House Viewing Today

Rosco32

Happy New Year to you all. I am a FTB and have an mortgage AIP for £321k. I have a £40k deposit saved. I have been looking online for months in the area I wish to live in and nothing has tickled my fancy until recently. A house that I have been looking at online daily for several weeks now. I have just called the EA to arrange a viewing and they've managed to get me in this afternoon. The property is move-in-ready, has potential and is on the market for £290k. It ticks so many boxes for me. As it's all happening so fast (the viewing) I'm starting to feel a little out of my depth. I have no-one to come with me for support due to such short notice but at the same time I cannot let this viewing slip. The house is in a desirable area and has been on the market about 5 weeks now. If this house turns out to be the house of my dreams and gives me that feel good factor, do I just go in at the asking price? I know I am in a good position as I have no chain and I'm ready to move on this, but other people could be in the same situation as myself. Do I just go with what my heart tells me. I know there is always an element of risk when it comes to making offers. Is the EA likely to be open with me about other people viewing it etc?

Thank you

AFF8879

Given how heated the housing market is right now, the fact the house has been on the market for over 5 weeks and still not sold STC suggests either the vendor is being very picky or the property could be overpriced- but if it’s your dream home, you may as well just go straight to asking price given it’s comfortably below your maximum.

Rosco32

Thank you for replying AFF8879. That's exactly the same thoughts I have had. I have done my research on the area, looked at similar houses that have sold etc and the price seems about right.

TBagpuss

Good luck. When you look round, try to put yourself in the headspace of 'what's wrong, which boxes DOESN'T it tick - not because e you are looking to find reasons not to offer, but so you are looking for which things aren't perfect / ideal so you can decide whether any of them are deal-breakers.

Refresh you memory by reviewing the particulars before you go, and make notes of anything you want to specifically check / ask about are.

Remember that if you make an offer you can always then ask for a second viewing, and that you are not bound until you exchange contracts, so if you do offer and then change your mind, you can still pull out (although of course you incur costs once you start getting searches and surveys etc) 

Estate agents vary - there are honest agents who will be straightforward with you and there are others who will use tactics to try to push you into offering / upping your offer.

Looking at the particulars, sold pries for other properties and other broadly similar properties on the market, do you think the asking price is reasonable? There is nothing to stop you making n initial offer at a lower rate.

The fact it has been on for 5 weeks and that the gents were able to get you a viewing at such short notice don't either of them suggest to me that they are  in a biffing war or getting lots of interest . and if you find the agent is putting pressure on you art the end of the viewing you can always tell them that you will get back to them by the end of the day / tomorrow morning 
 

Rosco32

Thank you TBagpuss I appreciate your reply. Yes, I have written a list of things to remind me what to ask and to also note what doesn't tick the boxes etc. My research shows that the asking price is about right, so it does baffle me as to why it's still on the market 5 weeks later. Thank you for your advice which will help me a lot

Flugelhorn

I do wonder whether the 5 weeks including Xmas and New Year had an impact on it not going yet - one near me went on the market 13.12 and hasn't sold, they usually go within 24 hours 

You need to go and look at properties ++ need to be able to compare and get used to what you see on the advert isn't always what you see when you get there... those photos can be amazing 

Ramouth

what you see on the advert isn't always what you see when you get there... those photos can be amazing 

So true!  Our last house looked so good in the listing I almost didn’t want to sell!  I had to keep reminding myself of this before getting too excited about places I had only seen online.

propertyhunter

Agree - I've seen some that are horrendous in real life despite seeming to have potential looking at the listing. The estate agents are very good at taking photos at the right angle. I went to one viewing and they had obscured an electricity pylon in the garden with a tree. Now I check everything using Google maps/street view. 

TripleH

Go in with eyes, ears and nose on full alert.

If the vendors are there ask them what their plans are.

We saw a lovely house for sale due to downsizing (last child about to leave home), but on talking to husband he was more reluctant to go than the wife. Plus there were "a number of jobs he needed to finish off".

If you go in friendly, you can pick up things from the tone and get a timescale as well. No point waiting around if the seller has no idea of their onward plans.

Flugelhorn

TripleH said:

We saw a lovely house for sale due to downsizing (last child about to leave home), but on talking to husband he was more reluctant to go than the wife. Plus there were "a number of jobs he needed to finish off".

If you go in friendly, you can pick up things from the tone and get a timescale as well. No point waiting around if the seller has no idea of their onward plans.

Bad vibes: "we want to stay local, but haven't found anywhere we like yet"

"We have found somewhere, the people selling said they are going to move into rented"

"want to move near family"

bbat

How did it go?