I always feel rushed, especially as if I am the only person viewing. I only get a chance to glace at things.
My offer as be rejected but before deciding if i want to make a higher offer I'd want a second viewing. Is this normal? I dont want to annoy the estate agent but equally this is going to be my biggest purchase ever..
Stop worrying about annoying the estate agent. They need your business not the other way around.
Yup. If anything you should be doing everything to annoy them. Ask constant questions, schedule viewings..... Make them do their dam job and earn that white bmw one series on finance and the loafer boat shoes
As an agent that drives a Ford Focus & wears formal loafers as opposed to boat shoes (slip them off easy in houses); I adore this comment.
And original comment is 100% spot on.
The first viewing is an emotional one. Generally you’ll fall in love with the house or you won’t. The second is logical and you’ll spot things you didn’t before which, most of the time, will confirm your decision. It can go the other way naturally but tends not to.
You literally pay them a lot of money for them to just find the right key to open the front door. EAs are so useless, so don’t ever feel rushed by them
You don’t pay agents anything the owner of the house does
I wonder with whose money they pay the agent? 🤔
The sellers money, from the sale of their house
It's a bit circular really, it's the sellers money from the sale of their house paid for by the buyer.
Anything that works in that circle ends up with the price of the commodity being increased by the fee's to sell it. Same with the likes of selling on Etsy or Ebay, and paying the fee's on there. You just increase the price of the item to avoid the profit lowering.
Agents act on behalf of both seller and buyer, a position most qualified professions are unable to take, but agents are able to buy virtue of owning a tartan pattern suit and wearing loafers.
As such they have a fiduciary duty towards the buyer, despite not being paid, but by the nature of their role.
They usually misunderstand this as a personal challenge to lie as much as possible, even when the truth is easier to tell. They do this despite the huge amount of time they also have to spend bathing in their swamps and tending to their eggs.
Technically yes, but more than likely there'll be no shortage of offers.
Second viewings are totally normal, some people will even do 3rd viewings!
Edit: sometimes people will bring another person on second viewing e.g. more experienced friend / parent or a builder to see if there are any obvious issues and get a different perspective before making a huge financial decision.
This is what we did! Took a friend with experience and a builder she knew to get a professional opinion before offering.
Second viewings should be normal but some properties in my area gets advertised and removed from the market after less than a day. 50+ viewings with no time slots, useless estate agent that doesn't know anything and expect 10-15 offers with no chance of a second viewing.
This, we viewed the house we bought, then had a second viewing with family. We made the offer after that.
I had people want third viewings.
It turned out that they were intending on bringing some tradesmen with them, so they could measure things up and discuss options to save them time before they moved in.
I didn't mind them coming round for fifteen minutes or so for a look-see, but it seemed that they wanted to spend an hour or two there and measure everything!
They were difficult people. I declined their request as I had enough stress on my plate already.
Were the third viewing people who had an offer accepted?
I would quite like to get a chance to take some measurements of the place I’m buying because I’d rather get rid of stuff that won’t fit than bring it with me on moving day and find out then. I also have some awkward stuff like a piano that I need to figure out how to get into the property. I’ve only had the one viewing but don’t want to take the piss, so was planning to ask if I could come with 1 or 2 other people so we can measure a couple of rooms each and be out of the way quickly, but seeing your comment has made me worry this is going to be too much of an imposition?
It's also normal to do viewings and send round tradespeople once you've had an offer accepted. We had builders, electrician etc come round for quotes (realistically if a lot of work needs doing you'd do this before putting in an offer)
This . I did two viewings to begin with then another with an electrician, then another with a gas safety person then another to measure things not to mention the viewings I did of the surrounding area at different days and times. I'm not spending hundreds of thousands and only doing one or two viewings.
It all depends upon the people, your time, and how you feel about it.
We had accepted the offer from the people who wanted the third viewing, but it was declined because they didn't really want a third viewing. They actually wanted to spend the morning there with a number of tradesmen, measuring up the place and then discussing what options they had for each room.
If you've ever had people come in to give you a quote for work, then you will know what I mean. I wasn't comfortable with a stream of strangers in the house for that long, not with kids (mine and some of theirs) while they went through every single room. It was too much!
They had already asked me to provide measurements in a couple of the rooms, and I had spent time providing those, but now they also wanted to do all those measurements again too, but have the tradesmen do them.
The wife was quite critical of the house on the viewings, very vocal on the things that she didn't like about the house and my choices of decor etc.
