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Original poster

Demands a day before exchange

70 replies

fingerscrossed4this · 02/12/2021 23:44

After dragging this along for WAY longer than required, our buyers finally agreed to exchange tomorrow and we get this from their solicitor -

It is noted the electrical inspection report dated 2011 requires the next inspection to take place in 2021. It is appreciated that exchange is required tomorrow and therefore please confirm your client will arrange for the an inspection of the electrical system prior to completion and for any remedial works to be undertaken at his expense.

The last inspection was done when our house was built (we bought it new) and there is a recommended date of inspection on the report that was given to us. I'm so annoyed that they have waited till the very last minute to spring this on us. They've also asked for a boiler service to be done, which we are fine with as we get that done annually anyway.

I am fuming! They've put us through a lot already and I really want to say no. Having read previous threads on here and having checked online, there's no obligation for us to do this inspection. FYI, we live in England. Urgh so annoyed! We were meant to have exchanged mid October!!!!

Sorry I just needed to vent. I don't think we'll ever exchange at this rate.

OP posts:

WhatAWasteOfOranges · 03/12/2021 08:08

My buyer pulled something like this the day before exchange. Think it’s some tactic to get a last min reduction.

If you were feeling accommodating could you say that you’ll give them £180 (or whatever the going rate is for an inspection) and then have your solicitor hold eg. £300 for 6 months if the report suggests any changes and if not it is returned to you without query within 6 months. Then takes the onus off you to frantically organise one before you complete - electricians can be booked up, especially so close to Xmas!

YourenutsmiLord · 03/12/2021 08:16

Say no, unfortunately you cannot get an electrician in the required time.
I think I'd say no - it's a pretty trivial thing when compared to the cost of the house so I would expect them to complete the buying.

Candleabra · 03/12/2021 08:30

Why does the report say the electrical inspection was last done in 2011 if you bought the house from new in 2014? Is this because it was a show home and you bought it 3 years after it was built ?

Original poster

fingerscrossed4this · 03/12/2021 08:33

@Candleabra exactly.

We went back to the solicitor last night to let them know that we wouldn't be complying with the electrical inspection request. But we would do the boiler servicing. They wanted us to send a copy of the boiler inspection records! We've done it every year anyway so that's a cost we are willing to bear but not the inspection. The timing of this is ridiculous. It's almost blackmail.

OP posts:

RockinHorseShit · 03/12/2021 08:51

It's a last minute discount tactic that by to let buyers are it seems fond of. I had similar with my buyer & I've seen several friends go through the exact same thing over the years

Just say no. I'd also suggest adding that the buyers need to move quickly as you are considering taking the house off the market to let it out yourself as you have potential tenants lined up. This kicks both buyer backside & EA ... I did this & had it all exchanged immediately & no more cheeky fuckery from the buyer

MrsBobDylan · 03/12/2021 08:56

Good advice from @RockinHorseShit

Original poster

fingerscrossed4this · 03/12/2021 08:57

@RockinHorseShit I wish I could do that! But our buyers know we are reliant on this for our purchase. Our sellers(builders of another new build) have been extremely patient and very accommodating but we do need this exchange to be done NOW to be able to meet the completion deadline. Our buyers know this and that is why I am so annoyed at their demands. I'm now of the mind that if we lose our new home because of this, so be it. I'll be disappointed but we'll find something else. Our house price has gone up since we agreed on a sale price so we'll definitely make more of if we were to re-list now.

OP posts:

Clymene · 03/12/2021 09:09

[quote fingerscrossed4this]@RockinHorseShit I wish I could do that! But our buyers know we are reliant on this for our purchase. Our sellers(builders of another new build) have been extremely patient and very accommodating but we do need this exchange to be done NOW to be able to meet the completion deadline. Our buyers know this and that is why I am so annoyed at their demands. I'm now of the mind that if we lose our new home because of this, so be it. I'll be disappointed but we'll find something else. Our house price has gone up since we agreed on a sale price so we'll definitely make more of if we were to re-list now. [/quote]
Say that. Honestly, some people treat house buying like they're haggling in the souk. Put your house back on the market for £20k more.

WTF475878237NC · 03/12/2021 09:15

I have asked my vendor to provide this too. They have been dragging their heels over it but we've made it clear to our solicitor that it was part of our agreement to proceed.

Flyingsouthagain · 03/12/2021 09:19

I wonder if it is your buyer requesting this or their Solicitor going through their pre-exchange box ticking exercise and realising they have forgotten to ask for this.

Do you have any communication with the buyer?

Obviously the buyer is likely to want it if advised that they should have it by their Solicitor, but it would put a different complexion on the whole stalling concern if you realised that it was the Solicitor causing the issue and not the buyer.

