Buyer's demands after survey

[kittlesticks]

Hi all
Any advice welcome. We have sold to a cash buyer and are stretching ourselves to buy a slightly bigger place. Our buyer is asking us to fix quite a few minor things that came up in the survey before we exchange contracts. We haven't done this recently and I suppose I am fairly naive about what to do next.
None of the things being asked for are (in my opinion) actual problems for our house right now. For example, replacing the radiators that are old but working perfectly well.
In total we think all these small jobs would probably cost about 3 grand to complete. We don't want to spend this money, we need every penny at the moment.
There were lots of people interested in the house which sold within only a few days, so the market in our area is moving fast, but we've found our lovely next house and don't really want to lose our buyer as that will put the sale at risk.

Honestly I know I keep saying thank you but I am just so grateful for the help here.
I'm going to allow one set of workmen but only on the externals - one of the quotes is for the garage roof. Nothing wrong with it at all - again it's an end of life thing. So we wouldn't budge on the price over it but I think fair enough if the buyer wants a quote for that, for future reference. It's not leaking, we think it's in pretty good condition really.
Won't let anyone else in tho - its too disruptive. We have very young children etc. There will be no door handles or taps purchased from b and q. 🤣
We know there was interest and a few disappointed people when it sold but we were happy with the offer etc.
So this external thing is the last thing we will allow and then it'll be time for cards on the table really. To add to the fun, We have an issue with the house we are buying to resolve (a real thing that the vendors couldn't have known!) so we are sort of dealing with both sides at the moment.
When we resolve our issue we will start pushing to exchange contracts or they can get lost. We don't particularly want to push when we are still resolving our own stuff on the purchase side.
I'm exhausted if I'm honest, sleep has been badly affected, eating etc. I'm working full time in a high pressure job, so is DH, it's quite soul crushing!
Thank you for giving me confidence. No tradesmen will be coming through the door.

Well done OP. They sound like total CFs with a wish list!

I think your agent needs to get tough and tell them one external visit and that is it. I would also ask them to tell the potential buyers in writing that the house will be re-marketed if they make any more demands and are not ready to exchange by x date.

Well done OP! Boundaries are always a good thing and now hopefully they'll stop taking the piss.

You should tell them the valuations you had were fair based on the existing condition of the property and you are not paying to renovate it further at your own loss. Any further renovations will be done after the sale of the property at the expense of the new buyer.

Good lord op. This sale may well go through but you need to keep your eye on them v closely. You’ve had great advice here.
My buyers recently adjusted their offer. I agree immediately. Essential hidden structural defect picked up on their survey. They sent me the excerpt from sur very when asking for further specialist surgery and quotes. I agreed. Their revised offer came with their three specialist reports and quotes. I now know more about the life cycle of woodworm than I ever thought I’d need to know !
Reduction agreed.

You may also want to put a time limit on both the timing of their external further survey/quite and any final negotiation. Agree fully estate agent needs to let them know there are disappointed viewers and that the property will continue to be marketed until it unless you come to an agreement.
In my case during all of the to and fro after accepting an offer my estate agent suggested and told buyers that ‘soft marketing would continue’ online still and not taken off market. I had 5 other acceptable offers in the background.

We agreed timetable for buyers to do the necessaries. Which if slipped would result in my acceptance being withdrawn - so we all knew and buyers wouldn’t incur late sunk costs etc.

Have to say though my buyers were a dream largely extremely reasonable and really wanted my house.

Good luck.

We once had a survey done on a house we were selling which said there were too many mugs in the cupboard. Quite how that was relevant I have no idea, it's not like we were planning to leave them, and I very much doubt the weight of the 12 mugs was detrimental to the cupboard! We got to see the survey as it was done for a home report (Scotland) so we payed for it, which is pretty helpful for pre-emoting problems.

Their demands are laughable. Tell the CFs the house is valued to reflect its condition, and any improvements need to be carried out once they have moved in, you know, like every other house purchase in history!

I'm exhausted if I'm honest, sleep has been badly affected, eating etc. I'm working full time in a high pressure job, so is DH, it's quite soul crushing!

@kittlesticks I feel for you, I really do. The stress of buying and selling at the same time is relentless. I honestly thought I was going to end up having a nervous breakdown - not eating or sleeping, constantly crying and worrying about what was going on. It will pass though.

