Emotional blackmail by estate agent

[Lombriz]

We are in the process of buying a house and the negotiations have been absolutely horrible. I would be super grateful to hear any advice about how to deal with the latest twist.

The survey found that there was asbestos in the property and we then also did an asbestos survey that confirmed this. We got a quote for removing the asbestos and estimated the costs of replacing the parts that would be removed. When we asked for a reduction, first the vendor, via EA, said they won't give any because the survey said that no remidial works were required (we shared the survey with them and they say they didn't know about asbestos). It's true but if we ever want to do any refurbishment which we were planning we would have to remove asbestos first.

Then they said that we were terrible buyers and they original offer was accepted "reluctantly" and was below their "target". Then there was a lot of emotional stuff about how they need the money to have the life they want etc.

In the moment it made me feel bad and I just went along with it thinking, well it's better to close this on good terms (it just sounded like they thought we were cheating them). But now that I have calmed down and I look at the actual costs we will have to incur I cannot help but feel like I've been forced to do something I didn't want to.

Obviously, a few days have passed now so I don't know if I can go back and call out the emotional blackmail and ask them for the original reduction we asked for.

Am I being unreasonable?

It is business and it is just about negotiating a price.

Any reasons they give you are par for the course. Just as you are using what you might do as part of the considerations. We all have our own different reasons for selling and buying.

You ask for a reduction and then decide if you wish to continue or not depending on their reply.

Why did they accept at such a low price? If it was worth what they were asking then they would have had offers at that price.

I would walk away

I don't think you can complain about the tactics - it's not that they lied or anything. In house buying the seller tries to get the highest price, the buyer the lowest. They put on the water works, and you agreed to the higher price. All is fair in love and war as they say. If you don't want to pay the price, you walk away. They don't have to accept the lower price at all.

Why did they accept at such a low price? If it was worth what they were asking then they would have had offers at that price.

Possibly because they had been led to believe that the OP had all her finance in place and could move quickly, as a ftb? Many vendors will accept a slightly lower offer not to get caught up in a chain. Although it isn't supposed to be emotive, you will also find a lot of people selling their family home want it to go to "a nice young couple" or "a nice young family" as - regardless of what many people say - most of us have an emotional attachment to a happy family home we have been in a long time, and like the idea of "our home" then being home to another young family rather than it being turned into an HMO or it being developed or ripped apart by builders. I know that isn't logical, but many people feel a home is more than a business transaction.

I work in an asbestos removal company and the cost of artex containing asbestos removal is not high. You are looking at between £35 per sq mtr - £60 per sq mtr. I defo would not be missing out on a property for this.

Please do not cover artex containing asbestos as this can cause major issues in the event of breakage or fire as people are then not aware of the fibres which will be released.