Selling to a friend?

[greendiary]

I am away to put my flat on the market - my friend has said her and her partner are interested in buying it (with a view to letting it).

Would you sell to a friend (if they were offering market rate)?

Yes if the financials were agreed at the outset and solicitors allowed to do their work as normal on both sides. But only if you are prepared to totally detach from the property after you've moved. They may rip out your new kitchen, pull up your flowers, strip off your carefully chosen wallpaper and you can't let it bother you one jot.

Friend sold to her brother and then moaned endlessly about what he did. Was very bad form.

Yes - I sold my flat to a friend, it was all dealt with through EA etc and we didn't really chat about it to each other at the time. Afterwards just make sure there are clear boundaries! My friend kept asking me to come and show him how to turn hot water on etc which got a bit much after a while (being heavily pregnant may also have had something to do with it!!) but it was fine, meant it got sold which was the main thing!

Thanks.

I've been letting it out for 2 years so have mostly detached myself from it (although it will always be the first place I had myself after getting divorced so still some nostalgia! But I knew it was a stopgap)

Good idea about not discussing it whilst all the paperwork is being done.

Hmm it's a tricky one for me. I'd be vdry wary of something going badly wrong and it upsetting the friendship, but at the same time if you decline it may well piss them off anyway.

As long as you keep it formal and make sure they are know they are responsible For being aware of what they are buying them it should be ok unless you are hiding a subsidence problem or dangerous electrics etc.