Written offer branded too 'formal' and offputting!

jules_86

Hi,

I'm based in Belfast and trying to buy a house with my partner. We're FTB and have done lots of research but no real world experience. We've put an offer in on a house, and have ended up about 6% below the asking price, matching another bid by buyers in a chain. We made the offer on the phone and followed up by emailing the offer and our conditions, and "subject to survery and contract" etc. to the estate agent handling the house (not the person we talked to on the phone). We also included that we are able to move at the pace of the vendor as we know they have to find somewhere else. The estate agent has since called back and said the vendors are in no rush so being chain free doesn't make us a more attractive option and they would rather wait to get closer to their asking price. All fair enough. However she then told us that our email was 'too formal' and 'off putting' because we had included that our offer was subject to the house being withdrawn from the market and other viewings cancelled. Now, I admit I was reluctant to put that in because it did seem pushy but everything I've read had said this was pretty standard and our solicitor read it over and approved it. The estate agent herself said that this was something that would be done on acceptance of an offer anyway and us telling them to do it is off putting.

So, is her professional nose out of joint or did we inadvertently offend the vendors, or is this a tactic to panic us and make us up the offer? Should we remove this from any future offers we submit? I don't mind losing a house because we can't afford but, but it would be terrible to lose it because we don't know the proper etiquette!

Any help for these newbies would be much appreciated!

walwyn1978

I’ve put that in every offer I’ve ever submitted on a house or flat. I really wouldn’t worry about it, it’s a pretty normal thing to request (and had it requested of me when selling)

I assume the vendors have got upset by it (although I don’t know why) but I wouldn’t increase your offer if you’re where you’re comfortable. They’ll either get a higher bid, or they won’t and come back to you, or they won’t and won’t. House buying and selling is very reliant on the buyer and sellers personalities. I wouldn’t let this one get you down.

cloo

I think they're being a bit prissy. It's totally fair enough to reiterate you want it taken off the market, as some sellers/agents are cheeky so-and-sos and keep showing them. They don't have to report your wording to the vendor, so it's no skin off their nose! Might just be trying to invent reasons not to put your offer forward for some reason?

pphillips

Personally I would say the wording "subject to the house being withdrawn from the market and other viewings cancelled" is meaningless. Also, I think that it's already pretty standard practice amongst reputable estate agents, unless the seller instructs them to do otherwise.

jules_86

Thank you, that is reassuring to hear. The estate agent had us nearly convinced we'd committed a crime!

jules_86

Maybe that was the problem? Specifically what we said was our offer is "subject to the following condition:
The property is withdrawn from the market and all viewings & negotiations are cancelled."

I suppose if it's meaningless, perhaps they felt it unnecessarily pushy.

eddddy

It might be the overall tone/formality of the letter that the EA is commenting on.

Assuming the house is being sold by a houseproud owner/occupier (as opposed to a hard nosed investor), you could try something softer like "We really loved the house, and especially the beautiful garden. So we'd like to offer £x.

We hope our offer is accepted, and if it is, we assume that the seller will take the property off the market and won't do any more viewings."

jules_86

eddddy wrote: »

It might be the overall tone/formality of the letter that the EA is commenting on.

Assuming the house is being sold by a houseproud owner/occupier (as opposed to a hard nosed investor), you could try something softer like "We really loved the house, and especially the beautiful garden. So we'd like to offer £x.

We hope our offer is accepted, and if it is, we assume that the seller will take the property off the market and won't do any more viewings."

We will try that next time, thank you. I honestly hadn't thought it would be shared as-is with the seller but now that I know it can be, I will be more mindful!

Sibz

That seems like a snotty EA. One I would make a mental note not to use or recommend.

That request is standard, I just sold my house and the offer I accepted had that request. When I bought the place that was requested as part of my offer. If an EA doesn't want to deal with that then they should sell the place with a completion date and to the highest bidder.

Her response doesn't instill trust in her... It's the sort of response that makes you think they are looking to screw you over by using your bid to actively entice a higher bid elsewhere - otherwise why bother with the statement at all when the bid was rejected?

G_M

ALL offers are subject to contract. So including that in your offer is meaningless.

Likewise, it's common knowledge that if a survey turns up something expensive, the price might be renegotiated. That does not mean the seller has to reduce, but it makes it pointless to say "subject to survey' (which might make the seller think you have every intention of reducing your offer later come what may...).

As for removing the property from the market, I'd discuss that once the offer is accepted, not before. You can always remove your offer if the seller keeps advertising.


(all relates to England - is N, Ireland the same?)

iammumtoone

eddddy wrote: »

It might be the overall tone/formality of the letter that the EA is commenting on.

Assuming the house is being sold by a houseproud owner/occupier (as opposed to a hard nosed investor), you could try something softer like "We really loved the house, and especially the beautiful garden. So we'd like to offer £x.

We hope our offer is accepted, and if it is, we assume that the seller will take the property off the market and won't do any more viewings."

Buying and selling houses is a business transaction not something where the buyers have to 'win over' the seller. Its not like they are expecting the house for free they are paying for it, the seller either accepts that price or not. If houses are now bought and sold on the wording of emails I am so glad I am not going to be moving anywhere soon.