Reducing agreed selling price due to works required

[glitterbugsparkles]

We're in the process of buying our next house and had a homebuyers report on it. There's a fairly large 20-30yr old orangery attached. Through the report we've now learned that the roof will need replacing as the glass is failing and has misted.
We're getting a quote for it but wondering what our negotiation position is if any?
Has anyone had a quote for works and got the whole price reduced or part reduced?

You can try. Nothing ventured. Etc. They might say the price reflected this problem.

I've only ever got/given half of whatever works that turn up unexpectedly. You will benefit from the repair after all.

If I was the seller, I would probably not negotiate on something like what you describe. Especially as it’s really up to you the buyer if you want to keep the orangery or replace potentially? Different for a newly discovered damp problem in survey or something like that.

When we bought the house we are currently selling, there was an issue with the chimney breast having been removed downstairs but not upstairs. Survey said it needed doing, so vendor got quote which said it would cost £6k to correct. After a bit of back and forth, vendor agreed to meet us halfway, so we got £3k off the price we had initially offered.

We got 50% of the cost to remedy damp after it was found.

I think misted windows in a 20-30 year old orangery is something that’s pretty much priced in. They’re not designed to last that long, at 30 years you could easily have been looking at full replacement. And the misting would be visible on viewing. I can’t imagine you’ll get much of a reduction.

Thanks. The survey suggested minimal maintenance had taken place on it. The blinds were down when viewing and on photos and questions about the roof were skirted round.
The agreed price is a sealed bid rather than priced to include the fact that the roof needs replacing or the whole thing needs to come down.
I think for us it's more if major works are needed then we might need to pull out.
When we put the bid in it was on the assumption it didn't need totally replacing, just some maintenance and maybe the odd panel.

I don;t think you'll get very far with negotiating on this point as it would have been obvious on any viewings & priced in as part of the overall condition - Presumably the rest of the house isn't in a pristine new-build like condition/wasn't sold as such, & has a general lack of maintenance/is in need of a refurb?

We had a survey done on old house which showed a lot of work to do, asked surveyor his advice over phone and he said to ask for £20k over to cover costs and accept £10k. Which is exactly what did and got. In the end some of the works didn't need doing (just didn't meet building regs then) so £10k ended up covering everything.

If you will pull out without the discount just ask for cost of work off, they may say no or they may accept or may pay half probably depending partly on if they thought priced in or not.

Really depends on how many other bods there were and what is stock & demand like in your area, whether they’ll just say you are a timewaster who put in a bid to win, with every intention of trying to reduce it having got the competition out of the way. If the agent knows the other bidders could come on board, I doubt they’ll accommodate you. I tend to think houses are ‘sold as seen’ - thats why you view them. Only unseeable stuff like damp/rot/structural issues are negotiable

Why did you assume misted panels did not need replacing op? Almost certainly they would. It is worth asking but did you actually view the property or just bid on line via pictures?

I would definitely speak to the seller about this, although it depends whether this was originally priced into the asking price.

How does the agreed price compare to recently sold properties on the street?

Sometimes it is not always clear to see issues when viewing, especially if you only have a 15min slot to walk around..

Thanks, we will definitely be speaking to the solicitor and agent once we've got a quote for the works.
The panels were most definitely hidden from view so the scale of works is unforeseen.
This would be our forever home and I will be gutted if we have to lose this. My DH is concerned whether he can live with the panels as they are until we can afford to do the works. It's annoying as we haven't seen the panels, just at this point a conversation with the surveyor.

"misting" is not a major issue and isn't expensive to replace glass panels. The seller will presumably say the initial assking price factors in the current condition of the property. But you can try. But don't lose the house of your dreams over a silly small amount in the grand scheme of things.

Hmm if it went to sealed bids with lots of other interest I don't think you're in a great position to negotiate, especially if, as you say, you'd be gutted to lose it. If i was the vendor, I'd consider reducing my price if I was desperate to sell and struggled to get a buyer, but not under current circumstances where it is most definitely a seller's market!

Go back for another look.

We bought a house with a big wooden conservatory with misted panels. They stayed misted until we knocked it down and replaced with an extension about 15 years later. It’s not the most attractive feature but not something I’d worry too much about tbh

Or it’s a simple job to replace misted panels, and not expressive )as long as the panels are a standard size.)