Estate Agent not allowing me enough time to measure up

faerielight

noo.. its been soo hard to find a bungalow with no stairs!!! It's taken me a year to find this one. .. I can't risk losing it,, it's been so hard to find one with no stairs going up to the bungalow.I will just have to make do. 

ReadySteadyPop

faerielight said:

noo.. its been soo hard to find a bungalow with no stairs!!! It's taken me a year to find this one. .. I can't risk losing it,, it's been so hard to find one with no stairs going up to the bungalow.I will just have to make do. 

Makes sense, but if you buy and rooms are the wrong size, what then?

saajan_12

ReadySteadyPop said:

saajan_12 said:

The purpose of viewings ahead of completion is primarily to decide if you want to buy the property. Initially to decide whether to make an offer and pre-exchange to double check the condition. Sometimes there's an additional viewing to check out survey findings and or get a second opinion - all in the decision making process. Beyond that, anything to get the property ready is for your convenience, but at the seller / agent's inconvenience. So its up to whatever they're willing to do.. there's no expectation on them to have a visit to measure up. 

The biggest inconvenience for a seller is if their buyer walks away, so smart sellers are going to let serious buyers poke around for a few hours with the tape measure, why would you scare away someone who is potentially going to give you a few hundred thousand pounds for your house!

That inconveniences the buyer just as much, to attend more viewings, find a new property, re-start surveys, searches, etc. Smart buyers are going not going to blow up a purchase based on waiting longer for blinds, why would you scare away someone who is potentially going to give you a house for your pounds! 

Tabieth

Certainly don’t do anything that may jeopardise the sale, that’s very bad advice. Some of it can easily wait - the measuring up for blinds for example - until after you’ve moved in. As others have said there are cheap, temporary options (such as travel blinds) that will tide you over. If there’s anything that’s absolutely essential (e.g. can your wheelchair for through the door) then make clear it’s one thing and won’t take long. No reasonable person will mind you coming over to measure up for that. But it’s likely to try the patience of the seller if you’re measuring up multiple windows for curtains. 

prowla

Maybe a laser measurer would speed things up?

oystercatcher

Just a reminder to OP , don't actually order or pay for anything for the new property until after you have exchanged. Just in case the deal falls through. 
Remember the old windolene on windows trick to block the view if you don't have any curtains or blinds. Haven't seen that for ages now but used to be a very common sight. 

faerielight

thanks guys.. The wheelchair does fit through the doors,i did get that measurement..  its more about the size of furniture using a wheelchair , as the rooms are smaller than my flat here. 

RAS

Very much agree that you avoid buying anything specific for the bungalow until after exchange. And maybe ask for some time between exchange and completion so you have time to sort things out?

Do you have a good friend who could go with you for a measure up, or even instead of you, after exchange? Explain that you are excited but need to know which furniture to sell and which to move? 

With regard to windows, in the short term think about this vehicle window screens with suckers? Or look at those spring loaded roods that fit inside the reveal? Add clip-ons, then just swag back in the day time? Try your local FB WhatsApp group? 

Any design friends (of friends) which can make a plan of your new place and existing furniture?

faerielight

it's sensible advice not to buy anything until exchange...it's a good idea to send someone else to measure when ive exchanged.. 

HillStreetBlues

It sounds like the EA is breaking the Equality Act. Because of your disability you want to know you can get around the property in your wheelchair with your furniture in place, a problem an non-disabled person won't have. The EA needs to make a reasonable adjustment for this, and giving you extra time would be that adjustment.