Negotiating a new price after quotes

desthemoaner

Hi

I've asked questions about this topic before, but now we've reached the point where we have the building work quotes that we need in order to renegotiate the price on our purchase.

An electrical inspection has found the installation to be "unsatisfactory", and the spark has recommended 800-plus quid's worth of work to bring the wiring up to standard. A wall at the side of the property is leaning and needs rebuilding at a cost of £1160; and less crucially, perhaps, two double glazed units have failed and require replacement, at a total cost of 400 quid plus VAT. Total cost of repairs will be just shy of £2500.

Now...do I disregard the windows for the purposes of revising our offer and concentrate on the electrics, being a safety issue, and throw in a proportion of the cost of rebuilding the wall--say half, or £600 quid--and revise my offer down by £1400 (800+600)? Or do I start by asking for a reduction of the price of the house by the total amount of £2500 and if they refuse, work back from that point until we (hopefully) have a mutual agreement?

The electrics have to be done, and will be done as soon as we occupy the property. The wall will be done within weeks of our moving in because it's leaning and I regard it as a safety issue, though clearly not as important as the leccy. The windows can wait, but will be done before next winter.

What would others do in this situation?

tberry6686

the only thing I think you have a chance of getting anything off the price for is the wall.

The windows would have been obvious on viewing so should have been factored into the offer price.

The electrics - is the house over 5 years old ? If so it will not meet current standards but does not mean there is something wrong with it. Priced at £800 it is likely to be a new RCD distribution board plus a few minor things. (unless the wiring is dangerous then it does not have to be done).

If I was in your shoes I would hope for £1000 off but that would be a hope not an expectation.

ognum

desthemoaner wrote: »

Hi

I've asked questions about this topic before, but now we've reached the point where we have the building work quotes that we need in order to renegotiate the price on our purchase.

An electrical inspection has found the installation to be "unsatisfactory", and the spark has recommended 800-plus quid's worth of work to bring the wiring up to standard. A wall at the side of the property is leaning and needs rebuilding at a cost of £1160; and less crucially, perhaps, two double glazed units have failed and require replacement, at a total cost of 400 quid plus VAT. Total cost of repairs will be just shy of £2500.

Now...do I disregard the windows for the purposes of revising our offer and concentrate on the electrics, being a safety issue, and throw in a proportion of the cost of rebuilding the wall--say half, or £600 quid--and revise my offer down by £1400 (800+600)? Or do I start by asking for a reduction of the price of the house by the total amount of £2500 and if they refuse, work back from that point until we (hopefully) have a mutual agreement?

The electrics have to be done, and will be done as soon as we occupy the property. The wall will be done within weeks of our moving in because it's leaning and I regard it as a safety issue, though clearly not as important as the leccy. The windows can wait, but will be done before next winter.

What would others do in this situation?

This really depends on if your got the house for a good price and if others are interested in it.

I assume it's not new so you must have understood there would be something that needed doing on it.

Honestly if it was me I would just get on and do it and pay for it myself but give it a whirl, if I was selling to you it would depend on how desperate I was to sell I guess £1k is possible.

You only know if you try!

ognum

I am a bit confused now, from reading some of your other posts I see you have refused to negotiate on issues with your present house that sound bigger than any of these.

This doesn't feel right somehow!

desthemoaner

Thanks for your replies.

Ognum, perhaps I can see how the confusion arose, but I never actually refused to negotiate on issues with our sale. The problem was that initially at least, I didn't understand the faults which our buyer had raised, was expecting a significantly reduced offer and therefore (having taken advice both here and elsewhere) preparing to dig in my heels.


If, like me, you're a layman with limited DIY experience, and someone with surveying qualifications comes to you and tells you that there's something wrong with your house; then someone else with equivalent expertise has a look and tells you that there isn't, clearly you'd be daft not to challenge the original opinion. That's what I was preparing to do.

In the end the buyer eventually produced a roofspace condition report which clarified the situation, and which didn't significantly differ from the opinion of our own surveyor. He then asked for a modest reduction in the price based on very reasonable costings, which we were happy to agree to. The issues turned out not to be major; reinstatement and securing of some loose bricks which were supporting the purlins, plus pointing of a party wall and a chimney stack. Thing is that until he clarified the issues with his report, I was expecting a much bigger bill.

I'll start by revising our offer down by a grand and see how that goes. Thanks again.

ognum

desthemoaner wrote: »

Thanks for your replies.

Ognum, perhaps I can see how the confusion arose, but I never actually refused to negotiate on issues with our sale. The problem was that initially at least, I didn't understand the faults which our buyer had raised, was expecting a significantly reduced offer and therefore (having taken advice both here and elsewhere) preparing to dig in my heels.