In the same call as requesting this third viewing, they suggested that once everything was measured and the new wardrobe etc designed, then perhaps I could move some of my things in the garage up against the wall so that they could store their incoming furniture there - before they had exchanged, never mind completed!
I said no thanks, but the guy suggested that if the stuff accidentally turned up early then surely I would store it rather than refuse delivery. Accidentally early, my arse!
He also wanted to start work on the garden. Well, I say he, but actually he wanted me to change things and pay for it.
There were other things too, but these were demanding and difficult people. He wanted to view the house before it went on the market formally, so we said fine. He was happy with the price. When he found out that we were selling as part of a divorce he seriously low balled us on an offer, as he told the estate agent that me must be desperate to sell if it's a divorce sale. We weren't.
We had the last laugh, as we declined and went ahead with the open day, and ended up with £10k over asking price - by the same guy! It was ludicrous really. We had agreed to accept an offer £15k below asking, and he ended up paying £10k extra. Karma!
Anyway, I decided these people were too much trouble so I declined further viewings on the basis that they could sort everything out when they moved in, and they did exactly that.
Your request sounds like a reasonable one tho. You could either go there with friends to measure up, or ask the owner to take measurements. If you are using a removals firm then they could do that for you. It's all about being polite and reasonable, that will get you a long way. Don't bombard the sellers with requests, and two or three viewings is fine. Play it by ear.
If you do find that something won't fit, then there are storage rental units all over the place, so you can put the awkwardly sized items in there for a few weeks while you make your mind up. They can be hired at short notice.
Good luck!
I don’t know why you are getting down voted. You were being reasonable yet they were clearly taking the piss.
Well, it's Reddit, isn't it? 🤷🏻♀️😂
Wow...just wow. This story would be right at home on r/entitledpeople
When I bought my house as a FTB my sellers didn't let me have a third viewing (even though my offer had been accepted and they had proof that all of my documentation was in place etc).
On one hand, they had 2 young kids. On the other, I had paid over the home report, was being extremely flexible with exchange dates, and I really wanted to have sofas that fit the living room (couldn't estimate the size of the room as the presence of cupboard doors and a staircase made the floorplan measurements inaccurate).
In the end I sent an email empathising, and asked if the sellers could please tell me the measurements of their current sofas, which they did. Perhaps you might have luck with doing this instead?
To be fair, I’ve only had the one viewing so far and the owners (who have no kids, but I think do work from home and have a dog) have been really good with sorting out times for the mortgage valuation and level 2 survey to happen, so I haven’t actually asked about a 2nd viewing and have no reason to suspect they wouldn’t be happy with it - I’m just worried about pushing my luck with them. I guess the worst they can say is no, anyway
What on earth? If you’re selling a house you should expect people to view at least twice (market allowing ofc) and spending up to an hour checking the place out is totally normal for a serious buyer. Clearly you either live somewhere where demand is so high you can do what you want or you don’t want to sell your house.
Or clearly the buyers were very entitled and unreasonable people, who bombarded us non stop each day with one thing after another, to the point where we were sick to the back teeth of them.
I did the thing of viewing for as long as they liked each time, and they spent around an hour on the second viewing.
Once their offer was accepted, that's when the bombardment and unreasonable time consuming requests began.
These are the only buyers that have behaved like that, in my personal experience. Everyone else has been much calmer and more reasonable.
It was a seller's market. Three parties were interested in buying it. It's a pity that they offered the most money, as I would have preferred one of the other two buyers, but I didn't have the sole choice of who to accept.
A year after the sale they were still phoning and texting, asking me things about the house or wanting me to look at something, or hint at giving them money. I had to block them.
To put it into context, they asked me 4 times if my house had ever been at risk of flooding. They wanted me to knock on the doors of strangers with a list of questions for them, check down the local library, etc.
They had visited the house. They could see that the house was located on the top of a hill. The flood waters would have had to have been of depth equal to the height of two regular houses before it started lapping at the driveway.
That was just one question on the form. They were like this with many of the questions on the form, querying everything multiple times.
Their questions were ludicrous time wasters. The third viewing was another thing, they were going to be for hours, maybe all day, as they were booking in a number of trades to come view.
On completion day they turned up early in the morning to see the house, and wandered around looking at my stuff and asking the removal people to make them tea.
I would have been very happy not to sell to them, regardless of what the market was like.
