Previous owner asking to buy back property!

Woolsery

Norman_Castle said:

JuanBallOfWimbledon said:

After pretty much 2 years of searching & multiple purchases falling through, we finally completed on our first house on 27/04/22. Since then things have been frustrating.

We’ve had a several odd things happen, which I won’t get into to save an essay, but now we’ve received a really weird request… They regret selling. Would we consider allowing them to buy back the house? His wife was born in the house & lived there all her life. They raised their kids here, her sister lives next door etc. They offered £5k less than we bought it for 9 days ago, because ‘it’s clear prices will fall given the economy and we have to consider our fees’. We actually got a ridiculously good deal on it, paying a fair bit under market value. We really don’t want to sell, but we have to live next door to this woman’s sister. 

Is it just me, or is this madness? How do we say no nicely, and avoid upset with our new neighbours? 

Don't take responsibility for their choices.

This.^  Anyway, you can't.

Be nice, but firm. They will never settle anywhere else if they think they can come back to that specific house and recreate the  past. That's equally impossible. 

TheJP

Emmia said:

Given the sister lives next door, the previous owners will return to your location, and they may try re-making the offer in person. 

Could you change something about the outward appearance of the house, to show it is no longer their home, but yours e.g. different planting, replacing or repainting the front door / garage door?

It isn't their home! They sold it. OP i would just ignore them, they made their bed etc...

GDB2222

Woolsery said:

Norman_Castle said:

JuanBallOfWimbledon said:

After pretty much 2 years of searching & multiple purchases falling through, we finally completed on our first house on 27/04/22. Since then things have been frustrating.

We’ve had a several odd things happen, which I won’t get into to save an essay, but now we’ve received a really weird request… They regret selling. Would we consider allowing them to buy back the house? His wife was born in the house & lived there all her life. They raised their kids here, her sister lives next door etc. They offered £5k less than we bought it for 9 days ago, because ‘it’s clear prices will fall given the economy and we have to consider our fees’. We actually got a ridiculously good deal on it, paying a fair bit under market value. We really don’t want to sell, but we have to live next door to this woman’s sister. 

Is it just me, or is this madness? How do we say no nicely, and avoid upset with our new neighbours? 

Don't take responsibility for their choices.

This.^  Anyway, you can't.

Be nice, but firm. They will never settle anywhere else if they think they can come back to that specific house and recreate the  past. That's equally impossible. 

I agree. Do be very clear that you can’t bear to sell. You clearly want to be as kind as possible.

Flugelhorn

Wickedly just wondering if the sister is delighted that they have moved.. 

UnderOffer

I wonder if they think that because you haven’t moved in, (as you mention going between two homes until Sunday), perhaps the sister remarked no one is even there and the vendors thought they’d try the offer as you’ve not moved in fully and they don’t know your intentions, for example you might be a developer flipping it, rather than making it your family home, so could have been innocent offer. 

I’m sure once you are there full time the message will be clear and reinforced that this is your home. 

steve866

I vote polite but firm in the first instance, you can always be more direct if the situation continues. You could even deflect a bit and point out that ‘Even if we wanted to sell, we are locked into our mortgage for 5 years’.

Insane that you got this request, especially at a lower price, the mind boggles!

GDB2222

I vaguely wonder whether the wife wants to move back, but the husband doesn’t. So, they ended up making an offer that the husband knew that you would not accept.

Ath_Wat

UnderOffer said:

I wonder if they think that because you haven’t moved in, (as you mention going between two homes until Sunday), perhaps the sister remarked no one is even there and the vendors thought they’d try the offer as you’ve not moved in fully and they don’t know your intentions, for example you might be a developer flipping it, rather than making it your family home, so could have been innocent offer. 

I’m sure once you are there full time the message will be clear and reinforced that this is your home. 

Even a  developer flipping it isn't going to take a loss on it for their benefit. That's the absurd thing.  If they'd offered the price paid, plus an amount, however small, for the trouble, I'd have said ok, just say no.  But what they have done in offering less is insulting.

GDB2222

Ath_Wat said:

Section62 said:

Ath_Wat said:

Seriously.  I'd ask them "How could you possibly think anyone could accept this?  That I should put myself through so much hassle and effort and take a financial loss just for your benefit?  While you get to be put back in the position you were with no losses at all?  Genuinely, tell me what was going through your head."

Do you really think that is constructive?  Either as something you might do yourself, or as advice to the OP.

No wonder there is so much hate in the World if people feel the need to respond like this.

Just 'Let it go'.

That's a factual statement of the offer they put to  the OP.  Why do you think it's a problem to actually repeat their offer back to them?  

I can answer that! The previous owners are clearly grieving about losing their old home. There’s nothing to be gained by rubbing it in that they are being irrational 

Woolsery

GDB2222 said:

Ath_Wat said:

Section62 said:

Ath_Wat said:

Seriously.  I'd ask them "How could you possibly think anyone could accept this?  That I should put myself through so much hassle and effort and take a financial loss just for your benefit?  While you get to be put back in the position you were with no losses at all?  Genuinely, tell me what was going through your head."

Do you really think that is constructive?  Either as something you might do yourself, or as advice to the OP.

No wonder there is so much hate in the World if people feel the need to respond like this.

Just 'Let it go'.

That's a factual statement of the offer they put to  the OP.  Why do you think it's a problem to actually repeat their offer back to them?  

I can answer that! The previous owners are clearly grieving about losing their old home. There’s nothing to be gained by rubbing it in that they are being irrational 

They will probably go through some or all of the grieving process as outlined by Elizabeth Kubler-Ross, though life isn't as clear cut as a model.

(Waits for comments about the uselessnes of psychology.... )