Skulduggery from estate agent - so insulted thinking of pulling out of negotiations

AnotherJoe

blueskyrooftop wrote: »

On reflection, I'm tending to agree with you AnotherJoe - stubborn, canny pensioners I think.

My inclination is to go back and ask to meet in the middle with a best and final of £345k and then forget about it. If they get in touch, fine, they've shown themselves to be rational. If not, let it go - the house ticks most of my boxes, but it's not worth the hassle if they're not fully committed to selling.

I'm doing everything in writing from now on, with the vendors copied in on all correspondence.

On the off chance this is all genuine and they haven't tried "offsetting" the difference between your offer and what they are offering, its worth suggesting this along with your offer, but if i was a betting man, and i am, I'd bet they actually are playing the "poor old pensioner" card

eg they have a lifetime of negotiating experience and are playing you, in the meantime letting 'EvilAgency" take the blame. But ultimately its them that's not budging.

Its not really credible is it that they are moving to their final home and are so tight on money they cant split the £10k on £350k. What does that bode for their retirement if that was the case? First bill and they will be in trouble. And its been on the market for half a year? What happened to the place they are buying? Are those vendors just waiting?

They've probably instead got £20k off the place they are buying after giving them a sob story how they've had to accept less than they asked for, are buying it for cash, and will in future relate to their mates how they played both ends off and saved oodles.

Its hard to divorce yourself from the games, ignore what people say, and just stick to the plain numbers.

If you do buy it, take a box of lightbulbs with you on moving day.

Let us know how it goes.

blueskyrooftop

AnotherJoe wrote: »

If you do buy it, take a box of lightbulbs with you on moving day.

I hope you're wrong, but this smacks true! "Us pore ol' folks, with the house we bought for tuppence back in 1962, five holidays a year and whacking great final salary pensions, spare a thought..."

Riggyman

Here's a thought. You offered £340k. They want £350k. How much do you want the house? Have you an alternative option?

My 'rithmaric isn't great, but sounds like for less than 3% you can have that house?

csgohan4

Riggyman wrote: »

Here's a thought. You offered £340k. They want £350k. How much do you want the house? Have you an alternative option?

My 'rithmaric isn't great, but sounds like for less than 3% you can have that house?

Still overpriced and especially with all the game played more so

cloo

Welcome to estate agents!


Yes, as GM says, leave your offer on the table and don't get involved in any games. I'm kind of glad the first place we tried to buy last time fell through as the agents were such chancers, if they sale had continued I have no doubt they'd have sold it to a higher offer even if were hours away from exchanging, as it was clear they were still showing it after our offer had been accepted and they loved to breathe down our necks about cash buyers in the wings. But there are some agents who aren't like that, and fortunately we dealt with one such for our purchase and sale.

getmore4less

it' a lot simpler

Evil agent has one last chance to get the sale.
They need to get you(their only chance) to an acceptable offer before not so evil(yet) agent starts getting offers in that they can work upto acceptable.

You are their only hope to salvage anything from their work so far.
They know the vendors a lot better than you.

Chances are they have got you to a position where you may do their job for them if all their attempts to get the price dropped have failed.


also remember that pensioner see real cash and think of you as only having to fork out £Xpm for the next few years to cover the difference.

If you look 40 they will be thinking that £10k over 20years is only £40pm they can afford that.


.

AnotherJoe

getmore4less wrote: »

also remember that pensioner see real cash and think of you as only having to fork out £Xpm for the next few years to cover the difference.

If you look 40 they will be thinking that £10k over 20years is only £40pm they can afford that.

And I'd be thinking d*mm*d if I'll spend the next 20 years paying £40 a month just to please these unrealistic(1) / chancer(2) pensioners whose story doesn't hang together.

(1) They need to buy a cheaper place, they can't afford the one they are looking at (and have spent at least 6 months waiting for???)
(2) Its all lies about needing the money to afford their next place they are just holding out for an arbitrary number they've settled on. Plenty of house sellers like that, get fixated on a price, wont budge.

blueskyrooftop

Thanks for the interesting discussion, guys - great to have so many viewpoints.

On reflection, I've returned to my gut instinct: stuff the lot of them. I've told them that the offer is withdrawn and that I'll be reporting EvilAgency to their complaints office and then the ombudsman.

Life is too short to get involved with dodgy EAs, greedy vendors and overpriced houses!

Surrey_EA

blueskyrooftop wrote: »

Life is too short to get involved with dodgy EAs, greedy vendors and overpriced houses!

That might make buying a home difficult!

AnotherJoe

blueskyrooftop wrote: »

Thanks for the interesting discussion, guys - great to have so many viewpoints.

On reflection, I've returned to my gut instinct: stuff the lot of them. I've told them that the offer is withdrawn and that I'll be reporting EvilAgency to their complaints office and then the ombudsman.

Life is too short to get involved with dodgy EAs, greedy vendors and overpriced houses!

Good on you, better that than be gradually edged into something you'd always have an uneasy feeling you'd been stitched up.