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AIBU?

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Original poster

Is she a CF?!

111 replies

netflixandsleep1 · 15/04/2020 08:32

Changed some details just incase the house owner is on here!!

I was buying a house from an elderly lady before the lockdown but due to everything that's going on she's decided to pull out which is no problem, I still have my mortgage and everything agreed and ready to go. Found a house, advertised with no upward chain and says offers over £160.

I put an offer in for £160k and was refused as the vendor (CF in my eyes) isn't interested at anything under £168k. I said surely the house should be advertised at £170k if she wants closer to that as I wouldn't have even shown interest as I don't have the extra money. We went back and forth and I offered to go up to £163k which was refused again, no counter offer just refused. I left it over the weekend and went back yesterday with £165k. Said that's my best and final offer as couldn't find another quid if I wanted to!! Vendor has accepted my offer only if she can live there until the work is finished on her other house!!!!

I said well no not really it's sold with no upward chain so surely as soon as the searches are finished it's mine? The CF has came back and said well I either wait for her work to be finished or she isn't accepting my offer!

I want to say go and fuck yourself quite frankly but the bigger picture is I want the house.

WWYD?

OP posts:
FinallyHere · 15/04/2020 08:54

She can set her conditions, you can set yours. Neither of you is being cheeky, or unreasonable. You just disagree.

this ^ wot @LordEmsworth said

It's also how the process works. In your place I'd walk away. Even if you get a date agreed, if that dates goes past, you will have even less power than you have now.

Best walk away and find something better.

harriethoyle · 15/04/2020 08:55

Personally I'd pull out. It already sounds like she has a number of conditions and unless you get an early exchange date with a fixed completion date, there's nothing to stop her staying put pre exchange as a PP said.

Original poster
netflixandsleep1 · 15/04/2020 08:55

Thanks everyone. I'm a first time buyer so as you can this is all knew to me so I don't know the etiquette with house buying/selling!

OP posts:
Original poster
netflixandsleep1 · 15/04/2020 08:55

All new*

OP posts:
hesgotit · 15/04/2020 08:57

If you're a first time buyer I'd hold on! I know you're in a difficult situation but I think house prices will drop!

daisypond · 15/04/2020 08:58

The vendor can pull out at any moment. She doesn’t have to sell at all until exchange. As can you.

Winter2020 · 15/04/2020 08:58

If you are in England you are not committed until exchange of contracts. That being the case why not go along with this (not exchanging contracts though) so if the situation drags on/you see a house you prefer or house prices fall you can pull out at any time (or reduce your offer). You can always say you won't pay for surveys/searches etc until she is actually ready to sell then you haven't lost anything. Basically you just keep the house on the back burner in case you still want it when she is actually ready to sell.

shineaflight · 15/04/2020 08:59

You don't sound like you understand the process tbh.

You really don't have any rights in this situation and it certainly will be your problem if she's not ready to exchange. The searches have absolutely nothing to do with it. If you get them done you'll pay for them whether she exchanges and completes in the end or not.

I don't get pp that said she's looking to stay after completion. She's not, she's saying she won't complete until her house is ready. Which I get. The offer she's accepted isn't enough for her to rent for 6 months or put her belongings in storage is it?

OP, why would she accept 160 straight away or give you reasons/"counter offers"? She's not a CF. It's her house, she doesn't have to sell it at all if she doesn't want to

ImFreeToDoWhatIWant · 15/04/2020 09:00

Pull out and run for the hills. She'll dick you around from here till kingdom come. Screaming red flags all over this!

shineaflight · 15/04/2020 09:01

@Winter2020 that's ridiculous advice. The OPs mortgage offer isn't in place forever. You can't just sit there doing nothing until she's ready as it'll then take maybe 12 weeks to go through the process Confused

OP either go with it or say no and hold on until this situation is over

AJPTaylor · 15/04/2020 09:01

Just don't.
You have no control. You can "agree" anything but the only thing you can do further down the line is walk away. And that will be after you have spent your money.
Don't do it.

