Viewings - people not on the market

[Delatron]

Do you accept viewings from people who are not even on the market yet? We have had so many viewings on our house and I’m completely exhausted by the whole thing. At least 75% don’t even have their house on the market. It just seems pointless.

Is it ok to say viewings only from people who at least have their house on the market or don’t need to sell.

I think thats fair

depends on how easily you think your house will sell. We weren’t in a hurry last time we moved so we only accepted viewings from people in a proceed-able position as didn’t want to entertain every tom dick and Harry having a nose around . It’s preference really- you are the one in control of who you let in your house

Many people look for somewhere they want to buy before committing themselves to putting their house on the market.

Thanks - just questioning myself and obviously the estate agents would like to do the viewings as it makes them look good. But it feels like a waste of time all round.

Totally fair.

We moved when the market was really hot and most vendors weren't allowing viewings unless you'd already accepted an offer on your current house (assuming you needed to sell).

I just don’t want to be tidying for hours when people aren’t in a position to offer.

Oh to have sold in that market!

I do get that but then it could take months and months for them to sell their house.

Are you certain they are not cash buyers?

My other idea is they can piggy back another viewing from a more proceed- able viewer. Then the house is ready anyway.

Yeah the estate agents are good and they ask all the right questions. They know we are happy with cash buyers, those that don’t need to sell.

We’ve just had a lot of viewings from people who haven’t even got their house on the market and then they would need to sell it…

Our previous house was in an area that once on the market sold fast. So we didn’t put ours on until we had seen a house we liked. Our house sold in 6 days. I think it depends on the areas.

TBH a good EA should not be letting people view if they are not proceedable.
It was a president set after lockdown and I think it works well, I would certainly not want to go back to the days of people wanting to view who were not in a position to follow up with a serious offer.
I would rather have less viewings than a series of time wasters.

Yeah a lot of people looking are moving from London. Or even within our town. Nothing is moving that fast and many houses have been on the market for 6 plus months so that maybe clouding my judgment.

My current home was viewed before we went on the market (by a few days), we knew we would sell quickly and we did

Totally my thinking. It’s like people are coming on a day trip here and think ‘let’s have a nosy around a few houses’

It’s so much effort and exhausting. I am low on energy with long Covid so need to be careful.

Both times I bought in the last five years, I wasn’t on the market. But I put my property up for sale to secure the houses I saw within a week of viewing, and had them under offer within another couple of weeks. So you might be ruling people out who could be a buyer.

When I have sold though I hated cleaning up, so did an open day. Is that an option? Had about 20 people each day. Meant being out the whole day, but one big clean up

You’d be silly to turn viewings down in my opinion. A house can be put on the market within days should a potential buyer really like your property. Our own house sold within a week of going on the market so I don’t really understand your point. I didn’t police the viewings or ask questions regarding their situation as the estate agent organised for larger groups of 4-6 parties each to attend together.

Yeah an open day might be a good idea.

I do think the market has changed and I’m really not seeing houses sell that quickly at the moment.

We only allowed people to view who were on the market, a cash buyer or FTB

A lot of these viewers that you’ve had will be time wasters

Thanks - yes I agree and it’s good to hear that!

I think in the current market you'd be silly to limit potential buyers. Houses around us are only selling quickly if they're very low priced.

Yes - but then people whose houses aren’t even on the market will be so far away from being able to offer on us.

Nothing is selling quickly so I’d rather focus on people who are in a position to offer.

I have been allowing it for 4 months but it’s getting tiring now!

Ask for 'proceedable buyers' only. Then you aren't constantly hoovering and hiding crap for no reason.

Yep - I have two teenagers and a dog it’s really hard to keep to keep on top of it. I feel like it’s my new second job - cleaning the house to viewing standard!