Buyer want to check for asbestos in skimmed plastered ceilings and walls

[windyWillo]

Hello, May I please ask your opinion please. Our buyers did a home buyers survey and an asbestos check on the artex ceiling of the downstairs toilet ( this is the only place left with artex). The asbestos check came back positive. Now the buyers want to check the rest of the walls and ceilings saying skimming over is just covering the problem. When I googled the advice on artex is to skim it over or leave it as it is. To check the other ceilings that are already plastered it needs to drill holes. We like to sell our house but I think this is bit too much and thinking of refusing the further checks on already smooth plastered ceilings and walls. Please what do you think?

No. Asbestos is only an issue if disturbed. And not all artex has asbestos (the later stuff us more likely not to have it)

Yes true according everything I have been reading

Walk away

We are 8 weeks in to the process and buyer will lose their solicitors fees and survey costs. We feel bad about refusing their request but it is way over the top

You must not get emotional about the buyers' costs.

No one will get emotional about your costs.

Unfortunately, that is the system, for good or for bad.

They may still proceed anyway as like you say lots of houses have asbestos over a certain age
They can test the ceilings themselves when they move in if they go ahead and providing they don't disturb them etc its fine
Maybe they intend to knock walls down etc and thats why they want go know
In a previous house we were building floor to ceiling wardrobes And had to drill into the ceiling so had to have the artex tested, fortunately that room never contained it
But you have every right to refuse

Thank you, I feel bit better now about refusing their request, I will let you know what is the outcome tomorrow

When our buyer asked us to pull up all of the carpets I thought he was joking and asked him if we should rip the sheetrock off the walls while we were at it so that he could get a good look at the wiring and plumbing.

He wasn't joking and said that removing the sheetrock was a fine idea but that it would all have to be replaced at our expense.

Asbestos was only banned in the 1990's so if they want a property without then they need to buy a new build!!!

They are after a reduction. I'd rather sell to someone else, cheaper than let the CF's get a discount.

thank you so much for your replies. We refused the request via our estate agent and had a prompt reply saying they are pulling out. So we are back in the market. It is very stressful. All that bother for one tiny area of artex!

Also downstairs toilet is partially under the stairs so there is no way that they can move walls or anything without moving the stairs etc.

It’s not just that one tiny area though is it? In your OP you said they wanted to check other areas as a consequence of the bathroom coming back as asbestos. Maybe they have renovation or layout changes planned for the other rooms and don’t want to deal with asbestos in that situation.

It's only an issue if you get rid off the Artex and disturb it, just skimming over it is the best option.

Probably dodged a bullet OP, sounds like they'd have been a nightmare.

Ok today is going to be one of those days. They have now comeback to our estate agent and saying they still want to proceed but would like to negotiate their initial offer in light of new information about asbestos. Now we are not sure what to do. They have also said that they have wasted lot of money on survey and solicitors as we didn’t tell them about asbestos. Well we didn’t know!

They will be a nightmare to deal with. I’d just remarket.

Apparently we owe them a renegotiation as we hid information

Are you prepared to negotiate? Could you get a quote to skim the ceiling that has not been done - offer to do this and leave the offer as it is - or offer to do this and a reduction of £2,000 as a good will gesture, citing the current advise to skim and leave undisturbed. Confirm in writing that you have not at any stage hidden the fact that there was asbestos in the ceiling as you were not aware of this.

Don't let them bully you. Call their bluff. Put it back on the market. You have done nothing wrong and they are being ridiculous chancers.

Don't be bullied into feeling guilty or selling it at their new "negotiated" price. It was their choice to pay for surveys etc, that's not your problem. You don't owe them anything.

I think they were very reasonable to ask, I wouldn't buy a house with a lot of asbestos if we were planning building works at some point.

It's up to you if you think another buyer will proceed without the same issue being raised on their survey?

Oh dear if that's their position...
i think my response to that would be to tell the estate agent that there won't be a response - if you get me. The price is the price and they either continue or they don't. And get the agent to start showing it to other buyers too. Those FTBS can be such a pain...

I would absolutely relist, they will be a nightmare to deal with. We had a buyer try to drop his offer by 10% the day before exchange "because of Brexit" - this was late 2016. We told him to piss off and said we were withdrawing. He tried to come back but we had another buyer waiting who was offering more than his original offer. It delayed us by about two months but it was totally worth it not to be on the hook to the cheeky sod.

Offer them indemnity insurance; it costs a tiny amount of money and if they need it , then it's there. We did this with another issue when we sold, the argument was going on and on, then we offered insurance, and they stopped.

They have pulled out. Don't renegotiate.