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Suspicious of seller and EA

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  • SeasideSally
    SeasideSally Posts: 110 Forumite
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    We put our flat on the market about a decade ago and then took it off again, and we did it again not long after that, and then removed it again. There was nothing sinister about it. I became ill and we couldn't move. Then, believing I was up to moving, we tried again, and found that I had been wrong. In the end, we stayed there another seven years. Sometimes life just gets in the way.
    Selling up and moving to the seasaw. Mortgage-free by 2020 :)
  • cloo
    cloo Posts: 1,291 Forumite
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    We saw a house we considered offering on that we later found out had been on and off the market for years.



    The fact was, it was just very oddly located - though detached, and rather nice, you actually had to drive through an archway at the bottom of a block of flats to get to it, as it was built on what was originally a janitor's bungalow. So it would always be a bit hard to find for deliveries. Is there anything a bit 'off' like that about it? (I'm wondering whether being off gas grid could be putting people off)
  • Davesnave
    Davesnave Posts: 34,741 Forumite
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    cloo wrote: »
    (I'm wondering whether being off gas grid could be putting people off)
    Probably not, as houses in rural locations are often nowhere near mains gas, or even mains drains. It goes with the territory, and any issues people might have as a result are resolvable in a variety of ways.
  • AnotherJoe
    AnotherJoe Posts: 19,622 Forumite
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    Crashy_Time wrote: »
    And in the last two we have the US raising interest rates and Brexit, people who want to sell now need to be dropping their prices considerably IMO.

    I'd say there are signs of that, but that doesn't necessarily mean that vendors will accept that reality. If they've really been unsuccessfully selling for 14 years the latter probably applies to them.
  • chunkytfg
    chunkytfg Posts: 844 Forumite
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    flayster wrote: »
    Shame I didn't know this before I made the offer. I am learning as I go along. I am just wondering why the same seller had it on the market various times over the past 7 years, seems to be two yearly pattern in relisting and the same time of year (Sept/Oct). I am thinking there is something not quite right here or maybe he just been unlucky? Should I dare to divulge I know this information and ask why he has put it on and off with various EAs?

    Personally I think these days with the age of the internet and everything being readily available most EA's wont be surprised if you know a lot about a property before you even view it.

    We recently viewed a property that had previously been converted into 2 flats and then back again to a single house. By the time we viewed it we had details of all the previous planning applications, council tax bands, and from street view we could see the time line from when all the conversions took place.

    I don't think we've been to see a single property we haven't checked sales history, previous listings if available and surrounding planning applications for. Seems like basic Due Diligence to us
    Those who risk nothing, Do nothing, achieve nothing, become nothing
    MFW #63 £0/£500
  • Cakeguts
    Cakeguts Posts: 7,627 Forumite
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    flayster wrote: »
    We recently viewed a house and put in an offer. The EA told us that there were other interested parties and the house hadn't been on the market for very long. The house is on the market for £109095 and we offered £97750 (refused) based on the house needed a new kitchen and cosmetic work (all rooms need redecorating). It is in a rural area and off gas grid. I have since discovered that the house has been on the market and taken back off again for 3 times over the past 7 years with prices varying between £95k to £104k with different EAs. The photos show the house looks more or less the same inside and out and no major work done since 2004. Should I be worried? I was going to increase my offer but based on this I am thinking of reducing it or withdrawing altogether. We are first time buyers so limited experience Grateful for any constructive advice please.


    You don't get money off just because the kitchen, bathroom and decorating is not to your taste.


    Lots of rural homes don't have mains gas. So you don't get money off for that either.



    Your offer was much too low for the vendor to consider it as a reasonable offer that is their choice.



    All you can do is offer what it is worth to you. If your offer is not acceptable to the vendor then you will need to find a different house.
  • greendoor665
    greendoor665 Posts: 126 Forumite
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    I think your approach to bidding is a little naive. Many houses will 'need' various improvements doing to bring them up to modern standards. That doesn't mean you can knock the cost of those improvements off the asking price. The seller may have already priced the property accordingly.

    It's not as if the dated kitchen and decor is a a secret or has only been discovered after a survey - it's clear for all to see. By the same logic you could view a house in which the downstairs is too small so it 'needs' an extension to get it up to your standards and therefore knock 40k off the asking price. It's just not realistic.

    What you need to to is compare it to similar properties in the local area, decide how much you think it's worth and base your offer on that (perhaps starting off lower, giving yourself room to go up).
  • hb2
    hb2 Posts: 1,398 Forumite
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    A previous neighbour of ours used to put their house up for sale quite frequently, then take it off again when they couldn't find anything to buy that, for the price, they liked as much as their own. They did move eventually, most of us neighbours thought it would never happen.
    It's not difficult!
    'Wander' - to walk or move in a leisurely manner.
    'Wonder' - to feel curious.
  • googler
    googler Posts: 16,103 Forumite
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    flayster wrote: »
    Should I be worried?

    No.


    I was going to increase my offer but based on this I am thinking of reducing it or withdrawing altogether. We are first time buyers so limited experience Grateful for any constructive advice please.

    You offer what you think the house is worth to you. If you don't get an acceptance or refusal, you tell the sellers they have until (insert date here) to accept or decline.

    If they accept, you move forward to buy

    If they decline, you either tender another offer or look for another house.

    It really is that simple.

    You're buying the house as it is right now. Whether it has been offered for sale before is an aside.
  • Thrugelmir
    Thrugelmir Posts: 89,546 Forumite
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    greendoor665 wrote: »
    It's not as if the dated kitchen and decor is a a secret or has only been discovered after a survey - it's clear for all to see. By the same logic you could view a house in which the downstairs is too small so it 'needs' an extension to get it up to your standards and therefore knock 40k off the asking price. It's just not realistic.

    I recall some potential buyers of an old house I owned. Knocking £35k off their offer as they needed the money to remodel the downstairs layout. Couldn't understand our reluctance to engage with them any further. Takes all sorts.
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