Vendor quibbling over second viewing

moneysavingvixen

Thanks for the advice.

Any recommendations on where I take it from here? The advice has been great, but my worries haven't been assuaged.

TheWife_2

Attend for the 30 minutes, then further down the line request additional viewing either to measure up or to address any issues that subsequently arise on the survey.

The Vendor has limited you to thirty minutes, but hasn't said you cannot revisit at a later date.

Are you concerned for any other reason? Apart from the time restriction?

moneysavingvixen

It's just the time restriction, and my worry that it may be for a sinister reason.

Thanks for the advice - again!

sw_mina

Well I think it's hard to know what is motivating the vendor but if you want the house I would play by her rules on this one.

You may yet need to negotiate after the survey and you don't want to have annoyed or worried her too much beforehand. Is there anything in that hour viewing that you are looking at which would make you pull out of the purchase? Probably not I'd think - and nothing that won't turn up on the survey anyway.

You can go back to measure for curtains etc... once you're past the multiple hurdles of survey, checking title deeds, checking planning applications, flood searches etc...

You could look at this another way; if you spend an hour planning your dream home and then something nasty comes back on the survey, you're going to be very upset at having to withdraw and having to let go of those dreams you've spent a lot of emotional energy on.

So... just delay the dreaming a bit until it looks like your goal is definitely in sight! 1 in 3 house sales fall through, and most people know that, so I would think your vendor is just protecting herself and a little nervous of why you want so long... and you're nervous about why she's nervous.

As the saying goes... pick your battles carefully. :j

moneysavingvixen

Thanks for a great response. You explain things very clearly and without the emotion which has entered my thinking

barbiedoll

I can't believe that anyone thinks a 2nd viewing for an hour is too much. I recently spent longer than an hour choosing a party dress, for a purchase costing hundreds of thousands of pounds, surely an hour isn't too much to ask?

OP, sod the vendor's dog, if she wants to sell her house to you, tell her that you want to spend an hour viewing the property properly.

When we bought our place, our vendor couldn't be more helpful, she told us to spend as long as we liked looking round (she was there but didn't follow us around), she told us to check cupboards and wardrobes if we liked and said to just ask if we had any questions. She also had dogs, two HUGE dobermans, she told our small son not to go out the garden without her as the dogs were shut out there whilst we were viewing the property. She did ask us first if we minded the dogs there as she knew that some people were scared of dogs, we didn't mind, it was still the dogs' home at the time!

Either she wants to sell it to you or she doesn't. I don't suppose she's being dishonest, you could spot a damp patch in half an hour, it's probably just inconvenient for her. But selling a house is one big inconvenience and she can't expect you to part with your money after less than an hour's total viewing!

moneysavingvixen

Thanks barbiedoll. I have to say this is what I was initially thinking Good to know someone else's reaction is the same

MysteryMe

You would be far better served taking on board the comments of sw-mina.

pleasedelete

I am sorry but it sounds a bit odd. I would be still marketing the house if i was the vendor. You have basically said that you want to find areas for the surveyor to concentrate on- presumably to find fault to try and knock the price down. This would send alarm bells to me that you are not really a serious buyer and cant really afford what you have offered.

But then you are prepared to pay £1000 for a full survey?

I have never had anyone specify the time of a visit (other than timed viewings at houses with last and final offers in hot markets)

I have bought and sold a lot of houses. Most on 1 viewing - a couple on 2. I have never known anyone measure up until exchange or almost before exchange if exchanging and completing on the same day.

verulamium

We bought our current house after just an initial 15 minute viewing. Loved it the moment we laid our eyes on it, so we never had a second thought about it. The same thing with our buyer. Until completion, it is technically still someone else's home.

I personally can't see what the rush is with people who want to measure the windows for curtains before they move in. Once you complete, you have all the time you want. I certainly wouldn't be getting new furniture until I've been in a new house long enough to know what will fit and doesn't fit. Almost a year on since we moved, we still can't decide what rugs we want that would fit the characteristic of the house!

Our surveyor spent 3 hours inspecting the house, so I don't know what I, as an unqualified person, would have picked up that the surveyor wouldn't.