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Original poster

Going to view a house today that I want badly !

512 replies

skidamarinkadinka · 12/03/2025 06:31

Gorgeous 1930s detached house, needs alot of modernising, huge garden, big drive and garage. It's on a main road into town but all the houses on this road are the same and just so lovely to look at.
We are not on the market yet but plan to get the same estate agents to list us asap. We need to move, we've outgrew this house in the last two years.
They want £450k. It was reduced in October.
Feedback has been the main road putting people off and also the work that will need doing.
How can we up our chances ?
We can probably go upto £430k but that would be the maximum.

OP posts:
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5
spottedinthewilds · 12/03/2025 06:34

You need to get yours sold or at least on the market before they will accommodate an offer.

Chiseltip · 12/03/2025 06:36

I'm surprised that the EA has agreed to let you view the property, considering that you are not in a position to proceed.

You aren't able to buy, let alone to make an offer, if I was the vendor I wouldn't be letting you view it, it's a waste of everyone's time.

Original poster
skidamarinkadinka · 12/03/2025 06:41

We've got our mortgage in principle and the agent is aware of that, maybe that's why they've let us view ? Or because the house isn't selling ?

OP posts:
Spookypoo · 12/03/2025 06:43

Good luck!

We viewed our dream house before we were on the market and literally got home and had our house at the time listed asap. I think as long as the EA and vendor knows you are serious and moving to a position to proceed they consider you a viable option. It was long winded (initial buyers pulling out etc) but all worked out in the end.

I like to think if it’s meant to be it will be so very good luck and I hope it works out for you.

Spookypoo · 12/03/2025 06:47

Apologies I didn’t answer your question about upping your chances but basically if you love it when you look round I’d just show that you are being very proactive - book a second viewing asap and get your house on the market as quickly as possible.

FloppySarnie · 12/03/2025 06:49

How quickly is yours likely to sell? Think about your pricing carefully.

TwentyTwentyFive · 12/03/2025 06:49

I think if it's been on since October then the amount of work it requires is probably a lot more substantial. If 430 is your max is there a separate budget for the work? I think it's wise to not underestimate just how expensive houses can be that need a lot of work and to go in with an open mind. It may look like your dream house but it could very well just be a giant money pit.

FurzeNotGorse · 12/03/2025 06:50

TwentyTwentyFive · 12/03/2025 06:49

I think if it's been on since October then the amount of work it requires is probably a lot more substantial. If 430 is your max is there a separate budget for the work? I think it's wise to not underestimate just how expensive houses can be that need a lot of work and to go in with an open mind. It may look like your dream house but it could very well just be a giant money pit.

Yes. OP, if it needs a lot of work, how are you planning to fund it, if £430 k is your max?

GrazeConcern · 12/03/2025 06:50

In areas where things are slower lots of EAs doing non proceedable viewings - especially on properties needing work etc. We did one in November, agreed at the first viewing to put our house on with the same agent within 2 weeks, sold and offer accepted in January! So it’s not always a waste of their time. Good luck I hope you like it as much as you think you will 😁

AnnaQuayInTheUk · 12/03/2025 06:52

You say your maximum is £430k. Is that because you are reserving some money to do the work on the property, or is that your total budget? If it's the latter, I'd think very carefully about whether you should proceed.

Elektra1 · 12/03/2025 06:53

I've had my house on the market and been looking for a new one for ages. No vendor will accept an offer unless you're under offer. I have missed out on houses as a result and likewise, now our house is under offer there are 2 other buyers desperate to get it but haven't sold theirs yet, so we've accepted a lower offer than what they say they'll pay, simply because it's proceedable and they are not.

Original poster
skidamarinkadinka · 12/03/2025 06:54

Yeah we do have some separate funds, not lots and lots but enough to get us going, also we will have some help off a family member

OP posts:
Original poster
skidamarinkadinka · 12/03/2025 06:55

Spookypoo · 12/03/2025 06:43

Good luck!

We viewed our dream house before we were on the market and literally got home and had our house at the time listed asap. I think as long as the EA and vendor knows you are serious and moving to a position to proceed they consider you a viable option. It was long winded (initial buyers pulling out etc) but all worked out in the end.

I like to think if it’s meant to be it will be so very good luck and I hope it works out for you.

Edited

Thank you for this. Just trying to be optimistic and think these things can happen !

OP posts:
Ilovemyshed · 12/03/2025 06:56

There is absolutely no point in viewing the house as you are not in a position to buy until you are under offer. Unless you have funds tucked away to buy cash.

Get your house on the market and get it under offer, THEN look.

NotARealWookiie · 12/03/2025 06:59

In my experience houses that have been on the market a long time are overpriced. It depends on the sellers reasons as to if they will take an offer - if they are desperate to move but it’s the estate agent that has oversold it, then they will probably already be thinking about taking an offer and £430k would seem reasonable. Whereas if it’s a divorce and both parties want every penny in order to be able to afford to move, they are less likely to take an offer and will doggedly wait.

