Putting an offer on a SSTC house

Fly_Baby

rosyw wrote: »

I'm sure there are plenty more equally nice houses available in the area.

That's exactly the problem. There aren't. There were two and both sold while we were away. I now wish I'd never gone anywhere. Summer has passed - do people put houses on the market in autumn-winter? I fear we are stuck renting for another year.

tbs624

Just remember that if the vendor is willing to allow you to gazump the current buyer, they might just be prepared to allow it again, with you then being the disappointed party.

It's sh*tty behaviour IMO. Maybe that other buyer went without a holiday this year to ensure they got on the housing ladder.....

Fly_Baby

tbs624 wrote: »

Just remember that if the vendor is willing to allow you to gazump the current buyer, they might just be prepared to allow it again, with you then being the disappointed party.

It's sh*tty behaviour IMO. Maybe that other buyer went without a holiday this year to ensure they got on the housing ladder.....

It takes about 20 holidays to get on the housing ladder in our area, but point taken.

sonastin

In asking for the EA to take your details in case this falls through, you could politely enquire how far through the process they have got. If the "buyers" have been dithering for 3 weeks and haven't actually spent any money on committing to this purchase, a higher proceedable offer might be welcomed by the vendors. But it is unlikely that they haven't spent anything so far and to continue the earlier point, the costs involved in getting to exchange would probably pay for a very nice holiday...

tbs624

Fly_Baby wrote: »

It takes about 20 holidays to get on the housing ladder in our area, but point taken.

I meant that they stayed at home to "catch" the available properties, ie forgoing their holiday time rather than just the actual cost:)

ukmaggie45

I think Sneezyboots' suggestion is best - call the EA and ask them to contact you if the purchase falls through. We did this on a house we saw on Rightmove (when we saw it there was no indication that it was SSTC on Rightmove, EA told us when we asked to view), and a few weeks later we had a phone call from the agents.

We viewed twice, made an offer, and completed last December. Renovation and extension has just started (takes time to get drawings done, planning permission etc and then we had to wait for builder to be available), and we hope to move in early next year. Vendor told us that the original purchasers pulled out after survey, so it really does happen sometimes.

Houses do come on the market at any time of year too - they may be being sold due to owner going into long term care for example.

Good luck with your search for a home!

Davesnave

With a sale proceeding and, perhaps, a survey having been arranged/done, the agent may be unwilling to consider letting you view. After all, they'll get their fee, so the extra hassle of introducing you and muddying the waters for just a few more £ may not be worth it in their eyes. It sounds as if they are pretty reluctant to involve themselves with gazumping.

If you introduce yourself to the vendors, they will have no easy way of checking your financial credentials, and your behaviour may make them wary, unless they are very naive.

Why can't you just accept that you missed this one because your eye was off the ball, rather than trying to pull the rug from under someone else who was more focused?

moneysavingperson_2

Doing this to someone else who, given the market at the moment as you say, has likely been struggling to find a place too, is quite frankly an appaling thing to do.

Do unto others as you would yourself. How would you like it if someone gazumped you?! If it happened to me I would be incredibly upset and out of pocket, I'm sure you would be too.

Fly_Baby

OK, completely different opinions - there have been a similar trend earlier and others advised that it is OK.

If it happened to me I would be appauled and upset - but I would have to deal with it because I would know that it could have happened at any time before the exchange.

Maybe the others have not been struggling to find a place. Maybe they had their holiday and got back one week earlier than we did and were just plain luckier. Maybe they didn't rent for 8 years waiting to be able to buy. Maybe they are trading up after selling their council house whereas we had to save up from scratch. There is no point into going into "who deserves it better" - the question was about legalities and the practice. Moralities are noted too - thank you for your opinions and for showing a different side of the coin.

It's no easy game, believe me, when in the whole of our wonderful town only two secondary schools are good and both are in this area, and when despite having a 25% percent deposit and having a joint income of 60K we just about can afford a house in this area. As you say, other buyers are desperate too so I am completely prepared that something can go wrong when WE purchase a house.

Soubrette

Just a note of caution, many house sellers do not gazump (whether through lack of morals or lack of opportunity depending on who you speak to). If you go in and try to gazump their buyers, they may not consider you the sort of person they want to sell their house to, even if their current sale does fall through.

I know I personally wouldn't - I wouldn't be able to trust you to not try to gazunder me on the day before the date of exchange.