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Original poster

Should I put a note through the door of the house I want to buy?

263 replies

Fourthmusketeer · 09/01/2025 20:34

Is this a weird thing to do?

Our house isn't actually on the market yet, as we don't want to do that until we find another house we like. They so rarely come up - I've been looking for a year now and just nothing is quite suitable. But, there's a house I've loved for years. I just love everything about it. It's the perfect location, great size, perfect layout for us (DH is quite particular). It's a beautiful house. Once I'd looked it up on Rightmove I fell in love with it even more.

The current owners bought the house in 2021, so it's probably unlikely they'd be looking to sell. But, you never know?

Is it weird to put a note through their door to find out? Do I keep it fairly simple? So...don't let on how much I love their house and how I've admired it for years? 🤣😬

There is of course a chance they contact us off the back of the note, allow us to view their property, and then once we actually see it we decide it's not what we thought. That feels really awkward...having contacted them to begin with 🫣

I'm not sure how much it would be worth now. It was close to the top of our price range back in 2021, but I'm not sure whether COVID skewed values somewhat?

Thanks!

OP posts:
Namechangedforgoodreasons · 14/01/2025 09:06

Why not? I can’t see what you’ve got to lose. But I definitely wouldn't let them know that theirs is the only house you’re targeting - I’d phrase it something like "we’re very interested in houses like yours" or something like that, and if they asked if you’d sent similar notes to others I would lie and say yes. Even if they do want to sell, if they know you’re so heavily invested in just their house they’ll have you over a barrel where price is concerned.

Swiftie1878 · 14/01/2025 09:10

MyDeepZebra · 09/01/2025 21:02

She was odd.

I jokingly mentioned it afterwards and she seriously responded, "well, we're over it now but it was very upsetting at the time as we'd had our hearts set on it."

I honestly didn't know how to respond.

Edited
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MyDeepZebra · 14/01/2025 09:12

Swiftie1878 · 14/01/2025 09:10

.

Edited
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No, I'm a different poster. I'm not sure why you have quoted me!

v4life · 14/01/2025 09:13

I’d find this weird. We get estate agents ones saying they have demand for houses like this etc. Which is fine bur I personally note from a stranger would feel a bit off to me.

Streetcornerchoir · 14/01/2025 09:14

I bought my first house by sending a letter after I’d viewed it, it was with an estate agent but they refused to pass my offer on so we sorted it between us in the end.

Then received a note years later from someone wanting to buy it, it didn’t offend me and I kept the note until we were ready to put it on the market. I’d love it if someone did it now because I hate all the viewings! I think the one hurdle is if you are only able to pay similar to what they did four years ago, have you tried to work out the value now?

Swiftie1878 · 14/01/2025 09:14

MyDeepZebra · 14/01/2025 09:12

No, I'm a different poster. I'm not sure why you have quoted me!

Show quote history

Sorry! Brain fart!

Viviennemary · 14/01/2025 09:15

It's really cheeky. If somebody did that to me I would make sure they didn't ever get the house.

mezlou84 · 14/01/2025 09:15

We bought our house in 2020 and house prices have continued to rise. We're glad we sold and bought when we did. Sold for over asking price at 95k and bought 175k. Now valued at 240k (just took out new mortgage on it) so know the price. Means yours will of gone up too 😂. Putting a note through wouldn't be too weird, not to me but we've had a few cards through in the last year in particular from property agents, saying it's a popular area, people are wanting to move to the village would we consider selling. We've always ignored them because we're not interested. You would need to put your house on the market as it could take months to sell, then the sale could drop through. We had that on our first offer we accepted but luckily we got another buyer immediately so we could continue to buy this. You need to commit as no one would accept an offer without you having the money to buy or without you already selling, so I would definitely put it up for sale. We rented until the sale went through. The solicitors were dragging their feet with it being during covid but eventually went through.

deeahgwitch · 14/01/2025 09:19

BigDahliaFan · 09/01/2025 21:14

I’d have absolutely no problem if someone did that with our house.

Nor would I.
I know of one couple who got the house they loved by putting a note through all the houses in the small cul de sac they wanted to live in.
My sister did try this but was unsuccessful.
However she eventually got a house on a nicer street close by ( upped her budget ).

WhatTheKey · 14/01/2025 09:26

I've done this recently. The property I like is derelict and part of an estate. The house will fall down unless someone does something with it, but sadly I think that's what the owners want (it's grade 2 listed too...)

GB81 · 14/01/2025 09:36

MrsTerryPratchett · 09/01/2025 20:47

We have had this a few times (we live in an adorable money pit). Mostly estate agents but also a personal one.

Always no! But all we feel is 'ooooo isn't our little house special?'.