However, no one will take an offer from you seriously until you are under offer yourself. Whenever I move I actually refuse viewings that aren’t under offer as for me it’s not worth the hassle of getting the house tidy enough and taking the kids out etc.

Original poster
skidamarinkadinka · 12/03/2025 07:00

Ilovemyshed · 12/03/2025 06:56

There is absolutely no point in viewing the house as you are not in a position to buy until you are under offer. Unless you have funds tucked away to buy cash.

Get your house on the market and get it under offer, THEN look.

I'm just so anxious to show the vendors how interested we are. I'm worried that by the time ours is under offer the house will be gone

OP posts:
Original poster
skidamarinkadinka · 12/03/2025 07:02

NotARealWookiie · 12/03/2025 06:59

In my experience houses that have been on the market a long time are overpriced. It depends on the sellers reasons as to if they will take an offer - if they are desperate to move but it’s the estate agent that has oversold it, then they will probably already be thinking about taking an offer and £430k would seem reasonable. Whereas if it’s a divorce and both parties want every penny in order to be able to afford to move, they are less likely to take an offer and will doggedly wait.

However, no one will take an offer from you seriously until you are under offer yourself. Whenever I move I actually refuse viewings that aren’t under offer as for me it’s not worth the hassle of getting the house tidy enough and taking the kids out etc.

The vendors are old, been there it looks like their whole lives, very very dated, so maybe they're in no rush to move, I'm not sure, but it is overpriced for the work that needs doing that's for sure

OP posts:
TwentyTwentyFive · 12/03/2025 07:03

skidamarinkadinka · 12/03/2025 06:54

Yeah we do have some separate funds, not lots and lots but enough to get us going, also we will have some help off a family member

How much is not loads. The price of work is sky high these days so unless it's a sizable fund it seems unwise to max out your budget for a house you can't afford to renovate.

Not trying to be negative but so many people underestimate just how much work, money, stress and time goes into a renovation project.

I suspect as I said above that's why no one has brought it yet. I would put yours on the market and look for something else personally.

Original poster
skidamarinkadinka · 12/03/2025 07:04

This would be a home to stay in forever hopefully, so aslong as it's liveable and sound then the works won't be done overnight, these things take years to do !

OP posts:
ranoutofquinoaandprosecco · 12/03/2025 07:05

Totally think it's worth you viewing, make sure you love it once you've actually seen it in person. If you do, then get yours on the market and register your interest until you've sold. You never know the owners may want to sell to someone who will love the house as much as they have and accept your lower offer 🤞🏻

Hannahthepink · 12/03/2025 07:11

We were on the market but not yet under offer when we viewed our house (during the slow market of 2022). We just told the estate agent that we were very interested, to keep us informed, and that we would make an offer when we could. There's not really any point considering what to offer until you are at that point in case you don't get what you need from your own house sale.

Cadenza12 · 12/03/2025 07:15

While you might be keen until you are in a position where you can proceed there's little chance the sellers will wait. It'll take a while to get your house on the market. Then there's the uncertainty of a chain.

Onelifeonly · 12/03/2025 07:16

If they'll let you view, you might as well, if only to find out it isn't the house for you after all.

When we last sold/ bought, the estate agent we sold our old house through found our house for us - we'd looked at a lot before but none were as good as this one, we loved it straight away. No one else knew about it, as it had only just come on the market.

The vendor was an elderly lady living alone in a house now much too big for her and she wanted to move away from the area. She told us how much she needed for her new place - about two thirds of her asking price.

She fell for us as a family with two little girls and pets - yes, really!

Basically our estate agent negotiated a price that he knew we could afford and that was that. He got commission on both sales, so he was happy too. (We did have an offer, hadn't accepted it, had some other people mess us around, then eventually accepted a lower offer from the original people as it still meant we could afford the new house)

As for renovations.....still not completed xx years later.......but we still love it.

DingDingRound3 · 12/03/2025 07:18

spottedinthewilds · 12/03/2025 06:34

You need to get yours sold or at least on the market before they will accommodate an offer.

We bought our house in the exact situation the OP describes. You never know

reluctantbrit · 12/03/2025 07:18

skidamarinkadinka · 12/03/2025 06:54

Yeah we do have some separate funds, not lots and lots but enough to get us going, also we will have some help off a family member

If you are serious about renovating (some houses are really dated and sellers know), it may be worth taking a builder with you.

Friends wanted to buy a house stuck in the Eighties (owner died, heirs planned to sell it quickly) and her builder pointed out several things she didn't see herself, like the need for a full rewiring. She bought it but her budget had to double to make it the way she wanted.