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Opinions please

29 replies

kerrymucklowe2020 · 11/10/2020 11:22

Made offer in July on house. Naively thought we could complete in 6 weeks so asked vendor if they'd consider moving into rented if needed to break the chain. ( yes I know!) Was rejected with the EA saying the vendor wants more money to complete in 6 weeks and move into rented. Offer accepted at 2k more. 6 week window has now been and gone. I feel a bit conned. Have asked vendor if would consider leaving bedroom furniture as a goodwill gesture. This was refused. Would you go to your solicitor and reduce offer back to original price risking losing house and causing further cost and delays or just be peed off and grit teeth and go ahead feeling you've been conned? ( Can you tell I'm stressed?!!!)

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Seeingadistance · 11/10/2020 11:33

You seem to be asking a lot of the vendor.

I’m in Scotland, where house buying and selling seems to be much quicker than rest of UK, and even here a 6 week turnaround would be pretty tight.

Why do you think the vendor would leave their furniture for you, and why as a goodwill gesture?

Sorry, but I’m a bit baffled by your expectations which do seem a bit unusual.

kerrymucklowe2020 · 11/10/2020 11:36

@Seeingadistance because the EA told me they wanted more money to move and complete in 6 weeks which hasn't happened.

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PastMyBestBeforeDate · 11/10/2020 11:40

As you say it was naive of you to expect a 6 week completion especially now the housing market has gone crazy. They shouldn't really have accepted your 2k. If you reduce and they aren't in a hurry or selling a difficult property then they will probably walk away.

Viviennemary · 11/10/2020 11:42

If you paid 2k more to complete in six weeks that should be honoured or your money returned IMHO. . Depends on how much you like the house and what else is on the market.

Bluntness100 · 11/10/2020 11:42

Is it their fault it’s not completed in six weeks? It’S a very tight and unusual timeline o request.

You need to say why it’s not completed. Asking for their bedroom furniture though,,,😱

Bluntness100 · 11/10/2020 11:43

@Viviennemary

If you paid 2k more to complete in six weeks that should be honoured or your money returned IMHO. . Depends on how much you like the house and what else is on the market.
That makes no sense, they may have been fully willing to complete in six weeks but issues out with their control means it’s taking longer, ie the searches etc.
Lurchermom · 11/10/2020 11:45

Are they still going into rented? I don't think you can hold them to the 6 week then around really unless you have evidence they've been holding things up (not sending off paper work etc) - searches in our area are taking a minimum of 6 weeks! So there's nothing anyone can do to speed that up. If they've failed to break the chain, and the hold up is from a purchase of their new property, then I think you could go back and say you want to reduce your offer as they havent kept their side of the bargain. We've made the same agreement with ours (no time frame, but paid more to break chain) and would definitely reduce our offer if our vendor suddenly decided to buy a new property and held our purchase up in the process.
The furniture thing is just odd Confused

Lurchermom · 11/10/2020 11:46

*then around = turn around

MJMG2015 · 11/10/2020 11:47

What has held it up?

Asking for their personal belongings at this stage as 'compensation' is weird.

Viviennemary · 11/10/2020 11:47

But they made the agreement. It wasn't their fault but neither was it the Ops. They sound like cfs to me. They shouldn't have accepted the 2k.

TwoBlueFish · 11/10/2020 11:48

It depends what’s caused the delay and how much longer it’s likely to be. If the seller has been dragging their heels then I’d maybe renegotiate. You’re really paying extra for them breaking the chain rather than a super fast turnaround so I’d consider that they may change their minds about moving to rented if you drop the price.

kerrymucklowe2020 · 11/10/2020 11:49

The furniture thing was just a suggestion instead of reducing the offer. My seller asked if I would leave my wardrobes which I didn't think as odd

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Bluntness100 · 11/10/2020 11:50

@Viviennemary

But they made the agreement. It wasn't their fault but neither was it the Ops. They sound like cfs to me. They shouldn't have accepted the 2k.
I’m guessing you’ve never bought a house before? Because if you had you’d know neither side can guarantee this, so it would have been they would complete and move out if all necessary process had been completed. So if something held it up the op is not to get her money back, not unless they were the ones to hold it up.
Bluntness100 · 11/10/2020 11:51

@kerrymucklowe2020

The furniture thing was just a suggestion instead of reducing the offer. My seller asked if I would leave my wardrobes which I didn't think as odd
This is different, you asked foe their personal belongings as compensation for it not completing in the time frame you wished.

You need to say why it’s not completed. Your refusal to do so indicates it’s not their fault.

imabusybee · 11/10/2020 11:52

Are you in a chain? If so, a 6 week turnaround is completely absurd and I wouldn't ask them for the 2k back. If I was your seller I'd be sick of hearing from you tbh and just waiting for contracts to be signed!

Viviennemary · 11/10/2020 11:54

Yes I've bought a house before. But not for a long time.

user1487194234 · 11/10/2020 12:00

Did you speak to your solicitor before paying the 2k for a six week completion
It was a totally unrealistic time scale
Problem is sellers are now expecting the extra money and will be saying not their fault it can't complete within that timescale
Which it isn't
You can ask for the deduction but almost certainly you will have to pay it or walk away

pilates · 11/10/2020 12:12

I would have wanted a clause put in the contract to say you would pay £2,000 more ONLY if completion took place within 6 weeks. If not, it would go back to the original price. Did you speak to your Solicitor about this before agreeing?

GinandGingerBeer · 11/10/2020 12:32

It all depends on why things haven't moved along.
It was never going to happen in 6 weeks but if the delay us because they've now refused to move into rental then fair enough, drop by 2k
If it's because searches aren't back or something there's not much they can do

Bluntness100 · 11/10/2020 12:52

@pilates

I would have wanted a clause put in the contract to say you would pay £2,000 more ONLY if completion took place within 6 weeks. If not, it would go back to the original price. Did you speak to your Solicitor about this before agreeing?
Sure, because it was never going to happen. So was totally and utterly a pointless request.

The op not explaining why it’s not completed in six weeks, although I think we can all guess why, indicates it’s nothing to do with the sellers. It’s just normal process taking the Normal amount of time.

The only thing is ridiculous, paying extra for an unachievable time frame, and then asking foe their personal belongings as compensation.

cloudchaos · 11/10/2020 13:01

It sounds like you offered £2k for them to go into rented, and for the inconvenience and additional costs of that. As long as they aren't going back on going into rented then I can't see why you're complaining.

Also think it's weird you wanted all of their bedroom furniture!

kerrymucklowe2020 · 11/10/2020 13:11

I was driving! The reason it hasn't completed is because there's a ransom strip which could've been covered by an indemnity ( as advised by my Solicitor mid August) but wasn't applied for until two weeks ago

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kerrymucklowe2020 · 11/10/2020 13:11

*on the sellers house

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Bluntness100 · 11/10/2020 13:29

I think you’re being a bit disingenuous now op. You know full well these things are normally turned around in 24 hours or so.

There is no point trying to twist it so you look like you are in the right. Speak to your solicitor. And don’t ask for their stuff.

kerrymucklowe2020 · 11/10/2020 14:13

@Bluntness100 wtf??!!!

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