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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To say no to our buyer

165 replies

Flev · 16/07/2020 13:07

We are in the process of selling our house. We accepted an offer just before lockdown (following 3 visits by the buyers and their parents) but our buyers have moved at a speed that makes a slug look like an Olympic sprinter

2 weeks ago we finally had a surveyor round for their mortgage.

Now this morning we get a call asking if the male buyer and his dad can come and visit again as they think this will be quicker than getting a survey done for themselves.

AIBU to say no?

1 they're clearly not actually bothered about speed or they might have done something about it 4 months ago! We suspect they just don't want to pay for the survey
2 the buyer and his dad are 2 separate households - government guidance for house viewings is very clearly limited members of immediate household only
3 when they came for previous viewings they took ages (small 2 bed terrace) and touched everything. I cant see that changing. And our rooms are so small there's no way they can social distance in them.
4 the only person we've let in the house since lockdown started is the surveyor for their mortgage.

We are sticking pretty strictly to government guidelines as we have a close family member who has been shielding but has felt comfortable to see us briefly outdoors in the last couple of weeks since they know we've kept ourselves with as little contact as possible.

Am i just being grumpy and should find a way of dealing with this to just try and get the blasted deal done, or has their CF-ness now reached the stage where we are justified in telling them to just pay for a survey - or that we will accommodate just one of them?

OP posts:
cherrybath · 17/07/2020 18:01

We're selling at the moment. No chain on our purchase but our buyer's buyer has not yet had his mortgage valuation done. Apparently there is a huge backlog of work for surveyors who have obviously been in lockdown like everybody else, so a long waiting list for mortgage surveys and valuations. I'd let the buyer in to take a look, though this will be pointless if they're have to get a mortgage survey done anyway.

MyWitzEnd · 17/07/2020 19:03

Tell them someone else is interested and anyeay thry wont get a mortgage without a survey. Having your dad take a peek isnt a.structural survey

Passenger42 · 17/07/2020 19:27

I would say yes if it could mean they don’t bother with a professional survey. I knocked £10k off the price of the property by what the survey brought up so they are risking it. Let them come and view and do there own surveying as you could be better off that way.

mumoftinyterrors · 17/07/2020 19:32

I don’t think it’s a buyers market at all actually. We agreed a sale with a vendor in March. Paid a deposit for the house as it was a new build with an independent builder. Ours was sold STC, we got our mortgage offer and surveys done. Sorted.... or so we thought. We had paid full asking for the house and given a deposit of 20k so he knew we would go through with the sale. During lockdown, without our knowledge, he got another agent to market the property, and took a second offer 10k more than ours. Made sure they could get their chain through quicker than ours then told us 5 weeks later that he was going with them. We offered 50k more as we were quite far along and heavily invested in the house. He then went back to the other buyer and they offered a 75k deposit plus the 50k we were offering. It went back and forth until the house was 100k over asking. We eventually walked away after getting our deposit back, but with 11k lost in fees and surveys. Absolute nightmare and we were gutted. In our price range there are fewer houses available, think 7 figues, so sellers are actually playing buyers off each other for more money. We’ve pulled our house off the market and are extending instead. I can’t face dealing with any more sleezy estate agents.

MacBlank · 17/07/2020 19:50

So is either of them a certified surveyor?

Nope?

Then tell them under government guidelines during this time, your happy to let a surveyor round, but that's it.

MacBlank · 17/07/2020 19:58

PS
When we bought a house 14nyear ago, the people we were buying from were like above. They dawdled all the way, and what should've been simple, and quick, wasn't.

In fact come moving day, we'd packed up the lorry and got to the new house, to find they had fucked off, and nothing ... I mean not a fucking thing packed. ... We would be charged if the moving men stayed after a certain time.

By the time they had a transit van turn up, and clear out, it was very close to the deadline.

Admit was we had to call the police to locate them, and force them to come to the property and pack up.

Very fortunately, the moving team called another team, and we managed.to unpack on time. A few quid given out to each team for a.couple beers each.

Don't.let them back, stated guidelines, and tell them if they don't sort things more quickly, your happy to call it quits. Hopefully ntyatll scare them into some action.

TatianaBis · 17/07/2020 21:56

I don’t think it’s a buyers market at all actually.

You’re right. There’s a lot of demand and scant supply. It’s a Lockdown bubble.

urkidding · 17/07/2020 23:01

I would allow them in this time, and then tell them that if they still aren't sure you'll put it back on the market. I had an offer on the first day after lockdown and am completing next week. They are comparing it with another property or keeping their options open.

Seeingadistance · 17/07/2020 23:03

I also don't think it's a buyers' market. Properties are moving quickly where I am.

syskywalker · 17/07/2020 23:27

Honestly, I’d pull out and tell them find something else, and put it back on the market.

rosedrop · 18/07/2020 06:21

We had a, similar situation when we where moving a few years ago. The buyers were back and forth so many times. We cancelled a special occasion so they could come round with some family members. They wanted this that and the other. Then just as we were about to sign they dropped out. We have moved lots of times and probably will again but now it is a case of once bitten twice shy. It is a stressful time and I hope all goes OK for you just be careful.

Bluntness100 · 18/07/2020 07:12

Honestly, I’d pull out and tell them find something else, and put it back on the market

And what, tell the agent that they will only sell to someone who agrees to view twice and no more and doesn’t touch anything when in and can progress it if another lock down happens?

Aye, that’ll work, good advice.🤣

tara66 · 18/07/2020 07:33

Why don't you still market the property to other potential buyers? You do not have a buyer until the deposit is paid, only then stop other viewings. This buyer, his dad and the cat may not buy your house.

keeptheaspidistra · 18/07/2020 08:11

@bluntness100 the houses I've bought were after 2 viewings and so were the ones I've sold, so erm yeah... not sure how big a deal that rule would be. Also apart from door handles etc not sure what else I'd have been touching? I'd never touch any personal possessions pandemic or not. I'm now thinking I should have been testing light switches and toilet flushes! I must be a lazy house viewer

Bluntness100 · 18/07/2020 08:49

Keep, not sure the op is posting about you or you feel your way is the only way? Sorry I’m not sure how to interpret your post, other than it’s about you?

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