Buyer wants money off for issues raised on survey

caz_cardiff87

verytired11 said:

[Deleted User] said:

I would absolutely not engage in lengthy rebuttals, your original response was sufficient. 
You are the picture of restraint. A buyer who has presumably outbid others, somewhat predictably trying to re-negotiate on the back of a survey with no red list items and this against the background of rising property prices!
The problem with any goodwill gesture to smooth this over, is that it's not likely going to work as he is so out of line. Placing the onus on you to do various follow up reports, against the background of asking for 10k off - please!

I think the thing that worries me is that if I do anything as a good will gesture it may be like offering an inch and him taking a mile, including potentially encouraging him to be a c and asking for another chunk of money off just before exchange. It's the tone of his email that puts my back up so much as it is so aggressive and entitled, saying 'i require this' and 'i require that' and 'the seller has neglected core maintenance' and it makes me not want to sell to him at all.  I live in a very lovely and tight knit community with top state schools and have lived here for 20 years.  I really like my neighbours and I want someone nice living here.  Because his email is so entitled,  I feel process wise it may be sensible to tell him to confirm he will go ahead at the agreed price asap, in order to send a clear message that I won't be messed around further down the line.  If the tone of his email was more reasonable I would be more minded to meet him halfway.

I am thinking maybe I will get the gas and electric certificates as unfortunately there is a failed electric certificate from a few years ago and I can't find evidence of the works required from that as ever being done.  I will also get a plumber out anyway as I wouldn't want to risk a potential on going leak.  And then ask him to confirm that if I get those done he will go ahead at the agreed price or we go back to market.  

Sounds more than reasonable.

I just bought my first house - a 1960's semi. I expected some things to be on the surveyors report due to it's age which is why i offered just under asking price but to my surprise they were all easy fixes and didn't for a second consider lowering my offer further. The house has a back boiler but i saw that when i viewed and know I can get a government grant to upgrade it and install new radiators so no expense to me to replace. I got the keys today and immediately put my application in so hoping it will be upgraded in the next couple of months. We are heading into summer and the bathroom has an electric shower so i probably wont even need to use it before it gets ripped out lol.

I think some buyers expect older properties to be in pristine condition and fail to understand the surveyor will always go with worse case scenario in terms of - this building material is used so there is potential for x y and z problems. Doesn't mean there is, or will be in the near future. Sounds like they are having a bit of a panic but seems a bit much to want 10k off - maintaining a property is going to get expensive at times when things get old and need replacing. My surveyor was awesome, he dropped by my house after sending the report and "off the record" told me not to worry about a few things he had raised but it was just protocol to cover themselves and make you aware of potential problems - his personal opinion was as long as the boiler is sorted and the  small areas of damp, the other issues were minor and can be dealt with at my leisure. 

I think you are doing the right thing - meet him half way and offer to get some of those things looked into but otherwise it is buyer beware - if he is panicking about the cost of maintaining a property then he probably shouldn't be looking to own one imo, it's up to him to get further surveys done to investigate anything from the initial report - you do not have to pay for that. Personally i'd only ever lower an offer if there was something major that needed doing that was going to cost a substantial amount, Stick to your guns. Sometimes when they are faced with the risk of losing their new home, they suddenly become more agreeable!

davilown

Tell them to do one - £10,000 for what amounts to £1,500 works means they are just looking for a reason to drop the price that they offered. 

All of those things were visible when they view - if they didn’t see them then they should learn a lesson in life. Don’t bid it you don’t intent to pay.

As for the Gas safety cert and Electrical cert, if a buyer wants one, they pay. The only time I would expect one is when there has been alterations that required BRs. After that, I’d pay for one myself, that way I know the cert is for me and not someone else.

verytired11

davilown said:

Tell them to do one - £10,000 for what amounts to £1,500 works means they are just looking for a reason to drop the price that they offered. 

All of those things were visible when they view - if they didn’t see them then they should learn a lesson in life. Don’t bid it you don’t intent to pay.

As for the Gas safety cert and Electrical cert, if a buyer wants one, they pay. The only time I would expect one is when there has been alterations that required BRs. After that, I’d pay for one myself, that way I know the cert is for me and not someone else.

Thanks. There are other things in the report that take it up to £10k but they are so ridiculous that I am saying an outright no to those.  Things like changing the glass in the front and back doors because they don't meet current building regs.

davilown

verytired11 said:

davilown said:

Tell them to do one - £10,000 for what amounts to £1,500 works means they are just looking for a reason to drop the price that they offered. 

All of those things were visible when they view - if they didn’t see them then they should learn a lesson in life. Don’t bid it you don’t intent to pay.

