Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Only the apps you allow.

Meet the Other Phone.
Only the apps you allow.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Property/DIY

Join our Property forum for renovation, DIY, and house selling advice.

Original poster

charged for blinds - would you pay it?

50 replies

alliwant · 30/06/2011 19:41

Hi,

I have posted on another thread about this but wanted to gauge a bit more of an opinion before I decide what to do.

We have put a good offer on a house and are due to move in 4 weeks (I am 34 weeks pregnant too btw) The people we are buying from have both been made redundant and are in her words "devestated" to be selling up and moving in with parents 3 counties away. The house is a tip, the garden is a state, most of the carpets completely ruined etc, but we like the location and space so we have ignored that.

The house comes with a conservatory and as i was measuring up yesterday she said "these blinds were my christmas present, they cost us £900. If you want to buy them they are £700" I was rather shocked, for the following reasons:

  1. £900 would have included fitting, so effectively we are being asked to pay an as new price.
  1. With the general condition of the house (I wonder if they have ever cleared up after a spill! Confused) I feel a bit of good grace would be in order.
  1. The blinds are custom made for the house! There is no way they'll be able to find another house that fits the exact requirements and another person that will want to buy them!
  1. They are in a financial mess but really - £700??? We are being squeezed too, and really it would be hard to find £700 at the moment.

So should I:
a. pay it
b. offer less (£400??)
c. say no thank you in the nicest possible way and hope they leave them anyway
d. Challenge them about the general state of the house and tell them I feel they are taking the piss a bit.

WWYD?

OP posts:
libelulle · 30/06/2011 19:48

I'd go for c myself, or else possibly b with an even lower offer depending on how much you like the blinds (would you eventually replace them anyway?) Our seller wanted us to buy the 30-year-old curtain rails!! We declined the offer and of course he left them anyway.

They certainly have a cheek, though- fwiw we left our blinds for free for our buyers as they werent going to fit our new house.

microserf · 30/06/2011 19:52

i'd negotiate a lower price if you like them. i wouldn't confront them about the state of the house, you have nothing to win and a bit to lose by antagonising your seller. they are forced sellers, but that doesn't mean you might not find the place in a bit more of a state when you take possession.

then, the pair of twunts we bought our house off said specifically that they'd leave the custom made blinds included in the price, but took them anyway, along with a few other things. moved overseas, so no chance of getting them back!

TheRedQueen · 30/06/2011 19:54

I think the question is whether you actually want them or not and, if so, what their value is to you.

ThePrincessRoyalFiggyrolls · 30/06/2011 19:58

I would say not to worry about them, they aren't going to be able to do much with them. They may lower the price of them and then you can negotiate if you want them.

Original poster
alliwant · 30/06/2011 19:59

Mmmm. Thanks for the replies. I have been told that blinds make a conservatory a much more usable room (i've never had a conservatory - so am not sure how true this is) so it would be great to have them. But not for £700. They are probably not my style but look expensive iykwim. She offered me other blinds (lounge and kitchen) but they are cheap ones. I am leaning towards option B and will just hope they leave them.

OP posts:
DontCallMeBaby · 30/06/2011 20:01

c.

We have a combination of blinds and curtains in our conservatory and they make bugger all difference to the usability of the room.

LolaRennt · 30/06/2011 20:06

If you want them I'd probaly offer 50 or a 100 quid just so they leave them. They might take them off just to spite you even if they wont use them. Were you under the impresssion the house came with the blinds?

Original poster
alliwant · 30/06/2011 20:09

No, not under any impression that the house came with blinds lolarennt didn't even notice them tbh. I just figure that things that are made to measure for the house stay with the house. We are leaving 2 fitted curtains for our 2 front bay windows, I wouldn't even consider charging for them (mind you - they are old and we inheritted them when we bought the house). I think it is more to do with the forced sale issue and that they are skint.

