Viewings, an uncomfortable experience

skinnyman9000

Me and the missus are on the verge of house viewings, and we were nervous about the prospect before, got to say this topic hasn't helped!

Having never done it before I have no idea how to behave/what to say/what to look for etc, it's all completely new to me.

devotee

skinnyman9000 wrote: »

Me and the missus are on the verge of house viewings, and we were nervous about the prospect before, got to say this topic hasn't helped!

Having never done it before I have no idea how to behave/what to say/what to look for etc, it's all completely new to me.

Be normal and friendly. Hopefully the vendors will be too.:)

Lo32SC

It is awkward and uncomfortable at first but meeting the vendor can be very useful. The previous owner of our flat was very untidy, but once we got over that we could see how lovely it could be with the help of cillit bang and a lick of paint : )

Also helped meeting him because we felt comfortable contacting each other when there were delays. The solicitors on both sides were blaming each other for delays, the EA was bad mouthing us and it looked to be going quite sour. We met with the vendor, talked it all through and worked everything out quickly and amicably.

It doesn't need to be a battle.

Gonzo33

My husband is going to look at a house on Sunday. It is the first time he has viewed a property and I am not able to go with him as we are overseas at the moment and he is in UK on a course. The vendors are showing him around, not the EA. I think I had better give him a tick list, and a few questions!

propertyman

Most are fine, if you think you might come across a horror

1 Have stock phrases or answers ready

2 Plan on the "emergency" call for a quick escape

sonastin

skinnyman9000 wrote: »

Me and the missus are on the verge of house viewings, and we were nervous about the prospect before, got to say this topic hasn't helped!

Having never done it before I have no idea how to behave/what to say/what to look for etc, it's all completely new to me.

Its worth remembering that the horror stories turn into great dinner party anecdotes just as soon as the door closes behind you. Even better if you actually end up buying the horror!

While you feel uncomfortable at the time of the viewing, you'll no doubt laugh about it afterwards. And the majority of viewings are perfectly fine.

Look at anything that interests you about the property (not the contents which will be moving out!). Ask anything you want to know. View several places even if the first one you view looks perfect - you'll know if it is really perfect after you've seen several more. And don't worry if the vendors decide that you were ill-mannered nosy so-and-so's - if you are going to be offering them hundred of thousands of your hard earned money, you've got every right to make sure it is really what you want to buy.

Hoof_Hearted

Lo32SC wrote: »

Also helped meeting him because we felt comfortable contacting each other when there were delays. The solicitors on both sides were blaming each other for delays, the EA was bad mouthing us and it looked to be going quite sour. We met with the vendor, talked it all through and worked everything out quickly and amicably.

It doesn't need to be a battle.

I agree with this. I have been in frequent e-mail communication with my buyer and we are on very good terms. It's amazing how one solicitor's story seems quite different when viewed from the other side. Because we have a positive relationship, we are being more than generous with the fixtures and fittings when we move.

Better_Days

Hoof_Hearted wrote: »

I agree with this. I have been in frequent e-mail communication with my buyer and we are on very good terms. It's amazing how one solicitor's story seems quite different when viewed from the other side. Because we have a positive relationship, we are being more than generous with the fixtures and fittings when we move.

Yes I agree, and it can work the other way around. When we sold our last house the buyers were a real pain, wanting amongst other things for us to find grazing for their horse and to fill in the holes in the walls from removal of the curtain poles (which they did not want). It was one thing after another, that I got so peeved that I am ashamed to admit that I hid the instructions to the central heating controller:o Also didn't fill up the oil tank which I would have done otherwise (oil was a LOT cheaper then)

phoebe1989seb

Better_Days wrote: »

Yes I agree, and it can work the other way around. When we sold our last house the buyers were a real pain, wanting amongst other things for us to find grazing for their horse and to fill in the holes in the walls from removal of the curtain poles (which they did not want). It was one thing after another, that I got so peeved that I am ashamed to admit that I hid the instructions to the central heating controller:o Also didn't fill up the oil tank which I would have done otherwise (oil was a LOT cheaper then)

Ours were also a PITA.....I'm prepared to accept that prospective purchasers want to do a couple of viewings and maybe a third to measure up etc after the offer is accepted - we've all been there, but on our sale last year our buyers - who were very keen to swap email/mobile numbers etc - insisted on viewing about five times if I remember correctly

First it was their kids they wanted to bring......fine, we thought, then it was her parents.....out hen she was just popping down to look at schools (they lived 45 mins away) so thought she'd pop in to 'check on something'........you get the picture? They were constantly bombarding us with texts asking us to measure things so they could buy the right sized furniture/curtains/light fittings. The wife insisted on buying all new stuff, even though they weren't FTBs and had plenty of nice stuff already (she showed me the pics, lol!) and even the husband baulked at her desire to fully furnish the house before they had exchanged on the purchase, but he seemed unable to prevent her splashing the cash!

What finally took the biscuit was her getting her DS (aged about 12) to go round with a video camera filming our furniture and furnishings as she wanted to recreate our interiors :eek: We did initially think there was something dodgy going on - especially as she admitted to having gangster connections (!!!) - but all was above board and the sale went through as planned.......thank the lord for that

Itismehonest

There are pros & cons of having viewings done by owners or EAs.

From a vendor's point of view a potential buyer is likely to be more frank with an EA rather than possibly upsetting an owner.
Owners can sometimes talk through a house so much that prospective buyer come away totally befuddled.

Over a certain price it's normal (& expected) for at least first viewings to be handled by the EA.
After all that's what they're getting paid £xx,000 to do.

If people are serious enough to want a 2nd viewing then they probably have some questions which only the owners can answer.

Unfortunately, whether the owner or the EA does the viewing you can't guarantee that the owner will be clean & tidy. Peronally, if I looked round a grubby, messy place I wouldn't touch it with a barge pole because I work on the "If they are like this now what the heck am I likely to find on moving in day?!"
The other side of the coin is spending hours - sometimes days with a large property - getting it perfect just to have time-wasters "looking for ideas" who haven't even got their own places on the market (& some who don't even intend to move but just want a nose around) trail through your place. You end up feeling like you should be selling tickets at the door :mad: