Difficult buyer

fawnyb

I have recently sold my house. It all went very well. Had an open day with 10 viewings and 4 offers and one £10000 over asking price.
We accepted this offer and thought all was well.
The buyer has some how got hold of my email and mobile number so contacted me regarding the sale. He was really nice on the phone and just said he thought it would help speed things up if we were in contact. I thought this was a good idea too.
Since then every correspondence I have had with him have been quite abrupt and pushy. He has requested that we make good a wall where we have put a cat flap into. I told him that I would look into doing this. Since then he has visited the property again and when he was upstairs he saw the tiniest but of frayed carpet no longer than 5 cm along the entrance to the room.
He has now told me that unless the cat flap is filled in and the carpet is re-sealed then the sale will not happen.
I have a bit of an understanding about the cat flap as he does not need it but the frayed carpet just puzzles me. Is this really a legitimate thing for him to ask me to do? How can a buyer expect every little thing to be perfect in a house which isn't a new build? I just don't know if it is a reasonable ask. It is not necessarily about the cost or time it will take as the carpet in particular will be a 2 second job but it is about the principle.
Has anyone else had any experiences like this?
Do you thing both asks are reasonable?
Obviously I don't want to lose the sail but I am concerned that he is getting more and more difficult. I am now wishing he did not have my number or email so we could only communicate through our solicitors.

Beckyy

I would try and make all further communications through the solicitor, get in touch with the solicitor and ask them to respond on your behalf.

TBeckett100

Just say to him that your solicitor has said that all correspondence and agreement should go via him to his solicitor.

DRP

As others have said, if you're not comfortable then start communicating via your solicitor.

I think his requests are unusual, and a bit out of order tbh. The stuff he's got a problem with was all (presumably) fully apparent when he made the original offer. If this was my buyer I think alarm bells would be ringing. I'm not suggesting you get rid of them, but I think he's not far from last chance saloon.

dj1471

Given he's paying £10k over asking just indulge him, these are after all fairly minor (if somewhat ridiculous) requests.

ScorpiondeRooftrouser

The only explanation I could give is that he wants to pull out as he has realised he is overpaying but is the kind of person who has to try and engineer it so he can say it is your fault.

fawnyb

That's what I am concerned about. And he has only just realised there is a management company attached to the property so I am now just waiting for it to all fall through as he wasn't impressed about this when he realised! So stressed. Am going away in 10 days and wanted all enquiries to be answered by then so I can relax.

csgohan4

Ditch him, he will cause more problems than solutions. Tell him that to communicate through the EA/Solicitor as per standard buying practice and you feel it is better things are conducted more formally and in writing.


Tell him he bought the property as is as he viewed it as is and not what will be. (It's like me buying a house and expecting a conservatory to be installed for the same price)


Give him a deadline and mention their offer is subject to mortgage offer, until then the house is going to be on the market until then. (If you want to lose him quicker and not directly say to him f off)

Put their number on your block list


Sellers must be patient, not everyone who offers is the best, there may be issues, looks like this one is not the mortgage problem, but more pedantic and generally a muppet.

triage999

Don't talk to me about the buyers from hell, we've just spent the last nine months pandering to every single request from when their offer was put in, in October 2014. Carpets, making good, redecorating, multiple viewings with different surveyors at their request, Them pulling out and coming back again, knocking down sale price several times....all at the threat of pulling out again! We exchanged last night after 9 hideous months! Get rid of him and quick.....

Pixie5740

This is the thin end of the wedge. When this buyer viewed the property he will have seen the cat flat and the carpets and made his offer accordingly.

Generali

I'd be inclined to say that you're selling as is and as you feel he's not acting in good faith that you will put the house back on the market until he exchanges contracts at the agreed price.

If you give an inch......