If, like me, you're a layman with limited DIY experience, and someone with surveying qualifications comes to you and tells you that there's something wrong with your house; then someone else with equivalent expertise has a look and tells you that there isn't, clearly you'd be daft not to challenge the original opinion. That's what I was preparing to do.

In the end the buyer eventually produced a roofspace condition report which clarified the situation, and which didn't significantly differ from the opinion of our own surveyor. He then asked for a modest reduction in the price based on very reasonable costings, which we were happy to agree to. The issues turned out not to be major; reinstatement and securing of some loose bricks which were supporting the purlins, plus pointing of a party wall and a chimney stack. Thing is that until he clarified the issues with his report, I was expecting a much bigger bill.

I'll start by revising our offer down by a grand and see how that goes. Thanks again.

Well done for getting your sale sorted out, that is the problem with MSE questions, you never here the final answer! Thanks for filling in the blanks.

Hope you request for some deduction works, do let us know.

desthemoaner

I've emailed the EA, attaching all the relevant reports and costings and asking them to submit to the vendors a revised offer; that amount being a figure representing the original offer minus half the cost of rebuilding the wall plus the entire cost of the electrical work.

Hopefully we can settle somewhere not too far South of that number. :0)

tberry6686

It is possible that your vendor will accept that,but I am curious about the electrical work.

Iv'e heard about things like this a few times recently where a sparky says a house needs xy and z doing, when pushed you find out that it is to bring the house up to current standards and to make the sparky some money, not for any real fault or safety issue.

desthemoaner

I can't begin to understand the detail of the electrical survey, but the overall assessment given by the spark is "unsatisfactory". Even I noticed that the fuse box/ consumer unit is the original 1970s model, which would need replacing right away at a cost of, maybe 300 quid. The rest...your guess is as good as mine, but the condition of numerous items is marked C2, which is classed as"potentially dangerous: urgent remedial action required". The vendors have agreed to knock off another grand, which is half the cost of the electrical work and half the cost of rebuilding the wall, so we're happy with that.

Only one fly remains in the ointment (quite a large one) and that arose when our solicitors sent us a copy of the plan relating to the surrounding area. The property is at the head of a cul de sac, overlooking other properties on the right hand side but only overlooked on the left by a farmer's field. On the plan is written, right outside our property and at the end of the cul de sac, "Future Road Extension". I don't know whether this is a copy of the original plans when the estate was built, and whether at the time they intended to carry on building, or whether its more recent. I've asked the vendors, who claim to know nothing about this except that about 25 years ago someone applied to build on the field but their application was turned down due to insufficient water supply. In any case, I've been in touch with the solicitors and alerted them to the note which is written on the plan. No current plans show up on the local council's list of planning applications, nor on their interactive planning map, but it still concerns me that there might be something going on behind the scenes.
I take it that the local searches done by my solicitor would identify whether any such applications might be pending?

AdrianC

desthemoaner wrote: »

I can't begin to understand the detail of the electrical survey, but the overall assessment given by the spark is "unsatisfactory".

Feel free to copy it here - others will certainly be able to understand it and translate to "layman" for you.

Even I noticed that the fuse box/ consumer unit is the original 1970s model

OK, so it's not reasonable to ask for a reduction based on that, because that was obvious at viewing.

The rest...your guess is as good as mine, but the condition of numerous items is marked C2, which is classed as"potentially dangerous: urgent remedial action required".

Go on...?

The vendors have agreed to knock off another grand, which is half the cost of the electrical work and half the cost of rebuilding the wall, so we're happy with that.

Good news!

On the plan is written, right outside our property and at the end of the cul de sac, "Future Road Extension".

Is the plan dated? What's there currently? Who owns the land?

I take it that the local searches done by my solicitor would identify whether any such applications might be pending?

Now that the sol is aware of your concern regarding it, they certainly should do.

desthemoaner

Hi Adrian

The land currently belongs to a farmer who, I believe uses it for the occasional grazing of dairy cows. However, if there's even a sniff of any current building plans we may decide to throw all our surveys and renegotiations in the bin and pull out of the purchase. We currently live in a cul de sac, and have kind of got used to cul de sac living. Not only that, but being overlooked by nothing but a few cows and overhead power lines kind of appeals to our elusive dream of life on the edge of the country.

The plan which has been sent to us is undated, unfortunately, although I suppose a more detailed, dated plan may well exist. On the land in question is the farmland mentioned above...an ideal neighbour in its current manifestation.

When I have a bit more time I will post some excerpts from the electrical report on this forum, without, of course, the personal details. And thanks for offering to make it easier to understand. Good to know that one is in expert company.