It sounds like a pita but if they paid a lot more than anyone else maybe that’s the price you had to pay. Glad you completed though people like this I’d expect to drag that process out even more. I still don’t think an hour for a second viewing is too ridiculous but within your context I can see why you were wary.
Well after talking about it a bit more, it came out that they actually wanted a lot more than one hour for the third viewing, which was when I said no. An hour would have been ok.
It seemed that a tradesman would be arriving with them, and that first one was going to be for an hour - but there was mention of 'maybe two or three others' that they were expecting to turn up during the course of the morning, including a kitchen designer looking to do a layout for them! I've had a kitchen designer in before, and he took the best part of two hours to go through everything.
We were nowhere near exchanging. They hadn't even had the survey done by that point. I didn't want to store their deliveries in my garage either, in case anything was damaged or missing.
It was good that we made extra money on the sale, that was nice. Half went to my ex, but that seemed fair enough.
I heard through the neighbours that they kept changing things, were never satisfied with the house, and sold it again within three years.
An hour would be tops imho. I took 45 mins to view today with my builders and that was ample, 1hr I would’ve been wasting time
But you still sold to them, so not sure why you’re moaning. Should have sold it to the lower bidder if they were that annoying.
I wanted to drop them and go to the next buyers, who came across as really nice people, but my ex would not agree to it.
That’s a shame.
You are taking thousands of pounds as commissions from the seller. If you can't even spend an hour with someone who already had his offer accepted and is committed why the fuck are you dping for that money?
I'm not an estate agent.
I'm someone that had the misfortune to have a very difficult and demanding buyer.
The third viewing was going to be much longer than an hour, and was just the tip of the iceberg of their unreasonableness.
lol didn’t you say you got irked because they didn’t like your decor ? So what . No one needs to like what you did with your house . You shouldn’t have been on site when the viewings were taking place
You do you, but I'd forger about a house instantly if the seller wouldn't let me visit with a tradesman -- and so should everyone else.
And you do you too.
Personally I would feel it's a bit cheeky wanting to take that long taking tradesmen in before you've even exchanged, as I'd be inconveniencing someone without knowing if the sale is actually going to go through or not.
Different people have different circumstances, and you do whatever works best for you in the moment.
If you want to spend a million pounds or so with less than an hours due diligence, that is 100% your adventure. Just be aware that the more efficient and professional buyers won't bother with that.
Uh, that's not how the housing market works, and this wasn't a million pound house.
The viewings are not due diligence, they are really only to see if you like the house and the area.
They visited three times.
The first time they were here about 45 minutes, the second time approx an hour.
The third time was when they booked themselves onto the open day, when they were here at least another hour or so, but then a number of other people were looking around too, so I didn't count that.
It was after the open day that they made their best offer, which was accepted. That was when they became a massive pain about everything and became demanding.
That was when they wanted another viewing, with the tradesmen, that was clearly going to be several hours long.
I would never expect someone to buy a house after a few hours looking around.
Your solicitor does the due diligence in the legal pack, and that - combined with the survey - is what convinces you whether or not to go ahead with the purchase.
However, these people wanted me to do things like knock on the doors of neighbours that had kids, and ask their ages and where they go to school, because they wanted to know where to send their kids to school, and with whom. That's an insane request from a buyer! I'd have looked a right creep, banging on strangers'doors and asking for personal information on their kids, lol. That was an easy 'no, I'm not doing that' .
Well, I'm not as rich as you; I wouldn't spend even 500k on anything at all without 'an hour or two' of checking.
I should note, though, as someone who's bought 7 properties in the UK and sold 4, that that absolutely is exactly how the housing market works.; someone who wouldn't let me take a tradesman round for an hour or two is either hiding something, or is going to be a pain to work with later. And if I told someone they can only take a builder round after exchange, they'd rightly laugh at me. For most of us regular folks, buying a house is a damn big deal.
If you've bought and sold that many properties (and appear to still own three of them) then you are clearly much better off financially than I am. If you are imagining that I'm rich, then that probably explains your super aggressive tone.
I am just a regular person and single parent, and buying a house is a big deal for me too. It sounds like you own multiple properties, so I guess you're a landlord.
However, buyers don't have the right to take the piss in the purchasing process,. It was a seller's market at the time, just like now, and these buyers were definitely taking the Mickey.
The tradesmen that they hired weren't there to check anything on the building or make any structural alterations.
There wasn't anything structurally wrong with the building, and the survey that they later paid for raised no issues. They kept messaging a year afterwards, and there were no issues with the house.
