House viewing with other potential buyers at the same time ? Normal ?

SC1991

So I've not been to many house viewings so far as I'm a first time buyer but I booked a viewing for another this week and yesterday at work i was talking to a colleague who has a viewing at the same house at the same time and wondered if this was normal ?

It seems strange to me as i kind of feel like i won't be able to properly look around/ask the questions i want. Im not really a fan when the seller is present as that makes me feel the same too but obviously its their home so if they want to be present then its their choice. Has anyone had this happen before, btw its not an open house viewing its a viewing booked via an estate agent.

Also do you think its wrong to ask if i can view it alone ?

thanks,

eddddy

I suppose the seller and/or EA would say it's more efficient and convenient for them to show multiple people at once.

Also, it might encourage people to get there offers in, if they can see other people are interested.

You are free to ask if you can view alone - but the seller and EA are free to refuse.

I guess you can try loitering until the others have gone, if you want to ask questions without them hearing. But it might get tricky, if the other viewers are trying to do the same thing.

melstar11

Check your appointment time in advance - wouldn't be the first time an EA had got that wrong.

jackr5

I've experienced that before when I was looking. We had a few appointments that were at the same time or overlapped with others. I didn't mind it too much apart from having to wait to take turns to look at rooms etc.

You can always take the EA/seller to the side to ask questions, it doesn't have to be an open forum.

But there's no harm in asking for a viewing on your own.

AnotherJoe

Yes I've experienced this and I don't think it's anything unusual.

davidmcn

Perfectly normal in Edinburgh where many houses have advertised times for open viewings - you just turn up at, say, 2-4pm on Sunday. You might be on your own, or the place might be packed.

Otherwise I think I've only encountered it where viewers have clashed due to somebody running early/late.

What questions are so confidential you wouldn't want another viewer hearing?

Out,_Vile_Jelly

When I was looking I had a couple of viewings where another couple were also looking round with the agent. It certainly wasn't a big deal and didn't affect my judgement of the place, or the questions I asked. It was interesting to see what caught the attention of others (they were more interested in the garage, for me it was the garden).

If you're in a competitive market it's good to "show willing" with the agent and be flexible if possible. I had viewed several similar properties, been outbid on a couple and the one I eventually bought I saw before anyone else, and before details were online, presumably because they knew I was a serious buyer. In hindsight I got a bargain as it's unheard of getting a reduced price in London.

KayTM

We viewed a lot of properties last year and it varied. Some EA's gave us personal appointments, others had an Open House event. One property we looked at had so many viewers in it there wasn't room to move. We left pronto. It was a very attractive property but anyway I thought the price was too high because it had been beautifully staged.

The same day, we had a personal viewing time (with the same EA) on another house. We had the time and space to look around. We liked it so we offered very soon after. (And bought it.)

I suppose there's pros and cons of how it's done, but it seemed to be impossible to get a feel for the place with so many people inside it. That said, it did sell for quite a bit over the initial asking price. I'm glad we walked away. Maybe it was someone's dream home and they were prepared to pay whatever they had to so they could have it.

jackr5

There is a positive to draw from this situation, especially if you are a FTB because you might hear other viewers asking questions that you wouldn't have even thought of. This could be helpful not only as you'd find out those things about the house but it will give you ideas of questions to ask at other viewings you go to.

dc197

Yes, we had quite a few double bookings, all of which were admitted mistakes on the part of the EA.
Most were private though.

My wife always told me off for not keeping my cards to my chest even on private viewings - oooh, ahhh, wow, as I entered each room.
It's probably even more important not to wear your heart on your sleeve when veiwing with others.

Oh and always take a tape measure. Get it out in front of the other folk and measure something with a lot of gusto - it'll make you feel professional

Marvel1

On a positive side of it, other buyers may ask questions you never thought of asking.