3 days before exchange, vendor does not allow a structure engineer to view property

Prothet_of_Doom

alchemist.1 wrote: »

Tell the seller that you wont be able to exchange until a structural engineer has seen the property. If he doesn't agree pull out of buying the property.

Tell them to !!!! right off, if they think you are taking the risk.

Do they offer a structural guarantee ? No. Once you've exchanged the house will be all your problem. Delay them. Tell them, "Tough"

They have MORE to loose than you. If you don't exchange they can't sell, and they might loose their next house and all the fees they've spent.

But if you buy and find it's got issues that could cost £££££'s well that's a problem for you.

DRP

lxx wrote: »

EA said it's a condition set by the vendor? They threatened me to put the property back on the market earlier however the vendor was not being very helpful when answering queries from my solicitor. Offer accepted 29 June. Mortgage offer received 16 July, building survey 23 July, don't think there was any delay on my side.

I agree that from your side of the story, the vendor sounds like they are hiding something.

However, if I was the vendor i 'd be concerned why you are trying to get a structural engineer to visit the property 3 days before exchange (given your building survey was 2 months ago in July).

It almost sounds like justification for a gazunder attempt.

jimbog

DRP wrote: »

i 'd be concerned why you are trying to get a structural engineer to visit the property 3 days before exchange.

'3 days' is a red herring. An exchange date is set by both parties when each is ready. One side doesn't decide the exchange date (nor the EA) - both need to agree

Ulfar

I would walk away, sounds like the vendor is hiding something. Trust you instincts.

The indemnities will not pay out if it is an existing problem the vendor new about or for one of a million other reasons.

stator

You must have the structural survey before exchange. Having it after exchange would be disasterous.

I'm afraid you have to insist and be willing to walk away if they refuse.

fezster

You are, of course, perfectly entitled to have however many surveys you choose. Satisfy yourself that the largest purchase you will ever make is the right one. And dont be pushed into exchanging until you are ready.

However, try to empathise with the seller. 3 days before exchange, you want yet another survey done, with the implication obviously being that you intend to use the result of the survey to either ask for more money off, or to pull out of the purchase. The fact you have gotten to three days before committing, to carry out this survey, shows you're not the committed buyer any reasonable person would expect so close to exchange. Im sorry this is probably not what you want to hear, and you should definitely stick to your guns, because you sound genuinely unsure of your purchase. But don't vilify the vendor, as from what you've told us, it doesn't sound like they have acted unreasonably to this point.

At the end of the day, they will have to agree to the survey or risk losing you as a buyer.

sniggings

Can't wait for the next installment...

lxx

Hoploz wrote: »

What do you want the structural engineer to look at? The seller has now provided indemnities and this has been going on a long time with multiple issues being raised one after another. I would be annoyed if a month after the offer, having had mortgage valuation, mortgage offered ok, vendor thinks all is tickety boo, he has already reduced the price for you, then after all that you have a further survey. Now it is yet another month later and you're still faffing about with a structural engineer this time.

I'm sorry, I know it's not what you want to hear. You are entitled to do all this of course, but it has been two months for these three surveys which is a very long time. Your seller most likely has absolutely nothing to hide, but is certainly losing patience - and even now you indicate that if the SE finds anything you are going to pull out.

They won't find anyone else to fit their deadline but they are getting really fed up with the way you are going about this and if it were me I would expect that two months in you would be a bit more solid that you actually want to buy the house. They still have nothing definite from you.

Thanks a lot for your response – I am actually trying to think this way, that will be the best result if there is nothing to hide.

I am not asking for a report but just getting an engineer in to have an half an hour look around making sure there is no major structural problems. I will go ahead to exchange the contract if there are only minor issues.

Santander did a desktop valuation only, valued at the agreed price. EA would not believe that and he called my mortgage advisor to confirm. He said he would not be surprised if it’s a new build, but the house was 100+ years old. Then he said it’s probably because my deposit was over 60%, the bank regarded it as a low risk.

EA branded my surveyor’s repairs provision and valuation (23k below the agreed price) as “ridiculous”. I emailed my surveyor for the points raised by my solicitor after getting all search results 7am on Monday, called and texted Tuesday but no response so far, what can I do? It might be the biggest investment in my life, I could not take too much risk.

Yes the vendor reduced the price by 1/3 of the repairs provision; I have to find another 10k to fund the repairs.

The delay is mostly due to non-response to my solicitor’s queries – the vendor’s answer was “no known”, “wall not load bearing” while my surveyor indicated in the survey report the wall was load bearing, “not applicable to build over agreement” which has been proved to be wrong by my solicitor…

The vendor insisted not to reduce the purchase price but include a 5k allowance, this was rejected by Santander causing further delay. The draft contract had to be revised again, my solicitor had to apply to revise my mortgage offer again…

Any other options you may suggest? Thanks in advance

lxx

Prothet_of_Doom wrote: »

Tell them to !!!! right off, if they think you are taking the risk.

Do they offer a structural guarantee ? No. Once you've exchanged the house will be all your problem. Delay them. Tell them, "Tough"

They have MORE to loose than you. If you don't exchange they can't sell, and they might loose their next house and all the fees they've spent.

But if you buy and find it's got issues that could cost £££££'s well that's a problem for you.

Thanks, I am very worried about their attitude - Okay to come with anyone after exchange, before the exchange, come on your own only.

lxx

DRP wrote: »

I agree that from your side of the story, the vendor sounds like they are hiding something.

However, if I was the vendor i 'd be concerned why you are trying to get a structural engineer to visit the property 3 days before exchange (given your building survey was 2 months ago in July).

It almost sounds like justification for a gazunder attempt.

Thanks, I actually got the survey report on 29 July and sent it to my solicitor and EA. Price renegotiated and agreed on 8 August.

This week my solicitor finally got most responses to the queries she raised with the vendor's solicitor by the end of July. I contacted my surveyor for the final points listed by my solicitor, extracted from vendor's responses and search results, however no response so far.

That's why I am thinking of getting another surveyor for a quick look, not for another report or price reduction, but to assure myself there is nothing major. It might be the biggest investment in my life - I am in London and the property price is really high to me.

I am not pulling out if there is no serious structural problem.

Any better suggestions? :idea: