Just don’t understand the EA’s game

[Harry116]

Hi all,

I am in the process of buying a house and at the start there was the usually games and back and forth I expected this.

Since then the valuation has be under valued by £30k which is I understand is based on visual inspection. My building survey has noted issues with chimney roof and electrics which need sorting (this wasn’t covered in valuation).

I emailed EA and now they are passing it around each other I don’t even think the seller knows.
EA asking about further negotiations I said I’d like to understand sellers perspective as been no opportunity to discuss (EA knows all details of survey).

The EA also said property come with a parking bay - but am doubtful of this from speaking with a neighbour.

Any advice be great.
Does feel there needs to be a further £10-20k knocked off the price depending on this parking bay accuracy.
Or you think I should just gone hard ball and said this is my price take it or leave it?

Does the valuation make reference to the parking bay? If not, check with the valuer whether they were aware of it, and what difference it would make to the value in that area.
In some places, parking spots can be worth a small fortune, in others where parking isn't an issue, not so much.
Your solicitor will be able to confirm whether the parking space is included in the title. The solicitor can also ask for any guarantees or certificates in respect of the other issues.
You can ring the surveyor and ask them to tell you more about the issues they have flagged up - are they what you might expect for a house of that age, how serious are the problems? You can tell the agents you want to carry investigations and find likely costs for the works that are necessary.
It's not playing games. You are legitimately trying to find out what extra costs you will need to incur if particular works are necessary/urgent. Of course, they might not be, it could just be the surveyor pointing out potential problems - eg that a roof more than a certain number of years old is likely to require repairs in the next several years. The sellers might have lived with issues for years without it being a problem, so they might take the view that you don't actually need ( for example) to renew the electrics just because in an ideal world they would be updated to current new build standards.

Be aware that you can only rely on what your solicitor has in writing. It doesn't matter what the agents say, you need to find out as much as you can about the property, and that is best done through your solicitors.
If the sellers want to sell badly enough, they will play ball, at least by allowing you to obtain the reports and estimates you think necessary. However, they may feel that they have already accepted a lower offer than they wanted, and that you are unreasonably trying to argue the price down. That is their prerogative, just as it is yours to walk away if you can't find out the information you need.
At some point, someone will need to compromise. That is not playing games, it is being realistic.