Buyer pulled out because of survey

[Deleted User]

Hello, I'm new here and am hoping some of you may be able to provide me with some guidance if you have found yourself in a similar situation. 

We have had our property on the market now since August, we sold once at the start of September but the buyer pulled out shortly after we accepted the offer due to a change of circumstances. We then accepted another offer and proceeded to solicitors/surveys etc.

We are 6 weeks down the line and have now found out that our second buyer has pulled out of the sale due to the survey they have received. We have gone back to our solicitor and asked for further details in the hope of salvaging the sale, but they have refused and confirmed they won't be proceeding. 

I enquired what the issues were with the estate agent to see if they had found anything else out in the meantime and if they were things we would need to sort before re-listing the house. The agent said that they had advised there were a few issues but that they were refusing to say any more. They did mention off the cuff about ventilation and maintenance but nothing else. 

There is no way of salvaging the sale and we are now left feeling a bit deflated as we don't know what the issues are that we may be able to fix in the interim. Would we be best to get our own survey done so we can see what the issues may be? Just conscious of doing this given the extra cost and if the surveys show slightly different things (other than the obvious electrics, gas etc). 

I know they are under no obligation to share the survey with us, we've asked, they've refused so we will move on. Just want to try and be proactive and see what others have done in this situation. Have you got your own survey done to preempt questions further down the line/rectify any obvious concerns or have you proceeded as normal as the surveys are open to interpretation?

When buying previously, we have taken the home buyers report with a pinch of salt, as they do appear to cover a lot of points as a precaution (could have damp, can't check electrics etc) but I know some people may take these findings as an immediate cause for concern. It's the fact we haven't even had the chance to rectify them which is what has caused us the most concern. 

Please let me know what you did if you found yourself in a similar circumstance as I would be interested to see how you have overcome this. 

Thanks

propertyrental

You are assuming the buyers pulled out because of their survey. That may well have just been a face-saving excuse if, for example, they found a nicer property, or decided to get divorced, or....or......

!

Brie

Have you offered to buy the survey off them?  Or can you get a surveyor in yourselves so you know what's being spotted?  

But chances are as another poster mentioned it could just be an excuse.  We were told survey re MiL's flat but I think it was reconsidering how difficult it would be to adapt her place for a family with a small child.

ProDave

Offer to buy a copy of the survey from the "buyers"  Or pay for your own survey.

housebuyer143

Deleted_User said:

Hello, I'm new here and am hoping some of you may be able to provide me with some guidance if you have found yourself in a similar situation. 

We have had our property on the market now since August, we sold once at the start of September but the buyer pulled out shortly after we accepted the offer due to a change of circumstances. We then accepted another offer and proceeded to solicitors/surveys etc.

We are 6 weeks down the line and have now found out that our second buyer has pulled out of the sale due to the survey they have received. We have gone back to our solicitor and asked for further details in the hope of salvaging the sale, but they have refused and confirmed they won't be proceeding. 

I enquired what the issues were with the estate agent to see if they had found anything else out in the meantime and if they were things we would need to sort before re-listing the house. The agent said that they had advised there were a few issues but that they were refusing to say any more. They did mention off the cuff about ventilation and maintenance but nothing else. 

There is no way of salvaging the sale and we are now left feeling a bit deflated as we don't know what the issues are that we may be able to fix in the interim. Would we be best to get our own survey done so we can see what the issues may be? Just conscious of doing this given the extra cost and if the surveys show slightly different things (other than the obvious electrics, gas etc). 

I know they are under no obligation to share the survey with us, we've asked, they've refused so we will move on. Just want to try and be proactive and see what others have done in this situation. Have you got your own survey done to preempt questions further down the line/rectify any obvious concerns or have you proceeded as normal as the surveys are open to interpretation?

When buying previously, we have taken the home buyers report with a pinch of salt, as they do appear to cover a lot of points as a precaution (could have damp, can't check electrics etc) but I know some people may take these findings as an immediate cause for concern. It's the fact we haven't even had the chance to rectify them which is what has caused us the most concern. 

