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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

they are trying to find non existent faults?

31 replies

TwatbadgingCuntfuckery · 27/06/2016 12:54

I'll keep it short as poss!

Selling a house.

Buyers have sent in - 4 surveyors. yes FOUR! , a roof specialist, an electrician, 2 Damp course chaps (different companies), a gasman, a builder.

First 4 surveys came back as good. Damp course chaps found nothing wrong. Electrician found nothing wrong. Gasman found nothing wrong even though the house is up to date on safety checks. No idea why the builder came. The roof guy found nothing wrong.

I'm starting to think they are looking for faults that aren't there to wiggle the price down even though they have agreed and we've had 2 separate dates for completing the sale. Both times buyers pulled back demanding more surveys.

Please tell me this is normal because I'm half expecting this to go on forever!

OP posts:
Original poster
TwatbadgingCuntfuckery · 27/06/2016 12:55

yes they plan on sending more people around to check stuff out this week :(

OP posts:
AdrenalineFudge · 27/06/2016 12:56

I've seen this happen in the past but I presume this is a domestic sale as I've only been party to it when the sale was abroad. That said, stand your ground - if everything's above board then they'll have no wriggle room.

Original poster
TwatbadgingCuntfuckery · 27/06/2016 13:11

yes, just a regular, run of the mill small 3-bed house sale. Nothing fancy and not in any conservation area nor does it have listed status!

Just perplexed at the whole thing.

OP posts:
AdrenalineFudge · 27/06/2016 13:16

Or do you think they're buying some more time now that the market is due a crash? Wink. It's frustrating but I'd look on the brighter side - I've seen houses with damp and mould which the seller tried to tell me just needed a bit of detol and a wipe!

Original poster
TwatbadgingCuntfuckery · 27/06/2016 13:26

haha! perhaps but original completion dates were for early may and early June. The house is in good order though, not even a hint of mould anywhere! I would know. I'm asthmatic and it triggers it.

OP posts:
GloriousGoosebumps · 27/06/2016 13:53

Are they first time buyers who are panicking at the thought of making the biggest purchase of their lives?

branofthemist · 27/06/2016 14:13

This happened to me when we were selling our first home.

They wanted to put off the completion date, again, to have another survey. I said no. We were buying new build and if wasn't sorted that date we could have lost the house. I told them they either completed or they didn't get the house.

It was a huge risk as they could have just walked away, but I had had enough.

PoshPenny · 27/06/2016 14:18

In the circumstances I would have a word with your estate agent and tell him to get on and start marketing your property again. Missing 2 completion dates wanting more surveys is beyond reasonable and they may well walk. I think you have been more than patient with them. I wouldn't bother telling them either.

hellsbellsmelons · 27/06/2016 14:28

No this is not normal behaviour.
A survey is all that is required.
They are being dicks.
I agree, have a chat with your EA and get it back on the market quick sharp.
They can of course, tell the purchasers (better if thy do)

bilbodog · 27/06/2016 14:29

You need ro exchange contracts before completing - is that what you mean? If solicitors are ready to exchange then concentrate on getting them to do that. Have they had an actual survey done yet? Builders etc are not surveys. If thet are getting a mortgage they will need at least a basic valuation survey done. If thats not happened yrt then they are not ready to exchange contracts. On exchange that us when the completion date is agreed by all parties and cannot be changed. If there is any chain above and below your estate agent should be able to tell you if the whole chain is ready to exchange or not.

pigsDOfly · 27/06/2016 14:43

I had something similar when I sold my last house: it's left me feeling I will never sell another house ever.

There were a few problems (Victorian terrace) that showed up during the initial survey so the buyer wanted to have a more in depth survey that they wanted me to pay for. I refused but agreed to pay half.

That survey came back confirming what the first survey had shown. That wasn't good enough for them however, they wanted yet another more thorough survey costing almost £400 which they wanted me to pay half of yet again.

I said that I had spent as much as I was willing. They pushed for it a bit but I refused to pay a penny more. Funnily enough once they realised I wasn't going to allow them to spend any more of my money and that if they wanted it done they would have to foot the cost of it themselves they decided they would go ahead with the purchase without it.

They also kept sending my solicitor long lists of ridiculous additional questions, which at least gave us something to laugh about.

They're clearly hoping to find something for which they will ask you to drop the price but from the sound of it that's not going to happen so just stick it out, it will stop eventually, meanwhile Flowers you have my sympathy.

Original poster
TwatbadgingCuntfuckery · 27/06/2016 14:53

GloriousGoosebumps No, not first time buyers.

branofthemist I want to do that. I really want to but we need to sell to fund our next home. I'm not living with OH right now and this is meant to be the deposit for our next home together. Its straining the relationship a bit because OH lives in another town right now.

bilbodog OH is dealing with the sale so I am relying info here so apologies if I'm confusing things!
Contracts are ready to exchange. Dates were given to exchange and complete. The recent one was 2 weeks ago. We have met our side we are ready to go. They keep pulling back and say they need another survey/tradesman to visit even though the EA is pushing for them to hurry up and sort things out.

Yes a survey has been done. Everything came back fine. They then decided to bring in a further 3 surveyors. All of those have been fine. EA is getting miffed with this.

Valuation has been done too and the price has been agreed by everyone inc. the buyers. There is no chain. EA has confirmed all this is ready and it is just the buyers holding back.

