Vendor won't let us view the property again until we sign the contract

DVardysShadow

Brallaqueen wrote: »

You might want to hang around outside before and after the 'specific one hour window'. I am certain there is a large problem they do not want you to discover until it is too late.

I would not bother, other than curiosity after I pulled out. Unless there is a really good justification already in place for a problem over viewings, this is no way to sell a house.

Me, I would now have it firmly in my mind that I would not be buying and I would not even attend the scheduled viewing.

bclark

DVardysShadow wrote: »

I would not bother, other than curiosity after I pulled out. Unless there is a really good justification already in place for a problem over viewings, this is no way to sell a house.

Me, I would now have it firmly in my mind that I would not be buying and I would not even attend the scheduled viewing.

Surely you would be cutting your nose off to spite your face then. This is just prior to contracts being signed so the OP has obviously already spent a lot of money and wants this house.

Granted the behaviour of the vendor is strange but people are very strange and there could be no more explanation needed than that. Pulling out straightaway is just daft until you can find out more.

DVardysShadow

bclark wrote: »

Surely you would be cutting your nose off to spite your face then. This is just prior to contracts being signed so the OP has obviously already spent a lot of money and wants this house.

Granted the behaviour of the vendor is strange but people are very strange and there could be no more explanation needed than that. Pulling out straightaway is just daft until you can find out more.

It definitely could not be classified as 'spite' of any sort. It is self protection. It is about a 90% chance on my reckoning that the vendor has something to hide and about a 10% chance that they are being just stupid.

Purchase of a property is 'caveat emptor' - 'buyer beware' and this has the sensors of the experienced people here twitching quite seriously.

As for having spent a lot of money so far on a purchase, of course the money is spent for precisely the reason that you are trying to establish whether there is anything to beware of. If you say "I spent £1500 on surveyors and legal fees for Rose Mansion, only to discover that Rose Mansion must be made open to the public on 6 days of the year and I don't like that", you would be mistaken to regard the £1500 as wasted - because it has produced information you never knew which has saved you from buying a property you would not have wanted. It is on the majority of sales where nothing untoward is found that the fees are wasted.

I would be seriously spooked by the vendor on this one - and pulling out straight away is far from daft - if the vendor is being 'strange', pulling out might galvanise them to deal with the sale more normally

bclark

Pulling out without finding out more about the situation would be daft, very daft.

I appreciate the need to be cautious etc but for all you know the vendor is just an eccentric who doesn't like 'strangers' in the house or is having personal issues. There may be nothing wrong with the house at all and it's all about the vendor, unless you find that out then it would be foolish to act.

dotchas

Just wondering why the sellers have taken this stance. We have just bought a repossession and the agent said we would not be allowed to view again before completion. Apparently the bank were worried we would chage our minds. Maybe they work in that line of work and think it normal???
Hope all is well for the OP

DVardysShadow

bclark wrote: »

Pulling out without finding out more about the situation would be daft, very daft.

I appreciate the need to be cautious etc but for all you know the vendor is just an eccentric who doesn't like 'strangers' in the house or is having personal issues. There may be nothing wrong with the house at all and it's all about the vendor, unless you find that out then it would be foolish to act.

This is so far from the norm that pulling out is probably on of the better ways of establishing what is going on in the vendors head.

As it is, the viewing is given on the condition that the contract would be signed tomorrow. I would rather be 'daft' according to you, for refusing to tolerate it, than feeling obliged in any way sense or form to exchange contracts as a consequence of accepting a viewing given under these terms.

The terms of the viewing are unacceptable. It is daftest of all to accept them.

Ulfar

Where to start on this one.

Make sure you have the original property details when you go, I had one vendor change the doors on kitchen cabinets between a first viewing from nice ones to tacky ones. They also removed light fittings and switches.

Take light bulbs and something you can plug in to check all the sockets.

Advise that you will also want to see the boiler working, check the hot water works.

If they are leaving a gas cooker especially if it integral to the units I would want to see that working.

Take a step ladder and go up into the loft, check the condition of timbers. Viewed a property where the estate agent looked horrified when I got a step ladder to go look in the loft. She refused to let me up there and I quote "Because the rafters are all rotten and the last viewer put is foot through a joist."

Feel the walls to see if they are very cold or damp.

Check the garden, look at the state of the fence.

Above all take your time, do not let them rush you. Go with fresh eyes, poke your nose into every nook and cranny.

Trust your instincts, sometimes a property will just feel wrong.

As for the guarantee that you will sign, as far as I am concerned this has been obtained under coercion and I would not agree or be held to it.

funkyd_2

I went to the viewing and it was a complet nightmare.

The vendor refused to let me take any pictures and questioned why I needed to see the contents of the airing cupboard or the bathroom.

Everything was at we saw it last time but I picked up that the boiler and electrics are very old. Our survey had the usual points about it needing to be checked etc.

What we are concerned about now is that if we go back to the vendor with this fact they will kick up another fuss. The estate agent is tearing their hair out over the vendor and us putting this on the table so late in the process will rock the boat.

Whilst we are not the sort to pull a stunt like this only today did we get the paperwork from the solicitor because the vendor solicitor mucked it up 3 times.
Add to that the problem with seeing the property and we are where we are.

On the whole the property looks fine but the electrics and boiler are bugging me - I just have a feeling it's going to be a complete rewire and a new boiler. :mad:

Ulfar

If you think this then lower your price accordingly.

From what you have said you weren't allowed to do a proper viewing (I am not including the taking of photos in this as can see the vendors point).

Given this I would want to do a proper viewing as I detailed previously. If they kick up a fuss walk away.

funkyd_2

Ulfar wrote: »

If you think this then lower your price accordingly.

From what you have said you weren't allowed to do a proper viewing (I am not including the taking of photos in this as can see the vendors point).

Given this I would want to do a proper viewing as I detailed previously. If they kick up a fuss walk away.

I sort of get the photo thing. Yes, it's not our flat yet but equally we were expecting a bit of flexibility given the vendor wants to complete in the next 2 weeks.

I wated to run the photos past a plumber and electrician so they can better inform me of what costs and work might need to be done as I know getting into the property will be hard. Maybe I'm wrong to expect this or that it would be useful.