Unreasonable buyers?

klaatu

We're just about to 'conclude missives' on our sale (similar to exchange contracts in England), but our buyers keep imposing extra conditions. We've agreed to most of them so far, but we think they've been unreasonable. I just wondered what people here thought of them.

1. Get the chimneys swept.
2. Repair the Rayburn and warrant it to be in good and safe working order. This is a 60-year-old model that you can't get parts for. We have been very careful to tell viewers that we've never used it. When we refused this condition, they said we had to remove it instead and make good any damage. So that's what we've done.
3. Just when we think it's all sorted, this morning's letter says that we have to get Scottish Water to inspect the septic tank - and advise when it will next need emptying! Crystal ball, anybody?

It's not just these issues, there have been other niggles, like including the white goods (without the courtesy of discussing it with us first) and then changing their mind and telling us that we have to take the fridge-freezer, changing the entry date etc etc etc. We've come very close on a few occasions to telling them to 'stuff it'. Grrrrrr. :mad:

There, I feel better for that.

Steve

Kaminari_2

I'd tell then to stuff off. If they want the property then they will take it, i imagine that they have already invested times and fees in it. Next they will be wanting a pool and a 3 bed extension with games room. It their is no law covering it i would refuse any more demands.

Madmel

I agree with Kaminari - tell them to stuff it! My Dad had a friend who had a buyer for his house who started listing all his wants and all the niggles (the roof has moss on it, the wall needs rendering). Dad's friend just said: "If you want it, buy it. If you don't, %^&* off"!!!!! The guy bought the house for the full asking price! Good luck and stand firm.

hethmar

I think they are pushing their luck a bit and seem nervous of commitment. I would speak to them and say are you genuinely wanting to buy the house warts and all, if not please be straight with us as we shall have to readvertise it. Dont be aggressive, just act as though you want to work WITH them and you are concerned that they seemed to have some doubts.

Good luck.

star1_2

Totally agree with the others ---- "tell your prospective purchasers" - to "like it or lump it" !!

Unless these demands were stipulated (or agreed to be undertaken by you) at the time of sale, I would tell them this is somthing they can do themselves after moving in - if they still want the house.

As regards the septic tank - I would respond politly with ....

"As regards the next time the septic tank needs emptying - I was somewhat surprised by your question, as you will realize this depends upon use of water at the property, if your client does not use any water and does not hence empty anything into the drains leading to the tank, the septic tank will never need emptying, on the otherhand, if your client uses water 24 hours a day, at an excessive rate, using the drains to maximum capacity the tank will be filled in a matter of days. Hopefully you will understand and common sence would have told yourselves and your client that this was a rather strange question to ask and that one nobody could give a specific answer to, perhaphs you will be next enquiring as to the amount your client will need to pay for Gas and Electricty in their first year?"

libitina_2

I think they have every right to be 'picky' when giving you such large amounts of money. You would do the same too. People spend more time and effort when spending a few grand on a car than they do spending hundreds of thousands on a house, which is madness imo.
If you don't like it, tell them to get lost and be prepared for them to walk.

dmg24

I can see both sides of the argument.

The way I would look at it is how much you want to sell. If you are happy that you can wait until another buyer comes along (and hopefully that wouldn't be long) then tell them where to go. If you want to sell quickly, then go along with their requests.

Also be aware that if you put the house back on the market, the next buyer may be as bad!!!

Kaminari_2

Of course they have every right to be picky but the owner has every right to tell them to !!!!!! off too. If they wanted all this work to be done then it should have been on the table with the offer.

Dan29

Yes, they sound unreasonably picky. However if you're nearly at the stage of concluding missives, you may choose to do these last couple of things, take their money and run. If you lose them it could cost you more to put the house back on the market and find new buyers - who might not be much better.

Good luck whatever you decide - you'll soon forget about these people once you've sold.

HelpWhereIcan

Just my opinion, but from the type of enquiry they are I would suspect that 2 & 3 are enquiries they are making on the advice of their solicitor.

Some solicitors get more involved with their clients than others and will often suggest additional checks that should be made.

I have to say though that I would want to know about the condition of the septic tank (hence the inspection) and would find it useful to know if I would be saving you money by taking the house on and having to pay for your full tank to be emptied when I had only been in the house for a short period of time.

Again the Rayburn sounds like something that a solicitor would suggest getting checked for safety's sake and if it was not in working order and something I would not want, I would expect the vendor to remove it and make good any damage done.

The white goods thing etc is probably just lack of courtesy (naievety?) on their part, so I can understand why you will be getting mad.

They don't say moving house is the most stressful thing after death and divorce for nothing. Before long, you'll have completed and be glad to see the back of them while you are in your loveley new house.

Chin up. Almost there from the sounds of it.

:beer:

Jorgan_2

Don't know how it works in Scotland, but this is usually the sort of thing you can sort out between exchange & completion in England & Wales. I have justed acted on a sale where the buyer wanted things like the old gas fire removed along with some carpets, the seller was reluctant to do the work in case the buyer withdrew. Both parties agreed to the work being done between exchange & completion with the buyer inspecting the work before completion.