Buyers being a bit unreasonable, WWYD?

[HelloThere1234]

A bit of a long story, we're in the process of selling our house and buying our next.

The people we're buying from are doing a part exchange with [redacted] on a new build who have accepted our offer, and our buyers are first time buyers who are currently renting with no chain.
You would think an ideal scenario.

We've accepted a very low offer on our house, a 3 bedroom end of terrace in a small village - the nearest comparable house that's just completed is a 2 bedroom terrace in need of major updating, this sold for £9k more than ours.
But we found a house we fell in love with and thought our first time buyers were lovely and it benefit everyone. The buyers need to stay in the village and also need a 3 bedroom.

The problems arose when they had their survey done, they had a basic no frills valuation survey. Later that day they got in touch saying that they wanted us to conduct a full gas and electrical safety report, our solicitor said we weren't legally obliged to pay for it, but we did to speed things along.
The house is 40 years old and the wiring hasn't been touched so I expected the worst, but it came back green across the board apart from 2 amber warnings - the electricians said this was more to due with updated regs than it not being safe. But the cost of rectifying this would be £750 - we're already at the limit of what we can afford.

The second problem is Persimmon are pushing for us to complete on December 21st, they've threatened to pull out if we don't. When this was put to our buyers they refused, they're currently in rented and they said they would only hand in their notice when contracts are exchanged - which would then push completion to January 21st.
[redacted] have since offered to pay their last months rent if they agree to complete on December 21st - to which they have agreed.

But now their solicitor is being very unreasonable, last night he sent 58 pages of enquiries (our solicitor said he had never seen anything like it), mostly variations of the same questions.
They asked for a hand drawn map showing how to get to the back of the property - our buyers already know how to get there since this is how they turned up!
And they're demanding we supply indemnity insurance for an extension carried out in 1994 - an extension to which we have all relevant building applications and consents.

We're getting to the point where we're considering pulling out of the sale, we're fairly confident if we put it back on the market in the spring we'd command a higher price than what we've accepted, the only issue is we'd lose our house we want to buy (and of course fees).

What would you do? Keep with it? Pay for the electrical work and insurance? Or tell them to stuff it?

This post was edited by MNHQ

Tell them to stuff it and put it back on the market.

100% back to market.

I'd tell them "no" to electricity payment, map and indemnity, and say unless they pull their finger out it's off.

Sounds like your house would fly off the market if on again... sounds like the 1st time buyers are in over their head with their solicitor.
If you are happy to lose your new house I’d pull out as realistically with 10 days to go?!!! I don’t think it would all achievable given the demands they are making

Yeah fuck them off, you’ll be annoyed forever if you sell to them.

Put it back on the market, definitely.

Thanks for the replies so far, we've been told we were almost at completion, until they threw this curveball. In all honesty I don't know whether it's just the buyer's solicitor being awkward after Persimmon applied the pressure.

We should know today whether or not they're going to insist on the work being carried out, I'm of the opinion of refusing and threatening to pull out (and actually following it through), but my wife isn't so sure. Losing the house we want would be heart wrenching, but there are other houses.

If they keep coming back with more stuff you could lose the house anyway. It's brinksmanship on their part. Switch it round. Tell them unless they agree to pay for the work and stop with their arsing about it's going back on the market on Friday.

Sounds like the buyers have more to lose to be honest as they’ve got a bargain with your house in a village location where by the sounds of it they don’t come up very often.

Are there other houses you have seen that you both like?

It all comes down to how much you want the new house! If you have had enough and are prepared to wait then tell them to bugger off.

I would find out how much the insurance would cost and potentially agree to pay this with the electrical costs (or offer to split) on the condition that everything goes through by the 21st irrespective of this mammoth list of enquiries. It would depend on whether you were willing to incur the cost and whether you think it’s worth it to move.

You also need to look at how much you have spent so far and how much you would need to spend again on a new property. If they anticipated fees for the next one would be the same or less than what the buyers want you to pay extra for now then it’s the sensible choice to try to go ahead.

Are you actually going to loose the house? If the sale falls through what will actually happen? Do they have another buyer lined up?

I'd definitely put it back on the market.

Even if you were to resolve the current issues with them and provide everything they've asked for who's to say that something else won't crop up at the eleventh hour.

You say you'll lose money on fees but if you put the house back on the market for what it's worth (ie. more than these cheeky fuckers have paid for it) then you probably won't be losing anything really.

The people we're buying from are doing a part exchange with Persimmon on a new build
I don't understand. You are not buying from "the people we're buying from" but from Persimmon, is that correct? Is there actually a chain? Can Persimmon complete the P/X on the 21st and then sell to you at a different date?
I'm confused.

I had this exact situation, I accepted a low offer because the buyer had no chain, but then they started demanding very similar things to yours including indemnity insurance for the extension that was built long before I bought the property, money off for roof repairs etc. In the meantime two similar houses in the street had gone on the market for quite a bit more than mine. I told them to take it or leave it at the price we had agreed and if they didn't like it I'd put it back on the market. I knew I could find another buyer and that they wouldn't be able to buy a similar property any cheaper. They agreed in the end.

Persimmon are trying it on, it's highly unlikely they have buyers queuing out of the door at this time of year.

Put it back on the market. I'm amazed you paid for their gas and electric reports! I would have seen a red flag then tbh. As a complete aside, it seems to me that many buyers who have only been in rentals expect to be spoon fed when it comes to purchase. Why on earth would they want an indemnity for an extension that has all the correct permissions and paperwork? You might find if they move in they will constantly be in contact because of things they perceive to be wrong, simply because they have had a landlord taking care of every property practicality for them in the past.

I would get the EA to speak to your buyers - it's one of the things you pay them for. They may be unaware of all these enquiries their solicitor has now made.

Your buyers sound like they want to have their cake and eat it. They can't have a bargain, plus expect you to pay for everything little survey they want done, plus get their rent paid for a month. The map request is just ridiculous! I would put it back on the market.

I'd be pretty certain that the buyers themselves are not responsible for all the queries & demands being made. It is their solicitor who is being picky & the buyers are being guided by them.

We had a similar situation with our sale. Our FTB & their solicitors were being picky & demanding. We were firm & said we had provided all the information we could & reduced to the lowest we could. There was simply nothing else to pay for any indemnity policies or further investigations they may wish to have done, but they were very welcome to obtain any of these at their own expense if they wished. They caved in.

You have been more than generous & accommodating. If you are able to answer further queries then do so, but for anything else, let your solicitor do their job & pass on your rejection to any unreasonable requests. As for Persimmon. Threatening to pull out is standard practice for developers when the chain is slow. Very rarely would they actually follow through on these threats, particularly in a market as we have now, so I wouldn't be overly concerned about them.

Put it back on the market ASAP.

Your buyers are controlling everything. And I guarantee they will ask for a last minute price reduction just before you are due to exchange. Get rid

I'd be pretty certain that the buyers themselves are not responsible for all the queries & demands being made. It is their solicitor who is being picky & the buyers are being guided by them.

Your EA is being a wet blanket, it is their job to act on your behalf and to sort the buyers out and stop them being knobs.

Your EA should have been giving you better guidance, it is not for the seller to pay for gas and electric surveys.

Time ot play hardball. Either exchange on [x] with completion on [x] or it goes back ot market.

You'll never win with these buyers. I would seriously re list.

Do you mean 56 pages of enquiries or 56 enquiries. Either is pretty shocking