House sold months ago, buyers now want a

I'd not only say absolutely no but give them a hard deadline to exchange or you'll put the house back on the market and not sell to them for any price. Especially as from one of your subsequent comments your you don't sound as though you'd be devastated if the chain did collapse and you had to find somewhere else.

If everything is ready to go apart from them pissing about I'd give them until 5pm Monday. If there are other things outstanding I'd give the tightest deadline possible.

I think so. I think it’s confusing a lot of the answers, I think the op is offer accepted but she’s not sold it yet. And they are trying ti negotiate the price prior to exchange,

They've probably realised they might have overpaid for the house and are trying to get it reduced. Up to you what you do.

This is incredibly satisfying!

Thank you for your services to Reducing Cheeky Fuckery!

Ok so you have not sold the house? It is sold once completed. And you can also claim it after exchange, are you pre exchange ?

So you haven't sold your house months ago, you're still in the process of selling it.

I'm not sure I understand the "talking to the chain" thing, so rather than say this is outrageous you actually offered to "talk to the chain"? And you wanted them to actually reply "yes please do that and get us our discount".

They probably haven't replied because they assume you are talking to the chain and will come back to them with what they want.

The sealed-bid buying process in Scotland could do with improving, but I like the fact that you're in a binding contract from early on in the process, so this sort of gazundering can't happen.

I also like the fact that ( last time I looked into it, anyway) the sellers arrange a survey that is acceptable to all buyers and their lenders, unlike English law, where each potential buyer has to arrange a new one. That nice Mr Blair was going to fix this when he came to power, but he ended up banning beef on the bone instead.

very confusing OP, suggesting that you don’t know what “selling” actually means

Say no - that you cannot afford to buy your next house in that case as you are at the top of your budget.

If they do pull out then the rest of the chain may wait a few weeks as well if youve got a sensible.estate agent who can speak with them...you've already sold your house so they know it is sellable, you've gone through much of the conveyancing process and will be in a position to move very quickly once your house is resold.

It's called 'gazundering' and it's as old as time in a buyers' market

Tell them to get lost or they'll do it again just before exchange

It is a negotiating tactic I've heard of in the past. Not common, but a few friends, and friends of friends.

The idea is that everyone in chain has done their bit, paid solicitors' fees and for surveys, have their mortgages agreed. All the paperwork, ready to go.

So you ask for a discount at the last minute, after everything is done and it should all be plain sailing. In the hope that the people you're buying from will agree, in order that the chain doesn't collapse and they have to start again.

CF-ery of the worst sort. In your position, I would either swallow the hit, but with cast-iron deadline commitments from the buyers. Or issue a polite "no thanks" and instruct the estate agent to put the house back on the market forthwith.

We had this happen to us as well. We managed to negotiate the same amount off the one we were buying so worked ok for us but was immensely stressful and immoral but selling houses splits people who are fair and reasonable and those who, well, aren’t.

Ok so the house isn’t actually sold yet. That makes more sense.

Just say no, you are unable to move on the agreed price.

Yes, it’s just happened in my family.

I was selling a house for an elderly person who needed funds for care home. The need was urgent.

Surveys all good, house just needed a lick of paint, new carpets etc. Otherwise clean & empty.

Almost on the day of exchange given a drop in
price of £20k had already been agreed (in a very slow rural market) they wanted another £10K off.

I negotiated it up by £5K but overall they got £25k knocked off the asking price. We had to sell because relative’s funds were depleting.

The Estate Agent remarked he’d never in all his years in business had to desk with such awful morally dishonest buyers.

Years ago something similar happened to someone else in my family on the day before exchange. The stress was horrendous because he too was elderly and was downsizing to a rental. He had to agree but it was an awful thing to happen and was very stressful to a mild mannered old widower.

Honestly they have decided they don't want the house because they've found something they like more/are interested in a different area/don't want to move and they are being cheeky sods about it.

Buyer did it to me with my parents' house. Got almost to exchange and they pulled out because of their being no planning permission for the extension. It took me a 5 minute phone call to the planning office to find the planning permission! They could have done it if they'd wanted... I'm now back to square one with selling the place...

My friends had similar. They were told “there had been a mistake” and their buyer could only afford £25k less than the agreed price. They were also the beginning of the chain… They did persuade the whole chain to accept £25k less somehow. I’d have said no.

We had a CF do this, the day before exchange. No reason, he just thought he could chance his arm. Not only did we refuse, but we told him the house was no longer for sale to him, at any price. He then tried to complain to our solicitor! Twat.
Someone else bought it at full asking a couple of weeks later.

First of all, it’s not months after the sale. The sale hasn’t happened yet. It’s months after the accepted offer. Not that I think you’re being unreasonable, but just to point out it’s prudent to remember that nothing is final til it’s final with property buying/selling.

Without reason to devalue your property, they are clearly just trying it on and also clearly need the money because they have overspent. It’s not your issue. Decline and keep firm.

We had similar and did similar. You have to mean it though. Our sale went through.