They hinted at things like perhaps I should contribute to the new ensuite, but they admitted that there was nothing actually wrong with the existing one except that they didn't like it because it was old fashioned.
One tradesmen was for new wardrobes all over that they wanted making. There was a guy to give a quote for carpets, the kitchen designer, and there was a hint that they were trying to line up a plumber - probably because the ensuite was very dated.
I urged them to get a full survey done, and eventually they agreed. They later hinted that perhaps I should contribute to the cost of their survey as it showed no problems with the house, so they felt that they had wasted money on it. I declined. You should always get a full survey, in my opinion.
If there was a damp problem or a leak then I would certainly have agreed to a tradesman to come in and assess it prior to exchange because that would affect the price negotiation, and I would expect that to happen.
You might decide that you're going to pull out of a house purchase if you can't get a quote for carpets or get a new kitchen designed before you've even exchanged, but most people leave stuff like that until they actually own the house. They would certainly wait until the survey was in their hands.
However, I think that you just want to be angry over my imaginary situation, and nothing I can say here will convince you of anything different than what you want to believe. After all, if I own a house then I must be rich and evil, right?
But then, this is Reddit, so you expect crap like that and people being judgemental, and jumping to conclusions on here.
🤷🏻♀️
Then it’s on you for still having their number and engaging with them and not blocking it .
Dude, I'm not being aggressive. I'm just giving correct but unwanted advice to someone who maybe knows less than me about the market. You ain't gotta read it, any more than I read your epic! Peace!
Second visit is totally essential. The first one can be overwhelming as you're getting used to the layout of the property and which room could be used for what. And yes, they can feel rushed because as a home seller you'll have a constant stream of time wasters
By making a second visit, you're usually giving serious consideration to buying the house - you need to be checking for structural integrity, leaks, whether the heating works, any thing you'd need to remedy after moving in etc.
I'd also visit the neighborhood at different times of the day - is the road blocked off by school traffic at 3pm, is it on a noisy route home from a pub at 11pm ?
Never made a second viewing. But I have bought 4 houses so far, and been happy with all of them (why 4 houses then? Moving location for work).
Each to their own. Personally I'd rather do a bit of extra due diligence for committing to a 25 year contract, but I have moved less than you (two houses in 23 years)
Always do a second viewing and at a different time of the day, ideally a weekend when the true parking situation is usually more visible.
And late at night on Friday or Sat
I am a fan of 2 viewings at least. First one is for 'vibes', second is for details. This is partly cos, at least if it is an occupied property, I feel slightly awkward and inhibited from doing all the things I need to do e.g. opening all the windows, running all the taps etc etc.
Always do a second viewing, maybe even a third. I've heard horror stories from buyers about people who have done 6+ viewings and then pulled out, so don't take the piss, but you're right - it's a huge investment and you'd be wise to view more than once.
As a seller, we've had a couple of second viewings, and always welcomed them. I'd much prefer you take your time, I understand it's weird poking around someone else's house but I want you to be sure the place is right for you - a good seller will always tell you if they have a meeting or something they need to be away for, and if it's an estate agent showing you round they need to work for you.
Hey, I’m one of them sellers with that horror story. One buyer who viewed 5 times each around an hour long (ring doorbell notifications) who then pulled out on exchange day because they ‘weren’t feeling it anymore’. I didn’t mind the first three but then it just got stupid as it was almost a viewing every week.
Literally yours was the horror story I was talking about, I think - I remember you posting about them "not feeling it any more"! Absolutely heartbreaking, there should be a max limit on viewings but you never think something like that will happen
Yay, I’m reddit famous 😂.
I just thought they were overexcited FTB so let them do it no matter how grinding it was for me.
1st see if the house will work for you, looking at it with a positive eye.
2nd You're looking for how it won't work for you, looking for specific issues, looking at neighbours houses, making notes of questions for owners, and things to ask the surveyor to check for you.
3rd after an offer is accepted or the process has started, take a second impartial person, get their impression, what issues they see etc. Speck to neighbours, they might share information on the house you didn't know.
And ideally the final visit, after exchanging, check house hasn't fallen down look for where utilities are and stop clock. Check house hasn't deteriorated since the offer was put in, figure out how moving in will work (moving van parking, maybe say hi to neighbours and give them a heads up to moving day etc). This is especially important if you're buying a house that has been empty for a period of time as no one may have visited it in months. If it's rented prior to sale, make sure tenants have moved out prior to completing.
