Flat buying - seller turning nasty

ghekkomanic

izzybusy23 wrote: »

You might end up hating this flat because of all the grief its caused you.. look at it with your head and not your heart. It might be wise for you to take charge of all the handlings from now on as its a well known fact that women get emotionally attached very easy..

Funny you should say, my GF and I were discussing this in the pub last night and that was exactly my point! I mentioned the advice on this forum about reverting to the originally agreed price for the flat - she said she didn't think she could give me impartial legal advice as she is so emotionally invested in this. She doesn't want to rock the boat with the seller, and suggested phoning her boss, who has much more conveyancing experience (she is still a trainee, after all). I'm going to call him on Monday to see what he suggests.

I now want to offer less, but am waiting until the seller responds to my GF's last letter to her. If the response is amicable I'm still open to paying the higher agreed amount, but if it's more negotiation or negativity it will just strengthen my resolve to offer less and upset them further!

As for whether myself or anyone else should be buying similar property anyway in this current climate, it may be off-topic but I agree it's something I should consider. Sigh.

guppy

ghekkomanic wrote: »

I now want to offer less, but am waiting until the seller responds to my GF's last letter to her. If the response is amicable I'm still open to paying the higher agreed amount, but if it's more negotiation or negativity it will just strengthen my resolve to offer less and upset them further!

Don't want to stress you out further or come across as patronising, but I'd say the same to a mate, so here goes...

It sounds like this is a bit of a no-win situation. The seller sounds unrealistic at best, a piece of work at worst.

If you pay over the odds, you could be kicking yourself for years. Its easy to get careless about a couple of grand when dealing with huge sums, but as others have said, every extra pound you pay out, is another one you have to earn, plus compound interest.

The seller clearly understands that and is holding out for every last penny to pay for her move, if you gazunder her she will no doubt be furious.

While it might feel nice to give her a taste of her own medicine, she will have ample opportunity to get her own back between exchange and completion if she's so minded.

Since she's leaving the country, you have no real chance of any recourse, and she has little to lose - does she seem the vindictive type?

Which reminds me of another thread on here in August:

http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showpost.html?p=6147689&postcount=72

The poster had a very unpleasant time of it up until completion, and when they moved in, the seller had punched a hole in a wall.

This seller might just be a bit grumpy, but on the other hand she might damage the furniture/flat before she leaves.

If this is your dream property, then maybe the hassle will be worth it. But buying property is best done with your head, not your heart. Unless you've got money to burn on fees, you'll be stuck here long after Christmas has passed.

So take a cold, hard, look at the situation and the property, and ask yourself if you're acting in your best interests. If you are, that's great, but if you've got any serious doubts, don't feel under any pressure to rush in to anything. Renting some more, and searching some more might be inconvenient, but buying the wrong property, at the wrong time, for the wrong price can be disastrous!

Best of luck! And apologies for being a depressing git.

franklee

ghekkomanic, In your place I'd be wanting to know why the seller is keeping you at arms length. Is there anything about the flat itself, the block, neighbours or freeholder that the seller is hiding?

If not why is the seller being so horrid. If they are just plain nasty people and they think you've mucked them around then will they take revenge on the property in the form of damage that looks accidental? I would certainly not be happy surrounded by the personal effects (wardrobes, bed, sofa and chairs and various lamps, bookshelves etc) of such people.

How would you feel if you walk in to a dirty/damaged/problem flat? It's not worth the risk IMO. If you really want to proceed (and I would not) then how about arranging exchange and completion for AFTER the seller has left for abroad insisting that you have another viewing after they've left but before exchange. That way you will know exactly what you are buying and can pull out if there's any damage. In fact why not ask for another viewing anyway, see if you can suss out why they are being so nasty and if they are hiding anything?

merlinthehappypig

A very sensible and useful post IMO.

clutton_2

franklee has given brilliant advice here. my thoughts are -

make a decision about what you want to do re price and furniture and Stick to it. you are still constantly "negotiating" in your mind - "if she says this i will say that, if she says the other i will do this" etc etc

dont

just make a decision after you have spoken to the senior conveyancer and stick to it ... the ball will then be in her court.

ghekkomanic

clutton wrote: »

just make a decision after you have spoken to the senior conveyancer and stick to it ... the ball will then be in her court.

You're right I will.

I think (joke).

franklee wrote: »

If you really want to proceed (and I would not) then how about arranging exchange and completion for AFTER the seller has left for abroad insisting that you have another viewing after they've left but before exchange. That way you will know exactly what you are buying and can pull out if there's any damage. In fact why not ask for another viewing anyway, see if you can suss out why they are being so nasty and if they are hiding anything?

Yeah good point. After a previous poster pointed out how little recourse there is if a seller moves abroad and is later found to be in breach of contract, I raised this issue with my GF. She suggested delaying payment of monies on the day of completion to allow for a thorough search of the property. However I did not think of arranging exchange and completion after they move. My GF says that they prefer to exchange a week before completion though. I'll mention this to her boss tomorrow when I call him.

Guppy both you and franklee are right - the more vexed the seller gets at this point the more worried I should be about potenital damage to the flat. At this point I would only be happy to offer less for the flat if I could guarantee I wasn't going to be left with damage. If that's possible.

Thank you all again.

guppy

Just try not to stress, ghekko The buying process is just a high stakes game. Just play it to win.

In respect of what Franklee mentioned about the seller hiding anything, you're in a good position dealing with the conveyancing yourself, if you know what you are looking for.

Have you contacted the freeholder/management company yet? Has the vendor paid all the service charges? Is any major work (e.g. new roof) in the pipeline? Obviously, the bigger the block, the more complicated these issues get.

geoffky

ghekko

i am really glad now that you are taking a bit more time on this and not rushing in with your heart and wallet..please remember you hold all and i mean all the cards,so play them....

izzybusy23

I also agree that the seller may be trying to hide something or do untold damage to the property.. something about this whole thing just doesn't ring true. You are supposed to be polite and courteous with buyers.. at the end of the day they are buying your property and have a right to inspect and view it at any time.. this seller is playing hard ball and asked you to stop harrasing and contacting her. What on earth does that tell you?

I thought it might be your girlfriend holding your thoughts back, like I said, women are emotional creatures! I know what its like to buy your first home together and it should be exciting and nerve wracking all wrapped in one, but this just seems like one big stress and headache. Are you excited about your impending purchase? Like I said before, are you going to flop on the lounge floor on your first night, with a bottle of wine and a take away and think 'wow, this is all ours' or think 'christ, what a nightmare situation'...

Just think about it really carefully. I have lived in a flat myself before, a converted victorian house with crap sound proofing and the upstairs attic flat was a nightmare.. loud music, doors banging, visitors up and down the internal stairs all day every day.. couldn't wait to be shot of it. And then the estate management company were crap and tried to rip us off all the time.. £20 for a lightbulb change in communal hallway etc.

Seriously.. think long and hard... its nice to have your own place, seriously it is and that first night in your new home should make you feel that all the stress was worth it.. but I think you will be in for heartache.

Good luck.. again!!

carpetbelly

How sad am I if I say I'm looking forward to an update?