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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

CF home buyers

604 replies

Teenangels · 28/07/2020 13:04

I am being unreasonable.

Bit of background put my house up for sale, just after lockdown ended.
I had 9 viewing on the first Saturday and 3 offers. All at different levels one at full price from someone with something to sell, one just under the asking price think 10k in a chain, the third offer was 10% off the asking price, chain free mortgage offer in place. The first time buyers also wanted a second viewing before they offered and wanted me to cancel all other bookings so they could get first chance of buying it, they were told to F off. They put in an offer.
We negotiated with the first time buyers and managed to get them to offer 5% of the asking price this was still 40K under the asking price. but we had found a house and for ease went with them but told them that this was a fixed price and there would be no further movement on price from either party.
This was beginning of June, they have had a mortgage offer and surveyor round, all fine house was valued at over their offer, I did not move on our price.
Fast forward to beginning of July another surveyors has come round and found some issues, like moss of the roof I kid you not!! That the electrics are not up to current 2019 regulations, the house was re wired in 2016, that they should check the drainage, and one of the struts in the roof is bending by 5 degrees (this is not a supporting part and there is no movement and if they wanted to replace it, it would cost no more than £50.

My buyer wrote a long email to the estate agent 3.5 weeks after they got the report to say that they wanted a structural engineer to come into the house, a builder and a plumber and electrician and we would have to vacate the house for the day so that they could check everything.
He wants the electrician to take off all the plugs and check the wiring in some of the walls (Channel them out) but not be responsible for any damage. I told them to f off, he wants to check that the electrics are working and safe ( we live in the house with 4 kids).
He is now saying that I have to let him have access.
I have given him access on Thursday to look at the roof, but not to do any electrical work.
I have said that if he plays anymore games the house will be back on the market, I think he wants me to reduce the price, there is no chance.

OP posts:
SoupDragon · 28/07/2020 13:25

we would have to vacate the house for the day so that they could check everything.

No way would I be letting them have unsupervised chess to my house!

Plus everything else everyone has said.

Ernieshere · 28/07/2020 13:25

Get rid, someone nice will come along.

SantaClaritaDiet · 28/07/2020 13:25

You living in the house and being happy with the condition is neither here or there about its condition - after all, you can't love it that much as you are trying to sell!

Not sure why they felt the need to have another surveyor, that's odd but wanted to check with professional the points raised is perfectly normal.

What is NOT normal or acceptable:
we would have to vacate the house for the day so that they could check everything. ahem no, it's still YOUR house

but not be responsible for any damage.
apart from Fuck Off I don't know how to reply to that!

If you are unwilling to move on the price, as it's your right and the condition you started with, I'd be tempted to put it back on the market now.

Ernieshere · 28/07/2020 13:26

We would have to vacate the house for the day so that they could check everything

Whaaaat, they could be casing the joint, or pinching things Shock

lunar1 · 28/07/2020 13:27

Just say no, they will be a pain at every step.

AdoreTheBeach · 28/07/2020 13:28

My friends has this with their Victorian house. There will always be something on a survey.

First time buyers were so pedantic! Eventually my friend had to say to them (via Solicitors) exchange by x date or house is going back in the market. They instructed the estate agents the house goes back on the market if not exchanged by that date

They exchanged

However, the requests to come for this thst and the other thing did not stop. They had to say no.

After the sale, they continued to contact my friends for months asking about various things rather than figuring things out on their own (is, change timer for hot water/heat rather than read manual etc). Eventually my friends just ignited their texts/emails. But it was a painful experience.

Put your foot down. Exchange or back in the market. They can do all other things after they purchase.

Alsohuman · 28/07/2020 13:28

FTBs are the pits. Thank goodness I’m unlikely to ever need to deal with them again. Just say no and put the place back on the market. And point out their proposals are a waste of time because there’s no movement on price.

Quarantimespringclean · 28/07/2020 13:28

Put it back on the market right now.

Billben · 28/07/2020 13:29

Can’t stand cocksure first time buyers. He’s testing the waters how much he can get away with. Put him in his place OP so he learns for next time (hopefully).

