Are we in a sellers market?

YoungBlueEyes

I appreciate this will raise conflicting opinions, but I'd love an answer.

Yesterday morning I looked round 2 wee houses on Hereford road in Shrewsbury. Walking back in to town I saw a for sale board up on another one that looked promising, so I rang the number and asked if I could view it. I'll get in touch with the vendor and ring you straight back said the woman. Aye that'd be great cos I'm actually stood across the road from it, a viewing any time now would be perfect if that's no too short notice. I'll see what I can do she said.

10 mins later she rang back.

EA - The vendor isn't doing any more viewings this week, shall I book you in for a week on Saturday?
Me - No I'm only down here for a couple of days so something today or tomorrow morning is all I can do, then I'm heading back to Yorkshire.
EA - Have you got a property to sell? What's your position on the market?
Me - I'll be exchanging next week I think and I'll be a cash buyer. I really only need a few minutes to look round, I've seen so many properties the last coupla days I know exactly what I'm looking for. If it's right I'll put an offer in, I'm a serious buyer.
EA - Leave it with me.

15 minutes later -
EA The vendor is unavailable for viewings but we could make you first viewer a week on Saturday. Does that suit at all?
Me - How is the vendor unavailable? He's sat on his 4rse watching telly, I can see him from here!
EA - I'm so sorry, I don't know what to tell you. Is a week on Saturday any good for you at all?

I hung up.

So my question is..... !!!!!! happened there?! Why don't sellers want to let people in? I know I'm inexperienced at this, but I thought serious cash buyers were as rare as hen's teeth, decisive ones more so.

Any thoughts any one?

P.S. Before someone says it, I had my bestest tracksuit and trainers on, and clean white socks, and I only smoked like 6 fags while I was waiting... I wasn't even chewing gum! (*Ha haa ahem *) Seriously tho, the guy didn't see me.

Red-Squirrel_2

YoungBlueEyes wrote: »

So my question is..... !!!!!! happened there?!

Well, you stood outside somebody's home and pretty much demanded to be let in.

There could have been a million reasons why the vendor wasn't in a position to show you around, one of which might be that you had creeped them out by staring in their window.

YoungBlueEyes

I didn't demand to be let in, I asked for a viewing of a house that's for sale. Admittedly at very short notice but still. I wasn't staring in his window, the guy never saw me.

I noticed he was sat in his lounge watching telly when I walked passed, I went about 50 yards up the road and then rang.

dunroving

Many people don't keep their house viewing-ready at a moment's notice and really don't want to show it in its usual state. I let one couple view my house at very short notice as they said they were "desperate " and didn't care if it looked like a bomb site. Needless to say they weren't desperate and in their feedback commented that the interior was a bit untidy. People like that may explain why some owners might not believe a call like yours.

oystercatcher

How can you be sure it was the vendor watching TV and not a house sitter and vendor is away on holiday.

Maybe someone is on nights and sleeping upstairs?
They are just about to leave and go out to something they don't want to cancel.

The house may be a pigsty and needs a good clear out.

People still have lives when they are selling houses and sometimes they just don't want to be disturbed at short notice. If you are serious you'll be back when they said ....

YoungBlueEyes

Yeah I appreciate it was an unusual call... I wouldn't have minded what state the house was in, I was thinking more of room sizes and could I get a bath put in to the bathroom. A sink of dirty dishes/dog hair on the carpet wouldn't have bothered me.

I did say I was there til the following lunchtime though, plenty of time to run the hoover round and tuck stuff away

YoungBlueEyes

Good points oystercatcher, I didn't think of the first two.

I was serious, but not serious enough to drive a 300 mile round trip again just to go see it.

tom9980

My in laws had a property for sale last year, it had a public footpath over the land so lots of people suddenly were going for a sneak peak a few asked to view, some were accommodated where possible.

One serious buyer who had made an offer got upset when the agent treated their repeated absurd questions with a short abrupt answer that they actually turned up to the property. She sat and cried at the kitchen table while my mother in law was still in her dressing gown at 9am one morning practically begging them to accept her offer. I doubt they would have sold it to her even if they were desperate after that.

The eventual purchaser was walking by a few weeks after their offer was accepted with family while we were all sat in the garden enjoying our Sunday, they did not ask to view or expecting too but were invited in for a quick look around. They were however a nice family and easy to like and talk to.

I suspect the op is a bit pushy...

Thrugelmir

YoungBlueEyes wrote: »

So my question is..... !!!!!! happened there?! Why don't sellers want to let people in? I know I'm inexperienced at this, but I thought serious cash buyers were as rare as hen's teeth, decisive ones more so.

Any thoughts any one?

Would you invite a total stranger into your house at a moment's notice? I doubt it. If you want to view houses you'd be better off walking into the EA's instead.

Mutton_Geoff

I've bought and sold a good number of properties. I wouldn't agree to a viewing from someone on the spur of the moment who had not yet been properly qualified as a serious buyer.


The agent probably built in the delay to give them time to suss you out.

YoungBlueEyes

tom9980 that sounds awful, I wouldn't have sold to them either!

I wasn't pushy, rather keen to view because I didn't have a lot of time available. I rang before 10am yesterday and was leaving after lunch today.

Shrewsbury is a lovely place and there aren't many properties in my budget, but this one (potentially) fit the bill.