To pull out of house purchase as I don't like the vendor?

[BeepBoopBop]

Way down the line with this, but sick of vendors miserable attitude & stroppy Whatsapps. I've moved heaven & earth to get this done in 3 weeks, my solicitor is charging a fortune to prioritise and it's one thing after another. Other houses have come onto the market since and this house was a knee-jerk reaction following a break up. I love it, but she is making everything so miserable.

I'm not concerned at all about the condition - all work has been done properly by professionals.

How would you know that?
YOU haven't seen it.
A SURVEYOR hasn't seen it.

And you believe that you don't "need" a survey, because you don't need a mortgage?

Tell me more about all this "seasoned" experience you have OP.

I agree you don't sound like a seasoned house buyer. Why are you worrying about her removal arrangements? Once you've agreed a completion date and exchanged she has to vacate the property by the agreed date, how she does that is her own affair.

The lack of viewing and survey.......I hope there are no major structural issues being concealed by a beautiful finish!

Also, as a landlord, the two pushiest, deadline insistent prospective tenants I had 1) turned out to be bankrupt (discovered only through my insistence ) and the 2) had a guarantor with only 1000 pounds in the bank. The EA didn’t care; they just wanted the commission

no viewings and no survey, and she is pushing for a quick sale. This has more red flags than a communist party conference.

Be sure to get vacant possession. You cant pay your money and then the vendor arranges her removals... Your solicitor will not like that. Be careful you re not cutting corners or ignoring your own interests in order to oblige the vendor.
If something more to your taste comes onto the market consider bailing on this transaction.

@NotReallyAPrincess

You might want to reconsider your "seasoned property buyer" skills if they haven't led you to wonder whyTF your vendor is pushing for a 3 weeks turnaround on a property you have neither viewed or surveyed.

This in spades. I’m nowhere near a seasoned property buyer but even I know this has more warning signs than a cliff edge

The normal reasons for requiring a quick sale are death, divorce or debt. I bet OP has considered why seller wants a quick sale, but perhaps doesn't care. so long as the price is right.

I would never advise someone to not get a survey... but if the property is a modern house, or a typical period house, and you have a friend and agents details to confirm that superficially it is in very good order.... then there is a pretty damn good chance that any necessary repairs can be paid for out of the significant saving OP is (presumably) getting as her reward for being a quick cash buyer.

If it's an older property I would absolutely not consider buying without a survey. We bought a Victorian terraced house that was done up beautifully, but thankfully did a full survey that revealed several issues that were not deal breakers, but we managed to knock down the price.

I do get frustrated at how often posters on this board refuse to trust the OPs own words. If you don't trust them there's not really much point engaging!

Of course there is @LaetitiaASD.

If OP goes ahead without a full knowledge of the guts of the house, she could be letting herself in for dozens of thousands extra spend.

But fine, you go ahead & back up her notion that her friend has full structural understanding of a house OP hasn't even stepped foot in.

OP can "know her own mind" inside out, but as she hasn't updated with any confirmation that her friend or she herself are surveyors/builders, all PP are doing is trying to stop her opening up a potential financial minefield for herself.

I've never met a seasoned cash buyer who would be put off by some stroppiness.

@daytriptovulcan

Be sure to get vacant possession. You cant pay your money and then the vendor arranges her removals... Your solicitor will not like that. Be careful you re not cutting corners or ignoring your own interests in order to oblige the vendor. If something more to your taste comes onto the market consider bailing on this transaction.

Yes, why would any reputable solicitor be ok with this?

Do you have all paperwork for past work done on the house, so that you know it was done properly by professionals? Aren’t you thinking ahead to potentially selling the house in future? Future buyers may not take your word (or your friend’s word) for it.

Our builders told me yesterday about another job he’s working on, at a large, beautiful expensive house, which is only about 15 years old and built by a reputable high-end builder. He was supposed to be upgrading the windows in the conservatory and discovered when he took the first one out that there was no steel holding up the roof — the roof was literally just propped on top of the walls, and now obviously dangerously unstable. As it’s a big conservatory, it’s a major job, and going to add about £70 k to the bill.

I guess you could do but aren't you cutting off your nose to spite your face?

It's not like you have to live with them.

It may have been perfect at one point, but who's to know if she's decided to take the kitchen and the bathroom with her when she goes, etc?

Your mate who knows the property well, is she good buds with the vendor?
How does she know the property well, by dropping in for a coffee?

Are you buying this house to live in?

Has your friend popped their head into the attic..as this is usually the place that hides a multitude of sins that can run into thousands....I am completely baffled by this post...without meaning to be rude, if you have more money than sense by all means, buy a house you have never been in and haven't had a survey done on! Bloody hell, this has to be a piss take

@PlonkyWillyWonky.
Very good point 🤔

It’s normal not to confirm removals until exchange. You can’t, as the sale may fall apart, as this one might.

This sounds reckless to me.

It sounds like you're close to completion now. If you still want the house then I think you should just grit your teeth and see it through to get what you want.

If you don't still want the house and can afford to pull out, well then do it.

Don't be influenced by a vendor you're going to have nothing more to do with in a few days/weeks though.

Hmm. Our last house the vendor was utterly vile but we didn't talk directly to him (his EA was just as bad though) and honestly, I wish I had just walked away. He left 3 skips full of mess, a broken house, I spent a fortune and 17 miserable months there.

If you can afford it I would pull out and find something else.

She's including the huge red bunting in the price.

Ever heard the expression 'They saw you coming', @BeepBoopBop?

she won't confirm her removals van until we exchange

Nor should she. Completion date isn't set in stone until exchange, and cancellation/postponement charges for removals are pretty steep.

This makes no sense OP

You don’t book removals until you’ve exchanged because completion date isn’t set until that point.

Booking viewings through the estate agent is normal and viewing for the first time so close to exchanging is unusual.

I don’t really understand what the vendor has done that’s so annoying.

I just can’t believe you are buying a property without seeing it first!