Flat buying - seller turning nasty

Taffyscot

Dylanwing wrote: »

Also very noticable how OP is always trying to be fair, decent, and make the purchase happen. If I was emigrating and found a buyer paying £2K over agreed price, and paying to take my furniture, I'd do everything to speed up the transaction. Having cleared my Grans and my Mothers houses, I realise just how little re-sale value these items have. Happy flat hunting tomorrow - I'm really hoping you find a better place at a better price, partly because I think you deserve it, but also, and very selfishly, because it will be a great twist in this tale.

we all hope he gets a better place and I agree Dylan the resale value of furniture is next to nothing. Most people have to get rid of the furniture death, moving, new furniture coming and all they want is for someone to haul it away. Unless of course it is fabulous designer stuff or real antiques. By the sound of it it definately is not. You go boy!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

motch

deffinetely agree with comments about the 2nd hand furniture. It's mostly just so cheap on sites like ebay if you're prepared to look about a bit.
In the past i've bought a nearly new fridge for £5.60p, a reasonable built in oven for a tenner. seen so many decent sofas on ebay for beer money etc

frannyann

I have to agree with many comments made here, you are in the stronger position and she sounds plain greedy when faced with a fair and honest buyer. Go back to your orginal offer (due to the distress she has caused) stick to orginal offer for contents and threaten to walk away. She has everything to lose in the case!! Good luck!

fimonkey

Also reading with interest.

Sorry if I've missed this bit, but has the OP said what kind of property this is (I know it's flat, but conversion/newbuild/period/feehold etc?) and how common the kind of property is.

The reasonI ask is that I was involved in a similar game earlier in the year, vendor played me for a fool whilst I danced to her tune, BUT then I got wise, some tough negotiating happened, I got my way on price etc but she proved to be completely uncontactable, held up the sale ...so on. Eventually my instincts screamed "Get out" so I pulled out of the sale...

Now I sometimes regret it, this flat ticked every box of my criteria and I've never seen another flat like it. The flat never sold, the vendor took it off the market, updated it and let it out.

From a business point of view I made the right decision to pull out, but from an emotional point of view I wish I'd seen it through. I guess this is the kind of struggle you and your GF are facing right now? (Unless of course the place you're proposing to buy is one of very many many, in which case do walk away and just buy another one?)

yasmin05

If it is the right thing to do then keep fighting but make sure you are getting it at a good price. We had something similar happen to us but not involving a private seller. We found a house we loved in a great location at a good price made a silly offer and were amazed when it was accepted. It needed work but only cosmestic nothing major and we were getting it at £35k under the going rate.

It was a repo and all was going well until one day we were told sorry the sale is on hold we were given no reason or explaination and I was told it was not my business to know the reason. I had paid out for the surveys etc and could not beleive in this day and age I did not even deserve to be told why.

I made a FOI request and they never replied which is illegal and if I can be bothered I still might take this up with them. However evenutally I was told by my soliciter that the reason might be because another chargee was taking possession. In time this was confirmed and I asked if they would ask the original seller to pass on our offer as we were so far along. I was told they would consider this but it turned out they never bothered.

Anyhow furious at having no control and getting no real help from my soliciter or estate agent I paid £2 and looked up the chargees on the land registry myself and by a process of elimination contacted the mortgage company now in possession myself. I was first told by the customer service center that they could not help but I insisted I speak to their manager. Finally I was put through to the right department and explained my situation. I said this is madness you are looking for a buyer I am ready to buy the searches have been done the mortgage is in place can you consider my offer. They said get your solicitor to fax over your position and we will speak to our underwriters. They accepted the next day and we completed within 2 weeks. I still had to pay the EA commission and the solicitor but my sale would not have completed if I had accepted what every one said "1 in 3 sales falls through you just have to live with it and move on".

Sometimes you have to fight for what you want but only if it is really worth fighting for. Someone bought an identical property 2 doors away for £35k more the same month and we spent less than £2k getting it in good decorative order. If you are getting this property for a good price in the current climate fight the battle but ensure you have considered the alternatives as well.

ghekkomanic

fimonkey wrote: »

Sorry if I've missed this bit, but has the OP said what kind of property this is (I know it's flat, but conversion/newbuild/period/feehold etc?) and how common the kind of property is.

It's not a new build, but I'm not sure how common the flat is. No harm posting a link to the advert I guess:

http://www.bairstoweves.co.uk/blc/property-details.php?pcode=LEY070282&dbtype=&rps=BLC_RPS&pamend=1187353854

I like it a lot, but it's difficult to say whether my ill feeling towards it now is wholely because of the attitude of the seller. It's done to a very nice standard, but then that means I wouldn't be able to add to the value of it (not that I'm any kind of DIY pro!) and I would certainly be at the mercy of any rise or fall in house prices.

You're right it is tough weighing business interests against emotions. All things considered, while I'm not pulling out of the sale I wouldn't lose any sleep over not getting this flat.

ghekkomanic

davethetaller wrote: »

NO,NO,NO,...Do not tip the seller off!!!!

Don't worry, I was thinking the day after completion!

Mozette

Ooh, it is nice - is she leaving that sofa? I mean, if you found you just couldn't bear to sit on it after all this...

wherediditallgo

ghekkomanic wrote: »

It's not a new build, but I'm not sure how common the flat is. ... All things considered, while I'm not pulling out of the sale I wouldn't lose any sleep over not getting this flat.

The place looks nice enough, but not so nice that I'd be putting myself through this amount of stress for it. As for the furniture, I'd find it difficult to take it unless it was free. There's no way she'd be getting even £500 for it from me.

ghekkomanic

Mozette wrote: »

Ooh, it is nice - is she leaving that sofa? I mean, if you found you just couldn't bear to sit on it after all this...

Aside from the fact that we'd actually prefer a sofa bed, I'd like to ceremonially burn the sofa! However, if you want it ...