Offering during/immediately after viewing - anyone else reluctant to do this or am I too cautious?

lookstraightahead

I did exactly that on a very old property we've just completed on. I spent 15 mins in there. When we came out the agent said there had been lots of interest and a 'potential' second offer. So we offered immediately. 

I knew I could pull out any time up to exchange, so even if I had spent ten hours looking round there might have been something following surveys etc (which indeed there was though we still bought).
Normally I would obviously advise second and even third viewings, but if the estate agent/vendor puts buyers under this pressure, they only have themselves to blame if it goes wrong (like when properties are 'undervalued' when buyers are forced into fighting for them by offering ridiculous prices).
We were ready though, had nothing to sell as had broken the chain, and had a low LTV so we also got it almost 10% under asking.

billy2shots

ss2020jd said:

So am I one of the few buyers who finds it hard to offer within 15 minutes of viewing? I try to do as much research as possible before, but I think it’s wise to visit at different times of the day etc and wander round the area if it’s not that familiar. Maybe I haven’t found the right place yet but I’d be interested to hear anyone’s experience of doing this (or not).

I think you could save yourself and the vendor some time.
All those things above can be done before viewing which could then speed up up the offering process. Or remove the need to even view in the first place. 


I rule out 99.9% of places from the comfort of my home whilst drinking tea. The internet and relevant info available really has changed the game. 

I only buy local so previous knowledge of the area obviously helps but if something looks good then I will do a drive past to see the house and road in the flesh. I will choose a time and day when neibouurs are more likely to be home. 

If things still feel ok then I will book a viewing but arrive early for a scout around. If the viewing still ticks the boxes I will have another mooch about the area there and then.
 A second viewing will be booked and one or two more drive pasts whilst waiting for the second viewing day.

It's a balancing act between doing due diligence and being indecisive and missing out.

musehead

MovingForwards said:

Find a property on whatever sales platform you're looking at.
Use Earth to view gardens, boundaries etc.
Check council planning site.
Do a few internet searches for other things which may concern you.
Buy title deeds £3 each and read them.

If everything meets requirements, view property. 

Exactly this, there's a lot of information you can gain before the viewing. I've been spending at least a couple of hours per property before viewing doing all this, and have ruled many out for various reasons based on prior research without viewing. So overall, I've probably not used up much more of my time.

In addition, Google Street view with historic views is useful (so you can see the outside of the property and area at various points since about 2008). For my location, I'm trying to avoid buying next door to a house that's converted into flats and it's easy to see on Google Street view if that's the case.

Council planning website is very useful too.

Also, Zoopla archived listings for the house you're interested in, and neighbouring houses for comparison.

I Google the street name along with key words such as complaint, noise, council, crime. Recently I found an ongoing  dispute with the council to do with excess traffic being diverted down a previously quiet road by doing this. I then stood on the road in question for 30 minutes at various times to confirm it was indeed much more busy than expected! 

ss2020jd

lookstraightahead said:

Normally I would obviously advise second and even third viewings, but if the estate agent/vendor puts buyers under this pressure, they only have themselves to blame if it goes wrong (like when properties are 'undervalued' when buyers are forced into fighting for them by offering ridiculous prices).

Yes, very true. I should probably be less worried about being a ‘bad buyer’ and potentially pulling out but as you say would generally only be for extremes.  

ss2020jd

Thanks @billy2shots, the internet can save a lot of time in most cases. Although I’d never be brave enough to offer without viewing! 

I usually do the drive past too but with this one as it was such a quiet lane with few houses I would have felt too inconspicuous. 

But, yes, it’s a case of getting the balance right so will feel more comfortable when the time comes. 

ss2020jd

Thanks @musehead some more great tips there. I hadn’t realised about the historic google street views. 

The googling key words is a good one too. Lucky you spotted that! 

I have also been known to read through a few parish council minutes (well, it was lockdown) that led to various enlightening discoveries about areas/properties too. 

AnotherJoe

MovingForwards said:

Find a property on whatever sales platform you're looking at.
Use Earth to view gardens, boundaries etc.
Check council planning site.
Do a few internet searches for other things which may concern you.
Buy title deeds £3 each and read them.

If everything meets requirements, view property. 

There's a lot of readily available information online.  It's not as if a property pops up and 5 minutes later you're at the door, you've got a bit of time before viewing.  Even if you book the viewing, do some of the above, then view (or cancel), it all gives you a head start. Alternatively, wait until the property market calms (whenever that will be), then look for somewhere. 

I did offer a couple of hours after viewing, would have done so after walking out the door but had to visit someone. This was a few months before the pandemic, but I still did a lot of research on the run up to being ready to buy.

Good points, once Id identified properties on RM or from EA,  I went to them to check out what the general area was like in the street and specifically the house from a road noise POV. As i lived locally i could do that there and then. Ruled out quite a few houses that way for those reasons and others. (One in particular would have been ideal but the road noise was horrendous)

Redwino222

Like others have said I have always researched an area and street before I view a house.  Planning permission applications are easily viewed online for example.

I had the luxury (and frustration) of a very small search area so by the time I came to buy I pretty much knew everything I needed to know about the area.

people do did immediately after viewing.  I sat on my street and watched a couple drive out of my driveway, park a few doors down, have a quick carat then make a phone call.  Estate agent then rang me to say they had put in an offer.  I did two viewings of the house I am buying.  But offered during the second viewing 

Pok3mon

As the market is so bonkers and losing out on a few properties we told the vender there and then we was putting in a full offer and told him our position and what a lovely job he had one on the house to add charm people was leaving before us and people arrived after us. The house had been on the market 7 hours!! We also called the agent as we was walking to the car. 
We secured the house and still going ahead. We asked for a second viewing to measure up it was a bit of BS but he was fine with it. This time we could be calmer and more collected. On second viewing noticed some things we want to change and the rooms seem smaller but the house still works for us as this is our last home kids gone downsize, parking for motorhome blah blah blah. Do i think it is over priced? Yes by about 10k  however I got 20k more for my house! 
To make the bedroom work for us I am getting the en suite and cupboard removed (what is it with developers small bedrooms and en suites!) it is a mid sized 3 bed newish build with 3 toilets!! It is only me and the wife! 
REMEMBER ONCE EXCEPTED INSIST ON A SECOND VIEWING A WEEK OR TWO LATER YOU CAN ALWAYS WALK AWAY! IF THEY REFUSE AND YOUR NOT 100% YOU CAN WALK AWAY. ATM IT IS DOG EAT DOG OUT THERE!

elsien

I went straight from the first viewing to the estate agent to offer full asking price.

That was on the basis that it was head and shoulders above everything else I’d looked at in my very limited affordability category. The market was less bonkers than now so I could possibly have got it down a bit but I didn’t want to mess around and risk losing it for the sake of a few grand.