OP posts:
LolaRennt · 30/06/2011 20:15

In that case I would just go ahead an offer a token gesture they can't use them and would probably prefer some moeny to no money. But they would be in their rights to just bin them if they were pissed off.

noddyholder · 30/06/2011 20:16

Say no thanks They will probably leave them.

Original poster
alliwant · 30/06/2011 20:18

lolarennt, thanks for your opinion. I agree, its best to politely decline or offer a token gesture. It would just be such a shame if they binned them, it would acheive nothing (sigh)

OP posts:
mylovelymonster · 30/06/2011 21:14

You could measure up and see how much replacements that are to your taste would cost? Must be lots of special offers up for grabs.
Don't see why you should pay through the nose for someone elses' stuff - they can't use it elsewhere, can they, and I'm sure you have much better uses for £700 of your hard earned money rather than gifting it to people you have no obligation to, just to be nice.

Original poster
alliwant · 01/07/2011 20:05

So today, their estate agent phoned to ask if we had come to a decision about the blinds!!I only saw them on Wednesday and we haven't even had the fixtutres and fittings list yet, the cheeky buggers and we put the offer in a month ago!!! Strikes me they are desperate. I am now feeling hassled and as much as it would be very handy to have the blinds up already I don't want to feel forced into it!

OP posts:
notapizzaeater · 01/07/2011 20:12

my Ex - DH pulled the carpet up because the new buyers wouldn't give him £50 for it, he then drove it to the tip ...

Original poster
alliwant · 01/07/2011 20:23

mmm... thats always a risk I guess, its a fine line between standing up for yourself and pissing people off! mind you if they were £50 i'd just pay it, its the £700 part thats grating on me....

OP posts:
wonkylegs · 01/07/2011 20:30

I'd politely decline them and hope they leave them, worst case they don't and you have to get some new ones - that you like for probably about the same as they are asking Grin
I know they may not want to move but this is not your problem, buying a house is a big financial decision and as such should be treated like the business transaction it is - it is not the time nor place for a guilt trip, although it happens a lot.

osd · 01/07/2011 20:35

Have you got the measurements than you could price comparison if not, say no thanks (as you could probably get them cheaper). People are not really moving so you could probably negotiate new a lot cheaper. Depending on the size of course.

inkystinky · 01/07/2011 20:36

Dont pay for them - if they leave them thats good but if they dont its no big deal certainly £700 would go a long way to buying you curtain dressings you actually want.

thisisyesterday · 01/07/2011 20:40

i would do c

just say thanks but no thanks

they won't take them, they'll have nowhere to put them!
and if yo're basically paying an as new price then you might as well just buy new ones yourself if they do take them

Tigerbomb · 01/07/2011 20:41

I would politely decline them.

If you didn't really notice them at first, then they won't make a huge difference

PelvicFloor0fSteel · 01/07/2011 20:42

Definitely c. but make it a very polite refusal so they don't think they've got one over on you by binning them instead of leaving them. They may well come back with b. price if they think you're not that bothered.

Original poster
alliwant · 01/07/2011 21:22

Thanks for all your imput, I am pretty much of the same thinking, except now DH is worried that if they take them down our conservatory will be full of holes where they were fixed to the wall! Confused, its like an octogan shape you see and there are 8 different blinds. Saying that, they are not ceiling blinds so I still can't work out why they cost 900 quid.

OP posts:
Original poster
alliwant · 02/07/2011 19:27

Now they bloody well want £500 for a fitted oven and grill!!!!!! GRRRRRRR... Am I being picky or is that taking the piss??

OP posts:
Tigerbomb · 02/07/2011 19:31

its taking the piss, surely a fitted oven/grill is part of the kitchen. You could always say thats ok but you are lowering your offer to £500 less

nowwearefour · 02/07/2011 19:32

if they remove an electrical appliance (even a light bulb) they will have to make it safe before they go. so def do not offer anything for the oven- it will cost them to make it safe (point this out to them if you like)- if they dont do it you can sue them. they wont want to fork out extra stuff. def dont pay for the blinds......