Help!!! Buying property - expensive body jet shower missing before exchange.

glicky

I wonder if anyone can give me some information please.

I'm buying this property and it is about to exchange (finally, fingers crossed) and one of the features in the beautiful bathroom was a fitted in the wall "Jet Body Shower".

I got a phone call from the vendor telling me he slipped in the shower and grabbed hold of the Jet Body Shower and broke it. So what he's done is removed it and just put tiles in place of it! He said he couldn't find another one so he's put tiles there. I've gone and had a look and it looks OK, but there is no "Jet Body Shower" which, as I said above, was a feature.

I'm finding it very strange why he didn't replace it and just put tiles there instead - he's a builder by the way.

What I would like to know is, legally should it be replaced if he broke it?

I don't know why, but my gut instinct tells me he removed it and wants it for his new property - this feature must have cost at least £300!!!

What happens if "anything else gets broken or goes missing"?

Is there anything I can do or say to him.

Your advice would be most helpful before exchange takes place.

Thanks

lizziebabe

Is it in the list of items you agreed on at purchase? Maybe you need to speak to the EA. It does sound as if he may have taken it especially as he is a builder. It should be on the items you signed for and if it is then you have a case I would have thought.

DRP

glicky wrote: »

I wonder if anyone can give me some information please.

I'm buying this property and it is about to exchange (finally, fingers crossed) and one of the features in the beautiful bathroom was a fitted in the wall "Jet Body Shower".

I got a phone call from the vendor telling me he slipped in the shower and grabbed hold of the Jet Body Shower and broke it. So what he's done is removed it and just put tiles in place of it! He said he couldn't find another one so he's put tiles there. I've gone and had a look and it looks OK, but there is no "Jet Body Shower" which, as I said above, was a feature.

I'm finding it very strange why he didn't replace it and just put tiles there instead - he's a builder by the way.

What I would like to know is, legally should it be replaced if he broke it?

I don't know why, but my gut instinct tells me he removed it and wants it for his new property - this feature must have cost at least £300!!!

Is there anything I can do or say to him.

Your advice would be most helpful before exchange takes place.

Thanks

wouldn't the obvious thing be to get a quote for a new one (purchase of said shower, removal of old tiles, installation of shower and making good) and then ask the vendor to reduce the agreed price by that amount.

The fact that he has contacted you suggests he's willing to negotiate... he could have let you find out when you moved in ...

G_M

You have not Exchanged, so nothing is finalised.

At Completion, the property should be in the same state/condition as it was at Exchange, subject to any agreement in the contract (Fixtures & Fittings list) about specific items to be left/removed.

tim123456789

you have two choices

tell him that the inclusion of this item was fundamental to your offer and if it isn't replaced (or otherwise compensated) you will walk

or just accept that fact that it isn't there.

none of us can tell you how important it is to you life

littlesparkles

I suspect that he has taken it on purpose. When I was selling I genuinely accidentally broke something similar. It was mentioned on fixtures and fittings lists and I'd even said how much I loved it during viewings. So I informed the estate agent who told the buyer. It was just before completion so I didn't have time to replace it. But I left the broken item to prove that it had broken and I hadn't taken it! I did offer to leave money for the buyer also but this was deemed unnecessary.

chappers

Take it from me it is something you will hardly ever use if ever, I wouldn't worry about it personally, but as has been said tell him it was something that attracted you to the property and you want a few quid for it.
But be realistic are you going to walk out on the deal over £300