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AIBU?

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Original poster

Asking to pay for holiday home when she said it would be free

152 replies

Momhope15 · 28/01/2019 12:35

Am I being unreasonable?
My friend has been telling that she wants to sell her holiday home in Italy to which I said I knew a couple looking for a vacation home abroad.
She told me that they could go visit the 2 bed apartment and stay for free for a couple days maximum a week as the flat was empty anyway due to it being winter.
I reverted that same information to the couple to which now they say they wish to stay 2 weeks to know the area a little bit better and also they are travelling all the way from UK to Italy. I know 2 weeks was never the agreement and I was not expecting them to stay there for free so I asked my friend to give me rate.
She first quoted me 450 euros.. a week! Of course I looked surprised and she eventually said no less than 200 euros per week. That's still 400 euros. I completely do understand that she has costs like electricity, cleaning etc but I thought the rate was a bit too high and not expected. I felt as if she is now renting as a "business" and is deviating from the original agreement. I am embarrassed to be in the middle as I feel really bad to tell the couple that the visit will cost them 400 euros at least and I don't wish to tell my other friend that they thought it would be less .....

OP posts:
londonrach · 28/01/2019 13:34

Tbh your friends wanting a free holiday sound like a cf. £400 sounds vvv cheap. id pass each other contact details. And step back.

spongedog · 28/01/2019 13:39

I think your holiday home owning friend sounds incredibly reasonable. I used to own a holiday home and the number of even very good friends and family who expected to stay for nothing was quite surprising. I dont mean staying with us when we were on holiday but staying on their own as the prospective purchasers are doing. They sound very cheeky to me.

carnitine · 28/01/2019 13:41

Depending on where it is and depending on the quality of the apartment,, €400 for a week might be outrageous for an off season week rental, or it might be a great deal.

The potential buyers can always check rental rates for similar property at the time of year they are visiting, and can make a decision if they want to find something cheaper. They may also be really happy to pay €400 if you haven't already told them, they might not be expecting 2 free weeks at all.

As others have said, best for you to back out now and let them decide.

SoupDragon · 28/01/2019 13:44

That would still be 400 euros as she is charging for 2 weeks.

It's 400 euros for the two weeks. One week paid, one week free.

Bluntness100 · 28/01/2019 13:44

I really don't see the issue here. Tell them first week is free as agreed, and second week is a discounted rate and will be 400 euros.

No big deal.

mummyhaschangedhername · 28/01/2019 13:47

I'm also confused as to the problem. Presumably they can afford 400 euros if they are looking at buying.

Honestly sounds like you're making this way more complicated than it is. Just pass each other's contact details over to each other and let them sort it.

Bluntness100 · 28/01/2019 13:47

It's 400 euros for the two weeks. One week paid, one week free

Exactly. Thr normal cost would be 900 euros. They are paying less for the paid week than the normal weekly rate. There is no issue here at all

TheTroutofNoCraic · 28/01/2019 13:48

"also they are travelling all the way from UK to Italy"
I would understand that logic in the argument if they were going to New Zealand...it takes less time to fly to Italy than a train from London to Glasgow!!

Imgoingonanadventure · 28/01/2019 13:49

I really feel for you OP, as you are stuck in the middle and both parties are being very cheeky here. If I were you, I'd be inclined to either advise your friend that she needs to quote 400 euro for one week, and that the first week is free - and/or tell the buyers that the agreement was one week free max, and if they are planning to go over that they can expect to pay the standard rental for both weeks.

MadeForThis · 28/01/2019 13:54

The potential buyers are cf.

They were offered 2 days free. Sounds like the seller was pushed into offering a week free.

One week cost is usually £450

So they are getting week one free
Week two £400

Still cheap.

Miane · 28/01/2019 13:54

They don't run it as a business though. It's just their own holiday home. So there is no reason to offer more than the original free week with a view to potentially selling the property

Faire they are allowing this couple to use their valuable asset. The fact that they don’t usually rent it is completely irrelevant.

People tend to treat thems they have paid for better than things that come for free.

