Southerly backing garden

Davesnave

DandelionPatrol wrote: »

Why? For taking a compass?

No, the compass is OK if people need one. I was saying that walking out of a viewing, as you suggested, would be silly and counter-productive.

It's fine to tell agents their description is wrong, but there are better ways of doing it. I've pointed-out errors to agents on a couple of occasions via email and the details were altered without drama.

Being south-facing isn't the only factor that might influence sunshine received, as I pointed out earlier. It might not even be the best orientation for people who are at work all day, as evening seating, barbecues etc are probably better facing west.

Red-Squirrel_2

Davesnave wrote: »

Or, perhaps more likely, they'll just write you off as a loony.

You can get a compass app for your phone, then you don't look quite so mad.

Davesnave

Red-Squirrel wrote: »

You can get a compass app for your phone, then you don't look quite so mad.

Good, but I didn't mean to imply that using a compass would look daft.

With the many resources available on the Internet, I'd know the orientation of any house I'd be viewing well in advance, just as I've always done.

The other thing I'd do, which hasn't been mentioned so far, is look at the topography via an OS map, which often shows up other useful info, good and bad.

DandelionPatrol

Davesnave wrote: »

No, the compass is OK if people need one. I was saying that walking out of a viewing, as you suggested, would be silly and counter-productive.

It's fine to tell agents their description is wrong, but there are better ways of doing it. I've pointed-out errors to agents on a couple of occasions via email and the details were altered without drama.

Being south-facing isn't the only factor that might influence sunshine received, as I pointed out earlier. It might not even be the best orientation for people who are at work all day, as evening seating, barbecues etc are probably better facing west.

Sorry, there is nothing loony about the position at all, If you want a south backing garden and the description is that it is south backing, but it ain't then you just do as you suggest and point out the error. That is not loony. and neither is it loony to pull out of a viewing if one of the criteria is not met.

You seem to be suggesting that if south backing garden is a criterion but the reality is that it is not, then you should continue with the viewing and find some 'polite' reason to decline the property. If it ain't south backing, but you want south backing, it is loony to carry on with the viewing if your motivation is to avoid the EA thinking that you are a loony.

Best to be straight from the outset.

Davesnave

DandelionPatrol wrote: »

You seem to be suggesting that if south backing garden is a criterion but the reality is that it is not, then you should continue with the viewing and find some 'polite' reason to decline the property. If it ain't south backing, but you want south backing, it is loony to carry on with the viewing if your motivation is to avoid the EA thinking that you are a loony.

Best to be straight from the outset.

I've found few estate agents as forgiving as people in my own profession, so I'd continue with the viewing rather than pull out or make a fuss. The time to give feedback is afterwards.

But find a 'polite' reason? No. The truth, properly delivered in full consideration of the property, is polite enough.

I'm not motivated to upset EAs or morally re-educate them. This doesn't make me a push-over, or even a nice chap; it's the purely selfish knowledge that next week he/she might have the right property.

DandelionPatrol

Davesnave wrote: »

I've found few estate agents as forgiving as people in my own profession, so I'd continue with the viewing rather than pull out or make a fuss. The time to give feedback is afterwards.

But find a 'polite' reason? No. The truth, properly delivered in full consideration of the property, is polite enough.

I'm not motivated to upset EAs or morally re-educate them. This doesn't make me a push-over, or even a nice chap; it's the purely selfish knowledge that next week he/she might have the right property.

If the garden is not southerly backing and that is a show stopper, that would be the truth in full consideration of the property.

And the motivation to say so is not to upset the EA. If you can see at the outset that the property has been misdescribed, what is the point of traipsing past dado rails and feature walls and ensuites you have no interest in?

After all it is your time that has been wasted.

kinger101

DandelionPatrol wrote: »

If the garden is not southerly backing and that is a show stopper, that would be the truth in full consideration of the property.

And the motivation to say so is not to upset the EA. If you can see at the outset that the property has been misdescribed, what is the point of traipsing past dado rails and feature walls and ensuites you have no interest in?

After all it is your time that has been wasted.

The point is the next time you see a property you like with the same agent, it's useful if they think you're not someone who's gonna throw their toys out the pram. And they're not gonna give negative feedback to a vendor about you if they receive two offers on the same property.

burnsguitarman

http://suncalc.net/ I have found this a really useful sight for determining the suns position.

lessonlearned

DandelionPatrol wrote: »

View the property and take a compass with you in case it is cloudy on the day. If the orientation is wrong, pull out of the viewing and say that the property has been mis-described. Doing this will take to makew the Agents realise that misleading descriptions are a waste of their own time.

:rotfl::rotfl:

And see just how far this juvenile behaviour will get you.

As Dave points out the EA will dismiss you as a looney, timewaster, tire kicker whatever.

Plus as he points out, should the EA have a property that interests you then you will have burnt your bridges...........you will in all probability have blown your chances, you certainly will have lost all credibility.

How do I know this for sure - I am an ex EA.

there is another strand to this.

The orientation of a house isn't necessarily the be all and end all, although of course many people do have strong preferences.

To dismiss ia property out of hand because its orientation doesn't meet your preferences can be rather short sighted. You could be missing a trick. That North facing aspect may have stunning views which might compensate, the garden might back onto open fields whilst the house opposite with the South facing garden might be overlooked on all sides or might be overlooking something nasty.

Rightmove, street views, Google maps and satellite images can only reveal so much - you do need to go and visit the property to really get a true picture.

As Dave also points out, there is the lie of the land, the height of adjacent buildings, trees, hedges.

Doesn't matter how sunny the garden is if the neighbour has 40ft leylandii blocking your light and sun. :rotfl:

DandelionPatrol

lessonlearned wrote: »

:rotfl::rotfl:

And see just how far this juvenile behaviour will get you.

As Dave points out the EA will dismiss you as a looney, timewaster, tire kicker whatever.

Juvenile? Loony? Throwing toys out of the pram? [That was someone else]

On yer bike. You just say "From the details, I understood this property to have a south backing garden. In the event, it plainly does not, this is a deal breaker for me, so we will call it a day on this viewing". If the EA thinks that is loony, he is not cut out for the job.

Suppose you viewed a house which you had been led to believe was 3 bed with en-suite but it turned out to be 4 bed with no en-suite, which you did not want. Would you really carry on with the viewing? Perhaps you would indeed buy the property to avoid offending the EA.

Of course if southbacking is not a deal-breaker, just desirable rather than essential, you might consider it. But if it is a dealbreaker, you would be a bit of a limp handshake if not loony to carry on with a viewing.