Viewings...

hazyjo

Just to let you know, I have bought houses after one view I'm not a serial house-viewer usually lol! But then I've never had to do structural work before, just things like decor/new kitchen, etc, which I haven't needed pricing up beforehand.

Jx

phoebe1989seb

Better_Days wrote: »

I love this!! Also about the downstairs loo only being for emergencies, surely it either works or it doesn't.

With regards to your offer, unfortunately some vendors are unrealsitic, and the builder may be thinking that the market will pick up in the spring, so is holding out for a better offer.

Last year we put an offer of £245k in on a house that was up for £290k, but it had been on the market for 18 months. They refused, (I wasn't surprised) and took the house off the market in the end. It wasn't worth £290k, possibly more like £260k, but the SDLT threshold does have an impact.

Have kept an eye on this one out of interest
http://www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-19507281.html
has been on the market since July 2011, only £5k price drop, vendor is looking to get what she paid in 2007. In reality she will be lucky to get £220k in my view. But, if like your builder she is willing to hang on....

Speaking as a *realistic* vendor (sold our last house in 2011 for £65k+ less than our overall spend on purchase/renovations in 2007 and decided to take a hit in order to facilitate a quick sale), it really cheeses me off when some vendors are not prepared to get real. I appreciate it's very different in London and some other hotspots, but even so! A former neighbour in Essex has been trying to sell since late 2010 and has only reduced the asking price twice, by £10k each time - now down to £220k when sold prices for similar small bungalows are £200k max......

We viewed one house (Wiltshire) in 2011 that had been on for £400k - it was grade 2 listed, needed at least £100k spent on it and was not for the faint-hearted. We had an offer accepted but pulled out after discovering both vendor and EA had pulled the wool over our eyes about some new-builds. Eventually the vendors woke up, dropped the price significantly and it sold 18 months after we'd viewed for £182k - god am I glad we walked away from that one

hazyjo

phoebe1989seb wrote: »

Speaking as a *realistic* vendor (sold our last house in 2011 for £65k+ less than our overall spend on purchase/renovations in 2007 and decided to take a hit in order to facilitate a quick sale), it really cheeses me off when some vendors are not prepared to get real. I appreciate it's very different in London and some other hotspots, but even so! A former neighbour in Essex has been trying to sell since late 2010 and has only reduced the asking price twice, by £10k each time - now down to £220k when sold prices for similar small bungalows are £200k max......

We viewed one house (Wiltshire) in 2011 that had been on for £400k - it was grade 2 listed, needed at least £100k spent on it and was not for the faint-hearted. We had an offer accepted but pulled out after discovering both vendor and EA had pulled the wool over our eyes about some new-builds. Eventually the vendors woke up, dropped the price significantly and it sold 18 months after we'd viewed for £182k - god am I glad we walked away from that one

Good grief - just goes to prove you have to do your own homework!

I still begrudge the thought of £275k for a house that was bought for £250k in 2006 (especially as I bought in 2006 and sold in 2011 - in the same area - for only £1k more (after spending tonnes on it - kitchen, roof, boiler, shower, etc, etc). Can see maybe he got a bargain at £250k, but it's not worth more than £275k so I should be able to get it for £272k, IMO! Fingers crossed they come crawling back...

Jx

Reue

moneyistooshorttomention wrote: »

I'm not expecting anyone to even request a third viewing - but have already decided that, if they do, they will be referred back to my estate agent to see if she is prepared to do an extra viewing to the normal ones and she will have already had "the nod" that I'm not expecting such a request and don't regard it as particularly reasonable - so its entirely up to her whether she wishes to put herself out for a 3rd time for the same viewer. Ball is in her court then.

Unbelievable.

If someone is going to be spending potentially hundreds of thousands of pounds on a purchase decisions which will likely affect them for tens of years afterwards, why on earth shouldn't they be expected to view a 3rd time? Or even 4th time?

Sorry if it inconveniences you a bit but would you rather the place actually sold or instead just put off people with your '2 viewings and that's all you're getting!' limit?

