Viewings...

Davesnave

Better_Days wrote: »

Ask for a third viewing if you are seriously interested in the property but need more information. There is a lot to take in, and it can be helpful to have a checklist.

I think that's right. By the third viewing there should be a definite focus, rather than a scattergun approach.

This could be to check certain things are properly functional, or to home in on something you feel might be a deal-breaker.

Incidentally, despite my relative thoroughness, where the owner has been present, I've never looked in cupboards, unless they've opened them for me. However, I've always asked to take my own photos early on, as it's surprising what they throw up later as further questions.

moneyistooshorttomention

Better_Days wrote: »

Just be aware that for some vendors it takes a great deal of effort (such as for someone like me who is not in the best of health) to get the house ready for a viewing. Getting the house spotlessly clean, tidying up, moving things around so the house is shown to its best effect can take a while.

Which is a valid point as well - ie that you might be expecting an ill person to do extra housework for the sake of a request for a 3rd viewing.

Personally - I wouldnt do any extra housework after the standard 2 viewings. After that - if my estate agent had been prepared to use her time for a 3rd viewing, then they would have to take the house as they find it (usually kitchen full of dishes/bed unmade etc then:rotfl:).

If a vendor would be the one doing the viewings - then it might be that they had to forget about a social arrangement either at that time or whenever-it-was that they were doing extra housework specially for this viewer.

Hence the disruption to life involved in any extra viewings.

Personally, for my own viewing of houses, I'm bargaining on up to 30 minutes for a View No. 1 and 30-60 minutes for a View 2 (if I think the house merits a more "searching" view) and I will have seen enough to make up my mind one way or another by then. I think its my responsibility (as a viewer) to be thorough enough in a View 2 that I wouldnt even feel the wish to ask to take up any more of the vendors time because I had forgotten I wanted to check out a particular point. I shall be off to View 2's with a notebook with checklist in of points I want to make sure I dont forget and a tape measure to check out room sizes.

Having worked out my "how to leave this house" according to way I am treated by the buyer:
- Treated fairly = champagne and welcome card
- Treated averagely = nothing
- Treated badly = lightbulbs removed and thrown away and no housework done for last few weeks

Someone wanting a 3rd view would have accummulated some points towards going down the "Welcome to your new home scale".

Davesnave

moneyistooshorttomention wrote: »

Having worked out my "how to leave this house" according to way I am treated by the buyer:
- Treated fairly = champagne and welcome card
- Treated averagely = nothing
- Treated badly = lightbulbs removed and thrown away and no housework done for last few weeks

The only way to leave a house is with a list of all its particular foilbles and their remedies, all of its keys labelled, maps of where services run and a meter reading.

....or not! :rotfl:

hazyjo

moneyistooshorttomention wrote: »

I think the clue as to their being unwilling to allow a third viewing isnt for any "bad" reason then. The clue to the fact that they are still expecting to "get on with their lives" even though they are selling their house is the fact that they realised having the house for sale over Christmas would mean disruption to their lives and they didnt want that disruption.

You are dealing with an age group that definitely regards any more than two viewings as distinctly odd and not reasonable (unless contracts have already been exchanged) and who are likely to regard third viewings in the light of "didnt happen in our day and its not the way we think things should go and we won't accept that much disruption to our lives" (errr....I'm in that age group - hence explaining the likely thinking here:rotfl:).

This is what it is - they don't know you from Eve and, for all they know, you could be expecting to "disrupt their lives with having to do more house-selling work - ie that proposed 3rd viewing" to no good purpose (ie they still didnt get to sell the house to you).

I guess it's either put thinking cap on as to whether there is a way to convince them that you are a genuine buyer/would pay a fair price and therefore they wouldnt be put through that extra "work/disruption" for nothing or accept there won't be a third viewing. From their point of view - I very much doubt the thought has even crossed their mind that the purpose of a 3rd viewing might be to offer them more money. They are likely viewing it as someone who does seem rather unsure whether they wish to buy their house or no.

The house I wanted a third viewing of (actually, wouldn't even call it a viewing as such, it was to get a builder's quote and check out a couple of other things) was a different one to the one with the older couple. The one I wanted a third viewing of was empty. The agents have shown me round twice - and twice told me he'd take an offer.

Two viewings was enough to rule the other house out with the older couple - although I'm sure they would have allowed a third viewing. They were saying how 'in their day', people would inspect a house for an hour!

