AIBU if I accept a higher offer

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Accepted offer from lovely young couple at full asking price. A lady also offered full price, but I thought the couple were keener and I really liked them so chose them (neither would go higher at the time). Today the lady offered 50k extra. So conflicted now, don’t want to let the lovely couple down, but - 50k! Don’t want to go back on my word, but - 50k! Would prefer to see the couple living in my house, but - 50k! Would I be an awful arsehole if I accept the higher offer now? What would you do?

the non refundable deposit won’t negate the survey negotiations though

The word "picky" is doing a LOT of heavy lifting here- your estate agent is telling you she is a nightmare to deal with.

I don't know - if there's a chance she could let you down 1 day before completion I absolutely wouldn't. The couple sound far more reliable.

No I wouldn't trust this offer.

The answer is: how would you ferl/act if it happened to you?

I'd be very worried she'd try to gazunder you right before exchange when she realises she was ridiculous in plunking down an extra 50k.

OP, you should really read this thread from the opposite side of the deal!

https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/property/4842781-going-over-asking-price-by-150kstressed

I can understand how a potential £50k looks tempting, but from her perspective once she has got you to burn your bridges with her competition, her thoughts will turn to whether she really wants to “gift” you £50k of her hard earned money - especially as she knows you were willing to take £50k less.

Having demonstrated how hard nosed you are by willingly backing out of a deal, you are now expecting her to behave much better by honouring her agreement with you.

Why would she? I think I’d got with the bird in the hand, knowing there was a reasonable alternative to explore if that doesn’t go through (and you can use the existence of a higher offer to pressure the original buyers to proceed quickly and with minimal fuss).

That'd be gazundering - gazumping is when the seller accepts a higher offer right before completion.

My gut tells me she would be a nightmare… it’s the estate agent describing her as picky. If theres a way to make sure it’s paid and she doesn’t pull out or changer her mind at the last minute on the price then sure…

If not.. then no I wouldn’t.

I will tell you about a couple I know who were selling a house. It was a small house in an area of owner occupiers. The area had improved over the years due to more shops, services and a better bus service. It's in a nice area not far from the city and within a few miles has hospitals, large shops and a very big industrial estate.
The couple had their own reasons for selling this house now.

So when they put the house on the market they had interest in it. An older couple came to look at it. The older couple were in their mid to late 60's, had retired and where looking to downsize. They had a family home further out from the city with a big garden ect and wanted to be closer to the city and on a better bus service.

The couple I know decided to go with them. They thought they were a better bet because they implied their family home sale was proceeding. They were not in a chain or waiting for mortgage paperwork.
The older couple kept looking at the house, wanting more information and were finding faults. The house had been maintained, the bolier serviced each year and paperwork to show this. The sale was dragging along and there was no sign of the older couple to come up with the cash so the younger couple decided to put it back on the market.
They had wasted time and money because of this older couple delaying.

My feeling is that this older women says she will offer you more but will start to find faults. She will want her family to see the house and listen to anything negative they have to say.
She do a survey and next thing will expect you to cover the cost of replacing things like say a boiler of 15 years old.
Why would she suddenly offer you £50k more and it not like she did not realise the lack of stock in the area up to now?
With the internet and looking at a few property website you can see what's available in an area. With some local knowledge you find out what an area is like also.

If the auctioneer says she is fussy I would take note as well. Older fussy women I would take as a potential troublesome buyer who could slow your sale or could suddenly offer you less at the last minute.
A younger couple will be keen to get into your house. They will chase the bank and solicitors and will want to get the sale through. They could be in rental or living with parents and want to be out of that situation.
You could get your acutioneer to ask them to up their offer and see what they say but they may not be in a position to pay more.

I knew this. 1am fail brain did not.

we run an estate agents and people who do this tend to be full of rubbish. She’ll find a way to drop her price or drop out completely. Go with the couple. They were your gut choice anyway.

I agree with the others that it's highly unlikely that amount will reach you.

I would be very tempted but would also anticipate that she doesn’t follow through with that amount. As posted further up thread she will reconsider why she’s gifting you an unnecessary £50k and will readjust her figures further down the line.

The EA using the adjective “picky” also speaks volumes.

It’s a gamble. You might benefit by several thousands or you might not. I really can’t see the £50k remaining though in the long run.

Picky equals PITA in estate agent speak. Use this to see if the younger couple can improve their offer and go with them. This buyer will be trouble.

Yes, it's only been 3 days and her rationale makes sense. Of course there's a risk she'll gazunder right before exchange but you'd have a similar risk with the lovely couple too, who can also ask for a discount at the last minute. At the end of the day, it's a business transaction and you have to do what's right for you.

I agree.

Whatever posters tell you on here, I doubt many of them would really turn down 50k to avoid pulling out of a non-binding agreement made 3 days ago. But it's only worth 50k more if you actually get the £50k.

You've sold your house twice in 3 days n this market soI'd say it was undervalued £50k is worth the risk

I think this is a really well reasoned opinion.

Added to this, pp saying 'picky' = 'nightmare' and I have little faith this transaction will complete.

especially as she knows you were willing to take £50k less

This is a really key point. You can't trust her. But you can't necessarily trust the nice young couple either.

Should be illegal as it is in Scotland, gazumping is a disgraceful practice that pits peoples integrity against money

This. I wouldn’t trust her whatsoever.

What have you decided to do OP?

It's not illegal in Scotland, it's just harder - link