PoshPenny and hellsbellsmelons I am very tempted to get them to do one.

I really am expecting them to either demand a price reduction or to back out of this sale.

OP posts:
Donatellalymanmoss · 27/06/2016 14:58

If they aren't first timers maybe their is an issue with their sale and that's why they're stalling.

Original poster
TwatbadgingCuntfuckery · 27/06/2016 15:25

No, no house their side to sell. It went through months ago.

OP posts:
branofthemist · 27/06/2016 15:34

branofthemist I want to do that. I really want to but we need to sell to fund our next home.

But you also have a very real concern they are going to drop out. You need to get firm with them.

SatansLittleHelper2 · 27/06/2016 15:35

Theyre just being careful, my brother bought a house that had a survey come back as good when in fact it was riddled with issues that cost a fortune to put right. Given that 200 + k is a large sum of money I.don't blame.them for being extra prudent before they part with it !!

Archedbrowse · 27/06/2016 16:07

We had this. Endless tradespeople round, just told that 'so and so is coming round at 2pm on tues', multiple visits all at different days times, carried on for weeks. No 'would you mind', or even pretence of consideration to ourselves. At first DH would come back from work or go in late/early to accommodate them, until we realised it was a one way street.
They sent a chimney 'sweep' (whatever they're called these days) to check no obstructions in chinmeys Hmm who burnt the carpet with his blowtorch.
And yes it was all with a view to obtaining a reduction in price, to [shocked face] the exact amount of their first, rejected offer.
Then they started with the letter, via solicitor, making reference to the price we purchased the property for several years before, saying in the financial climate we shouldn't 'expect' to sell for more than we bought and should reduce it to what we originally paid Confused. If they didn't want to pay the amount offered, don't make the bloody offer.
Then, the agreed exchange date came and went - as with every house purchase ever embarked on. The buyers had told us they had to give 4 weeks notice in their rented accommodation in the 19th of the month so would give notice on 19th Jan to move 19th Feb (luckily via email so had in writing). Nothing happening do I said had to complete by eg 8th March - my baby was due eg 5th April. They came back with 19th march (funny that) 2 weeks before my due date. We declined and said we're not being penalised because you've failed to give notice. They then said they'd complete if we paid the rent on their old place between 8th -19th Shock Hmm
Er, no.

To summarise people can be extremely underhand during property purchases.

whois · 27/06/2016 16:24

They are being PITA.

My buyers sent through so many questions from their solicitor and some were so stupid 'have you ever had any issues parking' like WTF does that mean? Have I ever had my car damaged? Have I always found a space? Has a bird ever shat on my car? Stupidly wording Q from a legal professional.

Original poster
TwatbadgingCuntfuckery · 27/06/2016 19:22

Oh we've had funny requests like making sure we take the carpets out for the builders weeks before the sale was agreed and remove the shed from the garden so they can see how big the garden is. Er no. We will not remove them.

Not yet had the parking questions. Should I prepare a leaflet? Grin

OP posts:
Henrysmycat · 27/06/2016 20:47

Our very first viewing put on an offer at the asking price. It was a very popular village, in a quiet cul-de-sac full of law abiding retirees so I didn't think much of it. Also, we marketed the house ourselves so we were happy not to show another person around.
It took that fecking woman 6 months to complete. We had 3 surveys done, tradesmen, the lot. She picked on every effing thing. I had moved the washing machine and drier in the garage and she wanted 5k of the price to move them back in the tiny kitchen by ripping off two cupboards. The kitchen was literally 2m*2.5m. And renovated 5 months prior. I told her to go forth and multiply.
Then questions as stupid as herself included things as if we know what would happen in 10 years in the brownfield 4 miles from the house? If there were issues with the Victorian trainline that was buried a mile north of our house, and on and on.
In the end, I gave her a completion date or we were pulling out. We completed on the date I gave her.
PS. Our old neighbour is still a good friend. The washing machine is still in the garage.

Original poster
TwatbadgingCuntfuckery · 27/06/2016 21:55

This is going to turn into a 'daft things buyers have asked' thread isn't it?

I can't belie she wanted 5k to move a washer!?

OP posts:
Archedbrowse · 27/06/2016 23:03

twatbadging hopefully so! Smile

Caboodle · 28/06/2016 10:16

Our buyers wanted their newly ordered furniture delivered to our house.....before exhange never mind completion. I said yes but it would have to stay under carport at front of house - pointed out very easily stolen. They found somewhere else to store it.
2 years after sale they message to ask if we can fix a door they have broken!

Caboodle · 28/06/2016 10:18

And OP-during the sale they were exactly like your buyers. Endless questions and guarentees required (after we had agreed a huge reduction in asking price too).

LurkingHusband · 28/06/2016 11:03

When my Dad sold cars, there were buyers like this ... would insist on "their" mechanic looking at it, then the AA, then this in writing, then that in writing. Which is why he developed a rule that after the first viewing, the car was "sold". Saved an awful lot of time. It was quite an easy way to weed out PITA customers who would be a drain on time, as they kept coming back ("Washer bottle is empty", "number plate screw is missing the cap", "The valve caps aren't the same design", "The steering wheel is too small/big").

Isn't there an adage about when someone tells you what they are ????