Is this situation classed as under offer?

sherbie28

Dustyevsky said:

sherbie28 said:

 It's a 4 bed detached, nice road, newish build but I think the houses behind might be shared ownership or HA rented. The gardens are not well kept. It's also a corner plot so all traffic into next road  (cul de sac) will travel past and the house itself doesn't have a front garden so sits very close to the road. 

I don't know if I'm overthinking it all or if it's normal to consider all these things?

It's completely normal, and to visit the location a number of times on different days and times, just to get a feel for the area.

Without wishing to presume too much, it does sound as if you / your parents should do some more research into the house buying process, and do plenty of viewings. You aren't likely to find the perfect place, but if you have realistic lists of 'must-haves,' 'nice-to-haves,' and 'mustn't haves' (!) it's much easier to evaluate each house. 

Viewing property both exciting and stressful, especially if you feel you are in strong competition with others. On the subject of assisting parents in their search, we took our daughter with us when we last viewed property, thinking she'd notice things we'd miss, and speak her mind. That's what happened, and although it was sometimes humbling, having an extra pair of eyes and a detached opinion did help us to make a sound choice. We're still here, 16 years on!

You'd probably be quite surprised to hear we've been looking for over a year and have only viewed 3 houses. Having never done this before I find it odd walking around someone else's house, I'd like to open cupboards to get a feel of what would go where etc or just stand in a room and look around imagining if it was my bedroom/living room etc how I'd have it set up, stare out of the window etc. I feel like the agent wants to move me on to the next room and I can't really get a feel for the place. I find it really alien and can't believe that after spending 30 mins in a  house you're supposed to know that you want to spend £300,000+ on it. 

vic_sf49

I think if it's THE ONE, your parents would know straight away. I did with this one. In fact I probably decided faster about that, than I did for what I'm having for tea today. No, I'm not kidding. 

Ask for a 2nd viewing. Ask for a longer 2nd viewing. If they're/you're trying to force yourself to like it, it's probably best to keep looking, unless you need to buy immediately. 

Dustyevsky

sherbie28 said:

Dustyevsky said:

sherbie28 said:

 It's a 4 bed detached, nice road, newish build but I think the houses behind might be shared ownership or HA rented. The gardens are not well kept. It's also a corner plot so all traffic into next road  (cul de sac) will travel past and the house itself doesn't have a front garden so sits very close to the road. 

I don't know if I'm overthinking it all or if it's normal to consider all these things?

It's completely normal, and to visit the location a number of times on different days and times, just to get a feel for the area.

Without wishing to presume too much, it does sound as if you / your parents should do some more research into the house buying process, and do plenty of viewings. You aren't likely to find the perfect place, but if you have realistic lists of 'must-haves,' 'nice-to-haves,' and 'mustn't haves' (!) it's much easier to evaluate each house. 

Viewing property both exciting and stressful, especially if you feel you are in strong competition with others. On the subject of assisting parents in their search, we took our daughter with us when we last viewed property, thinking she'd notice things we'd miss, and speak her mind. That's what happened, and although it was sometimes humbling, having an extra pair of eyes and a detached opinion did help us to make a sound choice. We're still here, 16 years on!

You'd probably be quite surprised to hear we've been looking for over a year and have only viewed 3 houses. Having never done this before I find it odd walking around someone else's house, I'd like to open cupboards to get a feel of what would go where etc or just stand in a room and look around imagining if it was my bedroom/living room etc how I'd have it set up, stare out of the window etc. I feel like the agent wants to move me on to the next room and I can't really get a feel for the place. I find it really alien and can't believe that after spending 30 mins in a  house you're supposed to know that you want to spend £300,000+ on it. 

Right, so you're being super-selective, probably measuring what you see on Rightmove etc against the kind of criteria lists I suggested, which is all good. However, if your folks have been looking for a year, they should know the answer to your main question. The legal side is deadly boring, but very useful to be on top of it in certain situations, and especially if dealing with a spivvy EA, whom you might not trust!

Although I've only viewed rural property in recent times, and rarely felt hurried, there have been odd occasions where the agent has looked at their watch too often, or seemed disinterested and hurrying us along. I suspect that happens more in urban areas. To that, I'd say treat the first viewing as an extension of the sieving process you're already doing on the internet. I'd never make up my mind on a single viewing, and I'd expect more time and info on a second visit. This also allows for the odd 'off the usual radar' property, which might pop up. We did around 50 visits and roughly 25 viewings, rather than drive-bys, before buying. The property we bought was nothing like what we'd searched for when starting out, and in a very different location.

I agree, 30 minutes is not enough time to make a life-changing decision. I'd want 3 viewings, the last one with an experienced builder, who would probably wish to go in the loft, open drain covers etc. It might feel intrusive, but all I can say is, no one's refused, and we turned down 2 properties after doing that + going online to check out local plans, planning applications, flood risk etc. There's a wealth of info out there.  

Nobody died!  Good luck with your choice, or with the continued search, whichever it is.

BrilliantButScary

Moving home can be daunting for everyone, particularly as you age. The idea of being a homeowner, with all the responsibilities that brings, rather than being a tenant, can also 'weigh' on people's minds. Without being presumptuous, would the following checklist help with your decisions.

https://greenwayassociates.co.uk/moving-house-at-70/

In regard to the house you mention in your post, I would want to know why the current vendors are moving. Not being set back from the road, would put me off, particularly if the front door opens directly onto it. I would be concerned about the safety of pets or children running out.

I can see the attraction of a new build, i.e. little to do as regards maintenance, decorating etc, but my concerns would be build quality, the estate is not yet finished and potentially lack of community facilities.


I assume, perhaps wrongly, that you live with your parents. If this is the case, have they/you given any thought, as to what will happen, when one or both potentially needs care or dies? Do you have siblings, who would expect to inherit from the proceeds of the house being sold, potentially making you homeless?

sherbie28

I do live with my parents (I'm in my late 40s) so whilst viewing it is on my mind about what might happen in the future. I think they are going to put something in place to secure my future at the house as my siblings have their own homes and families. Thank you for the link 'moving house at 70', I'll give it a read.