Unreasonable to renegotiate after a survey?

[foursquares]

Property originally listed last year (2025) for £520k. Reduced to £475k, didn't sell. On market for 6 months.

Reslisted this year for £450k. One offer in first week, no other offers apart from mine (accepted £435k in 4th month).

I've had a building survey done and needs a new roof (costs £20k approx from roofer and other £5k works).

Seller not budging on price, as he think he's already reduced significantly, so Aibu to expect negotiation on price?

OP, as others have said, it depends on how much you can afford and how much you want the house. You cannot base any offer or reduction of offer on whether or not the seller will accept. The seller wants more money, so if you base your offer on what the seller wants, you'll always pay more.

Do you want the house with a roof that needs fixing?

Would you want it at your current offer if the sellers said they would fix the roof at their own expense?

Would you want it at a higher price if the sellers said they would fix the roof at their own expense?

Just work out what your upper limit is and stick to that offer. Be polite, open to discussion, but be prepared to walk away. Then leave it on the table, and make it clear to the agents that you will continue to look elsewhere. And then walk away and continue to look elsewhere.

The seller will decide whatever the seller wants to decide. You have no influence over that.

Caveat: if you are absolutely desperate (and very few people are) for the house, and can afford it, then stick to your initial offer. This will signal to the seller that you are serious. If you start to negotiate, it will be nothing but hassle and you'll end up talking your own offer higher, because now the seller knows you're desperate.

I'm paying cash (inheritance), but it'll really stretch my budget to pay for additional roof I hadn't expected.

If it's an older house, I think the surveyor's report usually flags the roof as a potential issue. I bought a house in 2000 which the surveyor said would need a new roof. Lived there for 11 years with no issue. The people who bought it from me still haven't re-done the roof 26 years later...

If the house is priced comparably to others in the area and is in a similar condition, then I don't think you can 'expect' the seller to re-negotiate. You can ask, but if he isn't willing you've got to make a decision whether you're going to walkaway or not.

Walk away @foursquaresits a buyers market so something else will come up

Agree, part of it is that..I'm maybe digging my heels in a little because I feel this was an unknown when I made offer.

Could I find the money, probably, but I'm kinda close to my limit as I planned to replace kitchen and bathroom. Thanks for your input.

Usually sound advice, but currently there is not much coming up. OP could have been searching for a year already.

There will always be unknowns. There will be with the next house you offer on, as well. Never offer all your money, because you need contingency.

One thing that helps me decide if I want a house that needs a lot of work: (I am currently viewing for my next home):

In your head, drop your offer by 50-100k. Assume it will be accepted. Do you still want the house?

If you do, then it's probably the house for you.

If you don't, then it's probably the amount of work needed to the house that you don't like, and you'll need to look for a house at your original price point or slightly higher, to avoid having to do so much work.

Obviously there will be market anomalies but property for sale is at a 12 yr high

100% agree with this. Neither are unreasonable. You have pushed your budget to this limit will struggle with the repairs. Seller has dropped the price by many thousands so to them they are already down. Only thing you can do is issue an ultimatum and be fully prepared to walk away.

I think it depends.

Renegotiating the price after survey is pretty usual, but it is generally in response to unanticipated issues (eg, damp spotted in the seller, evidence of subsidence) and they may feel that the state of the roof was obvious at viewing and therefore reflected in the asking price alread?

If the £25k you need to spend on the work means the property will gain that same amount in value, then maybe not especially as they have already reduced to sell. I’d ask the estate agent how much the house would likely sell at if it were completely renovated/roof done; then workout how much you think that would cost to do and then work backwards. Or compare the selling prices of local properties that have been in perfect condition to gage how much the one you are buying is already discounted and if it is 50k+ cheaper etc, you may not have much negotiating power.

If it was already priced in anticipation of works (eg it’s a 100 year old property and has never had its roof done, is visibly in need of repair, so it is reasonable to assume it will need doing by any buyer and priced accordingly), then you may not be able to push on this.I’d do some research, speak to the EA - but ultimately there is no hard is trying to negotiate as they can simply say no?

They have reduced by nearly 100k, they don"t fit the profile of kite flyer/delusional seller.

Which is a perfect reason to tell the seller to take it or leave it, if they want to sell they will probably take it IMO, they have already been trying to sell for a year so obviously very overpriced at the start.

