Dull I know but anybody have any experience of renegotiating an offer on a house following survey and legal searches?

[ShowOfHands]

I know it's New Year's Day and you're all enjoying a wonderful bank holiday off work and of course you're not remotely interested in my mundane questions about the house buying process. However, I thought I'd ask in case any of you kind people took pity on a poor pregnant lady...

Briefly, we put in an offer on a house back in October, had it accepted subject to survey etc. The offer was ?1000 below the asking price. We have found from the survey and legal searches that none of the work the vendor did to the property has planning permission, nor does it meet current building regulations. The galley kitchen has been extended to the width of the house but is only single skin and needs retrospective planning permission, work to bring it up to spec and various checks done on it. The attic has also been (badly) converted and the house was sold with the attic advertised as an extra room. Our solicitor has informed us that this conversion is substandard and the attic must not be used as a habitable room and should have the stairs removed to it to make it storage only or work done to rectify the vendor's work. The survey says 'we strongly recommend you renegotiate price'.

So, obviously tomorrow morning we are going to phone the estate agents and try to renegotiate the price. What I want to know is this: Has anybody else ever done it? What are the chances of the vendor renegotiating?

I know it all very much depends on how much the buyer wants to sell and whether he thinks that anybody else would proceed at asking price. However, I'm pregnant, hormonal and worried that the whole thing is going to collapse. If you were the vendor would you renegotiate? And do we change our offer or wait for the vendor to suggest a more reasonable price? I'm actually finding this more upsetting than I ever anticipated.

Never try to buy your first house and have your first baby at the same time.

Thanks for any help or advice offered.

I believe that if an extension has been in place for 4 yrs or more then you can get a certificate of lawfulness: not planning permission per se, but a certificate to stop enforcement/ demolition by teh council. The idea behind it is taht if the neighbours have not been inconvenienced by it enough to complain, or teh council to take action then it does not need to be demolished.

either way: your offer was based on certain reasonable assumptions: these are incorrect. although to be fair to eth ea if they advertised teh loft as a 'room' as opposed to a bedroom, they have been correct. But you would need to be in the trade to know that (I am not an ea) and they should have told you.

I would drop the price by £15k. but be prepared to compromise on £10k.
Don't tell them your building trade connections. Don't threaten teh EA: just emphasise that you do want to proceed but these problems must be sorted out.

It woudl help enormously if you are ina strong negotiatiing position: are you cash buyer/ small chain? If so, emphasise these facts - they will get eth ea on your side- they don't get paid until teh deal goes through so it's in their interest to help you.

good luck

We are first-time buyers, no chain. Everything will be ready to go once we have sorted out these issues. Going to check up on this certificate of lawfulness thing too as the extension has been there for at least 10 years and I don't think there have been problems (all of the neighbours have identical extensions anyway).

Thanks for all additional help and advice. We'll be speaking to the EA tomorrow to see what can be done.

any progress ?

DH at the EA this morning, meeting me for lunch at 1pm...

Got my 20wk scan this afternoon too and I couldn't feel more terrified if I tried.

Will update as soon as conceivably possible.

good luck. I have my fingers crossed for you.

Just to add, don't despair too much if you do lose the house. We're moving tomorrow but the house we really wanted to even just view (but couldn't cos offer had been accpted) is, today, just back on the market! Grrrr.

NO!! Tinker

Oh, it would have had things we didn't like about it - small garden, train line too close, grass is always greener etc. But...[wonders]

SOH , any progress ?

Tinker I'm getting cold feet now (valuation ahs suggested damp and that road may affect resale value, vendors being cheeky) , hope your move goes well !