Asking sellers to do work to property as a condition of our offer?

[Floorplanhelpp]

We’re thinking of putting in an offer on a property. It’s owned by a developer who does small developments of 3-5 houses, however this house is a one off renovation rather than a new build.

We’re thinking of going in at 20k under asking price (which isn’t a very big % discount of the total house price - it’s about 2%).

However we’d really like to get half of the internal garage converted into a boot room.

Would it be ok to make an offer for the full asking price but to ask the seller if they would convert the garage as a condition of this? We wouldn’t want the room ‘dressed’, just converted to an empty room, ready for us to put units into.

You can ask anything doesn't mean it will happen

Can't you just have an outside tap, some hooks, storage shelves and storage boxes in the garage,

If I were the seller, I'd say - Do it yourself, with the money you'd save from a reduced offer.

I wouldn't. Buy first then do the work since that way you can control everything that is being done.

Making the sale conditional on the seller doing the work guarantees a quick, cheap, rushed bodge job IMO.

Well I’d be willing to pay an extra £20,000. It wouldn’t cost the builder £20,000 to do the work I’m asking. Hence why it may be appealing to the developer who owns the property.

Yes but the very salient point has been raised now that no developer would do this before exchange of contracts because they could make structural changes to the property and then you pull out.

I really don't understand why you think this would be appealing to the developers given all the points that have been raised on this thread.

You honestly have nothing to lose by asking and making the offer !

You can ask.

As a seller I wouldn’t do this. Assuming you’re in England, you could pull out at any stage with no obligations and I’d be left with the cost of converting the garage, and no guarantee I’d get those costs back.

You would be better offering the price you want to pay and the difference is the work, other wise you are paying stamp duty for the “work”