Please let me know what you did if you found yourself in a similar circumstance as I would be interested to see how you have overcome this. 

Thanks

I would just relist and try again, don't spend money on a survey. So many people do not get a survey so nothing to say your next buyer will.

Maybe they just had a change of heart and don't want to say that to you so easier to blame issues they then refuse to tell you about.

[Deleted User]

propertyrental said:

You are assuming the buyers pulled out because of their survey. That may well have just been a face-saving excuse if, for example, they found a nicer property, or decided to get divorced, or....or......

!

We were starting to get a bit concerned about how serious they were as a buyer from other happenings up to this point but were reassured that they wanted to proceed, we even said we would re-list the house at one point but all the legal bits started moving forward then so put our minds at ease. They even reassured us that they loved the house and would only pull out if it was a 'major defect', I take this to be damp, subsidence etc but we could have got an independent specialist to verify this if that was the case. Guess 'major defects' may mean different things to different people though. 
I am starting to think it's an excuse just want to try and avoid being in this situation again if we can

Brie said:

Have you offered to buy the survey off them?  Or can you get a surveyor in yourselves so you know what's being spotted?  

But chances are as another poster mentioned it could just be an excuse.  We were told survey re MiL's flat but I think it was reconsidering how difficult it would be to adapt her place for a family with a small child.

We asked but have been completely shut down, they are not responding to our solicitor and said to the EA that they are completely done. I am looking at getting our own surveyor to see, will probably do this to preempt anything else if we sell again. Agree it could be an excuse, just frustrating to get this far and with the cost implication too. 

RM_2013

As already suggested they may have just changed their minds so it may not have actually been as a result of the survey that they pulled out.

was it a homebuyers level 2 or structural level 3 survey? Were you anticipating issues to be raised in the survey?

as already suggested you could offer to purchase the report as this could help for any future sales but they could just refuse.  If they’ve refused to discuss further then this might just be fruitless.

Sorry that your sale fell through.  Put it back on the market and see what other interest you get 

[Deleted User]

ProDave said:

Offer to buy a copy of the survey from the "buyers"  Or pay for your own survey.

Thank you, the door has been shut on getting the report unfortunately so will probably source our own in the hope they show the same issues. 

housebuyer143 said:

Deleted_User said:

Hello, I'm new here and am hoping some of you may be able to provide me with some guidance if you have found yourself in a similar situation. 

We have had our property on the market now since August, we sold once at the start of September but the buyer pulled out shortly after we accepted the offer due to a change of circumstances. We then accepted another offer and proceeded to solicitors/surveys etc.

We are 6 weeks down the line and have now found out that our second buyer has pulled out of the sale due to the survey they have received. We have gone back to our solicitor and asked for further details in the hope of salvaging the sale, but they have refused and confirmed they won't be proceeding. 

I enquired what the issues were with the estate agent to see if they had found anything else out in the meantime and if they were things we would need to sort before re-listing the house. The agent said that they had advised there were a few issues but that they were refusing to say any more. They did mention off the cuff about ventilation and maintenance but nothing else. 

There is no way of salvaging the sale and we are now left feeling a bit deflated as we don't know what the issues are that we may be able to fix in the interim. Would we be best to get our own survey done so we can see what the issues may be? Just conscious of doing this given the extra cost and if the surveys show slightly different things (other than the obvious electrics, gas etc). 

I know they are under no obligation to share the survey with us, we've asked, they've refused so we will move on. Just want to try and be proactive and see what others have done in this situation. Have you got your own survey done to preempt questions further down the line/rectify any obvious concerns or have you proceeded as normal as the surveys are open to interpretation?

When buying previously, we have taken the home buyers report with a pinch of salt, as they do appear to cover a lot of points as a precaution (could have damp, can't check electrics etc) but I know some people may take these findings as an immediate cause for concern. It's the fact we haven't even had the chance to rectify them which is what has caused us the most concern. 

