:05

I accepted an offer on my house then ten minutes later the other viewers offered for the third time and this time it was full asking price. This was £10k more than the people whose offer we had just accepted. The EA was annoyed. I wasn't. I said stick with the people who I had already said yes to. Then a few hours later they pulled out so we went back to the others. I'm in the process of selling my house to them.

I hope it all works out for you.

UnfriendMe · 06/08/2024 19:10

They only just put the offer in, it's not like it's months into the process. Imo it's not a lot different than when a property gets multiple offers and the agent asks for best and final. You put an offer in, if they can match it or go up they will. I would personally do it, anybody else in the same situation would and wouldn't care about the other buyer. Obviously same could happen to you but that's just how it is.

Unicorn34 · 06/08/2024 19:15

Not sure if anyone else has suggested this but could you just tell them you are in a position to offer and if anything happens to this buyer to let you know? You can continue to look but make a decision if it is open to offers again. You may have found something even more perfect.

AlleycatMarie · 06/08/2024 19:36

@Itsrainingten I’d do it! It’s only just gone under offer!

bobster31 · 06/08/2024 19:41

How do you know "they just came along"? They may have been after it for longer than you but not in a position to make an offer until Saturday. Why does your desire to buy the house trump theirs? They were in a position to proceed, you weren't. Tough luck. Find somewhere else.

Toptops · 06/08/2024 19:47

Don't gazump. It's scummy behaviour.
What you can do is reiterate to the agent that you're in a position to proceed now and are very keen on the house.

lemming40 · 06/08/2024 20:00

Go for it

irishrover66 · 06/08/2024 20:10

I am currently in the process of selling my late Mum's house. I don't think you as a buyer are doing anything wrong in offering more however I think it would be immoral for the seller to accept your higher offer having already accepted an offer. I feel that once an agreement is made even if not legally binding then both sides should keep their word. Of course nobody knows what financial pressures the seller is under.