Cant view without having sold my house

Grezz24

Wondering if this is normal, or just an owner that is stressed out by the process.

We are coming very close to the end of our mortgage (3 months) and are in the process of deciding do we want to stay for another 2 years or move.

we are looking at quite specific houses locally, so larger houses with a big garden, having been looking for about 9 months just out of interest we have seen one that we love based on the pictures.

I rang to speak to the agent and was told that we wouldnt be able to view unless we had our house sold under contract already. 

So I asked if this was normal, as it seems to me we would be holding up a chain if we sold our house then sat on it for 12 months waiting the right one to come up for us? I have an AIP for the mortgage amount we would need, and houses on our estate sell like hot cakes (one a few doors down went for over asking after being on the market for 1 week just last month, this is an identical layout/build/internal quality to ours so we know they sell fast)

I completely 100% know the owner can do what they please and set their own rules etc, but would it not be very bad form for us to get a 'sale' with no intention of actually selling unless we found the perfect house we were after, but in order to actually view other homes we seem to be stuck needing to do this?

may seem common sense but we were new build FTBs for our current home.

Thanks

nicmyles

It's certainly common that vendors and agents will not entertain offers unless you have accepted an offer on your house. I suppose this just takes it one step further, in the sense of what is the point of viewing if you're not in a position to offer?

MultiFuelBurner

I would expect viewings to be allowed if you were on the market yourself.

MFWannabe

It’s normal that no offers would be accepted unless you’ve sold but viewings I would say you probably need to have house on market so they know you’re not just a time waster 

youth_leader

I sold at auction during lockdown.   There were many, many viewers with just one auctioneer agent, each viewing seemed to be like open house and I was upset to find some damage due to the lack of supervision.  

I discovered they didn't check if their viewers were proceedable when the agent told me that one viewer had said 'I like it so much I'm going to put my house straight on the market'. Bearing in mind the auction was the next month and had a four week completion date, I wasn't happy this person had been able to enter my house. 

 

thegreenone

When I sold my late Mum's flat in 2021, the EA wouldn't let anyone over the doormat who wasn't:  an FTB with everything in place, cash buyer (proven) or Under Offer with process started.

jrawle

Isn't there something of a chicken and egg situation here? If other estate agents impose the same rule, the sellers of the house you like can't have viewed any properties yet, either, as they have to wait until they have sold their house. Isn't it just as likely to hold up the chain while they are looking for somewhere to buy?

sheramber

Grezz24 said:

I completely 100% know the owner can do what they please and set their own rules etc, but would it not be very bad form for us to get a 'sale' with no intention of actually selling unless we found the perfect house we were after, but in order to actually view other homes we seem to be stuck needing to do this?

may seem common sense but we were new build FTBs for our current home.

Thanks

Similarly, it would be holding up your seller if  you offered on their house  and then hd to wait for a buyer for your house., who may have to wait for a buyer for their house.

Or , would you only be interested in viewers who  house was sold under contract/

Either way there is a hold up until the chain is ready to complete.

housebuyer143

People who are in no position to offer are time wasters in my opinion, in the sense that what is the point of even showing them around? 
My nan had dozens of viewers, some who did second viewings but none of them could offer because they hadn't sold or even marketed their house. It waste the sellers time getting the house ready. 

If your house is going to sell quick, then put it on the market and get an offer then go and view the one you want. 

lookstraightahead

It sounds like you want one party or another to wait for you. 

My solution would be to sell yours then move out, then buy so that you can move in quickly (rent in the middle).

you are on no reason to rush and you want your vendor to wait, which I think is why they're worried. It could take you years to sell. At present you're doing a bit of window shopping. 

pinkshoes

We sold a property and only allowed viewings from those who at least had their property on the market and were therefore serious about moving.

We also refused to take it off the market unless the offer came from someone who had actually sold.

It was a popular house and we had no issues selling. We then couldn't find anything we wanted to buy, so the buyer agreed to a higher price if we would break the chain and move out, so we moved in with our inlaws and put all our stuff in storage.

If you're serious about viewing it, then put your house on the market with the same EA. The EA will know if they have a buyer that would be interested.

A friend of mine spotted that her dream house was on the market. They'd only just finished a very long renovation project doing up their own house to make it into a perfect home, but this other house was their long term dream! They phoned the EA and explained, and the EA actually said he could sell theirs very quickly. Theirs sold in 48 hours so they then bought the dream house!