Clauses when buying a house

pioneer31

We have been renting a house for 3 years. The owners now want to sell. Shortly before it went in the Estate Agents window, we said we’d be interested in buying. The owner wants £235k for it. We submitted a final offer of £225k subject to contract and surveryor’s report (we thought 235 is OTT).
The EA has come back and said that the seller will accept £225k BUT will not re-negotiate on surveyors report, unless major structural damage is found. The surveryor’s report has put a value of £220k on the house, with some bits than need attention – not major structural but a few K’s worth
The question is, can they refuse to re-negotiate the price, legally? Or is it at the sellers discretion?
We suspect that we’re being manipulated (as we’re sitting tenants). Negotiating a house price when not living in it would be much easier because failure wouldn’t result in a move out.
On another point, we viewed a house across the road, similar to this one for £225k, which has been on the market for about 3 months. The day after we viewed it, the price went up to £235. Since we submitted our offer on this one, the other house has now dropped to 227,500 (so, spent just 10 days at 235k)
We suspect that the Estate Agent and/or sellers are playing games to force our hand
Is there anything we can do to challenge this?

G_M

It is entirely up to the seller to decide what price they want. If they choose not to negotiate, that is their choice.

Yes the seller/EA may be 'playing games to force your hand' but that is how house buying goes. You can increase your offer, or you can 'play your own game', submit a new offer and tell the seller to take it or leave it.

getmore4less

You could withdraw or make a new offer if not happy with the price.

You don't have to allow viewings then they have to get you out first and look at voids of probably 2+ months.

Make a lower offer on the other place if you like it, if they can move quickly you could be in before rental notice is up.

Thing is you know the place you are living in so should know of any issues, the other place will be an unknown.

Doozergirl

If you give notice to leave the property then it's unlikely that your landlord will be able to find a buyer to move in close to the time that you move out. They will have the house empty and will lose rent for an unknown period as they won't be able to re-tenant it whilst trying to sell.

There is absolutely nothing to say that the house won't be revalued again at £220k.

It is you in the stronger position here. Your landlord doesn't know that you are desperate not to move!

We're talking about £5k where the landlord may not get offered more than that any time soon and stands to lose rent money as well. Tell the EA that there is no more money in the pot - that £225k would have been entirely dependent on the mortgage valuation coming back at that price. It hasn't, they say the house is not worth any more than £220k and you would not and can not pay any more. Offer to exchange and complete quickly to get the house out of your LL's hair.