MontysOarlock · 15/04/2020 09:03

Could you draw up a contract to say that she can rent back from you for a set period? Eg you complete and then she rents for 2 months. That gives it a set date rather than 'when my other house finishes'

Absolutely NOT.

You then become a landlord and she becomes a tenant with all the rights of a tenant. No solicitor would advise buying a house with a sitting tenant unless you were planning it as a buy to let. Vacant possession is in the contracts on a standard house sale.

Do you know how long these "works" will take? Especially considering we are in lockdown?

Personally, she sounds like a nightmare, I would walk.

NotEverythingIsBlackandwhite · 15/04/2020 09:03

I said well no not really it's sold with no upward chain so surely as soon as the searches are finished it's mine?
No. It's yours to live in when you have exchanged contracts and money exchanged. Searches are often done at the start of the process and, depending upon the length of time it takes for conveyancing etc, may have to be done again.

Appuskidu · 15/04/2020 09:04

I said well no not really it's sold with no upward chain so surely as soon as the searches are finished it's mine?

I don’t understand why you would think this though? The searches are usually the first thing that happens in a very lengthy process!

NotSorry · 15/04/2020 09:05

Walk away - we offered asking price on a house we wanted - it took them two weeks to accept it. A month later she still hadn’t appointed a conveyancer. No-one could tell us what was going on. We went out and found somewhere else to buy and withdrew from original house.

It turned out to be a divorce case and she didn’t want to sell - it took another 2 years for that house to sell - so glad we pulled out. What is for you, won’t pass you

NotSorry · 15/04/2020 09:06

No. It's yours to live in when you have exchanged contracts

This is not correct - you sign contracts, then you exchange then you complete which is when money is transferred THEN it is yours

Penners99 · 15/04/2020 09:06

Walk away OP. This has NIGHTMARE written all over it

Frankola · 15/04/2020 09:08

Personally I wouldn't deal with a shitty owner. It makes the whole process even more stressful.

She will behave like this every step of the way if shes pulling it already.

If I was you I'd pull out.

GigiLamour · 15/04/2020 09:08

You're a FTB and that makes you a more 'desirable' buyer because you have no chain. So I wouldn't put up with being dicked around unless you love the house and it's a bargain.

The Covid crisis is likely to lead to a drop in house prices. At the very least it's bringing a lot of uncertainty. This is probably not the moment to be buying.

BreatheAndFocus · 15/04/2020 09:10

Find another house. House-buying is stressful enough without added problems. It sounds like she advertised her house well before she was ready to move. If you don’t want to sit around waiting for her to be ready, then walk away.

You don’t know whether she genuinely has to wait for work to be done or if she’s buying time and waiting for a better offer to come in. If it does, you’ll be dumped and there’s nothing you can do about it.

Raindancer411 · 15/04/2020 09:11

I worked in conveyancing a few years ago and all I will say is I would pull out. Is the house she waiting on a new build? If so they are never ready in time we you could find yourself waiting and waiting. Also in this current climate it may take longer, I am not sure how the virus is affecting.

I think I saw you are getting a mortgage offer. When this runs out, if it's before her property is finished, you may not be able to renew it for the same amount (it's all up in the air but usually they can renew ok)

Like others have said we don't know how this will affect the market so you maybe better waiting

Hingeandbracket · 15/04/2020 09:12

Run away. There are plenty more houses.

ilovecakeandwine · 15/04/2020 09:12

Most people would have walked away after the first or 2nd offer was rejected . She knows you really want the house .
If it was me I wouldn't have increased it any further and I'd say no to her but if you really want the house ...

ShesGotBetteDavisEyes · 15/04/2020 09:15

Could she being selling the house as part of a divorce and doesn’t really want to move? An (ex) friend of mine did this - they had to sell to split the proceeds but she didn’t want to leave and sabotaged the house sale (she even did things like painted fake mould on the walls!) it languished on the market for aaaages. Just a thought!

sunnie1992 · 15/04/2020 09:17

Walk away.

She's sold it as no onward chain - but she's not actually prepared to move out.

With COVID-19 that could go on forever.

Find a different house with owners who genuinely have no strings attached to it

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