Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. A phone that grows with your child.

Meet the Other Phone.
A phone that grows with your child.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Aibu or is the buyer of my flat being a dick?

169 replies

Niceeyes · 18/05/2022 19:32

I’ll try to keep this as short as possible.

got an offer accepted on my flat early March, both myself and the buyer are chain free, there were some questions over the parking space and whether it was private or allocated, (it’s private and she’s been told this). So she keeps delaying saying she’s not happy with the documents proving so. So this has now dragged the process to 10 weeks (for two chain free people this is really long)
BUT it transpired today that she’s actually using the parking ‘issue’ as delay tactics as she is now selling her late mothers place and doesn’t want to exchange on my flat until her mothers place sells (it’s under offer) …..I feel like she’s taking the piss, her offer was accepted by me as she was a chain free buyer, now there’s a chain…god knows how long.

so do I give her the extra 8 weeks to get her mothers place sold (this costs me more mortgage fees and utilities) or just tell her that she’s changed the deal and that I’m re marketing my flat.

grrr so annoyed

OP posts:
Izzieloo · 04/07/2022 19:36

Lovely news congratulations

MacaroniBaloney · 04/07/2022 22:07

Love the update ❤️ MN advice at it's best 👌

willstarttomorrow · 04/07/2022 22:22

Great news OP. I have friends buying and selling and there is a lot of dicking around at the moment. I think the crazy hot market is making people make unrealistic offers in haste and then pulling out down the line when they realise a) they over offered to get the property and b) rising interest rates mean they cannot really afford what they thought they could.

ImFuminHun · 04/07/2022 22:23

Great update!

We had similar, we were ready to exchange and our buyer was apparently ready to exchange too.

Except there was a radio silence and in the weeks we were sorting out paperwork to exchange she had withdrawn the offer on the house she was buying and put an offer on - and withdrawn - on a further three houses.

So we withdrew at what appeared to be the last minute but it was her doing.

Then we ended up having an amazing house land on our laps with more bedrooms, more space, better garden.
It suits us perfectly. I'm so glad she dicked us around.

Im sorry you were too but I'm really glad you're getting 15k more.

Flossatops · 05/07/2022 17:44

Definitely remarket. I've seen similar happen to various people and it's ended up with the sale falling through.

Flossatops · 05/07/2022 17:47

Sorry, I'm way behind.. Congratulations on a great result!

Bartonzam · 05/07/2022 18:19

Tell her to exchange by the end of the week or go and do one.

Ortega888 · 05/07/2022 18:20

This buyer is dreadful asking about the parking and making it an issue this could be a tactic of getting you so desperate to sell she would want more money off the asking price even when she eventually sells her mums house. We had the same problem with a horrible buyer at the very last minute she wouldn’t budge unless we took off more money off the asking price after already getting her a discount. Anything could go wrong with the sale of her mums property it could take forever to sell. It’s a bit of a dilemma. I would sit down with her and explain you didn’t want to be in a chain it’s why you agreed to her offer she’s taking advantage I bet she’s a swine to deal with. Your well within your rights to back out. Sleep on the pros and cons of selling to her or to not sell to her. I personally would get a new buyer as it will teach this woman a lesson. Who knows if you play hardball she may just finalise the sale with or without the sale of her mums property. Let us know how you get on.

Tessabelle74 · 05/07/2022 18:33

Re-market. With the way the housing market is slowing you could risk a chain collapse any moment

HairyAl · 05/07/2022 18:36

So happy to hear your good news. Some buyers are awful.

rumporolypolyofthebailey · 05/07/2022 18:50

I would reslist with " offers over" original selling price. Give her 5 working days to proceed. If she is serious then she will come up with the finance. You never know you might get a better offer. Good luck, it is a terribly stressful thing to buy and sell property. So much emotion tied up in what should be a straight forward practice, the system in the uk is in need of a rethink.

JimTheShit · 05/07/2022 18:50

I feel your pain OP. I just exchanged my house to a cash buyer and we were both chain free. Took over 3 months.

rumporolypolyofthebailey · 05/07/2022 18:52

sorry did not read the full thread. Well done!

