WWYD? Demanding buyer

[flownthecoopkiwi]

After months of not mentioning it, just before exchange our buyer demanded we pay for an electrics check and chimney sweep and survey.

The electrics check we agreed to as we didn't have completion certificates for replacement lights, new kitchen and utility room fittings. We had had a new power board fitted too with no certificate. No, we did not use cowboys, just two long stories.

Anyway, paid for a eirc test. Found an old sub board in utility that is safe but not up to current standards. This wasn't replaced when other work done, but would have been signed off if electrician had done a certificate?!

Also boiler is not bonded as fitted before regulations changed. Would not have been picked up by either completion certificate.

Anyway, the work to fix both will cost a few hundred pounds.

Who should pay? Who usually pays? Also we accepted her offer which was 10K below asking price and paid 250 for these checks.

Can you prove when the work was carried out? If it is safe just not to current regs I do not think you would be unreasonable to refuse to upgrade both. Most houses will have numerous examples of things which do not meet current regs for various things. Unless you are buying a new build you can't expect anything different. Can you provide her with an indemnity instead if she is insisting?

Depends - you could suggest meeting halfway so both parties pay. A few hundred in the scheme of things is not much when buying and selling houses. This is the sort of thing that can delay exchange of contracts and cause the whole thing to fall apart. If you then have to start again and find a new buyer you could end up accepting a lower price in any case. If you dont want to risk losing your buyer and she wont chip in i would suck it up and get it done - or in order not to delay things drop the price by that much and she can get the work done after moving in.

My buyer tried this right at the last minute . Wanted me to have a new garage roof fitted, have electrics and gas tested . I told the agent to go back to him and tell him very firmly that it was a 'no' to all of his requests and to stop mucking about.

We exchanged later that week.

Can't believe you paid for the electrics check and chimney sweep and survey!

I know - not something we would do. Older does not equal death trap. You've got to wonder why some buyers even entertain buying anything other than a new build.

Sounds like this came up on her survey, I don't imagine it's a try-on, and she's not being cheeky by requesting the checks, which I suspect the surveyor recommended.
If it's a condition of the mortgage offer that these things are dealt with, she can't borrow the money unless they are rectified. You could still request that she pays or recompenses you. If, on the other hand, they are merely recommendations, then she can deal with them after completion, if she thinks they are necessary.

Id ask the agent to go tell the buyer to think on. Any more nonsense and you'll blackball them. Make sure they return any compies of any seaches, surveys, etc. I prefer not to do business with people like that, and any messing around I would say they are changing too much, and I won't sell to manipulative blood suckers.

It's for the buyer to pay for all these surveys though.

It's for the buyer to pay for all these surveys though.

Exactly.

Wish I'd got an electrical survay though on this place! Oh well, live and learn.

Board not being upto current regs shouldnt return a unsatisfactory result on a eicr unless there are genuine safety issues with it such as over heating or damage that makes live parts accessible. Boiler not being bonded is bollox as long as you have main bonds to gas and water where they enter the property which you should have if work has been carried out in the last 8 years. As to not recieving certs for work im sorry they are cowboys if they dont provide them. If you have concerns over some of the codings they have given on the EICR post a image of the observations page.

So quote to get work complete is £350, which seems reasonable.

Just had same report done on house we are buying, which came back with more issues and £1167 to fix!

have given quote, report and chimney cert to our solictor to see what the next exciting episode of 'demanding buyer' will be...

She'll want us to cover the repair costs.

I don't think this is necessarily taking the proverbial. Regular chimney sweeps are essential for insurance purposes. Chimney fire + no evidence of annual maintenance= no payout. If I was buying a property where the electrics had been updated recently but no certificate, I'don't ask for indemnity or similar. This is all standard stuff that should be together for sale. God knows why she has left it to the last minute tho... could be her sol who has poorly advised her, could be mortgage company, could be an insurance issue (remember she has to have insurance from exchange not completion). Of course she could just be being unreasonable but it might not be that.

OP - these items are not repair work: they are work to bring things up to current regs. If you had the certificates for everything you wouldn't be carrying out work. Much cheaper for you to offer an indemnity to the buyer instead.