getting an offer accepted... ?

KateySW

I would never make an offer on a house I've never seen before! I know you're keen and want to get in there quickly but a) you have no idea what issues there could be and b) it might not help you look like a serious buyer...

Also, hate to say it but being a FTB isn't worth as much as you might think: we've been disappointed when we've tried to use that as a point in our favour. FTBs aren't a rarity I'm afraid. You might be against someone with a higher deposit, or even a cash buyer, let alone just someone having a higher offer!

Go to see the house before you do anything else. If you want to make that offer, do it, leave it on the table and walk away. But opening on the highest you could go probably wasn't the wisest move. I personally would just chalk it up as experience and go back to the drawing board - and only view houses you know you can afford, even at the asking price, in the future. We live in quite a competitive area so we even allowed for a bit of wiggle room if a house headed over the guide price because of other bids (within reason of course). It worked in the end thankfully!

Good luck!

dares_uk

thanks for all the positive support and help everyone. much appreciated.


to point a few things out, which you may not know.
The area we live in... there are not many suitable properties for us,
nicer/suitable properties go quick.
there is nothing suitable for under our budget and anything under our budget we wouldn't want to pay ++ for as they are s**** and not suitable for our needs.


we may not of been inside the house, but we know the area, we have seen the pictures, and driven past it... whats the problem.


We have been looking for a long time, and seems E/agents use many tricks, and no one is trustworthy...
everyone plays a game of sort.


"But I disagree with people saying you shouldn't be looking at this houses or others at this price. It's 185. You can go to 180. Take a look, see if you like it, then put an offer in. There's no guarantee they'll be offered asking price. Your maximum offer is only 2.5% less than they're asking! Definitely worth viewing. "
Exactly, thank you.

glasgowdan

I think all you can do is view it and don't make any offer for a week or so. Ask the EA to contact you if it's going to go under offer and make one firm and final 180k.

AdrianC

dares_uk wrote: »

to point a few things out, which you may not know.
The area we live in... there are not many suitable properties for us,
nicer/suitable properties go quick.
there is nothing suitable for under our budget and anything under our budget we wouldn't want to pay ++ for as they are s**** and not suitable for our needs.

Well, okaaaay. Sounds like you're prejudging a bit, but there we go.

Whatever - you still can't say for sure this place is good, because you simply haven't seen it. And it's academic, because you can't afford it now, and it'll probably sell before you can.

KateySW

dares_uk wrote: »

we may not of been inside the house, but we know the area, we have seen the pictures, and driven past it... whats the problem.

Pretty obvious what the problem would be - you might love the area but you would have literally zero idea what the house is like or what would work it might need! The pictures could be old pictures and obviously will show the house in its best light. Regardless, you should do your due diligence on something you're paying so much money for, surely?! You might have to sell again in the future and who knows what you might find - damp, rot and even structural defects.

nicmyles

Agree with others that offering on a property you've never seen just comes across as weird. It doesn't matter whether you think it's perfectly normal or not - more than likely it will make the vendor think you're not serious.

However, completely disagree with the idea you shouldn't view properties on the market for more than you can afford. That's insane. Asking prices are often just wishful thinking, although depends on the area and the type of property. I'd view places up to c. £30k over my limit to see if it was possible to do a deal.

The house I currently live in was on for £10k more than my top budget, but obviously I was able to buy it. And I viewed it, and made my first offer (which as others have advised, was not my maximum possible), the first day it was on the market.

In many markets, £5k below asking is an extremely credible offer - but probably not if you haven't seen the place!

Cakeguts

dares_uk wrote: »

thanks for all the positive support and help everyone. much appreciated.


to point a few things out, which you may not know.
The area we live in... there are not many suitable properties for us,
nicer/suitable properties go quick.
there is nothing suitable for under our budget and anything under our budget we wouldn't want to pay ++ for as they are s**** and not suitable for our needs.


we may not of been inside the house, but we know the area, we have seen the pictures, and driven past it... whats the problem.


We have been looking for a long time, and seems E/agents use many tricks, and no one is trustworthy...
everyone plays a game of sort.


"But I disagree with people saying you shouldn't be looking at this houses or others at this price. It's 185. You can go to 180. Take a look, see if you like it, then put an offer in. There's no guarantee they'll be offered asking price. Your maximum offer is only 2.5% less than they're asking! Definitely worth viewing. "
Exactly, thank you.

However if the house has only been on the market 2 days and you say that anything nice sells quickly the vendors are not going accept £5k under because they will get more.

The point is that in an area where there is a limited supply of nice houses everyone will be chasing the few that there are. Generally the quicker a house sells the nearer to the asking price the vendor has got. Quick house sales happen to popular houses. It is the ones that have lingered on the market for some time that are priced too high. A house is worth what someone will pay for it. If it is on the market for several months then it priced higher than anyone wants to pay. However if a house is on the market for 2 days and lots of people make offers then it isn't priced too high.

Cakeguts

You have to remember that the property that you are viewing tonight has been on the market 2 days. The vendors could already have had offers that are higher than yours from people who have viewed which is why they want to get the asking price.

You can't make them accept your offer. You can't make them sell their house cheap just because that is the most you can afford.

sulphate

Our 2 bedroom house was on the market at £185k and almost everyone who viewed it was a first time buyer and plenty of those had decisions in principle, some had even seen our estate agent's mortgage advisor. Your position is good but not rare with houses in that sort of price range.

I would also be suspicious of someone offering before viewing. You may see the house and decide you don't like it. Perhaps the parking situation isn't great or the garden is smaller than you thought or the neighbours are blaring very loud music when you view. as a vendor I would much prefer to accept an offer from someone who had seen a house once or twice and had made a considered decision rather than someone who made a "panic offer"- which is basically what you have done - and pull out at a later stage.

AnotherJoe

dares_uk wrote: »

basically I'm asking if anyone can give some advise which may help us persuade them to accept us.

Don't come across as weird, chancers, or desperate by bidding under AP without having even viewed?
But it's too late for that.