Flat buying - seller turning nasty

ghekkomanic

guppy wrote: »

As others have said, if you do go ahead, check everything, don't trust this vendor. Give an inch and you can guarantee she will take a mile...especially if she feels you have wronged her in some way.

Has your g/f made all necessary enquiries of the management company? Are all service charges paid and up to date? Has the vendor been holding back about any major repairs? This is another easy way to get shafted with a large bill.

Without meaning to sound melodramatic, I'd now be having some misgivings about buying from this lady...what if she damages the furniture/flat to spite you after exchange?

Reading about breach of contract is one thing, doing anything is about it is quite another. Any solicitor (that isn't after your money) will tell you that the only winners from litigation are solicitors themselves. If she's abroad, you've no realistic chance of recourse.

Finally, without wanting to turn this in to a debate about the housing market...have you been watching the news recently? Why dive in as a first time buyer when the market is at best dead...and at worst likely to dip very soon? I don't know your individual circumstances, but why not have patience and wait and see what happens?

I'm getting my GF to check with her boss about ensuring the flat is in the condition it is supposed to be. I'm not sure how that could be enforced though - I certainly don't relish the prospect of viewing the flat before completion after all this grief! I doubt they'll even allow it.

You've got a good point about breach of contract, and that's something I've mentioned to my GF. Not a lot we can do about if they're abroad.

As for buying or not, well, it's a decision I thought long and hard about, so I figure whether the process itself is made difficult for me it shouldn't affect the reasons I decided to buy in the first place. However, if it falls through then we'll be renting for a little while so there'll be more time to think about whether it's a good idea I suppose!

Just found out the seller has rejected our offer for furniture. Their solicitor says they're very unhappy, because the price was agreed in email weeks ago. That was before they accused me of harrassing them though, and reneged on an agreed completion date. Whatever, my GF has responded saying we will leave the furniture then. It's now only two weeks until they want to complete so they don't have much time to sell it.

merlinthehappypig

ghekkomanic wrote: »

I'm getting my GF to check with her boss about ensuring the flat is in the condition it is supposed to be. I'm not sure how that could be enforced though - I certainly don't relish the prospect of viewing the flat before completion after all this grief with the seller!

You've got a good point about breach of contract, and that's something I've mentioned to my GF. Not a lot we can do about if they're abroad.

As for buying or not, well it's a decision I made so I figure whether the process itself is made difficult for me it shouldn't make any difference to the reasons which made me decide to buy in the first place. However, if it falls through then we'll be renting for a little while so there'll be more time to think about whether it's a good idea I suppose!

Just found out the seller has rejected our offer for furniture. Their solicitor says they're very unhappy, because the price was agreed in email weeks ago. That was before they accused me of harrassing them though, and reneged on an agreed completion date. Whatever, my GF hsa responded saying we will leave the furniture then. It's now only two weeks until they want to complete so they don't have much time to sell it.

Having followed this with interest, alternating between sympathy and frustration, I'll add my vote to all the others and suggest that you think long and hard about exchanging contracts on this purchase. Walk away, accept the loss of valuation/solicitors fees, rent for a while, see what the market does and find a decent seller. There are betters sellers and properties out there. I have a horrible feeling that you are going to regret this purchase for a long time if you go ahead. Good luck!

BrandNewDay

Walk away.

Go view some other properties. Fall in love with another flat or two.

carpetbelly

Now the @rsehole part of me comes into effect. Don't walk away... yet
Play with her, get some revenge. Be mean back and have some fun doing it.

I mean, 'she's unhappy as the price was agreed by email weeks ago'... well, so was the completion date and the original asking price but she changed those. This woman has more front than Brighton!

Say you don't want the furniture and you want the property at the original accepted offer price. She can have her new completion date. If she doesn't accept that offer then she can go to the developer that offered her more.

I'd make that statement and say you're more than happy to pull out.

I mean, how much would that save you? £4k like has been said? Imagine the holiday you could have with your gf for that much! Or the furniture you could buy (or the big plasma and PS3 w00t! )

Stop being too nice, it's a noble thing but get a mean streak to. It comes in handy at times

pinkshoes

ghekkomanic wrote: »

Just found out the seller has rejected our offer for furniture. Their solicitor says they're very unhappy, because the price was agreed in email weeks ago.

But didn't you agree on a price for the property, and then they upped it, TWICE?!?!

I would seriously consider not going through with this.

Sounds like the seller is panicing...

Alanland

I love this thread - please let us know what happens!
(I have no life)

merlinthehappypig

Alanland wrote: »

I love this thread - please let us know what happens!
(I have no life)

I suspect why we all like it so much is because the OP has the ability to do what we all have wanted to at some time with a purchase in the past and didn't have the opportunity or the guts. I'm certainly picturing a seller from way back when I think about the look on his seller's face if he pulls out......

BrandNewDay

I really think you're letting this seller trounce all over you. It's just a flat. It's not some period property that rarely comes on the market! There are other flats just as good as or better, probably cheaper, out there. Go look at them. Get yourself in the mindset of no longer wanting this flat.

Go back to your original offer. Oh, and don't reply too quick. Don't reply until tomorow. Every day that slips by makes you more powerful.

carpetbelly

BrandNewDay wrote: »

. Oh, and don't reply too quick. Don't reply until tomorow. Every day that slips by makes you more powerful.

This is great advice but then I also want you to reply to her now just because I want to hear what she says back and laugh at it

but if you do the sensible thing, leave it till monday now (weekend and all) and reply then making sure you state ORIGINAL!!! price that was accepted and no furniture then watch her squirm! Oooo I'm excited for you. You dont realise, as has been said before, how lucky you are. I wish I'd had the knowledge I do now to have been able to play some of vendors who played me.

I MSE, I've learnt so much from this board

Curv

Tell me I'm not the only person who has actually done genuine shouting out loud at their monitor with this thread...

ghekko - please be guided by the rafts of experienced buyers on here... sure, it's not our lives, it's yours and yes, it's easy to say these things but not quite as easy to do.

BUT...

This is your one and only chance with this transaction. And I can guarantee you'll never again be in quite so powerful a position with a vendor who deserves to be taught a lesson quite as much as this one does.

There are literally hundreds of other properties - post your requirements and we'll even find some for you! Then, wait until exchange and offer them 30% less than the originally accepted offer. Either you'll bag yourself a bargain or you'll be free to find somewhere else.

Please do it and teach these scuzzy vendors a lesson they are gagging to be taught.