TRAWLING through all the latest local property listings online, Amahle Jacobs giddily shortlists her next viewings.
She has found a period gem and gets straight on the phone to the estate agent, telling them she’s a first-time buyer.
For Amahle, house-viewing is just a hobby — and she’s sticking with it[/caption]
‘Property tourists’ like Amahle are an estate agent’s worst nightmare[/caption]
But she has no intention of buying this property — or any other, for that matter.
For Amahle, house-viewing is just a hobby — and she’s sticking with it.
Just over half of us (52 per cent) indulge in “property porn” — scrolling through listings for pleasure — according to research by Onepoll.
Amahle says: “I’ve always been obsessed with property shows and I spend a lot of time on Zoopla, but it wasn’t quite enough.
“I wanted to see the houses for myself.
“So I started booking viewings, thinking I would be asked loads of questions and have to tell a little lie or two about my situation.
“But it’s been really easy.”
There’s something very satisfying about snooping around a stranger’s house from the safety of a smartphone or laptop.
Be it on websites like Rightmove or Zoopla, it’s easy to lose track of time while lusting over listings.
But 29-year-old Amahle takes her house-swooning a step further.
While her hobby might seem harmless enough, “property tourists” like Amahle are an estate agent’s worst nightmare.
According to industry expert Moverly, “timewasters” made 718,127 viewings in the UK last year.
Amahle tracks her potential property victims down on Zoopla, before compiling her favourite listings on a private Pinterest board.
The Bedfordshire-based health worker says: “I’ve lost count of the number of viewings I’ve done, but it’s probably dozens over the last two years.
“I don’t think I’ve been asked once about having a mortgage lined up, or anything else.
When the agent rings me for the follow-up chat after a viewing, I just ignore their calls.
Amahle Jacobs
“I usually say that I’m a first-time buyer and that seems to do the trick.
“When the agent rings me for the follow-up chat after a viewing, I just ignore their calls.”
Fortunately for Amahle, she’s yet to bump into the same estate agent twice.
Or if she has, they haven’t recognised each other.
Research shows an average viewing takes 28 minutes, meaning sellers and agents wasted 335,126 hours on them in 2023.
That’s the equivalent of 1,995 weeks spent on pointless tours of houses.
But Amahle feels no guilt about her time-wasting ways.
“I really don’t,” she says with a shrug.
“This is life. And it’s the agent’s job, after all.
“At least I’m giving them something to do.”
Given that sellers go to great lengths to ensure their homes look immaculate for viewings, you would think Amahle might feel a pang of regret when she thinks about all the housework that goes into getting a property ready.
Not the case.
‘Invigorating a property’
“The vendors will always find someone to buy their house eventually,” she says.
“I never feel bad about them tidying up or whatever.
“They’d have to do that anyway.
“We all have to do it.
“Sometimes the viewings are in a block anyway, so it makes no difference.
“And I might just be the one to spark a bit of interest if it’s been for sale for a long time.
“I could even be invigorating a property when the market for it has gone stale.”
The people at Moverly disagree, with a spokesperson saying: “When selling a property, there are very few things more frustrating than time-wasters — people who have no intention of buying, are unable to buy, or are unable to commit to something and see it through.”
Amahle is clear on her position in the housing market.
She says: “I might become a home-owner one day, but I’m not in a situation where I can buy right now.
“I’ll be renting for the next few years at least.
“But that doesn’t mean I can’t have a good look around properties and see what people have done with them.
“It’s all good fun, a bit like window-shopping.
“It’s the same as people looking around expensive high street shops, when they know they can’t afford the clothes.”
There’s something that gives me a little buzz from being inside a house I know I’ll never be able to afford.
Amahle Jacobs
Originally from South Africa, Amahle grew intrigued by the price of UK property when she moved to Britain ten years ago.
She says: “It always fascinates me.
“It’s bonkers, to be honest.
“I think that’s part of the appeal for me.
“My small two-bed house in Bedfordshire is probably worth the same as a six-bed house in Johannesburg, with huge gardens and maids’ quarters.”
When it comes to the types of property that make it on to her viewing hit-list, Amahle has her favourites.
“The older, the better,” she says.
“I love hearing the history of old houses and seeing what updates and improvements people have made over the years.
“My favourite so far was a ten-bedroom house, not too far from where I live.
“I keep my viewings quite local when possible and this one had the hugest garden and felt like a castle.
“It was so beautiful.
“There’s something that gives me a little buzz from being inside a house I know I’ll never be able to afford.
“I did once view a property while I was in London.
“I couldn’t believe how little you get for your money down there.”
‘Feels like therapy’
However, one of Amahle’s viewings didn’t quite go to plan.
“My worst one was when I realised the photos on the listing had been made using Artificial Intelligence,” she says.
“I was so annoyed, because the house looked nothing like in the pictures.
“Everything was tatty and falling to bits.
“I just wanted to get out of there as quickly as possible.
“But that was rare.
“I usually enjoy the viewings and they give me an escape.”
Like shoppers who relish scouring stores for retail therapy, Amahle says checking out other people’s homes brings her a sense of relief.
“I’m busy working full-time and am also starting up my own business, so viewing strangers’ houses gives me the release I need,” she says.
“It feels like therapy, when you step into someone else’s world for a while.
“And I get lots of inspiration for when I do finally buy my own place.
“I’ll know exactly what I should be getting for my money.”
How to tell if viewers are fake
SELLERS should ask potential buyers the following questions to check they are genuine, says Gemma Young, CEO of Moverly:
Are they pre-approved for a mortgage? If they have their finances ready it’s a good sign they’re in a position to buy.
Why do they want to move? If they don’t have a decent answer, like good schools or upsizing, they might be simply browsing.
Are they taking their time? Genuine buyers tend to move through a house slowly, visualising themselves in each room.
Good signs are if they ask about utility bills, council tax and local amenities, like parks or dog-walking opportunities.
