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Original poster

Negotiating price after homebuyers survey

16 replies

inneedofadvice678 · 07/03/2019 16:02

Hi,

We have just received our homebuyers survey. It highlighted the terrible state of the detached garage and the urgent need of the roof tiles to be seen to. It is missing some tiles basically and needs some maintenance.

We had inquired about the roof and the seller told us the roof was in fine condition.

Anyway, we are aware the sellers have negotiated a price reduction on the house they're buying following their survey. We want to ask for the same for the roof (probably not for the garage but would add to the argument).

We have offered the asking price (within a day of it going on market), we wanted to hurry up and move as we liked this house and had already sold ours to FTB so were in a great position.

How do you go about negotiating, we think it'll cost just upwards of £1k for the repairs.

OP posts:

ChicCroissant · 07/03/2019 16:10

If you think repairs are needed, get an estimate which would give you something to go on. Otherwise it just looks as if you are pulling numbers out of a hat tbh, especially if they think the roof is fine.

Minnie881 · 07/03/2019 16:20

Watching with interest as we have a similar issue. Specifically I wondered how much 'evidence' people use such as quotes or just rough estimates

Original poster

inneedofadvice678 · 07/03/2019 16:49

@chic I didn't think the roof is fine, the sellers said it was but we got a survey purely because of our suspicions with it.

We are getting a roofer round but the estimated cost from surveyors knowledge is 1k

OP posts:

PazRaz10 · 07/03/2019 16:53

Definitely try and negotiate - we did exactly this as the survey showed things that we didn't see from just viewing, therefore making the property less valuable than we had first offered. We asked for a reduction purely for the costs for the repairs required and it was accepted.
You don't know until you try, but be prepared with what you think you will do if your new offer is rejected, how badly do you want the house, can you afford the repairs if you pay your current offer?

Original poster

inneedofadvice678 · 07/03/2019 17:24

We could afford the repairs in the future, not right there and then as the cost of the house admin parts (SDLT, Lawyers) is using all my pennies up as sale of our house didn't cover the cost of new house. We could get it done though but would ruin holiday plans and we don't think it's fair.
We would have expected the roof to need doing in the next year or two with general wear and tear but it seems to have been quite damaged

OP posts:

wowfudge · 07/03/2019 17:30

What did the valuation come back at? Fixing a few roof tiles is unlikely to cost a great deal.

Shelley54 · 08/03/2019 14:20

In the scale of house buying costs, what is the “just over £1k” really worth? Say for example you’ve offered £200k, are you now going to try dropping your offer to £199k because of the garage roof? Usually when people renegotiate after a survey it’s because of significant costs.

LegoPiecesEverywhere · 08/03/2019 14:24

Are the roof tiles on the garage or the house? Either way a few roof tiles is a bit laughable really and I would think you were chancing your arm. If I was the vendor I would think that you offered asking quickly to get the house of the market and were not trying to claw back a few £££’s.

Lilmisskittykat · 08/03/2019 15:23

Knocking 1k off your offer price won't actually free up 1k though then and there if you don't have the money if you are getting a mortgage... will just reduce your monthly payment by a few quid.

A few roof tiles won't cost a fortune - you'd be better seeing if the vendor would be happy to get it fixed or go half with the cost. Rather then just knock a k off at a guess and still not having the money to do the job

IggyPoppers · 08/03/2019 15:25

It depends on how much the house is worth. If it's £1m house then I wouldn't bother if jt's a 200k house then yes worth asking but I'd get a quote so you have something to base it on.

Original poster

inneedofadvice678 · 08/03/2019 16:27

The house is 350k, the garage repair costs will be upwards of 5k due to presence of asbestos and specialised workers etc
The roof will need entirely redoing in the next 2 years (est.10k) but there is 0 insulation in the roof (attic) and as a result the roof is in a poor state, highlighted as an emergency (in terms of weather) in the survey.

The £1k was an estimate based on pictures for a temporary solution. Not sure how much to ask for off but bearing in mind the sellers did the exact same for the property they're buying, they won't be surprised.

There is no way they would pull out for us asking. If they said no, then we would continue to proceed but would be far less kind.

OP posts:

MrsPatmore · 09/03/2019 06:44

No harm in asking then, they can only say yes or no.

Bluntness100 · 09/03/2019 06:53

What do you mean you would be less kind? You are the buyer, what do you have to be less kind about?

pilates · 09/03/2019 07:07

So you are looking at costs of £15,000 to rectify the garage and roof. So why don’t you go halves and ask for a price reduction of £7,500? Be prepared to support your request with something in writing.

Silvercatowner · 09/03/2019 09:01

You are the buyer, what do you have to be less kind about?

This. Your sellers are under no obligation to reduce the price.

Lilmisskittykat · 13/03/2019 17:47

What do you mean less kind? This is a business transaction - I don't think they are bothered if you are friends afterward

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