Obviously these might not be possible in all purchases but you're buying the biggest purchase of your lives, it's time well spent. You can obviously do more visits than this, but remember to be sensitive and know the reason people are selling. If it's rented then it'll be more difficult to do, if they're downsizing due to financial difficulties or divorce then they're not going to want too much disruption. Also the state of the house on the first viewing will likely be different on the first visit compared to after an offer has been accepted, they've got your offer, they're unlikely to make so much effort later on.
This! All other replies that mention annoyance at 3rd or even 2nd viewings, or some of them pulling out of a sale, what world do you live in? It's buying a house, not a frying pan. Of course, I would expect people to want to scrutinise the place just as I would if buying. Oh no, let me just take the seller and estate ag's word for it case god forbid someone might get annoyed
This, except the final viewing should be right before exchange not after. If anything has gone wrong with the house you have no legal recourse after exchange so check everything before!
Never worry about annoying estate agents, they annoy all of us! Make them do their damn jobs for once 😅
My second viewing is in overalls with a torch
Me too
I've always seen a first viewing as more of a recon mission. Often they are squeezed in and real estate agents seem to expect you to take about 10 minutes. Obviously that's not close to enough for an informed decision, I've spent way longer than that the first time I bought a motorcycle - and that was about £2k...
Know your market too. In the Uk right now it is a buyers’ market - ask for whatever you need! My sister lives on the west coast of the us where it is still a sellers’ market: there if you want it, say yes quickly and pay what’s asked.
Don’t let them rush you. If they take you round and you don’t feel done, tell them (don’t ask) you’re going to have another walk round in your own.
I think it’s more normal not to make an offer at all if you want a second viewing rather than second being about higher offer. If you’ve not offered yet but say you like the property and may well offer, they may be more keen to let you do a second viewing.
But in fast markets, sellers sometimes don’t need to bother with second viewings. In a slower market, they’d be wise to if it means another offer.
I disagree with the walking around on their own. Sure I wouldn’t expect an estate agent to be on their shoulder but they should be at least in the doorway of whatever room they are in keeping an eye on them.
Imagine coming back and finding your jewellery box has been stolen and your dead grandmothers / parents jewellery is stolen. Most crimes are opportunistic.
Me: Hey Mr EA, I put my jewellery box in a drawer just before I left to stop it being stolen. Ive just got back and gone to get it but it’s missing.
EA: Well you see the viewer insisted they wanted to look around on their own.
I’ve viewed with agents and owners and never had them stay so close, even owners have stood in the hall to let me wander. I did my own viewings, it was a small flat but I let people out of my sight.
I went to view a property. The estate agent was late and by the time we’d finished there were two couples waiting outside. They never give enough time. Absolutely go for second viewings, I’m on my third with the house I’m in the process of buying.
We did a second viewing, and took a laser measurement tool to verify the dimensions!
How were the measurements? Bang on or complete fiction?
Bang on, which was surprising! I think because the sellers were the first owners, they probably took the measurements directly from the new build paperwork.
Making me think though... I have never checked the measurements of a property! Maybe I should.
I timed our viewings. Most were 20-30min. I wasn’t alone and maybe that helps. I also asked to take photos and I could scrutinise the photos after to learn more. It sounds like not long but after a few you know what you’re looking for.
I did second viewings for about 1/4 properties I viewed, but not the house we bought.
How long are your viewing taking you? Are you getting distracted by things you don’t need to know at viewing 1 or things that will be changed shortly after you move in anyway?
When you go to view, do you have an idea of what you are going to see? I like to think of it all as “what do I need to see in person that I can’t get from Rightmove?” Maybe if it smells, maybe a room/wall they didn’t photo, maybe if the stairs feel too narrow, etc.
Depends. If it's a house that I don't like, maybe 20-30 min max as I don't want to look like I am rushing things or that I didn't like their house. If I like the house and consider putting an offer, probably ~1+h as apart from looking for any issues, I go through every room multiple of times imagining how will I change it. Also, I like talking to the owners so we build some rapport with them.
Always a second viewing if you want to put in an offer especially if you were rushed the first time. Be more assertive with the EA :)
I actually did a second viewing with the owner showing me around. Good and bad to it, as my guard was down and she hard sold the house to me. Ended up buying it but have some regrets. Lies were told and mistakes were made on my end. Take your time, don’t let the agent bully you into anything. Don’t listen their words, they don’t work for you.
