Buyer getting survey done even though I haven't found a house

Jet

I specifically told my agent to advise my buyer that as I do not have a house to buy yet, not to start getting surveys etc.

So 10 days after accepting his offer, I get a phone call from the surveyor wanting to do the survey. Again asked the estate agent if my buyer understands I don't have a house to buy as yet. They say yes.

I suppose it doesn't make any odds to me as I'm not paying for the survey. Is this normal practice?

Mrs_Thrify

Hi Jet, It sounds to me like you are draging your heals and don't want comitment (sorry). I would let the buyers procide and look for a new home. By now you should have had lots of papers on houses in your chosen area and have a fair idea of what you are looking for. Buyers are hard to find sometimes, if the offer was good and you excepeted what do you expect?

Richard_Webster

As a conveyancing solicitor I often find that buyers in an uncompleted chain still want to get on with things because somehow they think it will speed things up!

We get harassing letters from the buyer's solicitor (who probably does not know the chain is incomplete) asking for draft contract papers etc and my seller client hasn't even instructed me to do anything because he is sensibly waiting until the chain is complete before incurring any costs.

The buyers get all neurotic and think there is some big problem and it is all down the chain not being complete. Once it is complete, each transaction will take roughly the same time to be ready.

benb76

I agree with julie. If you don't let the buyers have the survey done they'll see this as an indication that you don't want to move and may pull out.

macaque_2

Jet wrote: »

I specifically told my agent to advise my buyer that as I do not have a house to buy yet, not to start getting surveys etc.

So 10 days after accepting his offer, I get a phone call from the surveyor wanting to do the survey. Again asked the estate agent if my buyer understands I don't have a house to buy as yet. They say yes.

I suppose it doesn't make any odds to me as I'm not paying for the survey. Is this normal practice?

Perhaps the buyer assumed you were going to sell him/her the house when you accepted the offer.

What you should have said to the buyer is "I'll accept the offer but be warned; I am not trustworthy and I might just be jerking you around".

If you are selling the house, then make arrangments to find somewhere else to live. Have you any idea how much stress and hastle you are putting your buyers through by acting like a dilitante?

nobblyned

Let them do the survey, you've nothing to lose. Will also make them less likely to pull out on a whim.

I should get your finger out on finding your own place as well

Richard_Webster

I think you should let them do the survey but remind them that the chain isn't complete - you've no intention of pulling out - but there's no rush.

Jet

julie_d wrote: »

Hi Jet, It sounds to me like you are draging your heals and don't want comitment (sorry). I would let the buyers procide and look for a new home. By now you should have had lots of papers on houses in your chosen area and have a fair idea of what you are looking for. Buyers are hard to find sometimes, if the offer was good and you excepeted what do you expect?

I expect to find a house I want to spend at least the next 7 years in. I need to be in this area for the catchment area for the secondary school, childminders that collect from primary schools and my current and potential new jobs.

I have looked at every house that is on the market in the area I want to move to in the last 10 days - there is very few, but I have looked at all of them. I don't wait for papers to arrive - I check rightmove every day and call the estate agents every other day.

Jet

macaque wrote: »

Perhaps the buyer assumed you were going to sell him/her the house when you accepted the offer.

What you should have said to the buyer is "I'll accept the offer but be warned; I am not trustworthy and I might just be jerking you around".

If you are selling the house, then make arrangments to find somewhere else to live. Have you any idea how much stress and hastle you are putting your buyers through by acting like a dilitante?

I have made it very clear that at the point of accepting the offer, I had not found a place to buy. Is it not true that under English law, an offer to buy is just that? I am not legally obliged to sell my house until the point of exchange - is this not correct? Likewise could my "buyer" not also pull out up to the point of exchange?

I have every intention of moving house, I have moved house several times before and never let anybody down.

I will not apologise for not finding a house to buy within 10 days. If that puts my buyer under so much stress after 10 days - what can I say? :rolleyes:

Since when does not having a house to move to within 10 days make me untrustworthy? :rotfl:

Jonbvn

Richard_Webster wrote: »

I think you should let them do the survey but remind them that the chain isn't complete - you've no intention of pulling out - but there's no rush.

This seems like a nice level headed response, rather the swaging criticism of the OP.

I would also remind the buyer that finding a suitable property may take some time, and if they decide to pull-out, then the survey costs are their responsibility.

Overall, I would say your buyer is jumping the gun.

Mrs_Thrify

Jet, carm down. What we are all trying to tell you is that you are very lucky to have a buyer :j . I would be jumping up and down IF I had one.
Keep looking v whats avalible now -decide quick or you could be waiting a long time for a new offer.
Good Luck...