Presenting a list of repairs to a seller

ess0two

dragilex wrote: »

Thanks. This home is going to be the house I bring my children up in for the next 30 years or so. I don't want to move into a house to discover that aspects that only a surveyor would pick up on are about to fall apart and cause an ongoing nightmare.

The offer was made on the house on the understanding it was in good repair. If it isn't, then the offer needs to reflect that. If the seller disagrees then that's all part of the negotiation.

What do children have to do with it?

ognum

dragilex wrote: »

Thanks. This home is going to be the house I bring my children up in for the next 30 years or so. I don't want to move into a house to discover that aspects that only a surveyor would pick up on are about to fall apart and cause an ongoing nightmare.

The offer was made on the house on the understanding it was in good repair. If it isn't, then the offer needs to reflect that. If the seller disagrees then that's all part of the negotiation.

I note OP that you still have not mentioned the surveyors valuation, I can only deduce from this that the valuation is in line with your offer and that would take into account the need for some repairs.

If I am incorrect perhaps you can say so because the answer to your question has to be based on this.

societys_child

dragilex wrote: »

We put our offer on the house on the assumption it looked in good condition. It is only as a result of the survey that issues have come to light.

The roof has several problems.
What are they?

It has been noted that a prudent buyer would re-clad the roof in the short term.
See above^ Not sure what that means, could have another 20/ 30 years life left, who knows. Covering his @$$

The wooden window frame are decaying and may need replacement.
Should be obvious to anyone looking with an intention to by.

Wall-ties need checking out.
Doesn't mean there is any problem - just @$$ covering


Surveyor has estimated costs of issues needing immediate repair at £4000.
Surveyors estimate, could probably be done for a quarter the price depending on what the problems actually are?

Would anyone agree that quite urgent problems should be asked to fix and the other stuff just price reduced so I can fix it myself. Or offer the 2 options and the seller can just decide?

We've no idea what these problems are, and you've still not said what the valuation is. You might need to be looking at new builds.

AdrianC

ognum wrote: »

I note OP that you still have not mentioned the surveyors valuation, I can only deduce from this that the valuation is in line with your offer and that would take into account the need for some repairs.

If I am incorrect perhaps you can say so because the answer to your question has to be based on this.

This, with bells on.

As ever in this life, ask yourself what your response would be if the roles were reversed.
If you were selling, and your buyer came to you with a demand for a reduction in the price... your first question would be "What valuation did the surveyor give?". If the surveyor has agreed the property is worth the agreed price, you would hand that survey straight back with a flat refusal to renegotiate, wouldn't you? I certainly would. And if that causes a stroppy nightmare-in-the-making over-picky buyer to lose interest, then hey-ho.

So... what did your surveyor say about the valuation?

DRP

Surely the mortgage valuation will vary based on the LTV?

IT doesn't necessarily mean that the buyer is getting a house worth what he's paying.

Dan-Dan

ess0two wrote: »

What do children have to do with it?

Perhaps they will be doing the work

cajef

dragilex wrote: »

The offer was made on the house on the understanding it was in good repair. If it isn't, then the offer needs to reflect that.

On who's understanding, was this agreed with the vendor at viewing?

An offer is usually made on the price being asked and can be negotiated, if it needs work then reduce your offer accordingly, the vendor will either accept or tell you where to go especially if they have priced the property at the market value taking into account any work that may need doing.

Annie1960

Hoploz wrote: »

How did the valuation come out?

If the surveyor said it is worth the amount agreed then this is taking any improvements you may or may not choose to do into account already.

If the valuation came in at less than the agreed price then you may have some room for manoeuvre.

This is the issue. What is the valuation of the property in its current condition. Only if the valuation is below what you are paying can you be confident of negotiating a reduction.

Also, what type of area are you in? Around here, no vendor would even contemplate reducing the price for some repairs identified by the surveyor. The vendor could put the property back on the market, the price will have increased by about £20K over the past three months, and they will have no trouble getting another buyer.

TBagpuss

As others have said, you need to consider:

1. IS the house worth what you are paying, taking into account the issues identified, or do the issues lower the value?

2. Could you (or a reasonable prospective buyer) have spotted the issues before you made your offer?

3. What is the market like? How hard will it be for the seller to find another buyer?

In your list, I would not expect to be able to negotiate based on the windows, you presumably saw the condition they were in when you viewed the property and took that into account when you made your offer.

Wall ties - clarify what your surveyor is saying. I think this is a CYA thing from surveyors - they can't see the condition of the wall ties without drilling into the wall to look at them, so they always recommend they are checked / replaced unless there is a transferable guarantee. Ask your surveyor whether there were any specific issues with the walls which concerned him or whether it is more of a precaution.

Roof - again, more detail. Is the surveyor saying that he identified significant issues, or is he simply saying that the roof is getting to the end of its natural lifespan, as it were? How old is it, and what condition is it in given the age and general condition of the house?

Another issue to consider is the value of the house - £4,000 doesn't sound like a huge amount to have to spend on a property in context of how much most properties cost.

I would look at how that breaks down and if I went back to the vendor at all would be focussing on the roof.

But you only really have a leg to stand on if the issues identified by the surveyor mean that the house is not worth what you had offered

macman

No vendor in their right mind will have work done based on a demand from a 'potential' buyer. What happens if the work is done and the vendor then pulls out before exchange?
By all means negotiate the price, but otherwise it's up to the buyer to do the work they require.