Survey week before exchange

[Stressinghell]

Basically the title. 10 weeks after we've accepted our buyers offer suddenly they want a homebuyers report on the house! House sold after only a couple of days of being on the market at full asking price and their mortgage valuation/offer came back 6 weeks ago agreeing with the price but now when we're only a week from exchange the estate agent has messaged us to say someone is coming next week to do a in-depth survey 😳.

We know it will highlight certain bits as our report did (roof is 100 years old etc, it's a terraced Victorian house) but now I'm getting so worried that they will try to low ball an offer to us or walk away as I know FTB can be scared easily!

Is this normal to do a survey just before exchange?!

Thanks!

I don't know but it's possible they wanted to wait until all the legal stuff was done before investing in a survey.

At this stage, you both have a lot to lose, they'll have their solicitor costs and survey costs, so don't despair.

Personally, at this stage, unless theres something iffy you know about, I'd stay strong and state you aren't willing to play games. If they want it, that's the price. People sometimes need reminding that it can't always work like that.

I'd say to the EA he can let them know that the price isn't changing, they either want the house or they don't but your'e not playing games.

Is there anything in the legal process that has been cause for concern? We are going to pull a similar manoeuvre but that’s because our legal process has uncovered all sorts of gremlins and our vendors have lied on the property forms, so now we want to be sure we rat out all the issues before deciding whether to proceed or not.

I'd be furious at the timing unless the searches have thrown anything up.

Otherwise they've had all this time to get the survey.

How you respond depends on how desperate you are for this to go through.

I feel your pain but even if they had a survey weeks ago -they can still be those awful buyers who bring up the work required at the point of exchange.
It happened when I sold my last house - survey in September near the start of the process - buyer says all OK nothing serious.

Fast forward to point of exchange - I have signed my contract when suddenly the buyer wants £20k off because he says a 'builder' has costed the work that needs doing. I know for a fact no builder came round between September and November - but the sheer effort of fighting any more wore me down but it did reduce the reduction to £15k. Have never forgiven them and wished bad kharma on them for doing that to someone they knew.

Hope yours works out OK - if you can be strong - call their bluff which maybe all it is.

10 weeks isn't long on the grand scheme and surveys can be expensive so they might have just waited until the rest of the legal part was done.
Surveys always highlight the roof, if your buyer has any experience or sense they'll know that a 100.year old house old bound tp have niggles.
I wouldn't worry about it.

@WitchyWay nothing iffy really, you can tell the roof is old by looking from the outside, no signs of damp since we've lived here but they always pick something up, I'm more worried on how they word stuff tbf, where the roof will need replacing in a few years that the survey will word it as it's about to fall down instead 😅

@MrsCarson yes that's what I'm thinking! We sold the house so quick and actually cancelled another viewer to accept this offer at full so I think if they're going to start messing about then I'd rather relist it!

@sugarbyebye not that I know to, been truthful on all the forms etc not got anything dodgy hiding certain things. They even bought all their family members around to view over 6 weeks ago and nothing has been bought up!

I've signed the contract and have a survey booked for next week which was the earliest I could get it done. It's for my peace of mind, it's 100 years old so I'm expecting it to throw up a few things. However I've no intention of pulling out or trying to reduce the price, unless it's falling down .

@sleepercellspy I think that's what's annoying me most is why wait until now and not have done it when they got the mortgage valuation 2 months ago or when the searches came back 3 weeks ago at least! The thing is the mortgage valuation agreed with the sale price so they can't even use the excuse now that the mortgage company has devalued it etc 🙄

@ruby1957 oh god no how awful! I hate they buyers know they hold all the power and whether they'll be sensible or try their luck! Honestly I watch programmes in America where they have such a quick turn around time I don't understand how people can get away with doing stuff like this, or why Scotland's is so different to England's!

@Gamergirl86 I think I'm more annoyed that searches came back weeks ago so thought any surveys etc would've been done then not when it's so close. Fingers crossed they understand that it won't be perfect and run off 😅

@Loobyloo68 that's fair enough, it's just that when I did it it was at the very start so assumed most did theirs quite early on 😬. At least you're expecting a few issues, think I'm more worried in case my buyers get spooked when they label the electrics as red because they can't test them officially. I always expect the worst too thinking they're going to offer me 10K less suddenly and then I can't afford my onwards purchase

Survey is an expensive bit, so doesn't really make sense to do it until all the cheaper bits are ok.

Morally they probably should have been clear to you from the start that they wanted a survey before exchange, although they are in no obligation to do so.

TBH I think it is something you should expect on an old house. If they never mentioned it before in the process it is exactly the kind of thing you might expect to appear out of nowhere before the exchange takes place if it hasn't been mentioned previously.