I would always recommend second viewings, remember you're spending most likely the highest amount of money on a single thing in your life. It's going to be a multi year commitment and somewhere you spend the majority of you time. Take your time and be confident in your decision, if you need a 2nd , 3rd or even 4th viewing then ask for one.
It easy forget that they’re essentially a salesman that makes commission, they want to sell that house so if they think you’re a genuine buyer they will test you.
In this case I think the agent might recognise you want the house and could be trying to squeeze you. Unless it’s your dream home I recommend feigning disinterest by not following up the rejection, they could well come back towards your offer depending on the sellers’s situation. Do you know if they’re in a chain?
I would only worry about annoying the estate agent if you are an investor and you need a relationship with them beyond this property. My best advice, is up the offer to what you are comfortable with and then ask for a further viewing when agreed... But get it in quick if you can before you have to pay any initial fees with your solicitor. Then that way, if you decide you might have over offered you can pull out little stress for everyone.
I've viewed hundreds of properties in my time and I can send you a checklist I use (alright this is as an investor but it is stull very relevant) but it will definitely help you know what to look for in terms of things that are going to cost to put right,
Of course, one you have agreed, make sure you get a decent survey done on the property but do that after that second viewing.
It depends on the situation, if they’ve rejected because they have multiple other higher offers then I wouldn’t expect to get a second viewing.
View once, then ask to go and measure up go at a different time of day for each visit.
Always do a second viewing and bring someone who has no interest in the purchase. They will see things you won’t do.
As many times as needed, especially in the evening, to see how the neighbours behave. 🤔
I viewed my house four times (once on my own, with my partner, with my sister who is an architect and a second time with my partner) and had a survey and a roofing survey. If I’d not been allowed to do any of these I wouldn’t have progressed the offer. When I sold my house it was sold on a “viewing day” but then the buyer asked for a few times to check things and measure stuff, estate agent had the key and I just made sure I was out when they came…..
I’ve only ever done 1, I generally know pretty quick if I want the house and what I can afford. You have a survey done if you want things checking over properly. Our buyer has had 3 so far (2 after offer was accepted) plus a full survey, which I understand but it’s getting pretty annoying. Return your paperwork and get the sale complete, then you can look some more 😂
I did a second viewing to do some measuring - if you're offering don't see why you wouldn't if there are things you'd like to see again or double check.
We had 3 viewings for my first house.
The first viewing was just me and my partner, the second with my brother and father. Third with a surveyor which we paid to come.
If they don't want a survey done. It's a red flag.
If they're rushing you out. It's a red flag.
Even with 3 viewings and a professional attending we didn't spot everything.
I wouldn’t buy a bicycle without a second look at it.
I viewed my property 3 times before putting in an offer, it is the single most expensive purchase you will do and you need to ensure it is right for you and that any faults have been highlighted, the more you go, the more you will notice what's potentially wrong with it (if anything). We were sometimes looking at 3 or 4 properties a day and they all start to merge into one.
Quite often 3. First to get onto short list. Second typically to confirm it’s the right house. Check with more diligence/second opinion.
Third may not be a viewing as such and well into the process, perhaps close to exchange, and for measuring up for potential furniture orders etc
I always go round and twice on the first viewing. I immediately forget everything otherwise and on the second time round I can think about changes I might make eg changing use of rooms.
Same here. For the 1st property I did two visits (~15min) before putting an offer and a 3rd one with a tradesman (~1hour) after the offer was accepted and some issues were brought up during the survey. House fell through for non-related reasons.
2nd property: First visit was 15min, 2nd visit was longer (the EA left after 30min as the current tenant, that was present and is vacating the property for the sale to go through, and us got along well and stayed chatting for over an hour 🤣🤣). Offer accepted and a 3rd visit was scheduled after that for measurements and a cuppa with the departing tenant.
I’ve always done two viewings, first by myself to weed out the nopes, second with someone else for another set of eyes/opinions. Have always offered after a second viewing…. Then have always asked for a third viewing as things progressed to do a bit of measuring up (not loads but things you may need to sort immediately - eg main bedroom window for curtains/blinds). I’d say 15-20 mins first, 20-30 mins for seconds and same again for third. Never felt rushed by the agent and third viewing have usually been let in by vendor and pretty much left to get on with it!
I viewed twice, first to view the place and the second time to measure up for fittings and furniture etc. the vendors were more than happy. You're potentially giving them tens of thousands in profit, the least they can is facilitate.
Annoy the estate agent, they deserve it
Second is totally normal. I did second viewings twice for 2 houses before i made the best and final offer. Of course, bring an experienced friend who has been involved in the process before to give you an unbiased opinion.
