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Original poster

Buyers raising a survey issue last minute

23 replies

helloyello1 · 21/03/2024 20:57

Husband and I separated last year and had to sell the family home. We agreed a sale on our house in October last year. Took 2 weeks for him to find his onward purchase. Our buyers got a survey done 2 weeks after his purchase was agreed. I then found my purchase 3 weeks later. Im temporarily living with my parents so my purchase wasn't important at this point. I asked our estate agent if there had been any news on the survey and he said no, no news is good news.

Fast forward to now, preparing to exchange contracts and the buyers have decided to raise a potential roof issue found in the survey and want to negotiate the price to reflect this.

My initial reaction when I was informed was absolutely not, they have had months to raise this issue, why now at the last hurdle. It feels like a sly move to bully us in to dropping the price. I have requested the report to find out exactly what the issue is as 'potential roof issue' isn't enough for me to even consider a negotiation.

What do you think the chances are of them pulling out now, I really want to stand firm on this because I feel if there really was any kind of structural issue they'd have raise it way before now.

My house has been ready to complete for a month now, the chain on mine is shorter than on his so it's happened quicker. So now 2 chains stand to collapse if they pull out. I really cannot face going back to market, I cannot continue to live with my parents. However, if we renegotiate the price then I'm going to have to take the hit as we'd agreed I'd get a slightly bigger share of the marital assets and he's used every penny to fund his onward purchase where as I have held some back so it would mean he would need to redo his mortgage in order to compensate for any potential drop.

Moving house is stressful enough, adding the separation obviously makes it harder and this is now just too much. I have no idea what to do.

OP posts:

Nopeandno · 21/03/2024 21:01

If it was putting them off buying it; you would have known before now. They are doing this to drop their price. I personally would be inclined to call their bluff. CF’ers!

Newbalancebeam · 21/03/2024 21:02

Call their bluff!

DistinguishedSocialCommentator · 21/03/2024 21:04

We'd be inclined to tell them to get lost in a diplomatic way. However, only you can decided and saying no, there is a chance they may pull out but I doubt it

How much are they asking for

We always try to sell/buy chain-free, lot less hassle

A cousin of mine bought a large property in Bedford. Not at the last minute but close, part of a large wall was slightly tilting, it was only a meter high and the property was 500k and chain free - the buyer agreed to 2k off -however, it was the deceased children selling it and I guess they would have even let go of 10k

Personally I hate these parasites that do thins like like - I seriously consider say, 'no thank you, the property is at a fair price for location/type etc.

Your choice

Viewfrommyhouse · 21/03/2024 21:05

What is the 'potential roof issue'? Sounds like bluffing to me. Bluff them back. Tell them that you won't be dropping the price and give them a deadline to reply by, otherwise it'll be back on the market.

ibelieveinmirrorballs · 21/03/2024 21:05

Your EA should be supporting you here. They need to intervene and request evidence via excerpts from the survey, making it clear that any price negotiation only follows once they have provided this evidence and - if necessary - any quotes have been obtained. Until then it’s all bluster. If they refuse to share excerpts from the survey you tell them you will relist.

TurtleMoon · 21/03/2024 21:09

I have absolutely no experience with this, but my advice would be to keep it factual, don't get drawn into the mind games that they want to play. They're are trying to pull a fast one on you. Tell them you want to complete for the agreed price no later than Thursday (as Friday is a BH) or it goes back on the market. You know there is nothing wrong with the roof, unless they had an additional survey done this week, but you'd have known that had been done and why would they have one done so late in the day?

Wigtopia · 21/03/2024 21:11

Either it’s an issue or it’s not. Every roof could ‘potentially’ have an issue 15 years down the track!! I agree with others that they are likely bluffing.

Original poster

helloyello1 · 21/03/2024 21:15

There's only been the one survey and that was back in October! You wouldn't progress to this point knowing there's a fundamental issue with the property would you.

The estate agent is supporting, they told them that they need to produce the evidence before any negotiations so he'd already preempted my response.

I'm leaning towards calling their bluff. Ex wants to negotiate to save the sale, but he would. It isn't going to cost him anything.

OP posts:

mynameiscalypso · 21/03/2024 21:22

Are you prepared to lose the sale? We had this situation with our sale, a few days before completion. They wanted a big discount, we offered a smaller one and they walked away. It's taken nearly a year to sell it. Absolutely not saying you should take it but, in hindsight, we wish we had completed on the first offer as we eventually had to sell for less than the reduced first offer. It depends a lot on the property market around you though.

Shiveringinthecountry · 21/03/2024 21:30

This happened to me almost 30 years ago. I said no and put the house back on the market. Months later they came back and asked to offer again, but I said there was no way I'd be willing to sell it to them after what they'd done, the shits 😡 I did sell the house, but not to them.

