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Original poster

Seller now wants an extra £6000

135 replies

meeeeh · 21/08/2020 23:42

We are about to buy a house and have a baby on the way, now the seller is saying they want an extra £6000 or they'll pull out, what should we do? I feel like walking away but we are getting the house for a good deal

OP posts:
MyOwnSummer · 22/08/2020 10:09

This
Is
A
Scam

Forget the house and run like fuck. Seriously.

If you are determined that you want it then call their bluff but ffs don't be so stupid.

titchy · 22/08/2020 10:19

The broker is close to getting his commission, that's why he's telling you to go ahead. He doesn't care.

Your baby really won't mind where he/she lives as a newborn. And small babies are very portable when you move house. So it's not the end of the world if this one doesn't proceed.

Frankly you'd be a fool if you went ahead. They can put their stuff in storage and go on holiday for a week once they've sold then find somewhere to rent. Most people when they move away from their parents don't do so with £6000 in their pockets.

Choppedupapple · 22/08/2020 10:37

We put a gap between exchange and completion to allow our seller to use the deposit as down payment on a rental, can you suggest the same?

user1471538283 · 22/08/2020 10:38

With our first home to secure the sale we paid an extra £3k for the brand new carpets and a dining set they left. I was loathe to but it got us on the ladder. This was done on completion by the solicitor. It wasn't a gift like yours sounds and it was legally binding for the items. So if we moved in and the items were not there we would have the money back. With this you could transfer the cash and lose the house and the cash. What if they can not find somewhere? What if they want more? I really wouldn't do this. There will be another house.

coginamachine · 22/08/2020 11:05

We had a similar thing happen on the day of exchange. It's extortion in my mind but it had taken months to get to this stage and we didn't want to lose the property and had cost us thousands already. The seller believed that she had lost months of rent and demanded we pay her the equivalent of a months rent. The only way for us to legitimately do this without altering the purchase price of the property, having to go back to the mortgage lender and postponing exchange was to agree to purchase items (garden furniture) for an extortionate price! This was drafted into our contract and money was paid on the day of completion.

Is it possible to do something similar? That way you may be able to negotiate down how much they are asking! I would definitely speak with you solicitor and estate agent. Sadly this happens quite frequently and is a known tactic and can feel like a real blow, especially when you are so close. Some people have no morals, but ultimately, if you believe that with the added 6k you would still be happy with the overall purchase price and given how committed / invested you are then find a legitimate way to give them the money. Then on completion distance yourself from them...

optimisticpessimist01 · 22/08/2020 11:13

Do NOT agree to this. You are committing fraud if you agree.

Go to your solicitor immediately. That would have been the first thing I would've done before posting on here. If you are desperate for the house then add it on to the valuation, do NOT send them a bank transfer.

wibdib · 22/08/2020 15:09

If I wanted to go through with it I would go through the lawyers, after completion, ensure it was an advance from the overall sale price, and ensure that there were extra penalties tied into it - so they can’t ask for any additional money in any form (so no paying ££££ for a pair of curtains or garden furniture) and if they do pull out then they return the money within 7 days, with interest, penalty interest if they are late plus they pay for all the costs you’ve incurred in trying to buy the house as you paid out significant sums in good faith (lawyer, searches, etc).

Two can play at games. If they genuinely need the £6k up front they won’t mind your conditions (and I’m sure the solicitors can include something about unforeseen circumstances in case one of them has a genuine need to delay like being knocked over by a bus but not just because they change their mind). If they are trying to pull a fast one, this would mean they will be liable to pay the money back and more so they won’t wwnt to sign up for it.

In which case I probably would pull out, along with a ‘were very disappointed, we never thought that you of all people would try to take advantage of us and to extort and defraud us for thousands of pounds’ and even put a message to that effect on Facebook if it will be seen by mutual friends and you’ve had to drop out of the sale...

sallyshirt · 22/08/2020 16:12

@Lalalalalalalalalalalalla

They're saying they need it before completion to sort out somewhere else to live, spoke to my broker about it who said that would be a private agreement between us and them and nothing to do with the mortgage or solicitor.

