Back out of buying things from vendor

[user1491676838]

We're in the final stages of buying a house. The seller is elderly and is moving to live with family. She's very astute and drives a hard bargain. She wanted to get rid of various items (kitchen items, bits of furniture) which we initially said we would be interested in (we currently have a fitted kitchen so have no cooker to take with us, dishwasher, fridge etc and thought they would tide us over). She's priced them up and we think they're massively overpriced (i.e. £200 for an 8 year old cooker). Now we've had the survey report we've discovered we'll have to spend a lot of money on getting the house right and need to do this sooner rather than later. Should we just giver her the money for her cooker etc or buy cheap items that we'll only probably use for 6 months?

Tell her you don't want them, if she's going to live with family she's hardly going to take them with her

Tell her they are too pricey and you're getting new cheap stuff instead

You’re likely going her a massive favour by her leaving the stuff. If she’s elderly and moving in with relatives she would have to get rid of these items.

I would tell your solicitor you think the items are over priced therefore you won’t be buying them. You may well find she leaves them as she doesn’t want the hassle of getting rid of them.

Tell her you don't want them. My friend bought a house from a woman who was emigrating to Australia. The house was very big and the woman offered some furniture, fixtures and fittings - priced separately to the house. She was asking crazy money for the stuff, especially as since she clearly didn't want to ship it to Aus. My friend said sorry, with the move and decorating she wanted to do, she simply couldn't afford the (inflated) price of the items. The buyer eventually offered it to her for a knock down price. If this woman is moving in with family then she is not going to need a cooker: you are, in fact, doing her a favour by buying it … if you weren't to buy it she would have to try and find a buyer, or do the decent thing and leave it with the house. I've actually never heard of anyone taking the cooker: is this a regular thing?? It would never occur to me to take mine when we move. I think she's actually chancing her arm by asking you to buy it: it would be a hassle to list the items on a sale site and have to deal with people coming and getting them, so you buying them is a very easy option and pain-free for her. For that alone she should be making them cheap! I think if you say you don't want her stuff you may find you get it cheaper. Just because you're buying her house doesn't mean you're obligated to buy her stuff for an inflated price.

Just say you don't want them. I bet you find them in situ when you move in.

Pretty much what I was thinking. Thank you all. I'll be brave and say we're going to buy items chepaer elsewhere

And if the survey shows that a lot of things need doing, have you negotiated a reduced price for the house?

It is not about being brave, you tell them you do not want them and do not even have to give a reason. This is a business transaction, keep it as such. As others have said the chance is she may actually leave them anyway as it would cost her to have them removed.

Our sellers tried to do this to us. We said no thanks and they just left them anyway...
They were rubbish (and the oven was so filthy I couldn't clean it!) and we had to replace them within a year anyway!

She's very astute and drives a hard bargain

Then you have to be equally astute and barter hard offering what you think the items are worth to you, or declining to purchase. It's a business transaction so no need to feel anything emotional about it.

Yes Mortyvicar, we negotiated a reduction. You're all correct of course. I will sort it.