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Original poster

Buyer requesting homebuyers report 6 working days before exchange

12 replies

Mum0fF1ve · 20/11/2021 08:18

Hi,

Feeling frantic with worry. Its 5 months since offer, he had all that time to request a homebuyers report but never bothered. Now, 6 working days before exchange, he asked for one "just so he can get on with what work needs doing" before he moves from his rental. He said it won't impact on the sale. We politely declined, I've swapped my working days to accommodate our seller (a Monday exchange?!) and our rescue dog won't take well to strangers if we're not here.

He first said, ok, accepted it was his fault for asking so late. And then a few hours later, 4pm on Friday, we get a call from the EA saying he's not happy, we're refusing him a survey, and he might want to change the exchange date. At this stage!!

So much for it not impacting upon the sale! So my husband has taken a day off, and it's happening next Wednesday. We're pretty sure our reduction on the asking price more than covers all the potential things that might crop up. But he said it wasn't for that anyhow, only for his builder.

What would you think? What would you do?
We're not negotiating, we refused full asking from the viewer after him because we he appeared to be a safer bet (renter) but now I'm wondering if he's about to pull out of the sale.

Any thoughts?

OP posts:
MrsBobDylan · 20/11/2021 08:23

I think it's fine. Refusing a home buyer survey (even though he has left it late) makes it look like you have something to hide, so he will be even keener now.

MrsBobDylan · 20/11/2021 08:25

Also, I think if he was thinking of pulling out of the sale he wouldn't bother paying for a homebuyers report.

Obviously if there is a major defect in the property then it will jeapodise the sale.

NoSquirrels · 20/11/2021 08:26

It’s annoying, but I’m surprised he didn’t get one at the time of his mortgage approval. Are you sure the solicitors are in fact ready to exchange when you expect them to? I’d be worried no ones on top of the process if his survey has been left this late.

NellieBertram · 20/11/2021 08:56

I wouldn't buy a house if the sellers refused to let me get a survey.

CrotchetyQuaver · 20/11/2021 09:00

I think it's probably all going to be fine, just really annoying he's done it so late.

His reasons for doing it seem sound, I've been advised to have a survey done on my place I've lived for 22 years before we start a big refurb.

BlackLambAndGreyFalcon · 20/11/2021 09:02

Are you exchanging and completing on the same day? Why do you have to take a day off work for exchange of contracts?

LawnFever · 20/11/2021 09:06

Sounds like as he was renting he’s inexperienced in the house buying process and only just clocked he should’ve got this done.

Just let him get on with it, it’s a bit annoying to be doing it this late in the process but if you refused he’d have more reason to pull out, because it’d look like you were trying to cover something up.

Original poster
Mum0fF1ve · 20/11/2021 09:18

Thanks for your comments and thoughts.

The day off is in order to accommodate the surveyors visit, it 3 hours long apparently. No time off needed for exchange. We've got our contracts ready to sign (last thing yesterday).

He isn't a first time buyer, he's been in rented for a short time. I'm also baffled as to why he didn't request the survey before.

If he had asked any time up until this week it would have been something we wouldn't have minded at all. I think the house is OK and sound- his mortgage company have obviously ok'd it with their more basic survey.

We aren't trying to cover anything up, it's just a case of having to take another day off work rhe week before we're already taking two days off is annoying.

And when he said it was just for the builder, if it was, then surely a few days wouldn't matter. I wonder if by being open and saying it was inconvenient it has inadvertently made him anxious we're hiding something. We're not. But I guess through estate agents it can all become misunderstood.

We had a homebuyers on our purchase and know that it is a massive doer upper, lots of additional surveys required by the mortgage company. I'm surprised he didn't bother, but frustrated he has decided to so late in the day.

OP posts:
JustKeepSw1mming · 20/11/2021 09:24

I wonder if he won't pull a last minute price drop....

Original poster
Mum0fF1ve · 20/11/2021 09:29

@JustKeepSw1mming

I wonder if he won't pull a last minute price drop....
That's our thought too. We won't entertain it, we've told the EA this already. We'll put it back on the market instead.
OP posts:
MrsBobDylan · 20/11/2021 09:34

He is a doofus to leave it so last minute - it's an awful process.

When we bought our last house our electrician wanted us to get an asbestos survey before he'd start work.

We didn't know that until fairly close to exchange date.

Fingers crossed it's something like that with his builder.

hgaj · 20/11/2021 09:45

Our buyers asked for a survey late in the day and it was all ok. I think they just got scared they hadn't had one - perhaps by wording in solicitors pre exchange pack. Could you ask the EA to let them in if it's inconvenient for work? The EAs have usually been the one to do this in my experience.

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