Been offered to put an offer in for some furniture...

helping_hubby

I'm a little nervous. The estate agent has given me the phone number of the vendors to discuss.

I don't want them to laugh at me for putting in a rediculously low offer, yet I'd like to get a good deal.

Any tips on haggling?

After this is done should I then be checking that this would be written up in the exchange of contracts? And how would I pay him? On completion day?

cruella_de_vile

I would ask how much they are looking for and then take it from there

courtjester

I would start by saying you don't want the furniture.

Any furniture you agree to purchase and the amount agreed would be covered on the contract of sale (normally with an attached Sellers Fisxtures & Fittings list) and the amount dealt with by your solicitors as part of the completion proceeds.

Robert_Sterling

I too would ask them how much they want for it.

Willapp_2

Bear in mind that most people ask for too much, especially considering that the main reason for offering to sell the items, is simply that they don't want them anymore, and it seems like a good opportunity to offload them to the new owners and make a bit of cash.

I know this is true because we're doing the exactly the same thing right now, though sadly our buyers have declined to purchase anything, so we're now desperately trying to sell the items to friends/family!!

If it's stuff you genuinely want, then obviously make a sensible offer, but make allowance for the fact that they probably want to sell it more than you want to buy it. e.g. if they're asking £80, I'd probably offer £50 and expect it to be accepted. They've got to move the item out unless you buy it, which adds to their hassle!

Debt_Free_Chick

Willapp wrote:

Bear in mind that most people ask for too much

I agree entirely. Also, some people get very attached to their possessions and even if they can't accommodate them in their new home, then tend to value them "sentimentally".

At the end of the day - assuming these are not antiques - the value is simply the same as that as it would fetch in the local small ads. It's simply second-hand furniture with no real value. Unless you particularly like what they're selling, you may find similar items for nowt on Freecycle.

I did once sell a rug - approximately 12ft x 9ft to a buyer and they paid me £700 for it. I did not want to sell it at all, but they felt it "went with the room", that they would have to pay about £1,000 for one similar (they were right!) and they simply did not want the hassle of shopping around and not finding the right thing.

I still regret letting it go, though! But they paid what I considered to be a fair price.

Ask what price they have in mind. Make a note and let them know you'll "think about it". Then shop around or even post back here for suggestions.

Cheers

helping_hubby

Thank you everyone, I spoke to the guy last night. We only want the wardrobes so I've asked him what he wants for them and he's calling back tonight.

The other stuff we don't _need_ but the sofa is a corner sofa that is nice because it uses the space more efficiently than our current chunky ones. So we've asked him to maybe suggest a price for the lot as a bulk buy.

Thanks for the freecycle tip. We've been on it for 2 months already and have managed to get a single bed for the 2nd room. But keep missing out on the white goods which is really the only things we are missing now (we have most furniture as the house we rent was unfurnished.) Been looking on ebay for fridges and there are a few local, so will watch to see if any bargains come up on there.