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

[Fourthmusketeer]

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!

I agree this is unethical, although people probably do it all the time (driving up the price of services for those who do purchase them because half the professional’s time is spent with people who never intend to use their services).

I did this when I was looking 15 years ago and got a really nasty email in reply about 'how dare you' and 'what makes you think we'd want to move' and maybe even suggesting where I could put their email Completely unhinged but nothing ventured nothing gained I guess

You're surprised that people would find it weird or creepy for someone to scope out someone else's house and pop a note through the door, essentially, requesting that the owners of said house sell it to them?

Do some people have zero barometer for what is normal behaviour nowadays?

I think this fine - and a good idea! We've done it before - always handwritten and careful to be complimentary about their house/the area but without overstepping the mark into what seems like stalking. Probably make it a bit less commitment required on their part - for example rather than "I want to buy your house" phrase it like "if you are ever considering selling we'd love it if you got in touch". For what it's worth we had a few no replies, a number of grateful responses who were pleased we liked their home but weren't selling and one yes - who went on to mess us around so much we found an alternative in the end.

We rescued a derelict house and poured heart and soul (and a fuck ton of money) into it. When we finished we would get notes through the door. One that sticks out was from 'a young couple who desperately want to move out of London" and how our house would be perfect for their kids Jemima (3) and Oliver (1). And how they could imagine them all living happily at No X, X Street.

I'm sure they could. But we were a young couple, moved out of London and we had a couple of kids who were quite keen on not giving their bedrooms to Jemima and Oliver. I wished them well and binned the note.

Even worse were the ones written by the kids. We had one along the lines of "My name is Lara and I am 2 years old, and me and my Mummy and Daddy and doggie Coco, would love to live in your house. Are you thinking of selling? If so, Mummy and Daddy would love to talk to you!"

There was a very un-family friendly 'Oh Fuck OFF!' when I read that. (Again, we had young children and I had had little sleep, and therefore even less patience.)

As others have said, I think it's fine if you keep it polite and impersonal and say something along the lines of 'If you decide to sell in the future, please contact us or keep up in mind. We are willing to pay market price or above.'

Good luck!

Again, you have zero idea who the person is who is receiving the note i.e., they could be elderly, vulnerable, unwell, has MH issues and they could very well be quite upset at receiving such a note.

But of course, most people on this thread aren't remotely concerned with how the person receiving the note may be made to feel as it's all about what the sender wants.

This is what ChatGPT says:

It’s definitely not weird to put a polite and thoughtful note through their door. People receive letters of interest about their homes more often than you might think, and they might be flattered to know someone admires their property so much. Keeping it simple and professional, while showing genuine interest, is the way to go. Here’s a draft for your note:

Dear [Homeowner],

I hope this note finds you well. My name is [Your Name], and I live in [Your Area]. I’m writing to express my interest in your lovely home at [Address].

We’ve been searching for a property in the area for some time now, and your home stands out to us as one that would perfectly suit our family’s needs. While I understand this might be unexpected, we wanted to inquire if you’ve ever considered selling, or if you might be open to a conversation about the possibility.

Of course, we fully understand if this is not something you’re considering, but should you have any interest, we’d be delighted to discuss it further. You can reach me at [Your Phone Number] or [Your Email Address].

Thank you so much for taking the time to read this, and regardless of your plans, I wish you all the best.

Warm regards,
[Your Full Name]

This strikes a balance between being polite, respectful, and clear about your interest without being too emotional or overwhelming. If they’re not interested, they’ll likely appreciate the compliment about their home!

This has happened to me a few times and I absolutely hate it. My house is mine. It's extremely important to me. If I want to sell it, I'll put it on the market at a time that suits me and if you're the best buyer in the best position with the best offer then I'll sell it to you. Until then, leave me alone.

I know several people who have secured houses like this without the houses going on the open market. You never know when someone is thinking about moving.
Don't make the note over familiar or weird. Just let them know you are seeking a move locally / looking for something quite specific and should they be considering a move at some stage in the future please could they let you know.

Surprised by people saying no

Nothing ventured nothing gained.

Sorry it is clearly a joke.

It is possible to 'steal' a house although it is very unusual. Google 'Land fraud'. It's a good idea to set up a property alert with the Land Registry for your home.

What have you got to lose! A friend had her heart set on three particular streets. They dropped flyers through the doors on those roads, and now they live there!