I think it comes down to how desperate you are to sell, OP, and how strongly you feel about this kind of behaviour. Ultimately do what works best for you, and if that means taking a deep breath and putting up with this then so be it. I hope it works out

LindaDawn · 21/03/2024 21:32

People I know who are selling had this happen to them last week. Buyers asked for £20k off for issues with survey. The vendors gave an immediate ‘no’ to the estate agent stating that they had already agreed to a lower offer! Next day the buyers came back and said they still wanted the house at the price already agreed. The sale hadn’t progressed very far as far as I am aware. I would call there bluff especially if you think your house price is reasonable and easily sellable. It’s a horrible thing for them to do.

WallaceinAnderland · 21/03/2024 21:34

I would call their bluff.

Papricat · 21/03/2024 21:40

It's a buyers market...

SD1978 · 21/03/2024 21:56

I wouldn't renegotiate at this point- how amicable are you with ex husband? I'd tell the buyers you're ready to relist tomorrow- they're hoping you'll panic and give them the discounts

Anameisaname · 21/03/2024 21:59

helloyello1 · 21/03/2024 20:57

Fast forward to now, preparing to exchange contracts and the buyers have decided to raise a potential roof issue found in the survey and want to negotiate the price to reflect this.

What do you think the chances are of them pulling out now, I really want to stand firm on this because I feel if there really was any kind of structural issue they'd have raise it way before now.

Moving house is stressful enough, adding the separation obviously makes it harder and this is now just too much. I have no idea what to do.

if they are raising an issue then ask to see the details. until then you don't know what you are dealing with, likely be a catch all comment in any survey!

DrySherry · 22/03/2024 04:21

Personally, for the small cost involved, I would quickly commission my own roof survey to establish if there really is a significant problem. We are only talking about £250 ish to get that done. If not you stand firm, if there is an issue your going to need to consider negotiating - but that's worth doing to get the sale completed. It will likley show up again with the next buyer.
I wonder if your ex knows there is an issue and that's part of the reason he is open to negotiation ? Is it also because he feels you got a good price for the property which might be difficult to repeat ? Lots to consider.
Spend £250 and find out exactly for yourself what the condition of the roof really is...

Twiglets1 · 22/03/2024 06:35

It is a buyers market so I wouldn’t dismiss their concerns out of hand, albeit this probably is a move to get a last minute reduction. I think it’s right that the EA is demanding proof and a screenshot from the relevant part of the survey should suffice.
Assuming that the evidence can be produced and the survey has graded the roof as red or requiring remedial work, I would offer a small reduction on the price of around 5k.

ibelieveinmirrorballs · 22/03/2024 07:00

It happened to me too in my recent sale - buyers wanted +£30k off for alleged roof issues, we asked for evidence, they sent through an extensive letter they’d written themselves “quoting” surveyor, I offered goodwill much smaller reduction for immediate exchange or we would relist, they said “it’s a hard no” so I relisted. Had another immediate offer although was lower but in the meantime “hard no” buyers came crawling back. We completed two weeks ago (and I’m still traumatised!).

In my case it made no sense for me to move at the lower price (ie I couldn’t absorb it easily) and they also were a bit stupid as they had an impending deadline by which they wanted to have moved to the area and there was very little on the market regardless. So it was a pointless manoeuvre on their part. A lot depends on your own set of circumstances of course, but I would be very reluctant to give in because who knows if they won’t try it on again on the eve of exchange?

fromtheshires · 22/03/2024 07:59

These type of people grip my shit!

They probably know you are separated due to careless EA talk (I always ask about the sellers cos I'm nosey and like to pretend I'm not paying as much attention as i really am to the house) so are using it to their advantage. If there was anything wrong with the survey they'd have been reducing there and then.

I have always called the EA after I've had a survey done to let them know I'm happy and theres no hidden surprises and to reassure the seller i wont be shafting them.

If it was me I'd tell them the ship for survey reductions has sailed and its agreed price but it depends on how quickly you want to be done with the ex and if you want to risk your onward purchase.

senua · 22/03/2024 08:08

It always used to be that Easter was the start of the house-buying season. Everything looks better in the Spring weather and people have time to view because of the long weekend.
Can you stall current buyers (asking for proof i.e. the dated report) and meanwhile do a quiet re-market (can you get ready in time for Easter?), to see what other buyers are out there?

Original poster

helloyello1 · 22/03/2024 16:51

@DrySherry ooo I like that suggestion, I think I'll look in to that!

Estate agent has heard nothing today. I'll give them until end of day Monday and then get the estate agent to tell them they need to get back to me within 48 hours or I'm re-listing the house.

I feel if there was a genuine issues they'd a) have raised it sooner or b) provide the evidence quickly to avoid unnecessary delays!

OP posts:

LindaDawn · 22/03/2024 17:03

Sounds like a good plan!

GrannyRose15 · 13/05/2024 20:20

This is a common ruse to reduce the price at the last minute when buyers think you are so desperate to sell you will just do what they ask. We had this some years ago. DH told the estate agent to put the house back on the market immediately. Within a couple of hours the buyers had returned saying they would pay the price as agreed. It is a risk but it is well worth calling their bluff.

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