The best advice I can give you is to use your estate agent - let them do the heavy lifting with the buyer. They are the ones on commission; they need to earn it as it's very much in their interests that this all goes ahead. I also found that allocating an hour of the day to the house - to chase for updates, follow-up emails etc. was the best way of trying to compartmentalise it. Otherwise it ends up drifting into your whole day and you can't switch off from it.

I think this is a ploy: strong offer then cheeky fuckery to get the price down. I’d not get sucked in. Good luck though OP, it is stressful

I had exactly this with some buyers, new radiators, new conservatory roof etc. The estate agent put it back on Rightmove, booked in some more viewings and told them there had been lots of interest in the house and they could take it or leave it! They took it!

Good luck OP. It sounds like you deserve plain sailing on the whole process from here on out. Absolutely stand your ground!

Complete CF'ery!

Too many mugs in the cupboard? Omg! That’s clutching at straws!!!

The house was priced according it to its (generally excellent) condition.

They're welcome to have people round to quote on jobs after they've put their money where their mouth is and bought the house.

Agent should have said sold as seen, no price change after survey.

I'd be insisting on exchange v soon.

Good luck but to be honest if any work needs doing on the garage roof you can expect them to ask for a reduction.

I would be telling them if they don't exchange Monday it's going back on the market. Is this their first purchase? They sound clueless!!

@HeronLanyon

Good lord op. This sale may well go through but you need to keep your eye on them v closely. You’ve had great advice here.
My buyers recently adjusted their offer. I agree immediately. Essential hidden structural defect picked up on their survey. They sent me the excerpt from sur very when asking for further specialist surgery and quotes. I agreed. Their revised offer came with their three specialist reports and quotes. I now know more about the life cycle of woodworm than I ever thought I’d need to know !

Is this something everybody needs to be aware of? If you dont mind me asking. What did they find and how did they find it?

I don’t even understand their logic- surely common sense would suggest that there’s a very high likelihood of you (ie the vendor) doing a rush DIY job using cheap materials which won’t be to their taste?

I’d echo pp’s above I saying that this is just the start of it- they WILL mess you about.

Your estate agent needs to start earning their commission by either “managing” the existing buyers or being honest with you that it might be worth considering going back on the market.

I agree with those saying use your estate agent or even solicitor for future communications, they sound like a nightmare & you shouldn't have to deal with that crap at all.

I had this when I sold a flat inLondon, but they were a letting company, but waited til the very last second before contract exchange to try & find holes to bring the price down. Stand your ground. I simply instructed my EA that it was sold at that price as accepted, or I'd be taking it off the market & renting to a friend. Never saw an EA move so quick when he realised he might lose his commission

I've used a solicitor to communicate with a difficult seller, as he turned out to be a bloody nutter who thought he could repeated ring me up any time day or night & harass me at work too, all in order to push me to buy before the survey. Hilariously the silly old goat completely misread me & presumed me much younger than I was & a blonde bimbo he could push around, big mistake 🙄

OP you sound like a lovely person who is doing everything she can to keep everyone happy. Buying and selling houses isn't like that. You need to be much more hard nosed.

When I sold my previous property, I had a similar situation - buyers asked for indemnity certificate for an extension which had been added before I bought the house, plus the survey revealed the chimney needed repointing and there were a couple of other things. They wanted me to do them; I said no. Then they wanted me to reduce the price. I said no.

I pointed out that I'd already accepted less than the asking price because they were chain free; there had been other interest, plus another house in the same street had subsequently gone on the market at a higher asking price. I would have had no trouble finding another buyer whereas they would struggle to find a better property for the same money. They went ahead.

Bumping for @AmandaHugenkiss

@NewHouseNewMe thanks I’ve been taking notes!!!

OP I’ve got an almost identical situation, we’ve told them to accept a reduction in price but we aren’t budging on the work, just waiting to hear back! I’m keeping everything crossed for you.

Just say no these are all minor and do not affect the value of the house. Personally I'd play hardball straight off and include in my reply a request to the agent as to whether you need to remarket the house as it looks like the buyers aren't serious about their offer making requests are trivial and indicative of timewasting, and or softening you up for last minute gazundering. Serious buyers don't pull this shit.