This is absolutely bonkers, the last bit about approaching a husband is by far the most ridiculous thing I have read on MN and that’s saying something! Talk about Whataboutery 😂😂😂

It was a joke. Chill

No, it's not weird.

Do it. Let them know you would be interested in the house. If you don't, you may lose a chance, should they consider selling it.

However, whatever you do, DO NOT praise and fawn over it either in writing or in words and tell them how much you love it... the price will just go up and up if you do. Just say it feels more suitable for your living needs, the location, etc.
The same with real estate agents. You remain neutral in their presence. It gives your negotiation power.

Years ago when we were selling it went on the market between Christmas and New Year, the EA didn't expect any responses but he managed to get it in the newspaper, it was that long ago!, and it sold the next day. The buyer told the EA he had been waiting for our house to come on the market! Had he pushed a note through out letterbox we could have saved a lot of money for almost nothing, the EA hadn't even got round to printing the details or putting it in his window.

Of course you can put a note through the door
If they’re not up for selling they will just tell you so or ignore
No harm done.

Although if I was selling I’d want to see how much others are willing to offer and wouldn’t just accept one which brings us to @Icanttakethisanymore s comment of offering over market value to secure it without it going on the market.

We sold our house about 20 years ago to a couple who put a note through the door. It had been on the market so they’d seen it then we’d got badly mucked about by buyers. They’d put a charming note through saying if it fell through they loved it and to get in touch. We did and they were lovely reasonable buyers. We didn’t mind at all and not sure why anyone would. Of course owners might expect top dollar if they think you’re only interested in it so I would imply you were asking generally. Ours knew the asking price already. You never know.
If google street view is to be believed they kept the curtains it took me months to make by hand for many years which was v gratifying.

It can't hurt. I did this once to every house in a small cul de sac of about 8 houses. I got two phone calls back and the chance to view both of them. Didn't buy either in the end, but it was well worth doing.

Absolutely do it. You don’t get what you want if you won’t ask for it.

I don’t think your house needs to be marketed given what you’re asking. After all, if they hadn’t considered before then whether to sell theirs, they won’t have given any consideration to an onward purchase. It’s not like they are going to go from planning to live there forever to wanting to complete in 6 weeks. They’ll need time to find a new home and get life sorted. As a private arrangement, things aren’t often as pressured.

That said, you say you’ve admired it for years, but it was last sold in 2021, why didn’t you make an offer then? Was it price? Because though the market has changed, no one is going to sell to you, at your request, for less than they just bought it for themselves. It’s going to be at a hefty premium.

I guess a lot of people responding here have never had to do any form of selling or marketing themselves in their lives... lucky them!

OP, it's not weird to do this. I have several friends who have done this for their personal move, and 2 have their much loved homes because they dropped a note through doors saying they love the area and are interested in moving there if they ever fancied selling, the owners at the time welcomed the flexibility the dealing direct approach gave them.

One couple we know base their whole business off buying off the market properties, they buy run down properties and mainly get people who have become overwhelmed by the idea of selling their run down/often inherited property and therefore welcome someone coming along and being proactive.

I'm struggling with how a polite note saying "if you ever fancied moving/selling, bear us in mind" becomes "I want you to die so I can steal your property" in some peoples minds. It's really not that deep.

I also don't think your property needs to be sold before you do it. Someone who hasn't marketed their property and decides to on the back of being approached isn't going to have a new house lined up, so it won't be as time sensitive as seeing a marketed property where the buyers want an active sale to proceed quickly.

At worst the owners would think as you suggested, that it was "weird".
At best they would feel flattered that you so admired the house they live in.
At very best, they would be considering moving on, usually because they've found something better, or they can't afford the mortgage anymore.
If the house was near the top of your price range per-Covid, you can bet it will be much higher now, that's a given.
Personally, we've had in total, 3 strangers pass by our caravan, parked in the drive, and asked if we'd be willing to sell it, and 2 strangers have approached us whilst parked away from home on an outing.
It's a bit disconcerting but hey, from their perspective, nothing ventured, nothing gained, however a caravan is not to be compared with one's home.

You could ask certainly, but if they're not currently selling their house (you saw the 2021 listing?) then they may say no. Slightly different, but I was selling my house in 2022/23 and someone sent me a letter asking if they could rent it off me with an eventual purchase. I laughed it off as I wouldn't have been able to put it up for rent with a normal mortgage, and even then I wouldn't be able to trust that they would eventually purchase the house. It sold and completed July 2023 after been put on the market August 2022.