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Original poster

house buying disaster

36 replies

housedisaster · 06/05/2006 16:48

Hi I have name changed for this. We were due to exchange yesterday, however we needed various reports which the vendors had promised us a chance to read. It came through to me at work at about 3pm, my husband wanted to read it (it indicated a bit of work that needed doing), the agent phoned at 4.55 and said if you don't complete by 5 the sellers may pull out, they called back at 5.30 and said they had matched our offer they called us at 3 today and said they now had one for 15,000 more (3%). Any suggestions. Can we sue anyone for costs? If we match that offer can we sue the agent for the difference? (they have not done a few things they should have according to the ombudsmans website) Some background is that we have done everything in less than 4 weeks since they supposedly want to move quickly and we are chain free. Don't know if anyone is still around but thanks for reading this far.

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Original poster
housedisaster · 06/05/2006 22:55

Hi Batters Saturday night not much to do so off to bed to sleep on it. Don't really have a spare 20K on top of everything else! Even if I did tend to agree with others that this would not be the end of it.

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UCM · 07/05/2006 00:05

Errr to take the fitted bits out of a fitted kitchen stinks of desparation to me..... but hey Smile each to their own.

UCM · 07/05/2006 00:06

Am talking oven, hob, fridge freezer and dishwasher and microwave - if they are fitted why would you take them elsewhere???????

kitegirl · 07/05/2006 06:18

call their bluff
these new "offers" that suddenly materialise are often completely fabricated - happened to us and we just laughed and told them to take it then.

cece · 07/05/2006 06:51

It all seems a bit wierd. I owuld call their bluff too. If you lose it it might be a blessing in disguise!

batters · 07/05/2006 08:59

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

AngelaD · 07/05/2006 09:06

For godsake don't match their offer - i bet my hat it doesn't really exist. If that's their game leave them to get on with it, there will be another house, there always is.

Helennn · 07/05/2006 15:09

As an ex estate agent I must say that everybody always thinks the worst of the estate agent - and they often take the blame for other people's greed. In this instance the other offers, (if they do actually exist), could well be from somebody who saw the property before you saw it, ie. before it was taken off the market. Buyers often come back after an existing purchase has fallen through, so they go to their second choice. If they then make an offer the estate agent is legally obliged to put the offer to the vendor. Obviously I am not naive enough to think that the agent could not be playing silly buggers, but if somebody else really wants the house and is prepared to pay £15,000 more than you it may just be tempting to the owner??
I am sorry that you are being mucked about like this, but feel a bit annoyed that it is always the estate agent taking the criticism when it MAY just not be their fault.

As an aside, the only time in 9 years of working, that I have ever done anything I was uncomfortable with was on the express orders of a solicitor, (told not to tell a buyer that there was somebody else interested in the house that they were buying, the other buyer then went through the joint agent and bought the house from under our buyers nose - we were NOT popular and out of pocket).
I hope all works out well for you tomorrow!!!

Original poster
housedisaster · 08/05/2006 02:13

Hi Helennn, thanks for your good wishes for tomorrow will probably end up posting more on the subject tomorrow, realised the vendor might be a mumsnetter!! Just do have to point out that our offer had not fallen through nor was the offer from someone who had seen it previously. Up late trying to finish some work for the morning-trouble is I'm a bit preocupied!
Thanks for your comments everyone else. Like the one about the sellers taking the numbers that did make me laugh, maybe that was why they chose it.

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LIZS · 08/05/2006 17:18

How did it go today ?

Original poster
housedisaster · 10/05/2006 20:56

Hi Lizs sorry for the lack of reply I've been very busy at work. We left the offer the same on Monday and they refused to complete unless we paid an extra 15K so we told them where to go. Think my dh was a little relieved to be told by the solicitor that was the right thing (after we had made our decision of course). A couple of other issues have come up since then I'm not keen to go into them currently since they are still current but will try and post an update if anything ever comes of it. Thanks for asking and thanks everyone for your help.

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