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.

Its a negotiating tactic, designed to un-nerve and scare naive people like you. into reducing the price.

You play hardball and instruct your solicitor to send a formal letter to theirs.
There will be no price reduction and his clients don't appreciate being messed about. The buyers must show proof they have sufficient funds to pay the price agreed , or you will put the property back on the market .

The decision is yours, accept the offer if you want a quick sale or turn the offer down and see what’s happens.

You knew what they wanted to pay. That's what they offered. And the fact is that a quirky cottage with a tiled roof (presumably slate?) will need the roof replaced and maintained. It's an expense that does need to be factored in when purchasing. And although the roofer said it didn't need replaced just now, if they have spoken to any professionals they will have advised a maintenance and replacement budget.
Accept their original offer. Or don't. But there's no point getting upset about whether that was their original plan or not. All that matters is whether you're going to accept it.

OP, you have to hold your nerve rather than get annoyed or characterise the buyers as 'out of order.' They're bargaining, you need to consider if you're cutting your nose off to spite your face if you want to cancel them on a 'principle.' There are very few principles in house purchases - as you've seen. Grit your teeth and decide what you're prepared to accept/offer and stick with it.

Stay firm and tell them if they’re not willing to go with the offer you accepted you’ll resist. Buyers are cheeky and will try anything.

When I sold my last house the guy who bought it wanted 2k off for a back wall he was convinced was going to fall over at any minute. The surveyor recommended a £75 fix (which we agreed to pay for). He then wanted a new lock system fir the garage as he’d have to remove the old system. He wanted 1k off for that. There was nothing wrong with the ‘old’ system. It was brand new so we told him to get lost. He then wanted 5k off because he wanted to replace the 3 year old kitchen. Again told him to get lost.

We ended up selling to someone else.

Relist not resist!

You haven't 'given them a discount' by accepting less than you'd have liked

OP, ultimately you have to decide what £10k is worth to you

If they only wanted to pay £725k, I get the strong feeling that if it wasn't the roof, it would have been something else or possibly nothing at all that would have warranted them to try and get a £10k reduction off in the last minutes. Fuck 'em, tell them they have until the start of next week to agree to the £735k or the estate agent will be putting it back on the market.

I'd counter with 5k and say no further reduction at any point as the house will be re-listed.

I couldn't get my arse in my hand over 5k when property is selling at over 720k.

Why are people so determined to ascribe nefarious motive to everything and want to escalate it? Maybe the buyers are trying to play a game, maybe they are just trying to get their best deal, maybe they think it's a totally reasonable request (which I don't disagree with).

OP hasn't yet just said no, so they might cheerfully accept it and carry on as agreed. No need for all the angry drama.

Buyers are cheeky hmm no I don't think I've ever paid asking price or over. Of course if I wanted the house i didn't muck about but I've always managed under. I assume people will haggle its just some weird covid mentality that the house should be at least sold for the asking price or bidding war. That wasn't the reality and someone isn't a CF for not wanting to pay what you want. If you cannot afford 725k say 735 or you will relist. It's only 10k it's such a small proportion houses near me are having 50-75k shaved off and it's smaller amount of money.

Totally out of order but if you need a quick sale, what about getting a couple of other roofers' estimates. Did they dream up the 10K or is that what theirs quoted? Is it on paper?

How desperate are you to sell? If you really want this buyer, compromise on 5k?

Their mission is to pay you £725,000. Always was.
I would be firm and refuse to reduce the price.

Why replace a whole roof for a few missing tiles even if a professional said it didn't need doing?

£725k for a house that's on the market for £750k seems like a very reasonable offer. Not for a quick sale anyway.

As the roof will only cost around £1000 I'd knock that off the price, if still not good enough for the buyer I'd get the roofer back and pay to have it done at that price and remarket ASAP at full asking price.

It's natural that buyers will try their luck when it comes to negotiating a price but unless something major comes up during the survey if a price has been offered and accepted the buyer should honor it and not keep coming back wanting more money off.

For those buyers that want decent money off because they don't like the kitchen cupboards/bath suit or colour of the walls can always buy new houses where they get to choose these things before final settlement payed.

YANBU
Stick to your guns, they're being CF.

In terms of the roof, good reclamation centres will have a good range of different types of roof tiles.

If the roof is in good nick apart from a few missing tiles, it would be a crying shame to replace the whole roof with 'new' tiles. Look at what you've got - I bet they're wonderful because they might well be the original tiles and not the modern new ones that everyone goes for that aren't appropriate/in keeping with an old property. (Roofer's wife here, so I know a little bit).

This happened to me. They waited until the 11th hour and pulled the 'dodgy roof survey ' card. I called their bluff, pulled out and sold a month later.

Update:

We've agreed to pay for the repairs and replacement tiles (£850) and said we will not be negotiating on the price, otherwise we will be putting the house back on the market with immediate effect. To our surprise, the buyer has accepted this.

Still very, very concerned that they will try and pull a fast one later down the line.

I'm not sure they've done anything wrong. They're trying to buy the home they want as cheaply as they can. I dare say you're trying to do that too. It's frustrating yes, but I don't think anyone's being unreasonable.

Then decide now if you will allow them to or not.

We forewarned our buyer that we would not reduce the price at exchange, and luckily for us they did not try it on. But we had other offers and it would have resold, this is a different market.

But if you are certain you would re-market, then you can advise them to hopefully avoid them trying again.

Never any guarantees in this (stressful and thoroughly unenjoyable) game.

@PrincelySu
is the agreement to get the repairs done before the sale or to take £850 off the sale price?
I would go for the latter tbh because that protects you. If the try to drop the price at exchange you tell them to FO and re market.

@WB205020 We've agreed to take £850 off the sale price.

@wildfirewonder We definitely will not be renegotiating or allowing them to try to get money off again before exchange. We will pull out.