To think our buyer is really out of order.

[PrincelySu]

We are selling our property, it's a detached cottage in a rural location, and was valued at £750k. We need a fairly quick sale due to our circumstances, we got an offer of £725k, we countered with £735k, and the buyer agreed. The cottage has lovely original features and is very quirky.

On the initial viewing, before they'd even made an offer, we pointed out a couple of things that may need to be looked at, one of those being the roof. Due to this, the buyer got a surveyor round, who agreed that the roof should be looked at. That is the only thing that has been flagged on the survey. The buyer organised a roofer to come and have a look, and the roofer said it's a quirky cottage and roof, but there is nothing wrong with the integrity. There are no leaks, damage, the felt is fine. There are a few tiles missing and it doesn't look great, but this is only cosmetic. The roofer said it is optional to replace the roof, and you'd probably want to at some point, but it's fine.

In between all of this, the buyer also came back to view the house twice more, to measure up for their furniture, plan where to paint and how to redesign the house, both of these visits totalling 4 hours. Which we were happy to do and accommodated.

The buyer has now decided they want the roof replacing and wants £10k off the house price! We said no, the roof doesn't need replacing, the roofer said it was optional and we've already given you a £15k discount from the listed price. The buyer has come back saying that they 'only wanted to pay £725k in the first place and they are fed up to be honest.'

AIBU to think they are being really out of order?! I feel like saying they can't have the house out of principle.

Not so much out of order as chancing their arm and taking advantage of your need to sell quickly.

I don't understand why you don't just say no - only the agreed sum is acceptable, either take it or leave it, the property will have to go back on the market within 48 hours if you decide not to proceed.

Yes forget the roof issue.

This issue is price

Are you prepared to sell for £725? If not, say no

This has nothing to do with the roof, and everything to do with them getting a deal.

Entirely up to you if you want to deal with them now

Just do what is in your best interest right now

Best of luck ☺️

I don't see how you can overhaul the system.

The bottom line is, at some point both parties have to commit to making the transaction or there are consequences. In England this is the point of exchange.

People say the Scottish system is so much better, but you still need a commitment at some point.

If you organise your life around a deal actually happening before both parties have made the commitment, you run the risk of being ... disappointed.

Some people don't care about the transaction time. Some do. Not sure that those that don't care as much about making the transaction to a particular schedule should sacrifice their flexibility and power in the negotiation for those that do in order for the non flexible party to command a higher price ?

This is all about the market. Power has shifted from sellers to buyers. In the past selllers would tell buyers where to go, if they didn't want to buy, then there were others queuing up to do so. That's not the case now. Buyers have the power.

It's pretty obvious that that they instructed the survey hoping and assuming it would show up something that would justify renegotiating back down to the £725K they actually want to pay. They've basically told you that in so many words. So you're not going to get more out of them and you need to decide now whether a speedy transaction or the maximum possible money is more important to you, because you can't have both.

Remarketing is an option but you'll be starting from scratch and a new buyer will most likely want a surveyor's opinion on your "quirky" roof too. Bear in mind also that the market is falling in most areas and falling fast in some, so by starting from scratch you may end up getting neither a speedy sale nor top dosh.

All of that aside, it's my experience that people who keep coming back for "another look" or "to measure up for furniture" are actually getting cold feet and mentally comparing your house that they said they wanted to buy against all the viewings that they are still doing of other houses. So that may be something to consider as well.

Interesting how different the tone of this thread is compared to the one about the retirement flat the other day, which was rigid with outrage about the buyer's lack of honour and integrity. Better advice here for the most part imo.

They sound like the kind of people my grandma had. They offered less, the day before the exchange! The whole chain fell through. It was ridiculous. Perhaps you ought to relist the property.

Personally I would probably say that you agreed that price with them having seen the cosmetic issues to the roof. Surveyor has now confirmed they are cosmetic only so you don't agree to the drop in price and ask what they want to do now

I remember when I listed my first home for sale. Whilst both fucntional and in perfect order, the boiler and bathroom were older. I priced lower than similar properties to take into account that anyone buying would likely want to replace them, if not immediately in the nearer term.

The amount of CFs who would come around and go 'ooo, well it is an older boiler so we'd want to replace that' as part of a negotiating tactic was unbelievable. Oddly enough my response was 'yes, hence the price being lower than any comparable neighbouring property'.

Agree with PPs. It's your home, and you love it, but you cannot take this stuff personally.

