Feeling pressurised by estate agent...

lolavix

I put an offer in on a property around 2 1/2 months ago now on the condition that some minor work was done to the roof to stop the damp inside (it really is minimal)

I have explained to the estate agent that I'm not paying out anything until I know the work has been done properly, but they keep calling and asking why contracts have not gone out. My mortgage offer is also about to expire as the work was meant to take a week, so that's more to worry about.

Am I in the wrong for wanting to know this work has been done before paying a solicitor? I don't want to buy a property surrounded by scaffolding, but have just had another call from the estate agents to say vendor doesn't think I'm serious about the property!

This is the first time I've bought and it seems to be a minefield, any advice appreciated!

R_P_W

If it is a minimal issue then it doesn't sound like you are that serious? If your solicitor has not even started searches etc and your mortgage offer expires in a week - what are you expecting to happen?

jee

Have you made the roof being repaired as a condition of sale through your solicitor?

AFK_Matrix

If it was minor why did you not reduce your offer accordingly and do it yourself? You do also realise the vendors can just get the cheapest guy possible to get the repairs done as they don't care. If you wanted it done properly you should have done it yourself when you bought the property.

lolavix

The roof being repaired was a condition of sale and is being done by the freeholder, not the leaseholder that I am buying from.

It looks minor but I want to be sure it's not worse than it looks and be stuck with a huge bill.

I know my mortgage offer will expire, so I will need to apply again which is fine, I wasn't expecting such a minor job to take so long which makes me think it is worse than it looked.

Racml34

I have to say if I were the vendor I might think you weren't serious if you hadn't even asked your solicitor to commence searches etc. I'm assuming you've had a survey done and that's where the roof issue came in?

lolavix

No survey as the roof issue was obvious so the estate agent and solicitor said to wait

Thrugelmir

lolavix wrote: »

No survey as the roof issue was obvious so the estate agent and solicitor said to wait

The lender presumably had a survey performed?

jee

lolavix wrote: »

The roof being repaired was a condition of sale and is being done by the freeholder, not the leaseholder that I am buying from.
QUOTE]

So I'm going to assume this is a flat you're purchasing.
No wonder the vendor thinks you're not being serious. Why would the freeholder fix the roof so your vendor can sell his flat?

To be honest if there is no clear indication that the roof is going to be fixed it's because the freeholder isn't bothered and I'm pretty sure your vendor and his neighbouring flats who share the roof have probably asked him about it for a while.
I would walk away and give the vendor a chance to sell someone else.

Racml34

In that case I'd definitely think you weren't serious if no survey had been carried out in 2 and a half months. I know you don't want t lose money and I don't disagree with you but put yourself in the vendor's shoes. Say you now have a survey and it highlights more issues that you want rectified or you want to renegotiate, or your mortgage lender decides to put a retention on for works that need doing, or the searches show something. That could add an awful lot of time to the sale once the roof is done

lolavix

The roof is currently being fixed which is why the solicitor said to wait, I'll give them a call tomorrow to talk it through with them.

Thanks for the help :-)