Buyer insisting freeholder carries out inspection, and that we pay

[unicornsfunkyfacts]

Is this normal? Since we accepted their offer, the buyer has had two surveys done and asked for access for multiple tradesman (all found nothing wrong with our flat), and now have come up with this, before agreeing to exchange - we've already paid hundreds of pounds to get the freeholder to answer all their questions

It's not as if it's rental property where you would expect the landlord to 'inspect' the property, and the leasehold documents, which is very old, only contains a number of very vague provisions.

we have no intention of paying for it, but is this a standard request?

I have never heard of that before. Has your agent?

Are they first time buyers, by any chance..?

What on earth would the freeholder be checking for???
I'm a freeholder and nobody has ever asked us to inspect anything

They want them to inspect for 'breaches of the lease'

Our lawyer says she's never heard of it, the EA (who hasn't managed the whole process well at all) is pushing for us to agree to it in order to keep the buyer happy (they are very pushy and difficult) - but at best it's waste of time, at worst the freeholder will say we've breached the lease (how I'm not at all sure - as confirmed by two surveys, the place is in great condition.

I want to tell them to sod off to be honest

That sounds insane! And what if the freeholder won't do it? Many don't want to have anything to do with the property beyond collecting the ground rent cheques!

I don't know how fragile your chain is, but I'd be inclined to tell them to eff off

(It's totally a first time buyer, isn't it?)

Not first time buyer no, but very demanding people

oh, the freeholder will do it, they see the opportunity to cash in - they have asked for £400 no less to inspect (which the buyer thought we would pay!)

I'd call their bluff and say no. I can imagine that on the day of exchange they'll find a reason to drop the price...

I agree, they are looking for a way of getting some money off with all these surveys and builders visits. See what happens on Thursday and, if we vote to remain, you can expect a bit of a bounce in the market and may be able to find another buyer quite easily. (If we vote out, I guess they will go for a discount on that basis.) Are they meant to have exchanged and are trying to delay until the referendum by any chance?

And no bloody way would I pay for a freeholder inspection - you will already have signed a legal document declaring that you have made no changes to the building that require the f/h's permission and, if you have misled them on that, then you can be sued. If they have specific grounds for concern - a wall that is on the LR plan but isn't there in real life, for example - their solicitor can make enquiries of the freeholder about that.

If they want to pay, they can knock themselves out. But it is crazy to assume there must be a breach unless they get proof there isn't.

I would say yes, of course they can providing they pay the fee. Caveat emptor is the basic principle - you shouldn't be paying the fee.

Agree with the other posters, buyers can knock themselves out and pay for this if they really want it, but no way should you pay.

EA needs to man up a bit here and act on your behalf.