DELLBOY_2

i had a retail shop for sale and a buyer viewed it 4 times ,went through all the running cost bills then said it was too big and dissapeared , two months later she was back two viewings cash in the bank and ready to go she wanted another viewing ,after 6 viewings loads of calls proof of our running costs etc i asked my agent to have her prove that funds were indeed available , she vanished again and took 3 months to ask for another viewing ,she was politely told we were not interested ...
it sometimes works both ways ...

hazyjo

I turned down someone for a third viewing who seemed to be a complete timewaster. She'd written it off because of the size of the second bedroom (a double!). She wanted to come round for a third time and I said no. Absolutely no point - the bedroom hadn't grown since she'd last seen it, the EA had more or less told me she was a timewaster and basically seemed sick to death of her, and she still wasn't making any offers. Would have hated to deal with her. Didn't trust her an inch.

Sometimes you have to go on gut feeling. They know I'm serious and, as far as I can see, we're probably only a couple of grand apart. If I were that agent, I'd be biting my arm off rather than playing games. I know they're trying to force a £275k offer out of me without viewing. Ain't gonna happen.

Jx

abankerbutnotafatcat

I viewed 3 times although the third time was to show my sister who'd be living there too as she'd not been about for the first two viewings. All three viewings were conducted by the vendor, the EA couldn't make the first one and subsequently he didn't really need to be there as we'd already dealt directly with vendor. First time I met EA was when I picked up the keys but in fairness to him he was very helpful during the purchase period.

moneyistooshorttomention

Reue wrote: »

Unbelievable.

If someone is going to be spending potentially hundreds of thousands of pounds on a purchase decisions which will likely affect them for tens of years afterwards, why on earth shouldn't they be expected to view a 3rd time? Or even 4th time?

Sorry if it inconveniences you a bit but would you rather the place actually sold or instead just put off people with your '2 viewings and that's all you're getting!' limit?

Maybe it depends on what part of the country someone is in.

Personally - I wouldnt be at all happy if I were in a "slow" part of the country and someone expected to take up my time for a 3rd viewing and I am unlikely to request that many viewings from someone in the area I will be moving to (even though I could take advantage of it being a "slow" area and "ask" for this). I don't think its fair for someone to do that to me as a vendor (in a "decent" pace part of the country) and won't ask it from houses I am interested in (in a "slow" part of the country).

Everyone to date has said "Oh your house will sell no problem" including the decorator I had in today doing a bit of getting the house ready for sale - so other people are being more "optimistic" than I personally am actually about my chances on selling with no problem (and I am reasonably "optimistic").

I am bearing in mind that I still have a "life to lead" in working out exactly what I believe is reasonable in accommodating buyers' demands. As it is, I have spent weeks and weeks "getting the house ready for sale" to accommodate the "fussy buyers of 2013", so I have put myself out a LOT for their sakes already before they even walk through the door.

Decorators objective verdict today "Yes, the kitchen does need replacing - but whole place looks clean/fresh/modern. Decent house. No problem in selling". That being the case - and my area being my area (ie reasonable speed selling) then I think its fair to expect would-be buyers to treat me like a human being with "a life to lead" instead of some object selling a house they want to nitpick over.

If they wish to do a genuine 3rd visit after the house is irretrievably theirs anyway (ie AFTER exchange of contracts) for a reason like "measuring up for curtains and working out what kitchen units they intend to purchase" then they will receive full co-operation to come in for that purpose.

EDIT: yep...I often go on "gut feelings" too. I realised the person selling this house to me was a b****** on the one hand but would indeed proceed with selling the house to me and then I would wait and see what "shocks" he hadnt mentioned to me. Dead on there...he was a b******/he did continue with sale/I did find "shocks" waiting for me. My estate agent has been picked partly on the basis of "gut feelings" - ie she genuinely is a nice person (its not just an act to get my business) - but she's no fool either.

yoyoegg

When I bought, I must admit to taking a lot of time to check the place out. Two viewings to give the place a thorough check and several 'drive bys' at different times of the day (location, location, location!) Made an offer but conditional on me being given 'reasonable' additional opportunities to view, one of which I took up - largely to measure up.

I did help relatives buy a flat, and there we took photos of the place as aide memoires when viewing.

IMHO, you can never tell which viewer will make an offer so they all got the 'red carpet' when I was a seller.

hcb42

I would tell them you wanted to see if the builder could take a look before you review your offer, but as you cannot get access you are walking away