Is it always this difficult to view houses or is it a Norfolk thing?

skm1981

We're looking to buy a house around the Norfolk coast area and I'm just finding it a nightmare to actually view properties.  I am coming from London, so perhaps it's a different world round here (well I'm sure it is), but I'd be seriously fed up with these estate agents.

Rang estate agent on Friday, fully appreciating it was short notice but asking if we could view the next day.  She said it would have to be before 1pm because that's when they shut.  They shut at 1pm on what is probably the busiest day for viewings.  I said it's unlikely I'll be able to get there before 1pm.  Asked if the seller could just show us round instead.  She said they'd asked the seller this before and they don't like doing the viewings.  

Called another estate agent.  Said he'd contact the seller and let me know if I could view at time I requested.  He didn't call back.  I called back next day.  Said he sent me an email and to check my junk in case it went in there.  Said he's sure that the seller agreed to the time I'd asked, but he'd double check.  He definitely didn't send me an email, so was either lying or has got me mixed up with someone else.  Said would give me a call when he got back to the office.  Didn't call me back.

Another one, house on market, call to view on Friday.  Seller is apparently having an operation that day and won't be having any viewings for the next 2 weeks at least and this seller likes to do the viewings herself, rather than the agent.  Asked if agent could step in instead as it's not a short drive for us.  Agent said no, seller doesn't like that.  

I mean the estate agent I'm using does viewings every day of the week which I don't think that is the norm round here as most estate agents don't work Sundays, but to not work Saturday afternoons seems absolutely crazy.  Anyway, is this normal?  I thought viewing properties would be the easy bit!  Or is it because I have a London accent and they don't want us buying their houses?  

Scotbot

Where I am ( West Midlands ) agents don't work Saturday afternoons either. I agree it's  nuts, Ok maybe to only do afternoon or Sunday viewings as an exception but a blanket no is poor business. I never had problems with them responding to enquiries though.

getmore4less

Normal for Norfolk.
Get used to it if you plan to live here.

EA cna be a bit better closer to the city  and a couple of agent are very proactive but a few out in the sticks are much more laid back.
Depending where the property is and the office the property is with the agents could have quite a drive for viewings as well.  

AdrianC

Your London expectations are definitely going to have to be turned down a bit outside the M25 - yes, even in London-by-the-sea.

People prefer to prioritise their lives over work out there. Why not take a week or so off, book a B&B, and do week-day viewings?

ProDave

Just be warned, in some parts of Norfolk, you are best buying a house some distance from the sea. Coastal erosion is a BIG problem.

jackieblack

I notice you didn’t say that you are looking to move to Norfolk, just that you are looking to buy a house. There’s not much enthusiasm for second home owners in many rural areas.

Scotbot

I suspect they are not taking you seriously, agree you need to take a day off book appointments with all the agents and front up to show you mean business 

Hannimal

If you expect the kind of services you get in a city, maybe don't move to the countryside?

iwb100

I’ve never had an agent work Saturday afternoons. Think London is distorting your view here. EAs have families too.....find more and more people are using online EAs anyway who won’t do ANY viewings. I personally think unless there are specific circumstances (illness, distance or young children) if you put your house on the market you should be prepared to do viewings yourself and accommodate your potential buyers as far as possible. We did that. A few times we couldn’t be in our agent did it but mostly we did them. Only time we wouldn’t do is after kids bedtime only because it would mean viewer wouldn’t see whole house....

DRP

iwb100 said:

I’ve never had an agent work Saturday afternoons. Think London is distorting your view here. EAs have families too.....find more and more people are using online EAs anyway who won’t do ANY viewings. I personally think unless there are specific circumstances (illness, distance or young children) if you put your house on the market you should be prepared to do viewings yourself and accommodate your potential buyers as far as possible. We did that. A few times we couldn’t be in our agent did it but mostly we did them. Only time we wouldn’t do is after kids bedtime only because it would mean viewer wouldn’t see whole house....

What’s the rationale for ea not doing Saturday pm viewings? What are they doing all week that they need the afternoon off on what must be their busiest day?

OP: I have bought and sold several times in and around Bristol and haven’t experienced the Saturday half-Day thing. However, going through the process now I have noticed that there is reduced availability of viewing appointments. I assume either the market is crazy and/or agents have let people go so they have less bodies physically able to do viewings. On the other hand, calling to request a next day viewing is never going to work.

davidmcn

No idea about Norfolk, but certainly in Scotland the general expectation is that viewings will be available in evenings or at weekends (though here it's also generally the case that owner-occupiers do their own viewings). Where agents are doing the viewing, my experience is that it usually seems to be staff specifically tasked with attending at the properties, rather than people who are also in the office 9-5, so not really a question of anybody doing antisocial amounts of overtime.