Bit of a mess, please help!!

m_curiousity

Hiya,

We have had our offer accepted on a house we like which currently has tenants living in. The tenants also wanted to buy but couldnt match our offer and have been told it is going to us....they've gotten very stroppy about this and are refusing to let us or anyone view the property until the 23rd March (not when they leave, they leave in April/May). As the vendor originally said he wanted a 4 week turnaround, I explained that we would not be able to do this if the tenants wouldnt let us view again, as my parents are lending me some of the deposit and are keen to view to give me their opinion. I've told the EA that we will not go any further with regards to the mortgage or getting a survey done until we have viewed again.

To compensate us for the delay the vendor has given us a £1000 discount as a goodwill gesture. I'm unsure whether we should ask for more, as the longer the whole situation continues the more chance there is for something to go wrong. My bf thinks we should ask them to refund us for the survey if they pull out in the future, as hes paranoid we will get the survey done then the tenants will jump in with a higher offer and gazump us!!

Really Im just unsure what other people would do in this situation. Is it fair to say we will not move any further on the process until we've viewed again, and equally is it fair to ask for a lower price to compensate for the delay when they originally said they were after a quick sale?

If you get to the end of this thanks and I'd love to hear your thoughts!!

Arthritic_Toe

Playing devils advocate here, it looks like you made the offer but are not fully committed to going through with it, i.e. it may still be subject to your parents opinion. This should have all been cleared up before you offered. The tenants have the right to reasonable notice and they are probably insisting on this as they're a bit miffed. They are probably also wondering why you need to view it again.
Good luck with it.

poppy_f1

if the tenants are that miffed then theres always a chance that they wont move out in time for you completing

good luck with it all

peachyprice

poppy_f1 wrote: »

if the tenants are that miffed then theres always a chance that they wont move out in time for you completing

And if they do what kind of a mess will they leave it in?

tbs624

Part and parcel of going for a property which is tenanted. The T is under no obligation to consent to *any* viewing for sale purposes and could , if they chose, hold to that until the very end of their tenancy. As for saying that they "are being stroppy", maybe you could consider their viewpoint? They pay rent in return for "exclusive occupation" for the duration of their tenancy.

You've already been offered a good discount by the vendor/LL. Why should they offer you further assurances/discounts/reimbursement? The possibility of being gazumped could come from anyone, not just the current tenants - it's one of the hazards of house buying, particularly if its a property which would be attractive to any number of buyers.There is nothing to stop another cash buyer popping in on the deal until right up before exchange

.If you really want the property, rather than pushing your luck with a vendor who has already made a concession to you, why not find a way to work with what's on offer - 3 weeks to another viewing is not that long to wait.

m_curiousity

I totally see their viewpoint, in the same situation I'm sure I would do exactly what the vendors are doing, its just annoying as they were willing to let people view earlier on, its just since they know they're definately not getting the house that they've said no.

I know its a good discount and that he didnt even have to offer us that, but they did say they wanted a 4 week turnaround and I really dont understand how they ever thought they were going to get that - even if we did continue with the mortgage etc at this point the surveyors wouldnt even be able to get in!

Just wondered what everyone else thought really as we're FTB's and uber paranoid!

surreybased

Hi,

Just want to say that I agree with the previous poster - if you see it from the tenant's view - they are paying rent and are entitled to 'enjoy the property'. Maybe their goodwill has been tested and it's not unreasonable for them to suggest that a viewing once a month is reasonable. I suggest it's the LL who's really the person to be annoyed with. The LL is getting the benefit of the tenant paying rent right up to completion - he/she could have chosen to sell an empty house but I suggest they wanted the rent and didn't want to risk a void. If you need another viewing to close the deal then the LL needs to sweeten the deal for the tenants. How do they know it will be only one other viewing, then there is the survey, so that's 2 at a minimum.The tenants are totally within their rights to not allow any viewings - most AST say visits should be for maintenance/inspection only and then quarterly.

Hope you find a way through this but I think it's the LL problem.

CLAPTON

I wouldn't consider exchanging contracts until the tenants have safely moved out.

tbs624

m_curiousity wrote: »

I totally see their viewpoint, in the same situation I'm sure I would do exactly what the vendors are doing, its just annoying as they were willing to let people view earlier on, its just since they know they're definately not getting the house that they've said no...

That's your interpretation perhaps( or the vendors) The Ts have said no *until the 23 of this month* - maybe between now and then they have visitors, maybe they have specific work stresses, maybe they have a family member who is ill/in hospital recuperating, maybe they have a holiday booked.........

m_curiousity wrote: »

I know its a good discount and that he didnt even have to offer us that, but they did say they wanted a 4 week turnaround and I really dont understand how they ever thought they were going to get that - even if we did continue with the mortgage etc at this point the surveyors wouldnt even be able to get in!

The vendor clearly doesn't want to be left with a void on the property - no sale completed and no tenant in place. However, what s/he wants and what she is able to pull off are likely to be two completely different things

m_curiousity wrote: »

Just wondered what everyone else thought really as we're FTB's and uber paranoid!

Most FTBs are <grin> What you could do is get your surveyor ready with a couple of potential dates for the survey, so that when/if you get to view again you can ask the tenants nicely yourself whether the dates would be agreeable to them. Both you and the vendor showing that you respect their rights as current Ts may make things easier for you.