There is software that Estate Agents can use that populates a mail merge to certain areas/criteria.

Bumcake · 14/01/2025 09:39

BigDahliaFan · 09/01/2025 21:14

I’d have absolutely no problem if someone did that with our house.

Same.

I'm not going to move, so it would be irrelevant whether or not the potential buyer had their house on the market. What I would say to them is that I’m likely to move in about three years and I would contact them at that time if they felt they could wait. Either way, no harm done.

Gekko21 · 14/01/2025 09:44

I don't think there's any harm as long as you keep the note very general and don't come across as stalky. However, the cost of moving is so high these days that it's less likely someone would be willing to sell after just a few years.

Can I ask why, if you've loved it for years, you didn't buy it back in 2021? And are you fixating on it because it's the one that got away? What makes it a 'dream house'?

Likewhatever · 14/01/2025 09:44

Someone did this to us, we were SSTC and they sent a letter saying how much they loved the house and how gutted they were to have missed out and would we please consider them if it fell through. I passed it to the agent who was already aware of them. Like you, they hadn’t sold so were never really in with a chance. We didn’t discount the approach though and would have contacted them if our sale hadn’t proceeded.

The advantage is that you make the vendor aware of you. EAs won’t bother you with every hopeful buyer so you may never know who would have been interested. The main thing is being in a position to proceed.

Pleasantree · 14/01/2025 09:51

DH and I did this years ago … cute house, always seemed empty. Never saw any signs of life.

“Dear Homeowner”

we got no reply & still laugh about it (learned years later the house was owned by super rich guy & famous actress wife when it was featured in newspaper homes section)

yorktown · 14/01/2025 09:52

Not that weird but if your house is not even on the market, I would just ignore something like that.

nationalsausagefund · 14/01/2025 09:52

Viviennemary · 14/01/2025 09:15

It's really cheeky. If somebody did that to me I would make sure they didn't ever get the house.

Why is it cheeky?!

Firstnamesurname31 · 14/01/2025 09:54

I think it’s fine. I know a number of people who have either bought or sold like this. I think that doing it to a number of houses is less creepy than just one that you’ve stalked but you know what you like. I disagree that you need to be on the market, but maybe show you’re serious by having yours valued and think about estate agents or mortgages or what you’d need to make you look serious. Ultimately if you don’t ask you don’t get. You may have to pay over the odd though I think!

LilacPony · 14/01/2025 09:54

I’ve done this too! Worth the shot.

Oneanonymouspost · 14/01/2025 09:56

We’ve had notes a few times. We’re not looking to sell so I’ve always just messaged back saying sorry we’re not looking to move. I’ve certainly never been offended or freaked out. It’s a very aggressive quick moving market just now so people do need to be proactive. I would just pop a note saying you’ve been looking in the area and intrested in chatting if they are considering selling. Probably wouldn’t mention that their particular house is your dream house though, just keep it casual.

ClairDeLaLune · 14/01/2025 09:57

If you don’t ask you don’t get. Fortune favours the bold. And other clichés! Do it OP!

Itdoesntmatteranyway · 14/01/2025 09:58

If you do this, and they decide to get it valued, be prepared to pay asking price because you have literally gone out of your way to say ‘I want your house’. There is no ‘playing it cool’ then!
If they don’t want to move, it won’t make them move but if they were thinking about it then where’s the harm I suppose.

ClairDeLaLune · 14/01/2025 09:58

Viviennemary · 14/01/2025 09:15

It's really cheeky. If somebody did that to me I would make sure they didn't ever get the house.

Eh? What a weird take.

JustMeBoo · 14/01/2025 10:03

My friend put letters through the doors of houses on her ideal road a couple of years ago. Heard back from a landlord who sold her his house without the need for an estate agent. She put hers on the market after he said he was amenable and it all went through pretty quickly and she's very happy there.

We get the occasional letter through which is fine but on the evening of the day we moved in we had a couple hovering in the street asking how we'd manage to buy the house, that was a bit freaky!

JellyFlooding · 14/01/2025 10:03

Tupster · 09/01/2025 22:48

I get these sometimes from estate agents - but they always talk about a couple who have just missed out on something similar and are very motivated FTBs or have already sold etc, so it's a very serious potential sale. But you're proposing that the homeowners let some total strangers come and poke around their house, just to see if it might be their dream house when theirs isn't sold or even on the market. I can't imagine anyone would agree to that.

I get these but always assumed they were just marketing nonsense.

I wouldn't treat any from an EA rather than a person as real.

Getting a note wouldn't bother me at all but I'd just ignore. If I was thinking about selling though, I'd only entertain it if the person who wrote the note was at least under offer.