Vendor wanting too much for property...and won't show us 'valuations' he's had!

Nature_Lover74

Thanks @AdrianC.  We've made our offer, we're due to speak to him tomorrow and if he doesn't go for it, which is his prerogative, then we will have to walk away.  If this is the case and he does put it on the open market (he doesn't want to deal with EA but he may well have to!), it'll be interesting to see how it pans out.  I'm sure someone will pay more than we will - or can - for it but we just can't afford to offer any more.  I'm just curious to see what a survey would value it at, whether it's our survey or someone else's.  Anyway, thanks for getting back to me.  

Jeepers_Creepers

NL74, I personally wouldn't go ahead with a survey until/unless the vendor agrees that they'll at least take the resulting valuation very seriously on board. So try and have that conversation and agreement first, ideally face-to-face, and ideally with others (casually) present.

If you don't, there is every chance they'll just entrench themselves further and even feel miffed that you are 'using' surveys 'against' them.

Nature_Lover74

Hi @user1977.  As I mentioned, I'm very new to all this, so forgive my naivety.  I may have got this wrong but my thought was sometimes a Level 1 survey didn't necessarily involve a valuer going inside; sometimes just a 'drive-by' valuation. The reason I asked the question was that if it was a 'drive-by' valuation, then it wouldn't take into account the condition inside.  However, if, as you've mentioned, they *do* go inside then that's a reassurance to us, thank you.  I suspect that - if we do go ahead with all of this - then perhaps a Level 2 survey is more beneficial and more in-depth.  I realise a survey doesn't check the boiler but I only mentioned that as part of the reason we came in at a lower offer than Relative A wants; a new boiler alone will be a pretty penny.  Thanks for your thoughts.  

Nature_Lover74

Thanks @Jeepers_Creepers; you're absolutely right.  We're due to speak to him tomorrow and we will delicately mention that we'll have to have a survey, whether Level 1 or Level 2 (I'm thinking 2) and that he may have to accept that - or not!!!!?  We have to make him see we're not getting a Survey just out of spite; we need to know what's what, least of all our Lender!  We're trying to be as polite, transparent and reasonable as possible; we simply don't operate any other way.  We'll see what he says anyway.   Thanks very much for your response.  

Nature_Lover74

@Jeepers_Creepers I meant to add that Relative A lives up North and we're in The Midlands so at the moment, it has to be via phone calls.  We've offered him to come down and meet us (or we go there) face-to-face but he hasn't wanted to do that, which is fair enough.  Thanks again.  

Nature_Lover74

@GDB2222; thank you for your reply.  All I can say is that if we were him (which we're not, I do appreciate that) and we had a Survey presented to us, taking everything into account, saying categorically we were asking too much and these are the legitimate reasons why, we would realise that yes, we're asking too much.  If one person came to us with that survey and we (perhaps begrudgingly!) agreed that A, B and C needs doing to the property, then we'd realise that other potential buyers may well come back with the same results (I'm guessing?); thus dragging out the whole process with yet more buyers coming along, more surveys and coming to the same conclusions, which takes a lot of time.  Relative A apparently really doesn't want to deal with an EA and at least with us, he doesn't have to.  Our buyer is in rented, so below them, there's no chain.  She will probably complete on ours before we can buy anywhere, so then *we'll* be in rented too!  But as others have mentioned, if he won't budge then that's his prerogative and we'll have to look elsewhere.  Thanks for your comment.  

AdrianC

Nature_Lover74 said:

Thanks @AdrianC.  We've made our offer, we're due to speak to him tomorrow and if he doesn't go for it, which is his prerogative, then we will have to walk away.  If this is the case and he does put it on the open market (he doesn't want to deal with EA but he may well have to!), it'll be interesting to see how it pans out.

Well, if a few grand of EA fees nets him £30k more...

I'm sure someone will pay more than we will - or can - for it but we just can't afford to offer any more.

Ah, now that's a different scenario...

If somebody else will pay him £330k, then it's worth £330k. The fact you can only afford £300k doesn't affect that.

Alter_ego

Perhaps remind him that selling to you without an estate agent will save a few K.

There seems to be no point in you paying for a survey if he won't sell at the price you can afford.

Nature_Lover74

Hi @comeandgo.  He apparently really doesn't want to deal with an EA; I don't know why.  He may well have to though because with regret, we can't make what he's asking.  If we can't reach a common ground in a phone call tomorrow then we'll keep an eye out to see if it comes on the market in the 'regular' way.  Thanks for your comment.  

Nature_Lover74

@Alter_ego; We have (gently and politely!) reminded him of that.  Thanks for your thoughts.