Sunshine10012 · 05/07/2022 18:55

Niceeyes · 18/05/2022 19:42

Yep really disappointed …if I re list I’m just worried that the market is slowing as bank interest rates have gone up. Work case scenario I can rent it for a year but I do kinda need the cash now.
It’s been renovated to a high standard and the new buyer wants it so she can rent it out.
The estate agent told me to hold fire on relishing but I guess they don’t want ti have to do more viewings for something they have technically already ‘sold’ such skull dickery

we run an estate agency and we would never make you hold fire for something unless we felt it was the best route to completion for you.
it all depends on how quickly your property sold. If it’s sought after it may at pinch be quicker to find another buyer but then you could find hurdles with the new buyer too.
you may have to pick your battles and be patient with this one.
If there’s ever a way for a buyer to progress more quickly we’ll always find a way to do that but in the grand scheme of things 8 weeks could be the best time frame you’re going to get at this point however annoying it feels.

Grrrrdarling · 05/07/2022 18:57

Niceeyes · 18/05/2022 19:32

I’ll try to keep this as short as possible.

got an offer accepted on my flat early March, both myself and the buyer are chain free, there were some questions over the parking space and whether it was private or allocated, (it’s private and she’s been told this). So she keeps delaying saying she’s not happy with the documents proving so. So this has now dragged the process to 10 weeks (for two chain free people this is really long)
BUT it transpired today that she’s actually using the parking ‘issue’ as delay tactics as she is now selling her late mothers place and doesn’t want to exchange on my flat until her mothers place sells (it’s under offer) …..I feel like she’s taking the piss, her offer was accepted by me as she was a chain free buyer, now there’s a chain…god knows how long.

so do I give her the extra 8 weeks to get her mothers place sold (this costs me more mortgage fees and utilities) or just tell her that she’s changed the deal and that I’m re marketing my flat.

grrr so annoyed

I’d add the extra costs to the price because she has changed the agreement terms. If she was not chain free she shouldn’t have said she was! If she doesn’t agree to covering the extra costs that you are now incurring because she is not chain free realist your property for sale.

Sunshine10012 · 05/07/2022 18:57

Niceeyes · 04/07/2022 15:35

Update! If anyones interested 😂
after all your great advice I put my place back on the market (I was a bit stupid initially and gave g
her a 2 week exchange ultimatum which she ignored) but I now have a chain free cash buyer paying an extra £15k than the other woman who dicked me about…..god that was the most satisfying call to the old estate agents telling them I was going with someone else, thank you ALL

Just read your post and that’s excellent news!!

Grrrrdarling · 05/07/2022 18:59

Niceeyes · 04/07/2022 15:35

Update! If anyones interested 😂
after all your great advice I put my place back on the market (I was a bit stupid initially and gave g
her a 2 week exchange ultimatum which she ignored) but I now have a chain free cash buyer paying an extra £15k than the other woman who dicked me about…..god that was the most satisfying call to the old estate agents telling them I was going with someone else, thank you ALL

YES 😂 Buyers can think they hold
all the cards but they don’t. Hope you have some good plans for that extra £15,000 😉

kazlau · 05/07/2022 19:02

Tell her to complete immediately or you are relisting. Had this happen to me. Came a week before completion and reduced their offer!! I binned them and relisted and sold and completed within 2.5 weeks (chain free).

Vynalbob · 05/07/2022 19:07

I was erring on giving her time (ds2 had similar situation... dragged on 6 months...different reasons)... but
She bartered the price down 😲 25k.
Nah my opinion put a time limit on it.
def taking the Michael.

AnOldCynic · 05/07/2022 19:08

Before anyone else new posts, please RTFT...

JoanOfAllTrades · 05/07/2022 19:14

@Niceeyes

Does your buyer know that you’ll incur extra fees etc?

It sounds a bit nasty but I would tell her that she needs to pay full asking if you have to keep the place until her mother’s place is sold.

If she cavils then tell her you are relisting the property and if it’s still available when she’s ready, you’ll renegotiate at that point.

Too often vendors panic and think they’ll never get another offer. The flat sounds beautiful but if you’re waiting to move on with life, it’s just so frustrating.

Lem1984 · 05/07/2022 19:25

We were renting so were chain free. Seller was moving into her mother's house so was "chain free" turns out seller had to sell so her mum could buy her flat on an elderly "social village" flat. Totally misled and took 6 months to complete!

Hesma · 05/07/2022 19:30

Remarket. What’s to stop her pulling out of the deal for a bigger property once other one sold

WITL · 05/07/2022 19:33

xyzandabc · 18/05/2022 19:35

She's no longer chain free. Any number of things could delay the process even further down the chain. She's not been up front about her intentions. Remarket and find someone who actually wants to move quickly.

Remarket she is not chain free and she hasn’t been honest

BringMeTea · 05/07/2022 19:34

Oh God what a satisfying outcome! Well done OP!