Estate agent requesting to see Building Survey??

Ltj85

Hi Everyone

We are in the process of buying our first property. We made a conditonal offer on the property which was accepted by the seller which included painting of exterior woodwork. However the building survey that we had done, highlighted a few issues with the woodwork as well as few other 'outdoor' maintenance issues, which now need replacing rather than repainting. So we have started renegotiating our offer to suit the work that needs doing. Our estate agent has requested we send them the building survey to highlight the work thats needed, but i feel like thats just handing over all the money we spent on it.

What would be the best course of action here?
I really feel like they are just being cheeky asking for it in the first place...So am not sure how to react to this other than try and be more detailed to the seller about the work that is required.

Rambosmum

Well, first you need the permission of the surveyor to provide it. Secondly, you can't just expect them to take your word - you could say anything to try and get money off, you need to offer some evidence.

I wouldn't hand the whole thing over, just the relevant parts.

eddddy

Ltj85 wrote: »

Our estate agent has requested we send them the building survey to highlight the work thats needed, but i feel like thats just handing over all the money we spent on it.

In what way are you handing over money (or losing money) by giving the EA a copy of the survey? How will you be worse off?

In fact, it's the opposite. You would be giving the EA a copy of the survey in order to help you negotiate a lower price.

So handing over a copy might help you save money. (But you don't have to give them a copy if you don't want to, or if you think you can negotiate a better deal if they don't see it.)

Thanetia

Was a valuation carried out as part of the Survey? If so, what value did it put on the house v the asking price? Don't hand over the survey in entirety as mentioned above.

pinkshoes

Go in to the branch and SHOW them the survey but don't let them copy it.

They just want proof that you are telling the truth.

ACG

I do not like estate agents in the main and it is very rare I would stick up for them.

However, you are trying to purchase a property and reduce the price based on that survey. You could be trying to pull a fast one.

The good news is that they are looking to consider your reduction, they could have dismissed your lower offer outright.

Cakeguts

You probably won't get any money off for this. Of course the survey says that the woodwork needs replacing but as it is now it is performing the function that it is required to do without being replaced. You want to paint it so that the house looks better. The present owners don't agree with you that it needs painting otherwise they would have done it. So the painting is your choice and the sellers have allowed you money off for your choice to do the painting. You are unlikely to get money off for future maintenance (replacing the woodwork) because if that was urgent and had to be done now otherwise the house would fall down it either would have been done or the house would have fallen down.

So the wood replacement is part of your maintenance programme which all house owners have to do. You don't get money off the purchase for your future maintenance programme. You could probably leave the wood replacing for a couple of years.

The cost of maintaining a house is why home owners have to save money all the time. You can start saving now for the fact that you know that you might have to replace some wood in the next year or so.

G_M

If you want to renegotiate the price you need to prove to the seller that you have a good reason to do so.

The seller's agent is doing his job.

Davesnave

As Thanetia hints, you've not said the surveyor downgraded the value of the property based on these 'issues,' whatever they are, so I suspect that their report, taken overall, weakens your argument for reducing your offer.

The vendor's agent, not 'yours,' will suspect this too. Negotiation is part of their remit.

You should look upon the relevant part of the survey as proof that replacement rather than repair is required and supply it, as requested, because you will gain nothing by being coy and defensive.

Even here, you've not been specific, so we don't know whether we're talking about replacing a few soffit boards or all the windows!