Just give them an ultimatum, proceed as agreed or the deals off and it goes back on the market.

This makes sense. Reopen viewings. They have no exchanged and sound like they will mess OP around.

Like pps have said, I'd say no. What they offered was based on what they'd seen, the roofer has confirmed it is just cosmetic, and if they wanted to fix that, it would be in the region of £1000, so a £10k price reduction is non negotiable, and cosmetic work, is their choice and responsibility to fund, like redecorating would be. I'd also say, you need to know whether they intend to go ahead at the agreed price by the end of the day, as if not, you will be remarketing the house Monday, at the original asking price. What are they going to do next, try and negotiate the price of a tub of Dulux off you as they don't like the colour on the walls?! And then, they want a new kitchen put in, because aesthetically, it's not to their taste... so is that at your expense too?! I think not. The house is sold "as seen", and no major issues to warrant a renegotiation emerged on the survey, so to suddenly be asking for a price reduction is ridiculous, and I bet they're just trying their luck. Fine, if the survey brought up that actually the boiler is fucked, the windows and doors all need replacing, it needs an entire brand new roof, and there are structural issues that need to be addressed, but this isn't the case. It's an old character property, and clearly it will require ongoing maintenance and general upkeep, as all older properties do, but the buyer needs to fund that, not you.

I think dropping £10k on a £750k house is nothing. If you want to sell and move on, take it, OP. The market is falling slowly, mortgage rates remain high and I think lots of people with large mortgages for homes at your level are struggling. My best guess is that more properties will be coming on the market and driving prices down further.

Saying the roof's fine and then that there are tiles missing is contradictory and doesn't help your case. As others have said this is a business transaction, it's not about being friends or nice to each other.

The horrible thing about the UK system is that right up to completion the purchaser can undercut you without any penalty. I've had it happen. My buyer strung me along till the last minute and then demanded 5% on completion day. In your case it's 1-2%. Don't get antsy about such a small reduction and lose out big-time if the market drops.

In your position I'd consider getting the roof repaired for £1k and offering them that. It begs the question of why you haven't had it fixed before now.

Generally higher prices people negotiate harder. 725 from 750 is a very very good offer.

I think its the way its been said has pissed off the op and rightly so-we only wanted to pay 725 means theyre thinking of any excuse to knock it down

id pull out they'll only think of something else they dont like

People have fixed price they are willing to pay in their mind. Buyers are a lot more cautious and flaky it's not personal.

Generally higher prices people negotiate harder. 725 from 750 is a very very good offer.

I think so too. Not much for sale around here at the moment because prices have dropped, but there's one on for £410,000 that started at £450k, then down to £425 before the latest reduction. There's nothing wrong with it, it's just that the market has dropped.

It's very simple.

The OP needs a quick sale due to their circumstances. She is not in a position to just say no.

No stick to 735k.

Either you will accept 725 or you won’t. If you won’t tell them the state of the roof (needing repair only) was factored into the asking price so you won’t accept less than the agreed price.

10k won’t put a dent in a roof replacement so that’s not why they’re asking.

They just want it for less and they happen to throw the issue of the roof at you. Say no. Don't stop them buying it because you are narked.

He wouldn't have said they'll probably want to replace the roof at some point if there was nothing wrong with it.

It's as though they planned the whole time to try and claw money back to get what they wanted in the first place. you are probably right. In the scale of things £10k isn't a lot of money when talking about a £700k + house. The thing is to remember is that this is business. How much you love the house or how offended you might feel is irrelevant. The game is they try to take as much as possible off the asking price whilst you try to get as much for your house as you can. In your position I would fix the roof to put the debate to bed.

Um....yes, if he wants a different looking roof?

I feel your pain, OP. A buyer of our old house had a survey, which showed no issues, but wanted a reduction to offset the cost painting the front (it didn't need painting; it was pure aesthetics). In the end, we decided the £5k hit was worth it to move on with our lives. And 10 years later Im certain we did the right thing.

My advice is to offer a £5k drop (or other figure you're comfortable with). You tell them (i) they either take it or the house goes back on the market tomorrow/Monday; and (ii) if they choose to proceed its conditional on exchange by xx date and completion by yy date.

I think this gives them a "win" but also demonstrates that you wont be dicked around.

Good luck. Its a very stressful process.

Tell the EA that you're not negotiating further with them, end of. They buy or they walk away.

You shouldn't be dealing with it, the EA should. Let them earn their fee.