How many houses have you viewed in this market before buying and...

[faraday]

how many times did you view the house you eventually bought/intended to buy before putting in your offer?

There are 2 guys locally who own an estate agency. One said a bit sniffily that most people put in less inspection and research time with a new house than they do a new vacuum cleaner. The other said most people 'view twice' before deciding to buy which he though was reasonable!

Hi, we're looking to buy at the moment, will be the 6th time i've bought and have never viewed a house more than once before buying, which now you've brought it up does seem a little bit crazy! Maybe this time I'll at least take a second look! Having said that I've never regretted a decision and have always moved due to change of job, extending family etc rather than not liking the house.

Hmmm normally we'd view twice and put an offer in however if the house needed any work at all and looked untouched for 10 years I'd be going around with a builder next time.
I bet the Ea's right though, the number of times I've heard go and look at a house you'll fall in love on the spot from EA's. I don't ever fall in love with houses but they don't know that i guess, they just assume all women go gaga over soft furnishings lol

We've always viewed twice and I would do the same now. It is the norm ime.

Normally view twice, this house we viewed three times and the third time the EA and vendor treated us as if we were very suspicious. Seller was a little old lady who wanted agent in the house while there were viewings going on. Fair enough but it made it really awkward to look round and work out where my furniture was going to go.

I come from a 'culture' where you never set EYES on your buyer or vendor! That's what you pay the EA for!

I am a bit worried we may come across as tyre kickers, so I'm actually holding off looking at a property that's come on yesterday for a week or so, the reason being we can't QUITE afford it right now (though I bet we could come the summer!) and it's identical in layout to one we viewed twice just recently with the SAME EA but decided not to offer on- apparently there were 6 other people interested, and the vendors accepted an offer within a week or so. I'm thinking one of the 5 remaining might be keener than we are so I'm kind of giving them a chance so we don't 'waste' anyone's time! Incidentally, one factor is this identical house starts at 20K less than the other which 'sold' a week ago- I AM wondering whether their buyer might have second thoughts!

I think 2 viewings is the norm - we are looking to buy & have our house on the market to sell. Nothing currently on the market is appealing to us & I am so stressed already LOL.

yes, there's not a lot out there is there?

Good luck. It's actually quite stressful being on the 'willing first time buyer' side, too, in that one is STILL renting whilst waiting for the good property at a sensible price to come along; meanwhile one's capital may be earning 0%, you're still forking out rent so a property may fall by 12K in a year but you've also paid that out in rent!

There aren't that many places coming up in that it's only confident folk who are SURE they'll re-buy in the same market they sell in, OR have been forced to sell or have been (sob) repossessed. Oh, and, obviously, job relocations who'd hope to fall in the first category.