Re-negotiating price after surveyors report

gcthompson

not_loaded wrote: »

I think that as the buyer you’re wrong for expecting the owner to contribute to (or to rectify) putting all of the problems right. Quite a lot on your list is absolutely without doubt visible to any viewer, skilled or otherwise.

In all the circumstances of a normal property sale, the seller is not really expected to be selling a 100% perfect house.

Did they say they were selling you an A1 perfect house with no faults?

I'm not expecting the owner to put everything right. If you look at my original post I'm asking what to do with regards to the estate agent refusing to open up negotiations. I can't be expected to know that the roof needs a lot of work given that i was informed that the problem had been fixed. I think it only reasonable that this problem at least be contributed towards. The rest of the points in the list were provided in response to a previous poster.

tek-monkey

gcthompson wrote: »

He has given a ball-park figure of around 20K to fix everything including re-doing the kitchen and bathroom, checking out the electrics/gas, damp coursing, repointing and decorating. Some of this stuff I was expecting and I knocked 9K off the asking price to cover these things with my original offer. The extra, however is unexpected.

gcthompson wrote: »

Yeps, as well as the obvious issues with the lack of general maintenance. The current owner has not made any effort to maintain the house and it sorely needs some loving care.

So is it not just the roof that you were unaware of? What else did you not know, that the survey highlighted? You already dropped you offer accordingly, only things you could not have known can realisticly be negotiated.

anselld

gcthompson wrote: »

I'm asking what to do with regards to the estate agent refusing to open up negotiations.

Well what part of the answers so far are falling short ?....

keith969 wrote: »

The leaky roof seems the main point you should have leverage with the vendor for. Get some quotes in from roofers as to what needs doing / how much and go armed with them to renegotiate.

This seems spot on. Decide on the basis of your case and what your revised offer is. Then either instruct the EA to pass on your revised offer and reasons to the vendor, or instruct your solicitor to pass on to the vendor's solicitor.

gcthompson

thanks for all of the answers. I'll await the results of the quotations and possibly attempt another go at re-negotiation. I wasn't aware that the EA had to pass on any revised offers, i guess that she is just trying to make her life easier and guarantee more of a commission.

DVardysShadow

gcthompson wrote: »

I'm not expecting the owner to put everything right. If you look at my original post I'm asking what to do with regards to the estate agent refusing to open up negotiations. I can't be expected to know that the roof needs a lot of work given that i was informed that the problem had been fixed. I think it only reasonable that this problem at least be contributed towards. The rest of the points in the list were provided in response to a previous poster.

Yes, it looks like the real issue is the agent refusing to open negotiations. It does look you are prepared to discuss who should pay for what.

You said in your first post "She claims that she can only negotiate with the vendor based on the valuation not the survey. If that is the case, what is the point in my getting a full structural survey if they'll only allow me to negotiate based on the results of the vague and pointless valuation?" Now the problem here is this word 'allow'. Agents cannot allow or disallow anyone anything. Don't let this concept creep into your thinking. The only allowing going on here is that the vendor may not allow the agent to enter negotiations. That is the agent is the one who is allowed to or not, provided you are strong enough in your own mind to walk away. When it comes to offers, you tell the Agent what the offer is and the vendor decides whether to negotiate. It is as simple as that and no one whatsoever can tell you what you are allowed on not allowed to offer.

[edit: remember she does not negotiate with the vendor, she negotiates with you on the vendor's behalf. If this really is a reflection of her perspective, she is not a true professional. I had a similar argument when I was selling, when a person in my Agent's office called someone offering on my house her 'client' - and was actually acting that way!]

Make your own decision about whether to take the place on, at what price and under what conditions. Start with a bargaining position and tell the Agent "I am revising my offer downwards to <lower price> to take account of <issues>, but I am prepared to negotiate". If the agent tells you you are "not allowed" to say that, tell her not to be so bloddy cheeky, she takes instructions from the vendors and offers from you, and she should know her place. If she then says the vendor will not negotiate, then walk away.

Having bullied you into line once, it may now be more difficult for you to take a stand and she may well let you walk away, even though the vendor might actually negotiate. An immediate note to the vendor: "I have today revised my offer to <offer> on which I was prepared to negotiate but the Agent rejected this outright" will get the truth out. If the agent does not come back, then it was a non starter, but if the vendor was prepared to negotiate, the agent will call you. If this happens, and it is her again, do continue working with her, after all you will have got one over on her.

not_loaded

I would support all the points made by DvardysShadow in #27. The EA will give way if she has any sense.

Always bear in mind though that no seller is offering the perfect house.

Comments like: ‘the drains need inspecting and cleaning’ actually means ‘I didn’t inspect the drains’. So the EA probably thought you were pushing your luck by using the survey points to knock down the price.

Go around the EA if you have to.

DVardysShadow

not_loaded wrote: »

Go around the EA if you have to.

Agree. Always go through the agent while they are acting as messenger. But if they start to become gatekeeper, then go around.

ILW

DVardysShadow wrote: »

Agree. Always go through the agent while they are acting as messenger. But if they start to become gatekeeper, then go around.

It is possible that the vendor has already instructed the EA that they are not prepared to lower the price any more.

Jewel_2

This happened to me - I was the seller. We didn't budge, because we couldn't afford to, irrespective of anything.

You may be being perfectly reasonable but if the seller doesn't want to come down, they don't have to. And if you are not prepared to pay now, that's your prerogative.

Fair and unfair doesn't really come into it, well it didn't with us anyhow.

An old house is just that, the surveyor will come up with all sorts of problems, just depends whether you are prepared to take the risk, if they don't come down. Not a lot you can really do though if they won't budge.