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Original poster

Fuckity fuckity fuck fuck fuck...

36 replies

Dottydot · 28/01/2008 09:58

Our house sale has fallen through. Right at the very end when we've spent over £1,000 on surveys and solicitors for the house we were buying.

OP posts:
needmorecoffee · 28/01/2008 09:59

am sorry

bran · 28/01/2008 10:02

Oh no, that's so stressful. Would you like us to take out a Mumsnet contract on your errant buyer? Did they at least have a reasonable reason for pulling out at the last minute?

Original poster
Dottydot · 28/01/2008 10:02

Am absolutely gutted. We'd discovered dream house needed a lot of work doing on it - we'd had to have a structural survey, builders' quotes, got the money sorted, everything.

I haven't told the estate agents yet of the house we were buying - can't bear to.

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Original poster
Dottydot · 28/01/2008 10:04

They're complete and utter bastards . They knocked us down £12,000 which we agreed to to get the sale.

Then their survey on our house showed a few things (it's a Victorian terrace so no surprises) but the valuation was fine. They got a builder's quote to fix everything which was £5,000 and demanded that off as well!

We said no way, but we'd compromise and pay for the damp proof course which was £1,200 and the most pressing thing the survey showed up.

We really thought they'd agree to that as it was more than reasonable. This morning they've come back to say no. It's £5,000 off or nothing.

We just can't afford to knock another £5K off the house price.

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noddyholder · 28/01/2008 10:06

They may come back to you if they have spent money too.They are trying their luck Can you get another buyer ?Did you have any other offers when they offered?

Original poster
Dottydot · 28/01/2008 10:07

Yes, they've also paid for the survey, solicitors etc. All the searches were done and we were all ready to go.

No other offers on our house and it had been on the market for a sodding year.

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bran · 28/01/2008 10:07

They may change their mind - let them think it over while you put your house back on the market. Did it take a long time to find these buyers?

ChampagneSupernova · 28/01/2008 10:07

Huge sympathies - this happened to me before Christmas...

If it's any consolation, I really believe that fate plays a huge hand and everything does work out for the best in the end- and the house wouldn't have been right for you really...

ConnorTraceptive · 28/01/2008 10:09

Stand your ground on the price, they may be trying to call your bluff.

We had this with our buyer, we'd reduced the asking price by £5000 simply because he was a cash buyer and we had found our dream home and at every opportunity he kept trying to get more money off. He was a right tosser.

He still bought the house in the end and it pleases me greatly that he is now in a fence dispute with our old next door neighbour

lalalonglegs · 28/01/2008 10:09

#5K is a lot of money and I'm sure you will find it hard to knock it off but, if they don't come back, I would be tempted to find that cash somewhere if you have your dream house lined up. It will hurt for first few months but in the long run, #5k isn't much.

The worst thing is feeling that they have you over a barrel but, sod it, if there are no other offers and you want the other house just rise above that and don't let the chain break.

Original poster
Dottydot · 28/01/2008 10:10

But it was!!!! . The house itself was in a right state, but we were buying it for the garden - over 100ft of wonderful grass, apple trees - a complete paradise and more or less the only road where we are that has huge gardens. We came across by chance and won't be able to afford anything like it with that size garden. Ds's would live outside if we let them and they loved it.

(look, I know I'm feeling sorry for myself but can I have about another half an hour before I pull myself together?!)

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twelveyeargap · 28/01/2008 10:11

They're taking the piss. If they want the house, they'll come back and pay what you're asking.

If they changed their minds, then they're looking for any excuse to pull out.

I'm gutted for you.

Get it straight back on the market and since you know what came up on the survey, you can be upfront with the next buyers and avoid this happening again.

The housing market isn't moving that fast in most areas so whilst you're worrying about not finding another buyer, your vendors won't want to write you off completely either.

Hope it works out.

twelveyeargap · 28/01/2008 10:13

Oh and there won't be that many people willing to take on a big project, so that's going in your favour at the moment, imo.

UnquietDad · 28/01/2008 10:13

Sounds as if they are trying it on. Unless they have another offer are they really in a position to old you to ransom over the extra £5K? Stand your ground, say you agreed a reasonable price, that you still really want the house and that it would be a shame for you to let them down.

bran · 28/01/2008 10:13

Ah, cross post on the previous interest in the house. I still think they may change their minds, but best to market the house again anyway.

I suppose that you should really tell the other estate agent asap. By the sound of it the house you are buying might take a while to sell if they put it on the market again, so you might still be able to find a new buying and buy the same house.

Tickle · 28/01/2008 10:14

If you had already agreed to the 1200, then it is 'only' another 3800 off the price - as lala says - in the long run that is not that much.

Can't you just keep going, and wait to do up your dream house?? Go on, rise above it

marina · 28/01/2008 10:16

Dotty, I still remember the feeling of utter despair when this happened to us nearly ten years ago.
It is a ghastly feeling. I cried and cried.
I am so sorry XXX

PS we ended up in a better house in a better area as it turned out but it took me a while to accept that. Fate may be intervening, unlikely though that might seem right now

Original poster
Dottydot · 28/01/2008 10:17

Tickle - I know... I don't think dp will though - she's the stubborn one and it killed her to offer the £1,200. And the £12,000 drop was £2,000 more than we swore we would anyway.

Aaarrgggggghghhhhhhhhhhh.......

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chocolateteapot · 28/01/2008 10:19

Oh dear I think they may be calling your bluff to some extent but what I would be tempted to do is call the estate agent of the house you are buying. Explain what has happened and see if the people you are buying from would be prepared to drop a couple of thousand to keep the sale going through. If you can get anything off that house you can go back and offer that amount off to your buyers.

Tickle · 28/01/2008 10:23

Good idea teapot!

Dotty we are selling our cottage in Cornwall, but not in a chain as we are now living in Denmark... we accepted an offer in Oct and it is still not signed. We just keep reading the news about falling house prices and stagnation, and pray ours goes through...

I guess they are trying it on just because they can

Good luck
x

crokky · 28/01/2008 10:24

I have had a similar experience in the past - we accepted an offer that was £10k less than "very fair" as we needed to secure the house we were buying. The buyers didn't seem to think, "great, we've got a good deal", they just seemed to think "lets see how much more money we can screw them for!". We were asked to have (totally non-essential) work done on our house at our own cost before exchange just to please the buyer. We told the agent absolutely no way, we're not having the piss taken out of us any more and the agent said "well I think the buyer will pull out in that case". I said go on then, let them pull out because I'm not being blackmailed and bankrupted just because I want to buy a house having already agreed to a massive price reduction. The buyers discussed it for a day and then came back and said they would not pull out! So hang in there. It is totally despicable when people blackmail eachother all because you are buying and selling simultaneously. All I wanted to do was buy at a fair price and sell at a fair price, without screwing anybody.

chopchopbusybusy · 28/01/2008 10:29

What is your estate agent saying about it? We had a similarish situation and I had a few conversations with the agent. He could see his commission slipping away from him so he offered to reduce his fee in order to hold onto the sale. Could be worth a try.

cherryredretrochick · 28/01/2008 15:33

Dooty (((((big Hugs))))) I thinkthey are trying it on, I would certainly leave it a few days before you get back to them.

If the house your buying is a project I am sure they will wait a while.

Good Luck, I hate this and if we ever get moved I am staying there for ever.

cherryredretrochick · 28/01/2008 15:34

I obviosly meant Dotty Dooty would be a weird name.

ItsNeverTooEarlyForPopcorn · 28/01/2008 15:36

They're playing you. They think they hold all the cards as its a buyers market.

You don't deserve to be treated so shabbily.