Open Day viewings: 15 mins to decide!

bouicca21

This is exactly what it was like during the London bubble. Sorry to see that it has spread ...

But the various bits of advice are spot on - find out as much as you can before you go, on the day keep your eyes peeled for cracks, damp etc but mainly just take in the vibe. There are some houses that you walk into and go wow, love it, and others where it's instant hate. Get a feel for how hot the market is by seeing just how many people turn up for the open day. Hordes really does mean hot; even 4 or 5 suggests warmish, but if only 1 or 2, then things aren't as bad as they might be. In my experience the 15 minute slots were meaningless - you could stay as long as you liked.

If you are interested make an offer. During the London bubble people were making offers more or less instantly, but the EAs usually gave a few days. Don't spend any money, just make the offer and then ask for a second viewing. Remember an offer isn't a commitment to buy. The real trouble is that if the market really is hot, the offers are going to be way over asking price.

glasgowdan

I'd be surprised if they kick you out at 15 minutes... the open houses I've been to let you in at 15 minute intervals but you're welcome to spend time browsing around at your leisure. I think they're just trying to avoid a mass pile up at the start.

Don't expect the estate agent to be able to answer any of your questions, or give you any attention at all. It's not like in the american films where the agent walks around with you with carefully rehearsed flowery descriptions of the house. They often literally just let you in, tick your name off a list and walk away to sit down and leave you to it.

Touch everything, turn taps, light switches, open doors. Get right in about it all to make sure there are no hidden gremlins. Don't be shy, especially if the seller's aren't in.

ReadingTim

If it takes you more than 15 minutes on first viewing you're either incapable of making grown up decisions and shouldn't be let out in public unsupervised, or the place isn't for you.

You know the address so you know the area, both of which you can research in advance, even virtually walk down the street thanks to Google. You can look at local schools, crime stats, anything you like if you haven't been there for yourself. Which you probably should have.

Assuming you know the area (or are getting to know it), you'll know the types of property for sale in your budget, and the sort of place you would prefer to live in - you're unlikely to be looking at new-build flats if you fancy yourself as a bit of a gardener. You're unlikely to have the budget to be looking at seriously 'unique' places - they'll all be relatively similar I would image.

If the ad's decent, you know what the place looks like from the inside from the photos. You'll know the layout from the floorplan, including possibly the room sizes. The survey will pick up anything serious as to the structural state of the place - anything else should be obvious in the first quarter of an hour, if you actually even know what you're looking for. Equally, with this being the largest single purchase of your life, are you really going to turn it down because of an oddly positioned plug socket or light switch - I doubt it, and if you are, you probably need to reassess prioritisation in your life.

Therefore, having done all this preparation, the only thing left is to gauge the feel of the place when you walk in the door - you either like it and want to live there, or you don't. This should be relatively instant - if it's not, the place isn't for you. Everything else is merely trivial detail...

Crashy_Time

Quizzical_Squirrel wrote: »

I forgot to mention earlier: remember that in the modern age, there's a good chance that the sellers are recording you. Video and/or audio.

I go to a lot of open days and I've seen quite a bit of covert recording now on these events especially.
It may be to note the viewers' reactions, perhaps it's also misdeed detection and sometimes I think it's also to check up on selling agent performance.
Whatever, just assume it may be happening.

Don't overlook this and give yourself away in some manner.
Don't go gushing over something or mentioning your exact budget etc.

Why not wear a disguise, then they won`t know it`s you when you make a low offer....:rotfl:

Hoploz

If interested, make an offer. Likelihood is they will come back to all interested parties if there are multiple offers. You can always pull out later.

Sorry but if this is the way a seller wants to play it then this is the way a buyer might have to play it.

hanb

We completed on a house in Bristol a couple of weeks ago - I feel your pain


I think you'll know though. We were worried about it too knowing how busy it was and how you little time it seemed you got but 15 minutes is actually much longer when you're there. I found it was plenty of time.


