EA being vague on house I'm purchasing

Lurkingtoposting17 · 1 September 2017 at 10:15PM

Hey folks

This one might be nothing but I'm coming up at a loose end.

My vendor rented his property (to family) Property is now vacant and vendor has moved to another city with family as they moved in together (according to my solicitor two weeks ago...)

I asked then if I could see the property empty before agreeing to exchange contracts as often when I had tried to see again after my offer I was told unless I could come in the day it would be a no, and due to work obligations that didn't work.

I've been chasing the estate agent all week to see the property again, and I've been repeatedly ignored or told they aren't sure what's happening and need to look into it.

The property is definitely vacant (we've checked...) and my solicitor have said they are suprised they haven't heard from my vendors solicitors all week (she assumed now property was vacant they'd be chasing me down to exchange and complete ASAP...)

Im beginning to wonder if vendor wants me to exchange without seeing the property again for some reason... which is only making me more convinced I need to!

Does this seem normal to anyone?! Or any logical reasons why ea would be reluctant to let me see property again?

I'm thinking it's ftb paranoia but, I can't understand why in two weeks the EA hasn't rushed me in their considering I've said it's the only thing stopping me exchanging? (And them bagging their commission?)

Thrugelmir · 1 September 2017 at 10:18PM

Perhaps they are away on holiday this week.

owitemisermusa · 2 September 2017 at 2:22AM

If you can't view and satisfy yourself completely, don't buy.

G_M · 2 September 2017 at 12:07PM

You're being sensible.

There may be a perfectly innocent explanation for the lack of response (eg as suggested - holiday), or as you say, the tenants may have trashed the place when they left.

Politely make it clear, to both the EA and your solicitor, ideally in writing, that you will not Exchange until you've had another viewing.

Lurkingtoposting17 · 5 September 2017 at 8:10PM

Finally got in today after telling agent i would pull out from sale if I didn't see it this week after vendor asked if I was ready to exchange now...!

But end result is the same... with all the furniture out and without the vendor covering the jobs they have bodged with furniture and appliances, it's become apparent how much work the property needed. I had budgeted £5k for work to the property, and now realised its more like £20k.

It would be a money pit. I left in tears and learnt a valuable life lesson. If you vendor seems to be hiding something, they likely are.

Thanks everyone for your help and support - back to the drawing board that is right move!

Mutton_Geoff · 5 September 2017 at 8:25PM

Well done, you have displayed an incredible amount of maturity for a first time buyer. Don't be afraid to do it again, and again, until you find a place that is right for you.

G_M · 5 September 2017 at 8:53PM

But do bear in mind that all properties look far less attractive once the furniture, pictures etc are removed.

If you view a property occupied by the owners/sellers, you'll be viewing it with furniture etc.

On the day of Completion, they'll empty it. The carpets under the furniture will have faded at a different rate to the exposed carpets. Likewise the paint on the walls where the pictures were.

But with an owner/occupier you'll only find out when you move in. So be realistic about what to expect of that 'immaculate' looking house......

Lurkingtoposting17 · 5 September 2017 at 9:18PM

Hi GM

I completely agree when I was waiting for my parents to arrive at the property I was wondering if I was over reacting but they walked in and felt the same. We've never lived in a new build, and one precious home had been empty for ten years when my parents purchased it so we don't expect perfection in a home by any standards.

issues such as a kitchen that has been bodged to stop it falling down and numerous cupboards don't even open as they back on to each other. The tenant was cooking when we viewed both times and I didn't push thinking I could come back and then, they made viewing again difficult.

The rewiring in the house has only been done to half the property - and a gaping hole in the ceiling where this wiring has been done that was hidden by a large unit and a wardrobe in the room above they conveniently left behind is covering that hole in the floor in the bedroom. We couldn't have checked this as it was a large unit stuffed to the brim with their personal possessions.

There's also a huge amount of damp in one room. They had damp proofing done last year and told us it was to the whole property. Looking at the property today we think this was only downstairs.

The electric fuse box isn't where we were told it was when we enquiried whilst this doesn't sound a big deal the difference in location means it has to be moved. Not for compliance of any standards but because it's smack bang in the middle the living room wall that has been covered by the unit. They had stated it was under the stairs.

I will shoulder some of the blame as my dad is a builder and I think he could have identified more of these things when he viewed too but he says he was reasonably satisfied when he looked, but didn't delve into it too deep. I should have pushed him to be more forensic. He was shocked at the pictures I've showed him.

I've learnt a lot from the process and will definitely insist on being more forensic in viewing properties going forward. I won't let a vendor intimidate me into not looking in cupboards or around rooms in depth. I guess I was a little naive in how much too investigate or how much right I had to.

I will be grateful I paid for my conveyancers insurance so it hasn't been an expensive lesson.

phillw · 6 September 2017 at 9:36AM

Lurkingtoposting17 wrote: »

I had budgeted £5k for work to the property, and now realised its more like £20k.

Did you explain this to them and ask if they would drop the price by £20k?

Lurkingtoposting17 · 6 September 2017 at 10:50AM

I could do PhillW, but it won't release 20k cash to me, as it would mostly be coming off the mortgage, it would give me around another £5k to do the work, so still significantly less.

As the EA witnessed me leaving in tears right now I am just taking a breather on it today and waiting for him to call. I think I will tell him that the property needs far more work doing than we budgeted for and that I don't think the vendor would drop the price to something I would feel comfortable with having reassessed.

I'll leave the ball in his court to decide if he wants to renegotiate based on that information. He may, as the property is vacant and he is ~300 miles away, but I am not sure I want the hassle of such a fixer upper to be enthused enough to start the negotiations myself, if that make sense. Not to mention the mention I just don't trust this vendor, I haven't for months. Felt like he was hiding something. I dread to think what I would discover he'd hidden in the past two weeks as the reason he wouldn't let me view is he wanted to make sure it was nice for me....

phillw · 6 September 2017 at 5:04PM

Lurkingtoposting17 wrote: »

I could do PhillW, but it won't release 20k cash to me, as it would mostly be coming off the mortgage, it would give me around another £5k to do the work, so still significantly less.

You could talk to the mortgage company and say you have reduced the purchase price but will borrow the original amount but use £20 for improvements. It might screw you on LTV, but they might let you do it.

You shouldn't worry about opening the negotiation, but if you can't get hold of him or don't want the hassle of doing the work then sure just walk away.

But you would only get one chance to negotiate, so find all the things wrong and dump it on him and see what happens.

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EA being vague on house I'm purchasing

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