This is really helpful. I think that the immaculate 5 bed houses on road are listed for £520-525k.

Given this is a smaller property, ceiling will be £500k, given that it'll take £75k to get it to similar state, imo only, the price should be £10k(ish) lower..but obviously I'm biased.

The offer you make is market dependent to some extent. Plus what money do
you have available? Is the price you are paying reflecting condition? Is this why no other sales happened ? What’s the house prices in the road? Is the price rock bottom? All these things matter. Not just - it’s wrong so I’m asking for even more money off! Is it sold at a fair price for location and condition or not?

It would be interesting to know the wording used in the survey saying you need 'a whole new roof'. Our house is nearly 200 years old and when we had a lot of work done all that needed doing to the roof was one wooden beam needing replacing, and some work round the chimneys to improve waterproofing. It was a few days work.

Our neighbour has a much more modern house, she had work on her roof (I think they were replacing the roofing felt, but I'm not sure). They took off all the tiles, did the work and replaced them, all within a week.

It might be worth looking more closely at what really needs doing, it may not come close to £20k

Sorry, only just seen this. From what you've described (daylight showing through, torching gone, ridges, verges and valleys needing work, damp readings in the timbers) I can see why the roofer isn't keen on a patch. Of your three options, stripping and relaying with reclaimed clay is often the best value if most of the existing tiles are sound, as you keep the same weight and look and only top up the broken ones. All new clay costs more but gives you the longest life. Concrete tiles are heavier, so if the rafters need strengthening that adds cost and may need building control involved, so I'd ask for that option priced in full including the timber work. Whichever you go for, make sure the written quote includes breathable membrane, new battens, ridges, verges, valleys and scaffold, plus a provisional sum for any timber repairs found once the hidden section is opened up. Ask what guarantee comes with it too. That gives you a solid figure to work from, whether you go back to the vendor once more or just budget for it.

The buyer can offer anything they want, if the market is stronger than their opinion the seller can tell them to do one.

Thanks this is really helpful. I did get a quote from a reputable roofer for all three options, and the strip and relay option came out as the most viable. The did say that is also the most labor intensive as the tiles need to be stripped carefully by hand. I did have to pay for this survey, as I didn't manage to find a roofer willing to provide a detailed quote as it wasn't my house - all said they'd take it off costs if awarded work.

Regardless, the seller is unwilling to take any money off price purchase, so I've withdrawn offer.

@foursquares l can see why you pulled out and l would have done the same thing in your shoes. That much work is a lot if it wasn’t obvious. The fact you are buying it with an inheritance is neither here nor there. It would stretch your budget if you swallowed the remedial work and realistically would be most likely stressful. It’s a tough market and the seller is probably going to regret this

Sorry to hear you’ve had to pull out. I think we will be doing the same as our seller also doesn’t believe our survey or the roofer we got to quote. They got a roofer to quote too who just said repointing and yearly inspections but that wouldn’t cover what the issues that came up were.
We can’t afford a roof at the end of its life without the seller reducing so I think we’ll be in the same position as you.
Hope you find something else soon!

Sorry to hear that, so have you withdrawn?

I did offer to split the cost of the roof and for the buyer to get thier own quotation, but he flatly refused, which didn't leave me with much option.

It was probably a little easier for me, as several other things came out in survey (blocked drain, outhouse coming away from house, bowed ceilings, air vents covered, potential shower leak) that made decision easier.

Good luck..

Ah ok, along with the other issues then best to pull out.
If it was only the roof, then at least you would end up benefiting from a new roof on an old house, even if you couldn’t secure a further discount.
There are tens of thousands of old houses that will need a new roof, it’s just a game of musical chairs who gets the pleasure of paying for one. Clay tiles don’t last forever and once the frost gets them, their demise is accelerated.

Yes, seller will be looking at much lower offers now as interest rates get pushed up.

Not yet - we are still in what seems like an awful, pointless back and forth. Then they mentioned exchanging next week and apparently our buyers are ready to exchange next week too.
We haven’t even got the answers to enquiries back to our solicitor yet let alone any of the paperwork to check through to us yet!
I’m a bit lost as to how we seem to be the ones left behind, the ones considering pulling out and yet everyone else is on a different page of a different book?!