LordOftheRingz · 28/07/2020 13:30

Yes, we had this, everything that the surveyed flagged up we negotiated on, then suddenly they wanted to rip up carpets and floorboards. We said no, you had the final offer and there are other interested parties, came back and agreed to the price we had negotiated and it went through.

FTB era are convinced that they will need a perfect house, and you (the seller) must accommodate them. Buying houses is a risk, and you can not make it a cost free situation, if you want that rent.

Tell them no.

DelphiniumBlue · 28/07/2020 13:32

There used to be things called contract races. Where there were competing buyers and whoever was ready to exchange contracts first, did so. The buyers were all supplied with the same package, with searches etc and it went from there. It certainly concentrated people's minds.
I would allow the buyer access in your presence with a structural surveyor/whatever but not allow them to do anything that will damage the property. I would also tell them that you will be re-marketing the property on Saturday, if they have not exchanged by then. And I would stick to that.

Yesyoudoknowme · 28/07/2020 13:32

This has started to appear more and more recently - yours isn't the first post I've read recently like this. If this continues it will get to the stage of auctions or sealed bids! They would already have spent a lot of money on surveyors and the like. I suggest a solicitors letter saying 'this i the price agreed, either pull out now or complete at this price'. I have no idea if it would be legal but as a PP said, they will take it right down the line then threaten to pull out. CFs - dump them!

PatchworkElmer · 28/07/2020 13:32

My friend and her husband did similar as a first time buyer, egged on by her Dad (who has an ego the size of a planet). The seller pulled out. I think they made a very wise choice.

Beautiful3 · 28/07/2020 13:34

Think I would pull out and put it back on the market.

Original poster
Teenangels · 28/07/2020 13:35

@SantaClaritaDiet

My point being do you really think a family would live in a house with dangerous or not working electrics!

They are saying their solicitors say I have to give them access No I don't they do not own the property. We all know that I don't

OP posts:
woodhill · 28/07/2020 13:37

I wish there was a way of fixing the price as there are so many CFs out there.

When we move we may rent or put stuff in storage to avoid this. It's rife and it's awful when you are on a chain

PoppyFleur · 28/07/2020 13:38

Are you dealing directly with the buyer or are they communicating with you through your estate agent?

Grgyuhgdetujjbdww · 28/07/2020 13:39

Just tell them to feck off, pull out . Ask estate agents to put it back on the market ASAP.

Keepingthingsinteresting · 28/07/2020 13:40

The part of the sentence they aren’t telling you OP is that they have said to their lawyer they want to do x, y, z and the lawyer has said “in order to do that you’ll have to get the seller to agree to give you access” monotone “ the seller has to give you access to allow you to do those things”- they are CFs. They either need to do the deal by x date or it goes back on the market, no further discussions they have been indulged enough

dotdashdashdash · 28/07/2020 13:40

They are first time buyers, they are fearful and don't know how to read surveys yet. Tell them to F off!

Mmmmycorona · 28/07/2020 13:41

Tell them they either buy it with the knowledge they already have and no more dicking about or it’s going back on the market by the end of the week.

Ilovecharliecat · 28/07/2020 13:41

I'd seriously pull out of the sale and put the house back on the market, you'll have nothing but stress from these buyers, and I would put money on it that they would try to drop their offer just before the deal is completed.

SantaClaritaDiet · 28/07/2020 13:44

My point being do you really think a family would live in a house with dangerous or not working electrics!

looking at the state of some the properties i have had the bad luck to view, sadly yes!

And looking at how many people discovered nasty or outright dangerous problems cleverly hidden by the seller.. yes again.

I am not accusing you of anything, but the owner living in a property for sale doesn't mean anything about the condition. Your buyers are still something else though!

PintOfBovril · 28/07/2020 13:44

Pull out. We had buyers like this and they carried on and on and we almost lost the property we were buying because of their delays and outrageous requests. Never again.

Morechocmorechoc · 28/07/2020 13:45

Of course you don't have to give them access its not their house. These people will mess you around right at exchange i bet. You need to move on ASAP. Get your solicitor to contact the next buyer on the list....get more money, let hassle I bet