Jx

hazyjo

Any fitted cupboards should be able to be inspected, in my opinion. That includes wardrobes, kitchen cupboards, understairs cupboards - and anything else fitted that the buyer will own/inherit.

There are many 'cupboards' which contain things like chimney breasts or the suchlike and aren't cupboards at all. Some are completely 'dummy cupboards/drawers'. Similarly, a lot of second bedrooms I'm looking at contain a boiler or water tank. I want to see them if I'm buying. I'm not someone who opens all cupboards, but will ask if I want to view, or I'll ask whether they're all full cupboards without things like chimney breasts in them! Once bitten, and all that...!

Jx

JimmyTheWig

ravravrav wrote: »

This thread is interesting because we've viewed a house twice now but as a FTB I still don't feel I've looked at it thoroughly enough! I feel I want to go round and snoop EVERYWHERE but with the family in the house I feel like I'm in the way. As I've no experience of this already I'm not too sure what's acceptable and what isn't. eg, I don't want to be peering behind the tv as they're watching it or flushing the loo loads of times or whatever. But on the other hand it's a LOT of money I'm spending, so...

After reading what's been written here I feel guilty for wanting a third viewing!

I think it comes down to what effect your third viewing will have. Are you going to walk away from the purchase if the wallpaper is peeling behind the TV or the toliet cistern takes a long time to fill up? If so, then it's worth checking before you start paying for surveys, searches, solicitors time, etc.
But in reality I think you have either found the place you want for the right price or you haven't.
If you want it then put in an offer and, once accepted, let the surveyor find out the details that you may have missed - in which case you can revise your offer.
If you don't want it then a really efficient toilet flush isn't going to make the difference, so walk away now!

If you really are in the position where there are two places that you can't decide between then I guess these details might be important. I think in that situation you should be totally honest with the vendors - at least then they would see you have a genuine reason to be coming back. And I think, if you are able to, it might help if you say that after a third viewing you will either be making an offer or walking away. At least then they would know that you won't keep coming back for further viewings.

tom9980

The seller is stupid simple as that. House is empty, you want to quote on work so you can work out your max offer its CLEAR that you are seriously thinking to me. Add in the fact most builders charge to quote in such circumstances and i can only conclude seller/Agent are mad.

hazyjo

tom9980 wrote: »

The seller is stupid simple as that. House is empty, you want to quote on work so you can work out your max offer its CLEAR that you are seriously thinking to me. Add in the fact most builders charge to quote in such circumstances and i can only conclude seller/Agent are mad.

tbh, I'm sure it's the EAs, not the seller that made that decision. I replied purposely with 'Shame the vendor doesn't deem a third viewing necessary, but each to their own.' They should have informed him, but I think they expected me to say £275k.

Also made a point of saying 'I look forward to hearing from you in the next couple of weeks'

Let them come back to me - will give me the upper hand. If it sells in the meantime, it wasn't meant to be. I know that kitchen is putting people off, plus it seems very unloved, cold, and a bit damp smelling at the moment (will check it out if I ever get that far, but think it's just where the door's been shut and it's not aired).

Jx

Better_Days

hazyjo wrote: »

Any fitted cupboards should be able to be inspected, in my opinion. That includes wardrobes, kitchen cupboards, understairs cupboards - and anything else fitted that the buyer will own/inherit.

There are many 'cupboards' which contain things like chimney breasts or the suchlike and aren't cupboards at all. Some are completely 'dummy cupboards/drawers'. Similarly, a lot of second bedrooms I'm looking at contain a boiler or water tank. I want to see them if I'm buying. I'm not someone who opens all cupboards, but will ask if I want to view, or I'll ask whether they're all full cupboards without things like chimney breasts in them! Once bitten, and all that...!

Jx

I agree. When looking round our rental I tried to open a drawer in the kitchen but found you couldn't because the kitchen hadn't been fitted properly. It doesn't really matter in a short term rental, but if I was buying the house I would have a closer look at the quality of other works done in the property.

The key is to take your time, look carefully round each room, look up, behind the nets and down and in the corners. My EA did nearly all of my viewings, and they took at least 30 mins, this I see as a good thing, I would rather viewers have a good look so they can make an informed decision early on.

tim123456789

ash28 wrote: »

When ever I've conducted viewings myself I've always asked, after the initial showing around if the prospective purchasers would like a wander round on their own - it gives people a chance to have a bit of a closer look at everything and a chance to talk about the house without me there - I would normally wait in the kitchen. I always show people where the fuse box, stop !!!!.

Oh dear, nanny knows best, or not, as the case may be!

tim