AtillatheHun · 03/12/2021 09:27

What @Flyingsouthagain said. It’s a checklist point that lots of solicitors use. I’ve just been asked for one plus boiler service certificate. The answer is no - they are welcome to do that themselves and the estate agent will provide access (it’s an empty flat)

kindlyensure · 03/12/2021 09:31

We had this but we were the buyers. Our solicitor was very tick-boxy and pushed for an electrical inspection at the last minute really. The vendors said no, but they were happy for us to instruct an electrician to come in and do an inspection report before completion. That was a good compromise. It threw the ball back in our court but showed that the vendors were open to inspection and weren't hiding anything. That satisfied our solicitor. Could you offer something like this?

BernadetteRostankowskiWolowitz · 03/12/2021 09:33

Buyers are advised to get a survey before exchange. On the survey it will have recommended to the buyers that they undertake an electrical survey

They have either done it and want you to do another, or ignored the recommendation in their report

Letsnotargue · 03/12/2021 09:38

If you do go ahead with the survey be aware that electrical regulations have changed since 2014. It doesn’t mean that everyone has to upgrade their house electrics, but may well be picked up and mentioned in a survey. If your buyers then say they want everything mentioned in the report addressed you’ll be in a world of pain.

MrsBison · 03/12/2021 09:45

Say no.

If you give an inch they will take a mile, and are more likely to take the piss as the sale progresses.

When I buy a house, there are lots of works that need doing, and I put money aside to do this once I move in.

MrsBison · 03/12/2021 09:48

*based on the surveyors report.

Flowerflumps · 03/12/2021 09:48

Nope not a chance I would do that. They've messed you around and had plenty of chance before now to ask.

Original poster

fingerscrossed4this · 03/12/2021 10:01

@kindlyensure thank you. That is what we've offered to do. I'll remind the solicitor again now.

OP posts:

steponthetightrope · 03/12/2021 10:20

I would say no and give them the immortal line if it's been so long that actually the market has moved on etc. Call their bluff.

MrsSkylerWhite · 03/12/2021 10:23

TyrannosaurusRights

If they’re stalling better to know now so you can decide you’ll spend Christmas where you are and remarket the property.

I’d say no, exchange happens on the agreed date or it goes back on the market“

This. We were once messed around for months by “buyers” who simply could not raise the funds. Excuse after excuse. We finally lost patience, remarketed and exchanged 6 weeks later to motivated, genuine buyers.

RockinHorseShit · 03/12/2021 10:45

Unfortunately, especially with buy to let buyers it's become a bit of a game to knock the price down at a time they think you can't refuse. So sort of like poker where you call their bluff whether you can do what you threaten or not. To them it's business & they treat it as such, so morals go out if the window.

Good response in terms of offering that they can have access to do it themselves, but as per regs changing since you bought, they will likely still come back for a discount on the back of this before completion & will drag it out deliberately to make you nervous enough to comply.

I'd definitely let your EA know that you're fed up & considering taking the house off the market & re marketing it at the higher price it's now worth, due to buyers stringing things out so badly. Keep them on their toes too. They are working for yiu not the buyer, but in my experience EA can forget that too, especially with a repeat buy to let buyer

Good luck

languagelover96 · 03/12/2021 10:50

Say no and also prepare to pull out if need arises.

Doubleraspberry · 03/12/2021 10:52

Are they FTBs? Last time we sold we had some who were very genuine but nervy, and kept reading about things that they should get, which were often rental requirements rather than buyers - or BTL requirements. So for example we got a request to install fire doors and have a full fire safety inspection, because we had a flat. It was a Victorian conversion with three flats and none of that was necessary and they took a no without problem, but they'd been hyped up to ask because of something they'd read.

Original poster

fingerscrossed4this · 03/12/2021 11:03

@Doubleraspberry yes they are FTB. It's possible that they are nervous but I'm just tired at this point.

OP posts:

BFPDec21 · 03/12/2021 11:13

I think they're being arses leaving it so late but it's likely to have been upon advice to get it checked out.

My aunt sold her newly built home within the NHBC warranty, the new owners got an electrician to quote for some work and they found an issue which required extensive work that they wouldn't have known about until they needed to change/service some of the equipment in their home.

The new owners almost ended up harassing my aunt when they found out as the builder didn't want to know and NHBC was stalling due to covid.

So whilst I agree it's safer for them to request it, remedial works could be months of back and forth with NHBC and the builder which will stall it anyway. That's unless you get it done yourself.

On the other hand, is this the first person who has tried to go ahead with the sale? Ask your solicitor if this is likely to come up again and whether they'd recommend their client(s) to do the same in this situation. I had a lovely solicitor who was very thorough with this kind of stuff and would have probably advised me to get it checked as soon as the electrical certificate was received. If that's what your solicitor thinks, you'll have to do it anyway.

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