AIBU to walk away from this house purchase?

[Quandaries]

Will try to keep this short.

Viewed a house and loved it 6 weeks ago. Ticked all the right boxes and was very good value for what it was. Offered asking price and it was accepted. Survey done, solicitor engaged etc so at the stage where it’s cost us some money.
Booking deposit has been paid but is refundable (not in Scotland).

We have a large deposit and mortgage is ready to draw down. We’re not in a chain.

Our solicitor was chasing theirs for contracts.

On Thursday I got a call from their agent to say they’ve allowed another viewing from a very insistent couple who are cash buyers and offered £8k more.

Agent now wants us to reoffer and increase on the new buyers’ offer so we’ll be paying £12k above what was agreed. He insists that the house will go for even more if it goes back on the market and says that houses are being snapped up before they go on the market as more people are working from home and this village is very popular for those with just an occasional commute.

I’ve had a look at Right Move and can’t see any evidence of anything other than price drops in the area. I accept that there may be houses selling before hitting the market and I don’t have this data.

My heart loves the house. It’s in a stunning village and really ticks all the boxes in terms of schools etc.

My head is saying we’re actually in a better position than the cash buyer as we’re 100% ready to go and can sign this week whereas they will need to have survey done etc.

Head is also telling me that if the sellers are going to screw us for £8k (for context, that’s a bit over 1% of the purchase price we had agreed), they’ll be a nightmare to deal with and it’s only a matter of time until they come back to us either with a new offer from the other bidders, or pushing to put it back on the market.

I’m also guessing that house purchases slow down a bit in winter, and it’s an area where more Covid lockdown measures are likely so putting it back on the market may mean there aren’t many viewings.

For additional context, we can afford to increase our offer. I’m just loathe to get into a bidding war due to how the vendor has sprung this on us.

But I love the house.

YABU- up my offer
YANBU- walk away

Did you hear anything from the EA in the end OP?

Festive spiced Twix? What fresh hell is this 🤢

😅

It depends on how much you love the house and how much you will regret losing it. But I would stand firm in your situation

I have a missed call from the EA.

I’m in work and can’t take a call for the next few hours (on a zoom). He’s left a vm, will try and listen to it when I can next nite myself.

Shit.

Nite = mute.

Hard to type while staring straight into my webcam pretending I’m not on my phone.

I reckon your vendors have had the pennies drop.

All 1,200,000 of them...

Oh gosh. I bet it’s a grovelling message.

Ooh it would be awful if your zoom connection went op! There is defo problems with lag today

We walked away from a similar problem and 3 months later bought the same house for even less because they were messing about. Walk away. If it's meant to be it will be! Hard to do though!

If NB is genuine, they obviously knew that the house was SSTC and what they were doing, so I'd be really quite surprised if they didn't try dropping the price at the last minute - once OP has safely bowed out. After all, we already know that they're rportedly the 'insistent' sort.

It's a bit like some of the threads you see on here where a woman knowingly gets with a married man, sees him leave his wife for her; and then is absolutely incredulous and beyond consolation when he leaves her for another woman a few years later.

Can you mute /move for ‘knock on the door’?

Time for a toilet break? 😁 Be interesting to see what the message is since you've already withdrawn your offer and asked them to transfer the money back. I'm guessing the vendors have maybe pulled their heads out of the sand and realised that they've made a bit of a boo boo.

Im having an anxiety flush for you OP 😱

Maybe the EA is just confirming the transfer of funds. Sorry to be boring

Argh! Maybe he’s calling to say he’s had enough of them too and quit. He’ll pop by tonight with the chocolate swag...

Ooh interesting op!

What are you hoping for?

Take a comfort break from the zoom and find out what the ea wants!

The camera on my laptop is very dodgy for zoom calls, always randomly switching on and off

Maybe the EA is just confirming the transfer of funds. Sorry to be boring

Highly unlikely, I'd have thought. Businesses don't tend to bother calling you to confirm payments unless they're wanting to keep you sweet or people (including them) are waiting on something urgently that's dependent on the transaction.

Once they're just fulfilling their last legal obligations and you are no more use to them, at best you might receive a standard generated email or letter - but nobody would bother calling you just for that, especially as the circumstances are somewhat awkward.

If he's calling, it's because he's hoping to regain your custom.

Im having an anxiety flush for you OP

If anybody right now, I think it's the vendors who'll be needing additional flushes

@dexterslockedintheshedagain

Has anyone else seen a salted caramel twix? I'm sure I had one recently but DH doesn't remember me having one and thinks I'm going nuts. Haven't seen any since, so maybe he's right!

Yes! Ocado had them. Not tried as the thieving feckless children have eaten them all.

On plus side for self (sorry OP) reminded to add dark choc bounties to Waitrose order now!

Holding my thumbs for you OP that things work themselves out for the best.... & that shoddy vendors get their comeuppance

Onadifferentuniverse I meant where did you buy it? Or did you just see it online?

@Wotsitsarecheesy

Whenever we get a selection box, I always choose anything except Bountys. Noone else in the house will touch them. So then, when the bountys are the only thing left, they are ALL MINE!!!!

This is absolutely genius 😂