AIBU?
Would you still buy this house?
advisemeifyouplease · 02/09/2022 19:59
Hey everyone, appreciate all opinions on this one please :)
A year ago my then fiancé and I saw a house come on the market, liked the look of it but too expensive - we couldn’t afford it and looked over priced to us.
Over 9 months price slowly dropped and we put an offer in. Vendor rejected our first three offers (we went up a bit each time) and we walked away as we’d offered our max.
Six weeks later vendor phoned back up to accept our offer but wanted the whole thing done in three months. In the interim we’d decided to focus on arranging our wedding so said we’d try to meet timelines but no promises as we’d already put down payments on the wedding venue etc and were organising it within the same three month window too!
Exchange date originally set for start of Sept, completion end Sept. After sorting initial lawyer paperwork etc we organised survey for Aug (first available date for the guy we’d found). Got back from wedding and honeymoon to read survey and it’s thrown up some potential issues - damp, small amounts dry rot, old electrics. Survey recommends further checks.
We informed vendor we can’t exchange until we’ve done our due diligence, vendor now saying he’s happy for us to do the follow up checks but he’s putting house back on market as must complete by 30th. Also whatever info we get back from checks he won’t lower price (we didn’t ask for this though!).
Is this normal? Is he being unreasonable? I’ve not bought a house before! We are tempted to say we’ll pull out unless he keeps house off market until 30th minimum. We’ve paid good money for survey and lawyers, and would be paying more for these extra checks whilst he’s having new buyers look round! Love the house, it does have its down sides which we were happy to accept but vendor’s behaviour is putting us right off!
Am I being unreasonable?
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CanThisBe · 02/09/2022 20:04
How does he think he'll compete by the end of Sept with another buyer?
Unless the issues are things that could reasonably be expected because of the general age and condition of the property, he does need to reduce the price IMO.
I think I'd revise the offer and if he pulls out so be it, but his best bet for a quick completion must surely be to sell to you.
motherofcatsandbears · 02/09/2022 20:05
Sounds like a pig in a poke - beware if you do decide to purchase and he won’t lower the price for the amount of work that will need doing.
frenchie4002 · 02/09/2022 20:06
I’d be sceptical of a house for sale for that long anyway in the current climate and of course YANBU to do further checks flagged on the survey. Did you get a home buyers survey? He’s deluded if he thinks a new sale will go through quicker
StoneofDestiny · 02/09/2022 20:07
Based on that survey I'd run - especially as it's recommending further checks.
advisemeifyouplease · 02/09/2022 20:10
Thanks both :)
Yes we got home buyers survey.
We weren’t really angling for money off (that would be nice but we take him at his word he won’t reduce price) but just want the time to get the follow up experts in so we can assess potential issues / cost of fixing and decide if it’s still worth it (which we assume right now it is). But feels like he’s trying to force our hand which has really put both our backs up!
Just not sure if putting house back on market is normal if initial exchange date is missed but sale still proceeding?
advisemeifyouplease · 02/09/2022 20:11
StoneofDestiny · 02/09/2022 20:07
Based on that survey I'd run - especially as it's recommending further checks.
Thanks StoneofDestiny. Can I ask, is it not normal for surveys to recommend follow up checks?
SierraSapphire · 02/09/2022 20:12
Dry rot can be pretty serious and expensive, it's not something you should rush into. I'd also pull out if someone put their house back on the market.
Twiglets1 · 02/09/2022 20:14
advisemeifyouplease · 02/09/2022 20:11
Thanks StoneofDestiny. Can I ask, is it not normal for surveys to recommend follow up checks?
StoneofDestiny · 02/09/2022 20:07
Based on that survey I'd run - especially as it's recommending further checks.
Yes it is. Common to suggest the roof gets checked, damp survey and electrics checked
MrsSplendiferous · 02/09/2022 20:15
To be fair , it's his house he can do what he likes , he will not care one jot about the money you've spent
I'd stick to your guns though
advisemeifyouplease · 02/09/2022 20:16
Twiglets1 · 02/09/2022 20:14
Yes it is. Common to suggest the roof gets checked, damp survey and electrics checked
advisemeifyouplease · 02/09/2022 20:11
Thanks StoneofDestiny. Can I ask, is it not normal for surveys to recommend follow up checks?
StoneofDestiny · 02/09/2022 20:07
Based on that survey I'd run - especially as it's recommending further checks.
Ah thanks Twiglets1
TimeFlysWhenYoureHavingRum · 02/09/2022 20:26
You will need to pay for the electrics and other things but if he's accepted your offer yanbu to require that he takes it off the market until you complete. Ask your solicitor to advise.
allboysmum3 · 02/09/2022 20:28
He wouldn't be able to get a new buyer, exchange and complete within 30 days anyways! He's trying to be an arse to push you along and feel like you've got no other option.