As for the Gas safety cert and Electrical cert, if a buyer wants one, they pay. The only time I would expect one is when there has been alterations that required BRs. After that, I’d pay for one myself, that way I know the cert is for me and not someone else.

Thanks. There are other things in the report that take it up to £10k but they are so ridiculous that I am saying an outright no to those.  Things like changing the glass in the front and back doors because they don't meet current building regs.

Mate they’re pulling a fast one. Tell them to put up or disappear unless you desperately need the sale. 

We’re supposedly exchanging in the next week or so and I fully expect to have the buyer come back with a reduced offer. Fortunately, both the wife and I are quite happy to turn round and pull out if they do.

Expensive with regards to legal fees already spent but hey.

verytired11

davilown said:

verytired11 said:

davilown said:

Tell them to do one - £10,000 for what amounts to £1,500 works means they are just looking for a reason to drop the price that they offered. 

All of those things were visible when they view - if they didn’t see them then they should learn a lesson in life. Don’t bid it you don’t intent to pay.

As for the Gas safety cert and Electrical cert, if a buyer wants one, they pay. The only time I would expect one is when there has been alterations that required BRs. After that, I’d pay for one myself, that way I know the cert is for me and not someone else.

Thanks. There are other things in the report that take it up to £10k but they are so ridiculous that I am saying an outright no to those.  Things like changing the glass in the front and back doors because they don't meet current building regs.

Mate they’re pulling a fast one. Tell them to put up or disappear unless you desperately need the sale. 

We’re supposedly exchanging in the next week or so and I fully expect to have the buyer come back with a reduced offer. Fortunately, both the wife and I are quite happy to turn round and pull out if they do.

Expensive with regards to legal fees already spent but hey.

Thanks.  That was my initial perspective.  I am happy to walk away from this buyer because I don't like him and I think he will cause trouble further down the line.  It shouldn't take more than a week or two to find another buyer if needed.  Good luck with your exchange - I hope the buyers behave themselves.

SameOldRoundabout

I wouldn’t offer any money off for those things. He wants reports? Let him carry on at his expense not yours. You don’t need to justify why you’re saying no, tell your EA you find his requests and tone rude, it’s a no, and he can go with it or you’ll relist. None of that stuff is big enough to negotiate on. 

C_N_

Let us know how the "Negotiations" go OP. They might have a sudden personality change if they realise they're going to lose the house, but if not sounds like you'd be well rid of them anyway. 

TBagpuss

I think I'd just say that that those things are all minor and would have been obvious on viewing. Confirm to them that the leak was old and was fixed, but that you will facilitate access if they wish to get it checked by a plumber at their expense. Similarly say you are happy to allow access if they wish to obtain an electrical / gas report
 Ask for a copy of the relevant sections of the  the report, and the valuation given by the surveyor.

I'd also tell the agents that you will be re-marketing if the buyer is  awkward, and ask them if they would recommend increasing the asking price if you put it back on the market

warby68

£10k is not reflective of those issues. They've piled every little thing in to try and make it add up but really just want a lower price. I agree a token gesture might just stir it up and waste time.

As you had lots of interest this is one case where I would hold firm apart from saying you are receptive to further inspections at buyers expense as long as you are notified of these and intention to proceed within x days. Even call them out on £10k being unreflective of the issues raised and viewed as an attempted after the fact material price reduction on a property which had a lot of interest. In view of that interest you may try for another, more realistic and less hard work buyer. As well as the money there is a lot of faff here that most vendors would prefer to do without unless there is no choice. With loads of other interest you're probably not at the no choice stage. Tell the agent too that this is your plan, they may actually do some work for you as well. You may need to go back to market but also sometimes when a novice buyer has their bluff called they do back down having misinterpreted their own level of bargaining power.

As an aside, I might do some of the easier/cheaper fixes meantime just to save them coming up again.

If time is against you you might want to work with this buyer but personally with that amount and that tone I'd be put off.

Martin_the_Unjust

verytired11 said:

StandingInTheSun said:

I don't think any of the buyer's requests are particularly unreasonable. Of course you can argue that the house was priced appropriately for the condition it's in - equally he might say that this was not communicated to him by you or the estate agent and therefore he's within his rights to ask for a reduction.

No. 6 is a very standard surveyor's request. I'd expect any knowledgeable seller to have those documents available.

How much money are they asking off? This forum often states that "a couple of grand is nothing when compared to the cost of a house". If you want the sale to go through, maybe not worth fighting over such a small amount.

They are asking for £10,000 off.

I’d be saying ‘No!’ and instructing my estate agent to put it back on the market (probably at an increased price)