Our buyers want to 'make offers' on our furniture

Alfie1999

We've managed to find buyers for our house and we're getting close to exchange. The buyers are coming round next week to 'measure up' and look at any furniture they want to make an offer on as they're coming from a 2bd in to a 4bd.

I agreed during their initial viewing to considering any offer on furniture aswell as letting them have all light fittings and blinds (lots of).

Me and the OH are at slight odds about how to deal with any request as i'm of the mind that we should let them buy anything they want very very cheaply (or even free) just to keep them sweet and hopefully avoid any late gazundering or even withdrawal.

My OH is quite angry about it and thinks it's weird and she believes we should make them pay a reasonable price for anything they want to buy as we'd have to go out and replace it all.

Any objective opinions?

pawpurrs

I would want them to pay for furniture, they wont be expecting you to give it away.
My buyer has told the EA she would like to just move in to my house as it is and would be happy to buy it all.

TomsMom

Reasonable price definitely. We are in a similar position but are downsizing. Any surpus furniture is being offered to the purchaser but we wont accept peanuts. It's nice stuff and well looked after so if they don't make a reasonable offer we'd rather take a chance at the local sale room or advertise it.

If you've got to replace it that will cost you a lot, so are you sure you even want to sell it? If you like what you've got then don't sell it, or are you after a change?

Alfie1999

There are a couple of bits i'm not bothered about but alot of our stuff was quite expensive and whatever goes would have to be replaced.

My thought though is that i'd rather have the buyers thinking they've got a cracking deal (and maybe even ripped us off a bit) than having negative thoughts about haggling over the price of some furniture.

We'd struggle to find another buyer at anywhere near the price we've got now so even if we give them what they want for nothing and go and buy replacements it will still be a fraction of the cost of losing them as buyers.

I'm not saying they will pull out or gazunder if we don't give them what they want but why take the risk?

GDB2222

Alfie1999 wrote: »

There are a couple of bits i'm not bothered about but alot of our stuff was quite expensive and whatever goes would have to be replaced.

My thought though is that i'd rather have the buyers thinking they've got a cracking deal (and maybe even ripped us off a bit) than having negative thoughts about haggling over the price of some furniture.

We'd struggle to find another buyer at anywhere near the price we've got now so even if we give them what they want for nothing and go and buy replacements it will still be a fraction of the cost of losing them as buyers.

I'm not saying they will pull out or gazunder if we don't give them what they want but why take the risk?

It's weird. Maybe they think they are doing you a favour by offering? It makes no sense to sell stuff you want to keep. I would tend to say that you want to postpone any decision until nearer the time of completion, as you haven't decided exactly what to take with you to the new place yet.

Lamps and blinds are rather different, as the cost of fitting is high.

TomsMom

Sounds like you've made your mind up Alfie, just gotta convince your OH now!

If your buyers are keen on your property (well they must be to be close to exchange), and they sound as though they are already happy with the price of the house, if they are reasonable people I'm sure they wouldn't expect to pay just peanuts for your furniture. It really is up to you and your OH to tell them what is available for them to buy. If you don't want to sell a certain item tell them it's not for sale. It will cost you probably thousands to replace everything so that is effectively knocking that amount off the price of your house.

Alfrescodave

Obviously depends upon which items of furniture but there's a load of sales on at the moment and if I were the buyer I would not be wanting to offer much for what is in effect second hand

Sooler

Alfie1999 wrote: »

My OH is quite angry about it and thinks it's weird and she believes we should make them pay a reasonable price for anything they want to buy as we'd have to go out and replace it all.

Any objective opinions?

You only offer to sell things you don't want to take with you.

If there's stuff you want to keep, you take it with you.

geoffky

beware.....this might become the reason in this market for them to say no way and walk away......tread carefully

Alfie1999

geoffky wrote: »

beware.....this might become the reason in this market for them to say no way and walk away......tread carefully

This is my concern.

The OH feels they might take the p*ss when they come round - and they may well do.
However, whatever they demand will be far less expensive than putting the house back on the market at a lower price than we've accepted.

SquatNow

Are you moving to a similar house.

If you are downsizing you'll need to lose some furniture anyway.

Even if it's a similar sized house, the rooms may be different and stuff might not fit.

It all depends on what they ask you to leave.

Remember second hand furniture has little value.

It's worth remembering though that if they start making stupid low offers on expensive furniture, they'll expect you to say now.

Why not ask them in advance what they are likely to be interested in?