Get your checks, don't just accept it without doing further investigation.
pennysarah · 02/09/2022 20:41
To be fair a lot of surveys say get further checks - a home buyers report is never comprehensive and in my experience they suggest further checks if they can't assure no issues so it's not always because there's major issues -it's just to cover themselves. It is your risk to take or not getting further checks but from the sellers perspective I can understand why they are nervous. It's annoying if they've waited a while and then new delays are added- they probably are worried you'll pull out.
Having said that I wouldn't be comfortable carrying on getting checks (investing more money) with it on the market unless I was 100% sure I could and would complete quickly.
You don't sound THAT committed to the property and letting the vendor know that you prioritised your wedding may have added further doubt of your commitment.
Apl · 02/09/2022 20:42
advisemeifyouplease · 02/09/2022 20:11
Thanks StoneofDestiny. Can I ask, is it not normal for surveys to recommend follow up checks?
StoneofDestiny · 02/09/2022 20:07
Based on that survey I'd run - especially as it's recommending further checks.
Yes it is absolutely normal for further investigations to be suggested. Our survey recommended that we replace the electrics because they were ‘old’ and that we have damp issues inspected by a specialist and some other stuff. Damp specialist then found ‘rising damp’ and recommended £2k of work. We were v stressed but bought and did it. Then we found out that there was no rising damp the specialist had been wrong (there was a small leak in a pipe in the room above 🤦♀️ easily fixed).
We lived there a decade and never had any problem with the ‘old’ electrics.
Surveys can be very doom and gloom particularly if your surveyor personally prefers new builds.
Get it checked, especially the dry rot but don’t panic too much.
if I was your seller and I’d massively reduced the asking price and you’d failed to meet the exchange deadline absolutely I would put the market back on the house as I’d assume you are some of the many nervous buyers who are unlikely to buy.
If you want it, press on asap.
Apl · 02/09/2022 20:43
allboysmum3 · 02/09/2022 20:28
He wouldn't be able to get a new buyer, exchange and complete within 30 days anyways! He's trying to be an arse to push you along and feel like you've got no other option.
Get your checks, don't just accept it without doing further investigation.
He might if the property is now undervalued and a cash buyer / investor decides to buy it. People can exchange and complete on the same day.
Farmmum77 · 02/09/2022 22:22
Feels like he’s rushing you because there’s something to hide… I’d be very cautious.
mondaytosunday · 02/09/2022 23:17
Do what you need to. If he Gad t sold it in the last few months there's no way he will be able to magic up a buyer who will complete in less than a month. I buy cash and it's still a push - investors aren't idiots snd they want searches snd surveys too.
Sellers and buyers try to bluff each other out all the time.
By the way the survey would not put me off but I'd be getting advice on exactly how extensive that dry rot and damp are.
whowhatwerewhy · 03/09/2022 08:43
I would continue to arrange the further survey. You will then be in a position to say " survey is being done on x date is the vendor willing to wait ". If they won't pull then pull out .
We had something similar vendors wanting a certain date , we couldn't be ready in time . We simply called there bluff said we're sorry but we would have to pull out and wished them luck in finding a buyer who could start from scratch and complete within the time frame.
They then backtracked and we completed a few weeks after there deadline.
Eastangular2000 · 03/09/2022 08:57
You don’t say how long it has been since your offer was accepted. If it was accepted in May for example and you didn’t sort a survey until august then it’s you dragging your feet
Quitelikeacatslife · 03/09/2022 09:23
Totally normal for survey to recommend further checks, they are not experts in those areas so covering themselves too. You will be able to get a damp survey quickly I'm sure , you should be able to get that done next week. all older houses have a bit of damp somewhere or a suggestion of it, so survey will let you know.
Any work may not need immediate attention
Arrange it and Electrcian to have quick look asap and I'm sure the seller will see you are doing all you can to meet your agreed timeframe.
It sounds like you've got a massive deduction already by agreeing to this deadline so hugely important to seller . I don't think they'll put it back on the market if they see you are trying your best.
For a seller I think the return of the survey is very stressful as they always look doom and gloom and the buyers often ask for money off.
Capri3 · 03/09/2022 09:43
If you’re not buying a new build then all of those issues are normal. Surveys always recommended further checks for any issues.
We previously sold a Victorian house, which came up with damp on the survey - we didn’t even know! The surveyor said that any house over 100 years old will have had both damp and woodworm at some point.
We also bought a house for which a survey recommended further electrical checks. This was just due to the fuse board being very old. We had an electrician check all sockets (takes a few seconds per socket) after completion and fit a new fuse board.
Tigertigertigertiger · 03/09/2022 09:49
All houses are full of problems!
from the buyer’s viewpoint you are slightly messing him about - I know you’re not, but your wedding is of no interest to him.
I’m not surprised he’s putting it back on the market. If you really love the house , hurry up !
goldfinchonthelawn · 03/09/2022 10:08
No new buyer will be in a position to exchange that quickly with him. I would drop your offer by several grand to account for the issues flagged, and proceed, if you love the house.
Sahara123 · 03/09/2022 10:19
Be REALLY careful with dry rot , we had some and it was extremely expensive and invasive to get fixed .
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