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Original poster

Vendors asking to change completion date

152 replies

crimsonlake · 13/04/2018 17:46

Half expecting this.
Made an offer on a house, raised it a little on the agreement that the vendor would move out on an agreed completion date.The vendor said she would move in until the purchase of her property completed with family so no problem.
Three weeks before we complete and prior to exchange just had a message saying they cannot complete until a couple of weeks due to their vendor.
What the heck! Really cross as they are trying to go back on their agreement as my purchase was never supposed to be dependent on their own, as in no chain as such. This is the reason I increased my offer? I have just reminded their estate agent of this.
I am in temporary accommodation as I completed on my own sale a few months ago and my belongings are in storage. It needs to be on the date we agreed as I have to vacate where I am staying and have nowhere to go unless I go in to a hotel or sofa surf. Hoping they come back and say that the will now accept the first offer I made since they cannot honour our agreement before I need to state the obvious.

OP posts:
planetclom · 20/04/2018 23:37

I'm sorry this is awful, but the only choice you have having read this is to pull out. what ever way you look at it you can't afford to wait. You will have to rent so then you will be tied in for 6 months so even with the new date you will end up paying rent on top of the purchase. Just pull out and honestly something else will present itself.
We had this last year and now we are in a amazing house and the one we loved was amazing as well but we had to rent for 8 months after the first one fell though. This place is just blows the other one out of the water on all levels.
Don't lose heart but do lose your flaky sellers, and make it clear that the price has to drop by at least £5000 for you to come back.

On that note I think they didn't take it seriously as you only asked for £1000 off they thought she changed her mind last time and she has only asked for £1000 she is not serious.

Good luck x

wowfudge · 21/04/2018 10:33

I also thought that your wanting to drop the price by just £1000 wasn't enough to make them take notice. The problem is that you desperately want the purchase to go through and asking for a small reduction rather than giving an ultimatum you are prepared to follow through with by walking away exposes this.

RandomMess · 21/04/2018 10:56

Perhaps go back them to say "you going back on our agreed completion date is going to cost me £6K in rental (or whatever it truly will cost) so I can no longer afford to proceed with the sale"

So sorry op Thanks

Original poster
crimsonlake · 21/04/2018 21:14

Well I managed to find a chain free property to view today. Seems like I am making one compromise after another. On a busy road which I said I would never consider, set back admittedly, but with no drive. A tiny kitchen which would need replacing, a tiny 3rd bedroom which would only just take a bed and a tiny kitchen which needs replacing. Also 20k over my budget. Wondering whether to put in a silly offer...
My original offer was £1k short of what they were looking for, I increased this on the agreement that they would complete by the 30th. Since this no longer stands I attempted to reduce it back down to my first offer, which they declined.

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myrtleWilson · 21/04/2018 21:29

It must be so frustrating crimson - you're trying to second guess so many scenarios and yet I agree with others that you've possibly been too lenient on your vendors so they think you're not serious. Is the property you've seen with the same estate agents? Is it worth saying to EA (your EA not new property EA) that you're having a second viewing of other property to see if that prods them to prod the vendors that the message of cash reduction and now you're actively (second) viewing other properties suggests you're serious in not waiting for them forever?

Original poster
crimsonlake · 21/04/2018 21:44

Thanks, yes this is my plan after the weekend, I will let the estate agent know I am actively looking at other properties. Also need to find out how long my chain is, although I fear the estate agent wont tell me the real truth.

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VanillaSugar · 22/04/2018 09:23

Watching with interest as we are being mucked around by our sellers (who offered it as No Chain) which means we have to mess around our buyers Sad

Original poster
crimsonlake · 23/04/2018 10:26

Off to view another officially chain free property this morning, out of my budget but worth a look and a cheeky offer perhaps.

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Mrsdarcyiwish10 · 23/04/2018 15:54

It's always worth a cheeky offer, they can always say no but you tried

Original poster
crimsonlake · 23/04/2018 16:34

Well my cheeky offer was declined within 5 minutes. House is for sale at 185k and I offered 168k.
A house which is in need of modernisation, but liveable which it needs to be as I cannot afford to do the work to update.
It has a through lounge/ dining room with a horrible curved low arch, and equally dreadful dated brick fire surround, both which I think I would have to do something about. Needs a new kitchen and bathroom but which I could live with and will have to.
This house is in a better area, although very close to the one that I have an offer on, so possibly easier to sell in the future.
Issue now is do I go back and increase my offer? Taking in to account I am looking at spending 5k if I am forced in to rent for the next 6 months which is dead money.
I have still not heard back from the buyer regarding an exchange this week. I was going to contact the EA today but decided to hang fire and see where I got to with this one today.