First viewing is just to wander around and get a feel for the place. Take as long as you want. If you like the property, arrange a second viewing. Between the first and second viewing spend some time wandering the neighbourhood. Second viewing, don't worry about being forensic, run the hot water taps, ask to peek in the loft (if the property has one), scrutinise with a critical eye. It lets the buyer know you are serious. You are about to make a serious financial commitment, you are entitled to your research.
Would certainly try and take someone different as well to a second or third viewing as they might be more experienced in situation but also different people just notice different things
Second viewing is essential.
My buyers had a third viewing before offer and are now asking for a 4th to measure up. They are excited and cautious FTBs and I totally get it but I'll admit I'm starting to get a bit irritated.
How lower much lower the asking price did you offer?
I’d say view once or twice prior to offering, then view at least one more time shortly before exchange so they don’t forget what a hoover is.
People will spend ages looking at a new car and taking it for a drive but a fraction of the time on looking at a house which is easily 25x the price.
Very normal and should be the norm when buying what for most is the most expensive purchase they will make.
We did 3 viewings before putting in an offer then a 4th just before exchange.
I’ve viewed the house we’re buying 3 times now, after that 3rd time we put in an offer. It’s been a few weeks and I want to measure up etc so going back for a 4th. The estate agents can earn their cash! Also, this property is vacant so I feel less bad about going so often.
Nothing wrong with a 2nd viewing. It’s also good if the current owner is there as they can tell you far more about the house and the area. Estate agents often can’t answer pretty basic questions.
How many dates have you done with your partner before engaging with him/her?
Why mlre than 1?
15 mins max in England.
Usually see 7-10 places in a day.
Good places would have multiple offers on Day one, so no second viewings. Really good places wouldn't even go on the market. Really, really good places would have offers placed on them without the owners/vendors starting the process.
(This is still several orders of magnitude easier than in other countries where there would be 50-60 couples in parallel looking at a flat/house during a 1h slot ... then the SMS/text bidding would start).
We did 4 viewings in the end because the house was a state and the estate agents we're so rubbish. When we were asking for money to be knocked off after the first viewing they even had the nerve to suggest we'd already seen the house and the price reflected the state it was in so we shouldn't ask for lower.
I'm sorry Barry I didn't notice the degradation of the double glazing in the 10 minutes you whisked me around a month ago.
Go for as many viewings as you need.
We’ve just had an offer accepted and did 3 viewings before offering. We wanted to make sure our offer was affordable and reasonable considering what work it needed, and we also wanted to make sure we were sure as we won’t be planning on moving again!
Two at the very least. It's such an important decision. I went for a 3rd to get additional measurements and photos as well so we could get a plan together. 3rd viewing cheeky? Maybe but the owner and EA was fine with it.
I usually view about 3 to 5 times:
Once just to see if it's interesting. Once with someone else, fot a thorough look and some questions. Once with a builder or other experienced person, to test the taps, examine the cracks, do a few damp readings, etc.
And then 1 or 2 more times with family members to agree how we all feel and decide the offer.
I also visit the neighborhood, talk to people, hang around at midnight on Friday and Saturday, and so on. And I read nearby planning history and house sale history.
Houses are a big deal, you'd be mad to do less.
Second viewing is completely normal - I remember when we viewed our house we were like appointment 15 of 16 with ten minute slots - the estate agent actually remarked that the average person views a car for longer than they’ll view their house, which always stuck with me
Totally normal to want 2 views if you're serious.
As an estate agent a second viewing tells us that you’re keen to buy. We’d rather you take more time looking and stick with it than pull out last min
We had 3 viewings before making our final offer. The sellers were very understanding. It's a big chunk of money we're spending, and we wanted to make sure the house was right for us. It helps that the sellers still love the house and were quite choosey with who they sold it too.
We've also been back since having our offer accepted to measure up which they again were happy for. I think just communicate with the EA. They'll know how receptive the seller will be to additional viewings.
We had our buyer come round twice last week with builders to get quotes for the work she wants doing once she moves in. We were also more than happy letting her round. I'm trying to sell a large value asset, I'll do what I can to keep the buyer happy.
I am always amazed that some people will spend longer deciding whether to spend 35 quid on a jumper than 350,000 quid on a house.
