Buying houses not on the market or sold subject to contract

PokerPlayer111

Hi,

1.) i like a house sold STC, can i knock on the door and make a better offer? or send a letter? dont feel great about doing it but... thoughts?

If not

2.) In general i want to pick out a few houses i like and ask the home owners if they want to sell it. How should i do that ? via letter or knock on the door? Or should i not do this at all.

Many thanks

Margot123

Normally if a property is SSTC or even 'under offer'/'sale agreed' you would be hard pressed to get any vendor or estate agent to deal with you.
If you are still determined, and can offer a very quick cash purchase for more than has already been accepted, and the seller is desperate, you may be in with a very minuscule chance but I doubt it.

PS, don't knock on the vendor's door, they will just think you are loopy!

amfan

Wow, nice principles you have. If you like a married person do you walk up and make them an offer too regardless? Someone else bought the house first, move on and find one that you like that is available.

eddddy

There's nothing to stop you making an offer on a property that is Sold STC.

I guess some vendors would happily accept a higher offer, others won't want the hassle, and some might think you're a rogue for suggesting it.


Similarly, you can approach people and ask them to sell you their house - but I think the chances of success are really small. Moving house is quite a big "life event", and people won't decide to do it simply because you knock on their door.

AnotherJoe

amfan wrote: »

Wow, nice principles you have. If you like a married person do you walk up and make them an offer too regardless? Someone else bought the house first, move on and find one that you like that is available.

Wouldn't it be an engaged person?

Many years ago one of my friends used to drive a certain route regularly and pass a house he liked the look of. He put a note through the door saying that should they ever wish to sell, give him a call.

Perhaps five years later (how on earth did they manage to keep that note for so long?) , such a call happened and he bought the house.

(Unfortunately two years after that he got divorced and had to sell it !)

Gabbs_the_Newt

AnotherJoe wrote: »

Wouldn't it be an engaged person?

Only slightly less awful then.

JoJo1978

The house we bought was under offer when we viewed it. But we didn't offer on it until the first transaction had fallen through and was put back on the market. We had registered interest so had a second viewing and offered almost straight away before many other people had seen it. It felt better to us that we waited, we've got no idea of what we offered was higher or lower than the one that fell through, but we were proceedable and they weren't fully.

00ec25

just the same as you can proposition anyone anywhere anytime you won't know if you will get a slap across the face or a kiss in return until you try.

it is not illegal to try, merely something that some people will regard as unpalatable. Your own moral compass will dictate what you yourself do , and since you claim to be a poker player we'll take that as read.

_CC_

I did option one (letter through the door) as I really liked the house and it sold on the day it went on the market to the first people to view it. I didn't feel guilty after getting it, but I wouldn't have done it if it were more than a few days after going SSTC.

Thrugelmir

PokerPlayer111 wrote: »

1.) i like a house sold STC, can i knock on the door and make a better offer? or send a letter? dont feel great about doing it but... thoughts?

Contact the Estate Agent. Simply expressing an interest means absolutely zilch.

PokerPlayer111

Very helpful replies thank you. The point about being a poker player was pretty interesting, not sure this person understands poker is a game between consenting adults. If you take away the ability of adult to make financial decisions on thier own im not sure where we would be as a society. Poker is not optimal in how it contributes to society but neither are a high percentage of activities. FWIW i retired from poker about 5 years ago never played since.

As someone newer to the house buying "game", the housing market seems like it needs a system upgrade in how it operates. It would be nice to see some type of decentralized system where all bids are open and housing just sells to highest bidder and estate agents aren't needed so buyer and seller cut out the middle man. Maybe even a private company online website can provide this service to a high standard when they become more evoled (i know purplebricks still has occasional issue). Until then there are many grey areas as regards morals in the housing market i think.

When i was at uni many years ago there was an engaged girl i liked and i never once approached her because she was engaged and i felt morally wrong about it.

Also, If you approach an engaged person your relationship would always be built on you "sniping" them. House buy "sniping" feels less bad on the moral spectrum IMO. Cant say i feel great about it though.