Basicly via a friends parents I’ve heard about a house my wife and I would really like to buy. nice quite rural location small and probably untouched for 30+years. I believe the elderly owners passed away. An ideal project/family home for us.

It’s not on the market yet but we’ve heard a rumour of a rough price which sounds reachable for us. Would it be really cheacking and or insensative to put a note/letter through the door, something along the lines of.

Dear Sir/Madam
Young couple looking for a family home in this area market price paid…
want to advoid estate agent fees?….
or something???

would you be receptive?
thoughs or ideas of how to phrase it?

Why not, if I was going to do it I would drop in some things about wanting to buy a family home; an area you’ve always loved. etc

Do try and screw them on the price though, or else you mighten get it even when it comes on the market out of principle.

If the beneficiary wants to sell (no guarantee they will) it’ll be a commercial decision for them, so I wouldn’t worry too much about how you word it – just be straightforward and business like…though wouldn’t you end up having to instruct a solicitor anyway, so why not get them to do it?

Yeh, no worries, when house attached to ours lay empty for a while a developer knocked on our door asking for next of kin / contact details, we passed them on and he did it up.. helped increase the value of our house.

make a polite and simple letter drop. has worked for me in the past

Dear Sir / Madam

My partner and I are new to the area and have been informed that you might be selling this property as a future date?

Please may I express an interest in buying it from you should you be willing to contact me direct?

I leave my contact details

Kind regards etc etc….

I was fortunate to inherit a share of my grandfather’s house, along with my siblings and cousins. We decided very early on to sell up.

A near neighbour actually knocked on the door whilst my parents were clearing out some items and flat out said that they would be interested in buying if we were selling up, they had been on the look out to downsize to this type of house and location for ages.

Long story short, we got some valuations, gave them first refusal, deal was agreed and sale went through quickly and pretty painlessly.

My advice, be direct, don’t bullshit them or sugarcoat it, state your interest and give them your details. Allow them to mull it over and come back to you. Don’t take the piss with a low-ball offer.
It will help hugely if you are not in a chain and can move quickly.

cheers all, I dropped a letter through the door this morning.

fingers crossed they’ve not instructed an estate agent yet and they’re interested

Do a bit of reasearch and find out the names of the people involved, it sounds so much better than a generic “dear sir/madam”.

Check that the note actually gets read…it might lay on the mat for 6 weeks before someone visits!

No, don’t do that unless you really are a creep. Generic Sir/Madam will suffice.

Do a bit of reasearch and find out the names of the people involved, it sounds so much better than a generic “dear sir/madam”.

yeah.. don’t do this.. I personally would find it more than a little invasive..

I once wanted to live in a particular row of houses, so one Saturday afternoon I just went and knocked on all the doors to ask if they might be thinking of selling.

I got a positive reception from everybody and found two that were just about to put theirs on the market. Well worth a try.

Lateo – I think your book on etiquette and formal letter writing must date from the 1930s.

Got our current house that way. Knew the small range of properties, wrote a letter that said we lived in the area and were looking to buy something so if it was being considered we would love to know. Got 6 replies, 3 proper starters and of them we bought one. Everybody got out ofmit what they wanted.

Lateo – I think your book on etiquette and formal letter writing must date from the 1930s.

But with the modern affliction of putting question marks where they are not required. 😆

Lateo, graduated from the Nigerian Business School?

my inlaws did this

went into the pub where they wanted to move to, asked if anyone knew anyone thinking of selling, then posted notes throught relevent letter boxes