Yea it's crazy how quick we view houses before making a decision to buy. I always said that about house viewing. If you want a second viewing ask for one completely normal
The crazy thing about house buying is this is the single biggest purchase of almost everyone’s lives, and you spend less time physically looking at it than you might a mid priced new coat.
The answer is, you view it as often as you reasonably can. If the market is red hot, you may well be forced to offer after just one viewing, if the market is slow and/or you have serious concerns about the property, it’s not unreasonable to ask for a second or even third viewing, a second is standard. Any more than 3 and the estate agent is likely to stop answering your calls, we walked away from one property because the agent was reluctant to let us do a third viewing but we felt we couldn’t be comfortable without it.
Your money you should get to view it again and also check it is what you want and that it’s worth your investment
Normal to ask for a 9th and 10th.
On a £/minute basis houses come way below shoes and cars - which is mad. Absolutely go back to the house and spend as much time as you can get.
A second viewing is essential. Do not pass up the opportunity you will regret it.
First viewing was 5ish mins. 2nd viewing was 10-15.
Bought the first house after a 5min in and out viewing , was not even interested in buying it as it was out of budget at the time but then later out in a low offer which got accepted. Second house 25min viewing, was abroad when put in an offer and got accepted.
I had two viewings pre offer and one more viewing before the final round of negotiation in proper detail. Your money, your rules
Yes of course you can. I’ll usually offer it too. Like if uv seen it and liked but ur not sure. Why not take another look. We also always make sure we have a virtual viewing for you to look at too
Estate agents are not your friend and don't give a rats arse about you. Do what you need to do to be comfortable making the offer.
The only person you need to worry about pissing off is the vendor, and even then so long as you don't push your luck it won't end badly.
Lady that bought my last house was a colossal pain in the arse, still sold it to her and cleaned it before we left.
You know, I never timed how long a viewing lasts. I just took as long as I needed
Second viewing absolutely normal, and encouraged if you’re serious about potentially making an offer and even then, no obligation.
It’s a big purchase. And it’s your purchase. You’re in the driving seat, you dictate how long you want to browse in a shop before you walk up to the till.
Estate agents… they usually rush you. Of course they will. They’re trying to sell. Don’t be intimidated by anyone trying to sell you something! Remember YOU are the customer.
If im selling, make as many appointments as you like. 👍🏻
Think of it this way: You’d spend more time trying on a pair of jeans, than at the first viewing of a house. Absolutely go for a second and even third if you’re serious.
As someone previously said, the first is probably an emotional one, second should be more in depth, maybe take measurements and ask more questions, you’ll definitely spot something you didn’t the first time around.
Been in this position a few years back, we still didn’t spot things at the third viewing and now having to fix issues!!
Basically you get a feel for a house almost as soon as you walk through the door.
Some houses leave you cold whilst others immediately grab you.
I last bought a little over 5 years ago.
I was a cash buyer and some sellers leap on that as there's no requirement to have a survey. Even so I always had the full survey.
Yes I also almost got ripped off a few times. Second viewings told me to avoid as they had done uncertied work and made changes without permissions.
Second viewing also let you assess the seller and their state of mind.
The house I bought I immediately liked. Put bid in within hours and after a bit of negotiation it was accepted next day.
But I still had a second viewing. No contracts were signed so either party could pull out until then.
Second viewing are essential even after making an offer.
And always have the full survey. Do not skimp on your survey. Even if it's a brand new build.
First viewing to see whether the place is an option (i.e. short list)
Second viewing is essentially a survey for me. I'd be spending a good few hours.
I’ve been finding estate agents in London are expecting me and my partner to view flats (and even some houses) in 10 mins or less, they really try and cram the viewings in together and then make you feel like you’re holding things up if you try and have a proper look around, so irritating!
You're going to spend hundreds of thousands of pounds. You should expect to see the thing more than once.
View it as many times as you need to. Bring friends (Ideally with knowledge).
Do they take you round?
I'd wait for them to do the "tour" then just ask if you can go for a quick walk around yourself.
I hate being guided through a house viewing. I know what I want to look at and for how long.
Don't let them rush you. You can rush a purchase as big as a house. You're spending many thousands - ignoring the house value itself, the agents are getting paid thousands. Be assertive.
Multiple viewings is recommended. We only did one because we were buying a house 500 miles away, but I'd have loved to do a second.
"this is going to be my biggest purchase ever.."
You've just said it yourself, if the seller is serious then they'll happily let you view it a second time.
If i was selling then a potential buyer wanting a second viewing would be a good sign for me, a third one would probably piss me off though...
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