What would you do?

[pebbles77]

So.. i'm sorry but this will be a little long..... in fact very long.

We are leaving London and moving to the country.

We accepted a price on our house in February even though our buyers hadn't had an offer. We accepted as we didn't want to sell until July as our kids were in school in London and we couldn't move until they had left.

We took our house off the market for 7 weeks as we were prepared to wait for our buyers. They then go under offer and although we asked them to do a survey on our house asap they said they didn't need a full survey and only needed a mortgage survey.

They unfortunately used a bank that took 6 weeks to undertake a survey and mortgage offer (it took us and the chain in the bottom just 3 weeks to obtain all of this).

Again we weren't pushing it as we didn't want to complete until July as we couldn't take our kids out of school.

The day before exchange (2 weeks ago) our buyers said that they no longer wanted to go with the mortgage survey but in fact wanted a private survey.

Again, we said absolutely fine.

So, survey came back. Roof tiles need to be replaced - that's fine - we and our buyers have had quotes - both come back as 5k

Then the survey said, our attic conversion is structurally sound however aesthetically could be improved and that would cost 10k.

So our buyers came back and said 40k!!!!! We responded saying we were unsure as to how they came to that figure but we were happy with 5k to pay for the roof tiles.

They then responded and said 35k.

Where did they get these figures from????

So i said " i don't play games, i don't want to play games" we will offer 15k which is the full amount that has been stated and we have to move forward now

they responded "your kids no longer have places in schools in london and therefore you have to leave and therefore we will agree to 25k . FULLSTOP.

we would love to be strong and say where to go but we can't, they're right, our kids no longer have schools here and we do have to move

so..... we've agreed to their amount and will fingers toes and everything crossed everything will go our way

HOWEVER... i no longer want to pay for our cleaning lady to make sure the house is spotless before we leave, i no longer want to leave them with flowers and wine as i had planned and i certainly no longer want to leave them with a long list of all of our neighbours names, rubbish days etc etc.

BUT what i would really like to do is ...........

what would you do???????

traviata, can I suggest SCU^M ? Or perhaps Twunt*s?

I know a bloke whose neighbour ploughed CUNT in his front garden. I have to admit, knowing him, I think he had a point.

So we've just had a phone call from the estate agents saying that all members of the chain have ok'd exchange with their solicitors so now they're doing whatever they need to do. One step closer. I'll keep you informed of hopeful good news later today.

The thing is I have no issue with them negotiating at the outset an offer price or even them negotiating a fair amount off after the survey report. What i have a problem with is them blackmailing us at the final hurdle as they know we want/need to move and don't have any bargaining power. It's a cruel cruel game to play.

I have my fingers crossed that you exchange today OP. When are you completing?

OP - that was their strategy from the start ...letting time tick on...painting you into a corner...deliberately so that you had no time - to sort schools or another buyer - worse than just blackmail - also highly manipulative over a long period of time. Prices have increased since Feb - you should ask for more - put them in the same position on exchange day -- put price back up and hold your nerve....

We've exchanged. Complete next Thursday

To say I'm relieved is an understatement.

Thrilled beyond belief and just need to put it all behind me so that we can enjoy the move and our new house.

Thank you for all of your support. I'll keep you informed with any little treats that I leave the new owners :)

Wow, just caught up with this thread and have to say I'm gobsmacked at your buyers cheek! DO NOT, UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES, CLEAN YOUR HOUSE!! I would be leaving them a little message along the lines of some of the suggestions further down, as well as a wee note telling them what I thought of them instead of that lovely bunch of flowers you were going to leave! Utter cheek of them! (Good luck with the move to your new home in the country!)

many congratulations! glad your buyers saw it through, you can breathe a big sigh of relief, and move on!

and you still have a week to plot any deviousness

Congratulations. I bet you are one happy person. Do not do anything nice for them! Hope the move goes smoothly next week.

Glad they didn't pull any more shit today Pebbles and congratulations on exchanging.

Now throw away the bleach, pack up your law mower and get thee to a fishmonger!

This thread made me think of this story! Not sure if it's actually true but still...

activerain.trulia.com/blogsview/1161352/smelly-curtain-rods---you-will-love-this-

Ha ha ha monkeymummy1 love that, thought i knew what the ending would be but it's even better :)

Would you rather be right, or would you rather be happy?

Having to give in to these underhand tactics must be REALLY crap. But sometimes you have to suck it up. In a few years the money will be forgotten, but you'll be living in a house you love. Imagine how stressful it'd be if your purchase had fallen through.

In the mean time, let us amuse you with revenge stories ;)

WHile you're out for the fish and the prawns, don't forget to pick up some cress seeds for the carpet ;)

Glad you got them to exchange. Bastards.

Complete shits!!! Think I would rather move into rented than sell to them!

We are annoyed with our buyer because we had to pay an indemnity insurance on their behalf (for the sale of their house rather than their purchase of our house!) to get things moving but that was only 130!

There is no way I would be cleaning or leaving helpful notes or a bottle of wine. They would be lucky to have light bulbs left! I'd be taking the kitchen sink!

Wow- they are complete cunts tbh. I would have pulled out, and stuff the loss. We pulled out of a purchase where the sellers behaved like this, don't regret it one bit.

Congratulations op. I think you just have to put it behind you. Look forward to your dream home and the future. Pulling out would just be cutting your nose of to spite your face.

I think you should keep all the cooking fat you can manage between now and completion day. On your final morning, boil it up and then pour it down the kitchen sink.....

Or buy an ant farm and then leave a note apologising that it got broken in the move. "Terribly sorry but they seem to have escaped the little buggers... "
www.amazon.co.uk/Interplay-UK-5026175001005-Ant-World/dp/B00008OS3A/ref=sr_1_1?s=kids&ie=UTF8&qid=1405343779&sr=1-1&keywords=ant+farm#productDetails

Personally, and I'm worried I'm heading into a similar situation soon with our buyers, I would tell then tat actually the house was priced according to condition, if it needs x amount of improvement it will be x amount more than they originally offered.

Call their bluff because they are trying it on and your house, in London, will now be worth more than you are selling for.

I fear I'm to be faced with this, as I said, but I'm going to have to show my poker face because there's no way my estate agent is getting his 2% and the buyers are gazzundering me too

Is it possible to buy pet moths? And release them in the house? Also giant african snails for the garden, a few totes adorbs bats for the attic and maybe a colony of wildly protected bees in the outhouse?

Oh just saw you exchanged!! Well may I suggest a little wee on every carpet in the house the day you leave, a neighbours cat MUST have got in with the removal man

Congratulations on your exchange. I hope you can catch your breath now, what an ordeal it has been for you.

Something appalling must happen to people's minds. My cousins' vendors have really done them over, I started a thread of my own cursing them yesterday.

What i have a problem with is them blackmailing us at the final hurdle as they know we want/need to move and don't have any bargaining power. It's a cruel cruel game to play.

People are c*nts sometimes. Make sure all your neighbours know how they behaved in the lead up to the purchase, they'll be really unwelcoming and the buyers will have no idea why!

Congrats! FWIW I think you did the right thing. The London market has definitely slowed, there's a lot more hanging around for weeks. You've probably achieved your top price, the smaller estate agent who said that you probably wouldn't have gotten the same now was being honest with you. Put this behind you and enjoy your new home!