OP posts:
RandomMess · 23/04/2018 16:52

I think you would need to see how quickly they would complete before upping your offer and then will a full and final offer do they know that is your limit?

Original poster
crimsonlake · 23/04/2018 17:41

Thank you.It has no chain and is empty, probate has gone through. Trying to work out whether to increase my offer rather than go in to rented.

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Avasarala · 23/04/2018 17:48

If you like the new house more than the old one, then spend the money there rather than renting. Might as well make them a final offer and see if you get it.

If you don't like it as much as the current one, then spend the money renting.

Looks like you'll be spending the money anyway; so choose whichever house you like better and hope they accept.

BrightonBB · 23/04/2018 17:56

The family members inheriting will probably be pleased to get it sorted and completed so might still accept a low offer especially as you can move quickly so they know they will get their money quickly to divvy up between them. They will not want a long chain with chance of it collapsing.

Viviennemary · 23/04/2018 17:58

This happened to us years ago. Said no problem moving out and when time came they had nowhere to go. We pulled out and lost money on the survey but glad we did. And then she was on the phone in tears. I think they're really cheeky to go back on their word. They think they have you in a corner. Tell them to get lost. I would rather lose a house than give it to these types.

Original poster
crimsonlake · 23/04/2018 18:01

If only it were that simple. Considering pulling out of the other sale as it turns out there is a chain. We are now still waiting to hear back concerning a deadline for exchange on Friday which we gave them.
The one today is in a nicer, quieter location, which should make it easier to sell in the future. Room sizes are similar, bigger kitchen in todays and downstairs toilet, smaller conservatory. I prefer the living room in the other property but basically both are through lounges.

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Original poster
crimsonlake · 23/04/2018 18:06

It would appear that family members want to get as much as they can for it since they declined instantly. Stressed I was a cash buyer with nothing to sell and wanting to move quickly to no avail.
They have had a few viewings, no offers, feed back is that it needs updating, which is obvious from the photos.

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NoSquirrels · 23/04/2018 18:18

If you can afford to, I would offer £175K on the probate house, and stress you are looking for an extremely quick and easy sale, and happy to exchange & complete in a speedy timeframe.

expatinscotland · 23/04/2018 18:23

I'd increase the offer for the probate house. Of course they will want to maximise what they get for it because they don't need it to live in and can always rent it out and try selling it later.

wowfudge · 23/04/2018 18:30

Are you prepared to say in what area you are looking and what your criteria are? Could we help you find a suitable alternative? Sometimes we put blinkers on and miss things that could work. I would love for you to be able to put two fingers up at these vendors!

Original poster
crimsonlake · 23/04/2018 19:23

Wowfudge would not mind at all, but when not working I spend a great deal of time on right move and receive alerts.
Quite a wide area, Appleton in Warrington within 1 mile.
Rainhill area only.
Liverpool - Gateacre, Hunts Cross, Childwall.
Searching for a 3 bed semi where the 3rd bedroom is bigger than 6ft x 6ft and must be chain free.

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wowfudge · 23/04/2018 20:04

I like a challenge! Will get looking.

Original poster
crimsonlake · 23/04/2018 20:12

Good luck and thanks wowfudge.

OP posts:
wowfudge · 23/04/2018 20:22

Okay - I'll caveat that I don't know what is chain free and what isn't, but if you like the houses, worth speaking to the EAs: this
Or this
Or this
Or this one - obviously chain free.

You may well have discounted them for various reasons, but it would be helpful to know why.

Original poster
crimsonlake · 23/04/2018 20:30

Thank you very kind of you.
Viewed No 1, sellers are not in a position to move and although internally it is very nice the roof needs replacing and it has cracks in the front wall. Not a particularly nice area either. Seriously tiny 3rd bedroom also.
No 2, I tried to view today, turns out it is on a busy main road as I passed it earlier, it also has tenants in.
No 3, Is almost in Whiston which is too far out and very near a large industrial area.
No chain means the vendors are not waiting to buy anything.

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