Apart from which these people aren’t doing the sellers a favour by staying there it’s a business transaction. They were offered a week free, if they want another week they either pay what’s asked or don’t stay.

whistl · 28/01/2019 13:56

Simple: charge €400 for the 2nd week and promise to discount it from the sale price if they reach an agreement to buy.

That way, your friend doesn't provide a week's free holiday for nothing and your friends won't be out of pocket if the sale goes ahead.

€100 cleaning after the visit, €100 on utilities, €??? on repairing or replacing things that get damaged/ lost. Your friend isn't being ungenerous.

Bluntness100 · 28/01/2019 13:57

No one is being cheeky. That's ludicrous. This couple are having a two week holiday for four hundred euros for accommodation. If they expected to stay for less than that they would be being cheeky, but they know that it's only up to one week free, which is very generous of the friend, and have not said they wish a second week free too.

Of course the friend needs to position it as first week free, second week discounted rate of 400, and the couple shoild accept that or not stay. However right now there is no indication they expect two weeks free, that would be proper cf Territory.

Jenasaurus · 28/01/2019 13:58

really cheap 1 bed apartment is 175 euros a week, but if its got more than 1 bedroom and isn't considered bargain basement type villa then it could be as much as 1588 euros a week just looked to see how much I could get a villa for in spain and that's the range of prices.

marymarkle · 28/01/2019 13:58

None of us know the going rate to rent somewhere during the winter for a property not set up as a holiday let. So none of us know if this is reasonable or not. Love those pronouncing it is cheap without any idea of where or what this property is like. The place is not rented out so there is no normal rate.

But OP it is nothing to do with you. Stop acting as a middle woman and just pass on contact details.

LonnyVonnyWilsonFrickett · 28/01/2019 13:59

Your friend has a better cheeky fucker radar than you do OP. But I agree, pass on contact details and let them get on with it themselves.

marymarkle · 28/01/2019 13:59

jeansaurus You are comparing prices in a different country. The place is in Italy, not Spain.

redspottedhankie · 28/01/2019 14:01

i would say to friend "ah, that may be a bit steeper than they expected, they only wanted to go to check it with a view to buying it. but i will pass on your offer". gives her a chance to lower it.

then i would give the offer to your friends and say "feel free to back out, its a bit steeper than i imagined".

therefore putting your opinion across and not railroading friends into paying it.

EvaHarknessRose · 28/01/2019 14:01

Tell them both you wish you had never mentioned it! If both sides hassle you, pass their number on. If only one side does, ignore.

marymarkle · 28/01/2019 14:04

So there are places in Italy that look nice that cost £250 to rent in the winter for 2 weeks and places that cost thousands. No one on here can judge the charge without knowing where it is and what the property is like. It may be too expensive or may be a bargain. But either way it is not the OPs problem.

3luckystars · 28/01/2019 14:10

Tell them to deal with her directly and if they buy the villa maybe she can take the €450 off the costs at the end.

(I think €450 is very cheap for 2 weeks accomodation in Italy though.)

They sound very cheeky so i would pass on all email addresses and phone numbers and BACK AWAY.

Fairenuff · 28/01/2019 14:17

Faire they are allowing this couple to use their valuable asset. The fact that they don’t usually rent it is completely irrelevant.

Posters on this thread don't see it like that. They think that the home owners let it as a business and there are comments such as 'One week cost is usually £450' above ^^

This is not a holiday let. Therefore the visitors are being CF in asking to stay longer than what was offered. If I was the owner of this property I would withdraw the offer completely. I think it's more trouble than it's worth and, let's face it, the chances of the holiday couple actually buying it are miniscule.

PopGoesTheWeaz · 28/01/2019 14:19

I just feel that the owner deviated more from her original agreement

No, the owner said they could stay free for a couple of days. CF friends have asked for 2 free weeks. That's 12 more than originally offered!

beanii · 28/01/2019 14:19

Surely everyone would just give them the phone numbers and that would be the end of it? No need to be embarrassed? Hmm

PopGoesTheWeaz · 28/01/2019 14:24

Also, every estate agent worth their salt will tell you to not let someone stay over in your house until sale is a done deal. I think the seller here is being overly generous but do like someone's suggesting of agreeing a price and then deducting it from the asking price if they decide to go ahead.

But you should just pass on details and let them negotiate.

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