Back to square one

EDollimore

OK so I know this happens and I should have been less surprised but my buyers dropped out 24 hours in advance of completion/exchange. I had everything in boxes and as downsizing had sold half my furniture etc. I also lost the house of my dreams which I was going to purchase. Of course my house will have to go back on the market but I have two issues
1. now I have sold furniture and taken tons of stuff to the tip the house looks terrible (stained walls from furniture and places where pictures were.... do I paint the place and lose even more ££ than I have already lost ...? or assume the tattyness wont put people off?
2. The people who dropped out CLAIMED it was because the survey (which they had had for 5 weeks) suggested that my 1960's ex council terraced house was incorrectly constructed and the upper floor was possibly moving in relation to the ground floor. This was not raised in my survey 10 years ago and its all based on some TINY cracks in the plaster upstairs. Now the estate agents say they wont relist it until I have commissioned another structural survey (costing about £600) although no one has actually seen this incriminating survey as guess what the ex buyers wont show it to me or estate agents (smells like bulls pop to me>?)

Any ideas what is money well spent now and what is good money after bad??

thanks
Liz

ReadingTim

EDollimore wrote: »

.. do I paint the place and lose even more ££ than I have already lost ...? or assume the tattyness wont put people off?

I wouldn't worry if the place was completely empty, but it might look a little odd if it was still partially furnished/lived in. It might put some people off, more experienced/visionary buyers should be able to see past that. But really, does a tin of magnolia paint and a roller cost that much?!?

EDollimore wrote: »

2. The people who dropped out CLAIMED it was because the survey (which they had had for 5 weeks) suggested that my 1960's ex council terraced house was incorrectly constructed and the upper floor was possibly moving in relation to the ground floor. This was not raised in my survey 10 years ago and its all based on some TINY cracks in the plaster upstairs. Now the estate agents say they wont relist it until I have commissioned another structural survey (costing about £600) although no one has actually seen this incriminating survey as guess what the ex buyers wont show it to me or estate agents (smells like bulls pop to me>?)

Up to you - if there was a serious problem with a place I was buying, I'd send a copy of the relevant page(s) of the survey to the EA to prove I wasn't making the issue up. But just because it wasn't picked up 10 year ago, doesn't mean there's not a problem now, and another survey may flag the same issue.

But the decision should be yours to make, not you agent's to force upon you. If they won't relist, find an agent who will.

societys_child

do I paint the place and lose even more ££ than I have already lost

Repaint, whilst you've less clutter, it doesn't cost much for a few tins of paint, it'll look so much better. Fill the tiny cracks first.

the estate agents say they wont relist it until I have commissioned another structural survey

Dump 'em, there are plenty more EAs

DaftyDuck

I wonder if they might just be able to recommend a surveyor that they regularly use, at a "special price", of course.... a special high price, that is....

Dump them immediately, for failing to get the offer through to completion as much as anything.

You could approach a couple of experienced builders for their view. If there is a fault, and remedial work was cheap, it might be worth doing it.... but would probably be better left for the buyer to deal with. NOt everyone runs at the slightest point raised by a surveyor.

As to tarting the place up - depends on the property. I fall into the "if I can do it myself, cheaply, yes it's worth it" camp. Paint is cheap, as is filler. Good, neutral colours can work wonders. But, if you'd need to pay someone to do it, I'd not bother.

Freecall

EDollimore wrote: »

Now the estate agents say they wont relist it until I have commissioned another structural survey

I know that this isn't exactly what you want to hear but given all the bad things we see on here about dishonest EA's, it's good to read about one who wants to do things the right way and be in a position not to mislead potential buyers.

Addiscomber

DaftyDuck wrote: »

As to tarting the place up - depends on the property. I fall into the "if I can do it myself, cheaply, yes it's worth it" camp. Paint is cheap, as is filler. Good, neutral colours can work wonders. But, if you'd need to pay someone to do it, I'd not bother.

I'd agree with this. Apart from anything else you have to live there for the foreseeable future and it would make it nicer for you, too, not to be looking at the tattiness.

Surrey_EA

Freecall wrote: »

I know that this isn't exactly what you want to hear but given all the bad things we see on here about dishonest EA's, it's good to read about one who wants to do things the right way and be in a position not to mislead potential buyers.

Indeed!
Despite that, at least one poster has advised the OP to dispense with the services of that EA.