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Original poster

I've fallen in love with a house and they've just rejecetd my offer. How do I persuade DH to let me increase it?

175 replies

mummyjaguar · 12/05/2008 12:05

We've been looking for months and months. A house came on the market on Friday and we went to look yesterday. It was love at first sight. I was having heart palpatations as we walked around. But its an expensive house and it needs £100k spending on it so we put in an offer ten percent below asking price which has been rejected. Went up by another £10k but that has also been rejecetd. I think the owner thinks she'll have offers flooding in given that its only been on the market for a couple of days.

I can't cope. I have to have that house. Now I know why phil and Kirsty always do their negotiations in the pub. I need a vodka.

How do I persuade DH that its a good idea to increase our offer?

OP posts:
noddyholder · 12/05/2008 12:07

If you are going to live in it for years then pay as much as you can afford if you think you might lose it.Otherwise hold on and they may get back to you if they haven't sold it in a few weeks

Blu · 12/05/2008 12:07

I would wait.

New on the market is one thing - if they don't sell quickly, they may well accept your offere in a week.

NatalieJaneIsPregnantAgain · 12/05/2008 12:07

Give us a link, then we'll give you plausable reasons to increase

(Or we might not, I am just nosy!)

RubySlippers · 12/05/2008 12:11

you need to take a step back

i wouldn't make another offer yet

£100k is a HUGE amount to spend on a house on top of the purchase price, stamp duty etc - you are looking at ££££ before you have even moved in

does your DH LOVE the house too?

fym · 12/05/2008 12:13

houses aren't moving at the moment.... if what you've offered is realistic they'll take it eventually!

Having said that we offered and waited and waited and waited for our dream (in need of renovation) house but they wouldn't budge - then another one slightly bigger came up just down the road that was actually easier and cheaper to renovate - I'm glad we didn't get the first one!

noddyholder · 12/05/2008 12:20

We have viewed 30+ houses since september All bar 2 are still for sale.We offered on 3 of tehm and all were refused BUT all 3 have since come back to us saying they would accept except we now know we can get something better nd cheaper in teh autumn/winter Hang in there

MrsTittleMouse · 12/05/2008 12:23

A friend of mine put in an offer on the house of her dreams. It was accepted six months later! The housing market really isn't that great at the moment, and the vendors might well find out that yours is a realistic offer.
And if you don't get it. Well, to be honest I would say that there are always other houses. Whereas a crippling debt is always with you... But then I realise that I'm quite hard-nosed about these things.

Youcannotbeserious · 12/05/2008 12:25

This has just happened to me. Convinced DH to make another offer and called this morning... They accepted a much better offer on Saturday

If you want it, and are looking for a long term home rather than a short term investment, I'd go for it. (I wish I HAD!!)

GOod luck.

Original poster
mummyjaguar · 12/05/2008 12:25

www.rightmove.co.uk/viewdetails-17695861.rsp?pa_n=1&tr_t=buy

I am so in love with it. Its on a beautiful plot on the riverbank with views across open countryside. Inside it hasn't been touched for 30 years and needs gutting hence the lack on internal photos. looks like it will need boarding and plastering throughout. new roof on the conservatory and the covered yard. new kitchen, creation of a bathroom on top floor.

DH loves it too but thinks its like the Tom hanks film "the moneypit".

He's probably right but I REALLY have to have it. We're like you noddy - we've viewed loads.

This is the only one I've thought is right. And we have to be out of our house at the end of July.

We offered 10 per cent below.

I'm supposed to be working but can't concentrate!!

OP posts:
Cappuccino · 12/05/2008 12:27

you have to remember that a budget to do a house up is a moveable feast

£100k to spend on a house is one thing

but a 20% budget overspend is £20 grand

we did it recently and we thought we were getting a really good deal because the house was so cheap - we ended up going over budget so much that we could never have afforded the house if it had gone at the asking price, even though to start with we thought we were comfortably within our limits even then

LaDiDaDi · 12/05/2008 12:31

Lovely house!

anniemac · 12/05/2008 12:31

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GooseyLoosey · 12/05/2008 12:34

Second what Cap said - you really need to make sure how much it is really going to cost to do it up - we recently bought a renovation project and it came in at much more than anticipated.

Does any work actually need to be done or could you do bits and pieces over a period of time?

anniemac · 12/05/2008 12:34

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Original poster
mummyjaguar · 12/05/2008 12:36

I know anniemac. That's what I think. I would be so gutted if we lost out to someone else.

Its how I persuade DH.

I know why he's resisting. Our absolute max is £800k and the offer of £680 has alreday been rejected. It doesn't leave us a lot of room for maneouvre

OP posts:
noddyholder · 12/05/2008 12:36

could you cut back anywhere on the refurb?

anniemac · 12/05/2008 12:41

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ja9 · 12/05/2008 12:42

when you're looking at houses at that kind of money, an extra £10K is absolutely nothing...

fandabbydozie garden btw

Original poster
mummyjaguar · 12/05/2008 12:43

I think its the sort of refurb wihc we would do over about ten years. Its supposed to be a forever house. I'd be happy to shut off the top floor and not do it until later on down the line.

The issue is really that DH doesn't want to pay any more than ten percent below asking price in a falling market because he wants to cushion ourselves against future falls. We had really geared ourselves up psychologically to goign into rented and making a bit of money out of the interest on our equity and now I'm asking him to just spend the lot on a house which could cost us a fortune.

In addition the figure of £100k is just my ballpark figure plucked out of the air. I could be way out (although we did extensive work to our current house so I have a fair idea)

God I haven't been this stressed about anything in years!

OP posts:
ja9 · 12/05/2008 12:44

having said that, i yhink you'd be best waiting a while... i think she didn't accepot your offer because hew house is so new on the market. if i was the seller i'd be wanting to hold you off and guage how much interest there is going to be.

MrsTittleMouse · 12/05/2008 12:44

I would be a bit worried also because your husband is very reluctant to increase the offer. How did you come up with your maximum budget? If the renovations turn out to be more expensive that you hoped (not unusual as others have said) then will it cause a bit of a rift between you and DH, as well as being stressful (because financial problems always are)?

throckenholt · 12/05/2008 12:44

would you be prepared to take a time over rennovating ? - spread it out over a few years.

That way you have more to budget on initial buying and spread the updating over a longer period.

anniemac · 12/05/2008 12:48

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WiiMii · 12/05/2008 12:50

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katwith3kittens · 12/05/2008 12:52

It looks like a lovely house I can see why you want it !

What you need to do is get really pally with the estate agents > and let them know you really love the house and for them to let you know if / when another higher offer has been made on the house.

If its a forever home a few extra £ is a small price to pay.

I can see the vendors side too though... if its only just gone on the market they really would be mad to accept the first offer made within a couple of days. I wouldnt.