Playing sellers off against eachother

fivemice

Is this possible? I know sellers do this to buyers (we have another couple who have offered £x more sort of thing).

We have viewed one house and are going to view the one next door tonight. One needs a quick sale due to divorce and one has been on the market for over a year with a sale that fell through in Aug 06 so I imagine he'd be keen to sell.

Would it be possible to offer on both, making it clear that we were interested in both properties and whoever accepts the lowest wins so to speak?

Or is this wrong? or have I missed something?

Generali

Sounds perfectly reasonable. I did something similar with the house I'm renting at the moment - I looked at 2 places at £1400p/m. Said I'd pay up to £1050 and asked who'd meet me at that price. As long as you're up front about it there's nothing wrong.

lynzpower

however, both houses might not be the same, and so much so this only comes accross in surveys?

Ie the one who takes the lowest price might need a new roof

personally, as a seller Id think you were taking the pi55 and wouldnt sell to you anyway. plus you might have to live next door to the other one -I woudnt fancy that myself!

maninthestreet

Sounds like a Dutch auction - interesting to see how low either of the sellers is prepared to go.

PosterBoy77

lynzpower wrote:

however, both houses might not be the same, and so much so this only comes accross in surveys?

Ie the one who takes the lowest price might need a new roof

personally, as a seller Id think you were taking the pi55 and wouldnt sell to you anyway. plus you might have to live next door to the other one -I woudnt fancy that myself!

Seems like buyers may be thin on the ground if one of the houses has been on the market for a year, so beggars cannot be choosers. I would say it is perfectly reasonable. A house is only worth what someone is prepared to pay and if your offer is the only one, it needs to be considered.