Using survey as a get out from buying house

potnoodle_2

I have been reading a couple of threads where the seller has been asked by the buyer to drop the price quite a while after the sale is agreed, usually because of something that has come up on the survey.

I recently dropped out of a house because the survey said there was movement (not recent and non progressive) and damp etc. I was quite relieved as I had been having second thoughts and wanted a dignified way of backing out. We just asked them to drop to an amount we knew they would refuse (wouldnt drop at all actually even though there was a suggested retainer of 1.5k)

I was wondering how many other people have used this as an honourabe (ish) way of backing out of a house they regretted offering on?

silvercar

I think this is really a dirty way of backing out! Now the poor sellers are going to be worrying about future surveys and if there is any movement in the house.

If you want a dignified way of behaving badly, at least blame yourself. You could easily have said you couldn't get the mortgage you were hoping for.

Tustastic

The best approach is not to make an offer on a property unless you are really keen on it, warts and all. Make 2 or 3 visits before you offer. Mind you, I bought one place because I was too embarrassed to say I'd gone off it. That was years ago and I wouldn't do it now.

potnoodle_2

well it did put us off even more, i dont think i would have had the heart to say " i changed my mind" as we were in a chain and others had their hearts set on their houses. so i was kind of glad we had an excuse as there was lots wrong with the house.

we had also agreed to pay 4k extra than the previous agreed price that fell through a week before as he threatened to withdraw house if we didnt, and i just panicked.

michjoe

Our buyers have just pulled out of buying our property with no explanation at all.

MissMotivation

I will never understand why buyers feel the need to blatantly lie about the reason why they ithdraw from a house purchase.

I would have more respect for someone who just admitted that they had made a mistake and and had just changed their mind.

I hope this happens to you when you are trying to sell, perhaps you will then understand how it feels!

potnoodle_2

Well thats the point. as a previous poster said, he didnt have the heart to pull out and regretted buying. its very difficult to be the one that has to let everyone down, i can assure you its not something i took joy from.

i dont think i would have been able to have just pulled out if it had been a good survey, so was quite relieved when there were lots of problems, owner refused to drop, even though we had to pay 4k more than previous agreed sale price to get house.

potnoodle_2

and i did lose the sale of my house last time due to my buyers buyer backing out from bad survey due to damp.

Doozergirl

MissMotivation wrote:

I hope this happens to you when you are trying to sell, perhaps you will then understand how it feels!

I did just thank you for what you said in the previous two lines. I don't agree with that though

OP, previous movement is not a problem at all, at all! All houses do it.
Don't even bother buying looking at period property if you don't want to hear that. And expect those little cracks to start appearing in any house if you stay there long enough.

Steve1977

potnoodle wrote:

I have been reading a couple of threads where the seller has been asked by the buyer to drop the price quite a while after the sale is agreed, usually because of something that has come up on the survey.

I recently dropped out of a house because the survey said there was movement (not recent and non progressive) and damp etc. I was quite relieved as I had been having second thoughts and wanted a dignified way of backing out. We just asked them to drop to an amount we knew they would refuse (wouldnt drop at all actually even though there was a suggested retainer of 1.5k)

I was wondering how many other people have used this as an honourabe (ish) way of backing out of a house they regretted offering on?

I think you are well within your rights to back out mate! Ignore anyone else who says otherwise. House Prices are inflated beyond reason as it stands, so to expect you to pay over the odds for a house which has major signs of mis-treatment is criminal.

We lost out on a property and because we were on the 'rebound' we bid for a nother prperty nearby but the survey highlighted that it needed to be completely re-wired, it needed a new roof and it needed new damp proofing. It also had a spring water in the cellar. Absolutely shocking. So we backed out and a few days later the other property had come on the market so we bid the asking price and moved in a few months later


If ANYONE puts their house on the market when they know they have problems such as this then its no different from mugging someone or attacking them.

Doozergirl

Steve1977 wrote:

If ANYONE puts their house on the market when they know they have problems such as this then its no different from mugging someone or attacking them.

It's pretty easy to look at a roof and see whether it's coming to the end of it's natural life. If you can't see that, how does the vendor know unless they're a builder?

Of course it's different to mugging someone.