Should we exchange or walk? (sorry - long!)

bitsandpieces

It's quite reasonable to ask for viewings between offer and exchange - if you were going twice-weekly, I could understand why the seller would be annoyed, but some additional viewings are usual. Not entirely sure, but don't you buy the place in the condition it is at the time of exchange? (so if the seller painted all rooms green yesterday and you exchange tomorrow, this could be a problem...)

Anihilator

The carpet issue here is clearly a red herring. I suspect for both parties it is a little way of avoiding the stamp duty.

Gwhiz

bitsandpieces wrote: »

Not entirely sure, but don't you buy the place in the condition it is at the time of exchange? (so if the seller painted all rooms green yesterday and you exchange tomorrow, this could be a problem...)

The problem is getting it sorted afterward. Would you really want the hassle of a court case just after moving? Integrity is everything in a deal - and these people seem to have none!

ukmaggie45

Anihilator wrote: »

The carpet issue here is clearly a red herring. I suspect for both parties it is a little way of avoiding the stamp duty.

Hi there Anihilator,

This is true, we want to do the right thing about the stamp duty - avoidance is allowed I think, we are not looking at evasion (which it seems vendor is). Just trying to not have to pay it on a house that we feel was over priced at the asking price.

That's why we offered £244,950.

We were prepared to pay the £2,500 for "fixtures and fittings" (or chattels), but vendor would not or could not provide evidence for price.

The £249,999 thing is just ridiculous - our solicitor tells us that the stamp duty only kicks in above £250,000. A penny above and it kicks in, the pound below is silly. And it irritates her. I like her style!

We are about to have a long discussion (read marital row? :eek:) when OH gets back from the offy.

Thank you for your input - I really value everything that people on this forum suggest.

Maggie

lellow_lorry

Ukmaggie45. Only you can decide on whether to proceed. Despite what the media says about prices....this data is historical and based on houses that were offered on up to July. Yes there are still hotspots but in most areas the market is flat and very few transactions are happening. If you really like the house then you hold the shots, and shouldn't put up with any nonsense. As said before, paying for carpets? normal to leave nowadays.....anyway, what would they do...buy exactly the same size house to fit them in? i think they have pushed their luck. If you have doubts....walk, the surveys will be a cheap cost long term if not entirely happy. If it was me, I would walk .....but you need to decide yourself. As for an agent blacklisting you?? Not likely, obvious you been messed about and any potential sale on another property would go amiss...besides they would not be doing their job as an agent for their other customers.
Good luck

lindos90

Maggie, I identify competely with your thread, we have a vendor doing very similar to us, they said they were leaving 'everything' then when the F&F came it was mainly left blank, and several items were then excluded from sale, but available at extra cost...these items were actually mentioned in the EA brochure as being included!!

We have had weeks of waiting about these and other niggly inconsistancies on forms, and in that time Ive started to doubt my desire for the house too, but have thought about it this way...

Try and remember the first time you saw the house, when your offer was accepted, and how it felt, THAT is what you are buying, not all the bl00dy bits and bobs that the vendor is playing silly beggers about.

The bad feelings are about how you feel about the vendor and the way he is messing you about, its NOT the house.

By pulling out, you are just reacting to the vendors nastiness, and may always regret not getting the house. Just try and rise above it, and know that you are a more reasonable person than them.

Keeping my fingers crossed for you, and hope the drainage report comes back OK!

Trix2

Hello again Maggie:j

Glad to hear you are in a house moving mood. But sad that it is proving so difficult.Is it my imagination, or is everything more difficult now - there always seem to rules and regs you have to be wary of.

Sounds to me like you need a bit of quiet reflection (I know how you must be feeling after the past 2 years - we are still suffering the after-effects). And then if you think the house is still worth it - go with it despite horrible sellers.

Or if not maybe take a break till the New Year and then look at the next crop! If you do this, don't be so nice next time. Behave as if you are the Prima Donnas for a change. You are cash buyers for goodness sakes. They should all be thanking their lucky stars you are thinking of buying their houses at all! There won't be many like you around. As for Estate Agents black-listing you - I would be amazed if this were true. There aren't many buyers around, and ones like you are gold-dust. And don't you forget it.

Best of luck. Hope everything else has been sorted out

ukmaggie45

Just a bit of an update and a big Thank You to everyone who has responded on this thread. :A :T Reading all the responses has helped us to know what questions we should ask. Thank You again.

We will be speaking to our solicitor tomorrow (doesn't work on Thursdays, but does on Fridays as so many places go to completion on a Friday so folks can move over the weekend), we have a few things to ask, OH has made a list I think (hope!). After posting on the Insurance forum we got better ideas of how to find out more about dealing with the drains problem.

Still unsure what to do, but we viewed 2 other houses today.

Turned out to be interesting experiences, the second being very surreal - and then when we left we found the Google camera car outside just to complete a really surreal experience!

Thank you all again for your helpful input.

Maggie

ukmaggie45

Title says it all really.

We finally got an appointment to view today at 1pm but I found I was too scared to actually go and face the vendor and either her daughter or son again.

So OH rang our solicitor and she has contacted vendor's sol and the EAs.

We've already been called by the EAs and right now OH is on the phone to vendor's daughter who has called to ask why. Oh dear, this is all just horrible, but I do feel better now that the decision has been made and we are out of it all. Or will be once this phone call is over.

Maggie

martindow

I am sure you have done the right thing. In my experience small doubts at the beginning become greater with time. It must feel good to be shot of these people.

Good luck in your search!