Had a verbal offer accepted - please help with next steps

thebananapimp

Following on from a previous MSE thread I have made an offer on a house verbally and had it accepted.

I now want to lock down what the offer includes, subject to survey and valuation. This is my draft letter:

To whom it may concern
Re: [title of property]

Further to our viewing on Wednesday October 4th, we are pleased to be in a position to offer to purchase the freehold on the above property for £xxx,500.00 (xxx pounds sterling).

This offer is on the basis that the property:
Is taken off the market immediately and is subject to survey and valuation.
Has local authority building regulations completion certificate for the conservatory
Includes the washing machine
Includes the dishwasher
Includes the oven and hob
Has a gas safety certificate for the boiler
Includes all electrical fittings, sockets, wiring and light switches

Is the above reasonable to expect a written confirmation of BEFORE beginning to pay legal and surveying fees?

And this is the bit where I get confused:

Should this offer be acceptable, our conveyancer’s contact details are
Name
Address

I currently have a mortgage broker, a recommended surveyor. I don't yet have anything sorted legal-wise, the estate agent has recommended one but I'm not sure the price they've suggested is reasonable.

Any general advice on the offer wording, the legal process now to come, and how to balance making sure the house is structurally sound without risking gazumping, would be massively appreciated

Thanks in advance for any help!

TBP

Rambosmum

You can write that if you want. Usually though you give the estate agent your conveyance details and they send a 'memorandum of sale' to the buyer and vendors conveyancer, which details the address and agreed purchase price.


All offers are subject to survey and contract, it's just the way it is.


What is included in the sale (e.g. the washing machine) are usually argued over during the conyenancing process - with the vendor stating what they are leaving on the 'fixtures and fittings' form.

Rambosmum

And don't use the estate agents conveyancer.

PasturesNew

Most people tend to do everything entirely verbally.

You to agent: Hello ... I'm offering £X for that house... but I want this stuff included ...
Once you get the call back from the EA saying "yes":

Agent: OK, they accept; who is your solicitor?
You: Dunno, I'll let you know; it's XYZ at ... address.
You: I'll sort out the mortgage/survey.

You'll then receive a formal letter from the EA with the offer in it.

You have the option of writing what you want included in your offer - and it might be in the letter, it might not. If not, write it out yourself and give them your formal offer letter.

Let your solicitor have a copy of what you're buying/what your conditions are.

Job done....

hazyjo

I'm on my 8th property and have never written to confirm. I presume you make the offer based on all this verbally - especially that the white goods were included?


Did they say it had a gas safety certificate and you're wanting it confirmed in writing? If not, it's not really for you to ask for them to get one unless you're going to foot the bill.


The electrical fittings, sockets, wiring, etc will of course be left - you really don't need to spell that out. It should be on the fixtures and fittings form anyway.


Don't use any legal or mortgage services affiliated with the EA. Recommendation for a local one is fine, or you choose and see if they can recommend a solicitor to deal with at that office (they'll prob know most local ones or who to avoid).


You get a survey done and read all the forms very carefully that the vendors send back - there's nothing else you can really do. Your solicitor will do the rest.


If the vendors are going to gazump you (sell to someone else for more money), there is naff all you can do to stop them (apart from pay more!).

fromtheshires

You are talking about locking down what the sale includes? Isnt this what an F&F form is for?

Did the EA say the the items you want are included in the sale?
If the items are on the particulars then they will be included.

Gas Certificate - This is for a purchaser to obtain and I would rebuff this.
Wiring etc - I have never heard of anyone removing the wiring to a house (prepares to have a link sent my way to prove me wrong).

Mutton_Geoff

I think you might be over complicating things. Just put in a verbal offer. The more you wrap yourself up in writing now, the less chance you have later although all the fixtures and fittings will be covered in the TA6 form which you will see later.


You trying to write legalise won't secure it any more for you. It won't be yours until contracts are exchanged and completed.

G_M

totally unecessesary.

Give the estate agent your conveyancer's details and it will all get agreed/sorted duing conveyancing.

No verbal offer is binding so 'subject to....' conditions don't need mentioning. You can pull out any time up to Exchange for any (or no) reason.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/How-Buy-House-Kirstie-Allsopp/dp/1444790633
(free from your library)

Fosterdog

If I was selling and had a letter like that I’d be reconsidering the acceptance of the offer, if you are that fussy at offer stage I would be expecting a whole host of holdups and delays through the rest of the process while you want every detail checked and double checked which would just be a headache and probably less hassle to just leave it on the market and hope for another offer from someone else.

eddddy

Unlike others, if my verbal offer was accepted, I might send an informal email to the EA to confirm...

Just a quick note to confirm that my offer of £x which the vendor accepted assumes that:

• The dishwasher, washing machine, oven and hob are included
• The vendor has all relevant building regulations certificates

My solicitor will deal with the formalities in due course, but in the meantime can you ask the vendor to confirm the above, in order to avoid delays and misunderstandings later.

Many thanks.

None of the above will be legally binding - but it might avoid some last minute arguments.

chappers

just speak to the agent about those things they will deal with the vendor and the vendor can confirm via the TA6 and the F&F forms