Estate Agents!!!

No it is a house in England. The money laundering rules are now very strict.

As you mention Scotland, when we bought our Scottish house, DH travelled to Scotland to do the negotiations with the solicitor, but because I was co buying it I had to appear in person with my passport.

X

Yes, I know that identity etc. has to be proved to solicitors when the transaction gets underway, but not Estate Agents. They have to accept what the would-be purchasers tell them and have no authority to ask for proof.

I last bought a house in 1976. Reading all this and having a friend in the middle of it all I am staying put.

I think there must suddenly be an upsurge as DS's house was valued quite a bit more than he expected and has just gone on the market. After 3 viewings he has an offer of 7% below asking price and another 10 viewings booked! I think it must be because it is well placed for a buy to let and the rules change in April.

My friend has seen a tiny bungalow which she really likes and the vendor has received an offer from someone at £15000 more than the asking price. It is a long time since that was happening. It has put it way out of her reach however it is not worth the extra price.

I hope never to move from here- I do not think that I could stand all of the stress, I still have not forgotten moving here in 1996 and the furniture van did not turn up. This was not a fly by nighter, it was a reputable company. I ended up sharing the van with the people from whom I was buying this house. They moved first and then the van returned to my old address, luckily less than 2 miles away for my belongings.

Have any of you done a viewing just before exchange of contracts. Things can change from that first viewing til 3 months later.

I'm told by Tepilo they do credit and financial checks when an offer is made to determine if it's a viable offer, I don't know what that entails but it reassures me a little.

It's been a long time since I tried buying and selling but I've noticed that house prices are being shown as 'offers from' or a straight price with no rider or 'offers around' or 'guide price' so there's a variation to work with. It seems a very cut-throat sort of business these days with buyers accepting offers, letting solicitors get involved and yet still having the property on offer - whoever comes up with the signed contract and the money first gets the property without consideration of the money you might spend in the process and be pipped at the post! Annoying.

I'd be tempted to do that nex time, I'm afraid mollie!

As it is, I've had two sales fall through for different reasons and the time in between the initial offer and eventual withdrawal has been completely wasted as of course the Agents slapped Sale Agreed on the board as soon as I accepted the offers...

That is now happening all the time mollie good luck

My friend referred to above had a very interested couple who left to go straight to the agent to make an offer but never got there and another couple who made a firm offer and then withdrew it saying they felt they had been impetuous. When the agent rang the first couple they simply said they had decided to carry on looking.
My friend will not now take it off the market until contracts are exchanged.

Yes, I definitely agree, ann!

Mmmm, interesting. I hate the thought but perhaps it's worth keeping this all in mind.

Maggie 273 I was under the impression that Purple Bricks was paid a fee regardless of if they sold your property 798.00 outside London + extra 132.00 for them to do viewings if you use their solicitor you do not have to pay until completion or 10 months from signing with them if you do not use their solicitor you pay straight away, please correct me if I am mistaken

My friend rang me last night and it looks as though the vendor of the bungalow she likes may "take it off the market". She appears to have been playing games to see what her bungalow will fetch. So underhand and actually quite cruel, has anyone else come across this?

It's not uncommon, ann. My son's efforts to buy/sell for the past year have been fraught with similar shenanigans on the part of vendors and purchasers.