Buyers demands! What would you do please?

[rattlesnake]

I have had several issues come up in a survey that our buyer wants put right. He want to complete and move in middle January 2018. The work that would have to be done is: all ceilings in house re plastered, parts of bedroom wall and bathroom wall chipped off, sealed for damp and plastered. Spraying for woodworm in loft. Electrical work in loft. I assumed he would take an adjustment in price. However he wants me to get all the work done myself before completing. We are 20 days from Xmas and I have children and a disabled person at home with me. It would be a major disruption and I would rather know money off for the work to be done later. Do you think this is reasonable?

[BubblesBuddy]

good discount for the Work......

[BubblesBuddy]

If the survey has found damp and woodworm in the loft this is not really visible to a buyer. If you did the work in your own time you will prevent another buyer discovering these problems. They are problems!

Just reducing a bit wouldn’t be good enough for me unless I had seen estimates to justify the reduction. I may expect a fairly big reduction with these faults unless the house was priced with the faults taken into account. As it has come up in a survey it seems unlikely.

I would not expect you to do the work but I
might well walk away. If tad electrical work is related to safety then you should get it done for your sake.

I love the way other posters think there will be another buyer along who will be happy to buy the house with these faults. Yes, if it’s dead cheap and there is a good disruption for the work. Another buyer will have to factor in not being able to move into the house as well. Negotiating on price is the only way out but I think your buyer may walk unless you are in a very desirable area or cheap.

[another20]

Be prepared that CF's like this don't give up. Expect them to attempt to gazump on exchange day - and stand your ground.

As others have said - shouldnt be giving anything off from survey unless something seriously structural.

[MiniCooperLover]

He’s trying it on, negotiate a small discount as goodwill if you feel it needs it but you aren’t doing that work now!

[frogsoup]

People are such cheeky fuckers. I remember one person who wanted to buy our first house knocking 10 grand off his offer price 'because it didn't have a big kitchen'. Sonny jim, if it'd had a bigger kitchen it would've have had a higher asking price! It does depend on the market, but it seems so counterproductive to be arsey like that - this guy came in with a second offer at asking price, but told him to sod off and ended up selling to the couple who'd offered a couple of grand less, because they looked to be reasonable people who wouldn't play silly buggers - and we were quite right too.

[JoJoSM2]

Asking to get ceilings done when he’s been for a viewing is ridiculous. If the house is meant to be all fantastic and done up but there’s damp discovered, then I would go a bit of a discount on the house price to go towards sorting the problem. And would want to see a proper damp survey + estimates to even start the discussion.

I’m sorry if he pulls out but nothing you can do about it if he’s a nutter.

[VeganIan]

He can do it when the house is empty - and when he owns it.

[butterfly56]

Keep your answer short ....no absolutely not!

All this stuff can be done by him...how are you going to cope with all that disruption and the spraying of chemicals whilst still living in the house...it's impossible and cannot be done!

His requests are totally unreasonable and he is a CFB(cheeky Fucking Buyer)!

Tell him to get lost!

[Slightlyperturbedowlagain]

Just say sorry it won't be possible and that you understand if he wants to pull out. That timescale is completely unrealistic.

[ThroughThickAndThin01]

I wouldn't do any of that.

He has bought the house as seen. If the survey has bought things up he thinks is urgent, he can try and renegotiate the price a bit to cover this. Then do the work in his own time.

Just imagine if you paid out and had all the work done at your cost and inconvenience - and then he pulls out. You'd be left high and dry.

[QuiteLikely5]

No way.

[CotswoldStrife]

I wouldn't personally buy a house with damp or woodworm, and that will show up on any survey.

The ceilings - that is quite a bit of work, it would depend on the reason for the work but I'd ignore that bit probably. Not sure what the electric work is in the loft, again would depend on what it is.

[Whinesalot]

He's chancing his arm. There will be other buyers if he doesn't accept it for what it is or for possibly a small price reduction.

[BubblesBuddy]

I guess some of this depends upon whether you think you will get another buyer for a house that needs work. Personally , if I was the buyer I would want a big reduction based on estimates. It could be better for you to take it off the market, get the work done without the pressure of a deadline, then remarket in the spring. I can see other buyers being put off by the need to do work of this nature as indeed you are. They may also have tricky circumstances where they want a house they can move into.

[DustandRubble]

I’ve just seen your other thread asking if you can put it back on the market. Assuming you have not exchanged contracts yet you can do whatever you want. Tell him hell no and it is going back on the open market immediately.

[senua]

He wants to complete and move in middle January 2018.

So you need to find tradesmen, get quotes, fit in with their availability, get the work done, get it signed off by buyer, exchange contracts (hopefully, but they could always walk away at any time) and then complete - all within six weeks, with Christmas in the middle!!!
Even if you wanted to do it, it's impossible. He's deluded.

I hope that you haven't taken your house off the market.

[DustandRubble]

He wants the ceilings done? Fuck right off. Where you guys meant to sleep while that happens? I’d not even be knocking that much money off unless it is for something really unexpected and therefore isn’t reflected in current price - he’s not buying a new build.

[Lucisky]

Totally unreasonable. You buy as seen. If a survey picks up faults you either get them remedied yourself, after moving in, or if they are really severe you might ask for a price adjustment or walk away. Is this a first time buyer? They can take surveys rather literally, and expect every point raised, however small, to be fixed by you.
If you want to keep your buyer, offer a small price reduction and then stick to your guns, or tell him to jog on.
There can't be a house in existance that doesn't have SOME faults.

[IceFall]

No way would I be doing the work.

All ceilings replastered? Having a fucking laugh. Didn’t he look up when he viewed?

Get the survey so you can have a good read.

If you are desperate to keep your buyer then agree some price reduction but you should absolutely not be paying for all of that.

[lynmilne65]

Say No !!

[whiskyowl]

As someone who is in the middle of a lengthy and highly disruptive build, I really think you shouldn't take that degree of work on. It's a large amount of extremely disruptive and messy work for you to deal with on top of a house move. The jobs he is requesting are the kind of things that you do once you've bought. My guess is that he's trying to avoid a month or two of rental accommodation because he's not prepared to live in a house where all that is going on. Which begs the question why you should be expected to, particularly given your caring responsibilities.

[Bluntness100]

Depends. We sold a house and got the damp proofing done due to survey results.

It seems like there is a lot of work to be done which the buyer didn’t expect and doesn’t want to organise the work themselves, which is fair enough. I would offer a price reduction based on quotes, and they can then walk away if they choose.

[rallytog1]

Absolutely do not fork out for the work. There's nothing to stop him walking away. Agree a reduction in the price if you must, but never go to the trouble and expense of doing that sort of work yourself.

[MyKingdomForBrie]

Nope, he can piss off! Cheeky sod.

[NoSquirrels]

Did he have a damp survey done? Has he shared it with you, and is it an issue you agree with?

Woodworm spray - again, specialist survey done & treatment required, or just a "recommendation" on the general survey.

Electrical work in loft - what needs doing? Do you agree it is necessary?

Ceilings would be a straight fuck off from me - sold as seen.

I would push back, hard. If work is genuinely needed, then a price reduction is what can be offered. If he doesn't want that, then you need to be tough and front it out - he's backing on you being so desperate to sell you'll take all the inconvenience on. Don't do it.