I will suggest adding it on to the value of the house, it makes no difference re stamp duty or anything else

Sorry I haven't read the whole thread - but if this is the reason can you give the £6k as an advance (held by Solictors) and knock it off the cost of the house. They wouldn't get this offer from anyone else (eg a different buyer) so you are in a strong position to argue the £6 is deducted from the house sale price.

Make sure this is all done through solictors.

Why can't they get a credit card/loan like the rest of us do when we have a cash flow issue I don't know!

Tinyhumansurvivalist · 22/08/2020 16:16

If they want 6k upfront then it needs to come off the final value of the house, ie if you have agreed 106k then you get the solicitor to draw up a contract agreement that says 6k paid via bank transfer on x date making balance at completion 100k.

Do not do it without speaking to your solicitor, the mortgage broker is irrelevant at this point

Original poster
meeeeh · 22/08/2020 20:56

Thank you everyone for the replies it's been really helpful! I think going forward I'll say we've spoke to our solicitor who has suggested we don't give any money unless it's a legally binding condition of the sale which is something they need to set up with their solicitor as a condition of the sale. Don't see why we should set this up with a solicitor when it is them asking for more money they can do it.

If they want to pull out then so be it now I can't deal with any more stress being 8 months pregnant and not being blackmailed into doing bank transfers before anything is legally binding

OP posts:
EnjoyingTheSilence · 22/08/2020 20:58

Good call OP

greenorangeclock · 22/08/2020 21:02

That's called blackmail!

bigspoonlittlespoon · 22/08/2020 21:27

Dodgy as fuck. Don't do it.

AtrociousCircumstance · 22/08/2020 22:41

Well done.

Spectacularly shitty thing for them to do, especially to a woman so far along in her pregnancy - plus they’re some kind of acquaintance/‘friend’?! Nope.

StormzyinaTCup · 22/08/2020 23:03

No way would I entertain this - is this someone you know well?

Your solicitor would have a fit.

Original poster
meeeeh · 22/08/2020 23:25

@StormzyinaTCup

No way would I entertain this - is this someone you know well?

Your solicitor would have a fit.

Unfortunately it is a family member, not someone we've ever been close to though but we went for the house because it was a good deal
OP posts:
latticechaos · 23/08/2020 06:25

This all just sounds incredibly unwise.

The 6k at least gives you a way out, as you can say sorry we can't do it and back out.

I know it is hard when something falls through, but it does happen and it is better than being taken for a ride! We had to do it once while selling, because someone was being difficult.

WhoWouldHaveThoughtThat · 23/08/2020 07:38

Perhaps it is a 'good deal' to act as a hook and if you did pay £6000 they'd find excuses why the sale can't go ahead and they've spent your money but will try and pay you back later... but never will. Sad

Porridgeoat · 23/08/2020 08:13

That’s awful that it’s a family member. Just be upfront and say you’re at your max already

lazyakita · 23/08/2020 08:37

I'm really sorry that anyone would treat you this way, let alone a family member. I think you have made the right call. Please let us know how it goes.

Original poster
meeeeh · 23/08/2020 09:14

@lazyakita

I'm really sorry that anyone would treat you this way, let alone a family member. I think you have made the right call. Please let us know how it goes.
Thank you! And everyone else for taking the time to reply, yes I will do!
OP posts:
Porridgeoat · 23/08/2020 09:32

Is it a cousin or similar? Awful thing to drop a 6k demand on a relative a month before they give birth. They probably assume your cornered and have no choice

Porridgeoat · 23/08/2020 09:33

Nasty nasty person

ItsIslandTime · 23/08/2020 09:44

Wow, that’s shocking. £6000 is a lot. I’d refuse if at all feasible.

Eng123 · 23/08/2020 09:51

OP I think you have made the correct call . If you pay this money I'd assume the sale will fall through and you will never see that 6k. Horrid that someone would put you in this position.

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