As others suggested. We went for a second viewing after we'd offered but the agent wouldn't let us go back for that second until we'd instructed a solicitor 'and had paid some money to show we were serious' - the vendors were later furious when they found out as they had no idea!


That's the other thing I'd say about Bristol, you soon realise the agents that market places massively under value to get lots more interest and a bidding war (0cean!)


Good luck in your search! Where in Bristol are you looking?

marksoton

Quizzical_Squirrel wrote: »

I forgot to mention earlier: remember that in the modern age, there's a good chance that the sellers are recording you. Video and/or audio.

I go to a lot of open days and I've seen quite a bit of covert recording now on these events especially.
It may be to note the viewers' reactions, perhaps it's also misdeed detection and sometimes I think it's also to check up on selling agent performance.
Whatever, just assume it may be happening.

Don't overlook this and give yourself away in some manner.
Don't go gushing over something or mentioning your exact budget etc.

Another reason NOT to engage in these ridiculous open days.

Rather reminds me of those muppets you see barging each other over on Boxing day at the local Next "sale"

It's in the "sale" because no one was prepared to pay the original price for tat you morons!

stardust09

hanb wrote: »

We completed on a house in Bristol a couple of weeks ago - I feel your pain

I think you'll know though. We were worried about it too knowing how busy it was and how you little time it seemed you got but 15 minutes is actually much longer when you're there. I found it was plenty of time.

As others suggested. We went for a second viewing after we'd offered but the agent wouldn't let us go back for that second until we'd instructed a solicitor 'and had paid some money to show we were serious' - the vendors were later furious when they found out as they had no idea!

That's the other thing I'd say about Bristol, you soon realise the agents that market places massively under value to get lots more interest and a bidding war (0cean!) Good luck in your search! Where in Bristol are you looking?

Oh no, undervaluing is not good news. I'm looking in the Bedminster/Southville outskirts areas which are not easy as they are in high demand and over-priced already, without being advertised at an undervalued price. I am wary of settling for a flat due to the multiple other charges and hassle they involve so would much prefer a small house. I'm accepting that it could take me a year or two to find anywhere, unless there's a massive Brexit market crash (!).

Thanks for your advice.

Phirefly

Hoploz wrote: »

I do all my research before booking viewings. I knew I wanted to buy the house I'm in before even seeing it. Right place, right size plot, I knew what it looked like from google aerial photos, I knew the internals from local council planning portal. All the EA had given me was the name of the house and the price...

You know the important things are location and what's outside. That's what you can't change. Inside you can change to suit you.

Couldn't agree more with this and ReadingTim's comment. We made an offer on our house without even going inside based on floorplans and viewing externally. We did extensive research on the area, prices, and garnered a feel for it using the methods outlined above. If its a highly desirable location, then people may well be considered morons or mad or sheep or whatever else for not taking more pains but so be it. Live in a less pleasant/convenient/suitable area and feel smug that you're not a 'moron'.

I can't imagine ever going in a house with a view to living there and not wanting to extensively remodel anyway, I just assume the place will need everything doing to it and as long as the plot and location suit, who cares what the house is like?

suki1964

I knew the two houses I've bought were for me the second I walked over the doorstep

First house was one of 9000 on an estate is Surrey and I'd seen about 20 ( basically all the same size, just different layouts )

This house I'm in now I viewed online. Done all my research online. Spoke to local estate agents, looked at local online group pages. Then I flew over to view and knew it was our house as we pulled up

The house size, layout and location were the important things in both cases. The decor etc didn't come into the equation. Indeed our first house was a project to be gutted.

I only stayed 30 mins viewing this house because then vendor stuck the kettle on and we spent the time talking about the local area

Both times I offered asking price there and then with the proviso they stopped marketing it and agreed to work within my time scales - first was six weeks from offer to completion, second was 12 weeks ( I had to co-ordinate two house sales and arrange the furniture removals 500 miles)

Stressful, but the best weight loss program ever

Oh I sold my own house via a viewing day. I just let people stay as long as they wanted between 10 and 2, some asked to come back on the Sunday morning with partners/parents/whoever , not a problem.