Please let me know what you did if you found yourself in a similar circumstance as I would be interested to see how you have overcome this. 

Thanks

I would just relist and try again, don't spend money on a survey. So many people do not get a survey so nothing to say your next buyer will.

Maybe they just had a change of heart and don't want to say that to you so easier to blame issues they then refuse to tell you about.

Thank you, we are looking to re-list. The EA advised the same and said there are people out there that don't rely to heavily on the surveys. 

housebuyer143

Deleted_User said:

ProDave said:

Offer to buy a copy of the survey from the "buyers"  Or pay for your own survey.

Thank you, the door has been shut on getting the report unfortunately so will probably source our own in the hope they show the same issues. 

housebuyer143 said:

Deleted_User said:

Hello, I'm new here and am hoping some of you may be able to provide me with some guidance if you have found yourself in a similar situation. 

We have had our property on the market now since August, we sold once at the start of September but the buyer pulled out shortly after we accepted the offer due to a change of circumstances. We then accepted another offer and proceeded to solicitors/surveys etc.

We are 6 weeks down the line and have now found out that our second buyer has pulled out of the sale due to the survey they have received. We have gone back to our solicitor and asked for further details in the hope of salvaging the sale, but they have refused and confirmed they won't be proceeding. 

I enquired what the issues were with the estate agent to see if they had found anything else out in the meantime and if they were things we would need to sort before re-listing the house. The agent said that they had advised there were a few issues but that they were refusing to say any more. They did mention off the cuff about ventilation and maintenance but nothing else. 

There is no way of salvaging the sale and we are now left feeling a bit deflated as we don't know what the issues are that we may be able to fix in the interim. Would we be best to get our own survey done so we can see what the issues may be? Just conscious of doing this given the extra cost and if the surveys show slightly different things (other than the obvious electrics, gas etc). 

I know they are under no obligation to share the survey with us, we've asked, they've refused so we will move on. Just want to try and be proactive and see what others have done in this situation. Have you got your own survey done to preempt questions further down the line/rectify any obvious concerns or have you proceeded as normal as the surveys are open to interpretation?

When buying previously, we have taken the home buyers report with a pinch of salt, as they do appear to cover a lot of points as a precaution (could have damp, can't check electrics etc) but I know some people may take these findings as an immediate cause for concern. It's the fact we haven't even had the chance to rectify them which is what has caused us the most concern. 

Please let me know what you did if you found yourself in a similar circumstance as I would be interested to see how you have overcome this. 

Thanks

I would just relist and try again, don't spend money on a survey. So many people do not get a survey so nothing to say your next buyer will.

Maybe they just had a change of heart and don't want to say that to you so easier to blame issues they then refuse to tell you about.

Thank you, we are looking to re-list. The EA advised the same and said there are people out there that don't rely to heavily on the surveys. 

Very true. I have never had a survey, and I sold a few houses and no buyer ever got a survey on any of mine. FTBs are more likely too and then panic I would say. Most other people understand houses and what things they should worry about and what things they don't. 

[Deleted User]

RM_2013 said:

As already suggested they may have just changed their minds so it may not have actually been as a result of the survey that they pulled out.

was it a homebuyers level 2 or structural level 3 survey? Were you anticipating issues to be raised in the survey?

as already suggested you could offer to purchase the report as this could help for any future sales but they could just refuse.  If they’ve refused to discuss further then this might just be fruitless.

Sorry that your sale fell through.  Put it back on the market and see what other interest you get 

Thank you! Working hard to get it back out there and listed, luckily the people we were hoping to buy from have been very understanding so will try and salvage that too if we can. 

I'm not sure, I think it may have been a level 3 as they paid quite a bit for it and they were here for a few hours. We weren't expecting anything major as everything had been checked and signed off when we did the extension last year. So if there is something on there, It would be good to know as we could go back to the builders to get it rectified or smaller issued sorted in the interim. 

robatwork

Unless the issue was really major eg. subsidence, the survey is a tool for renegotiation, so if they were still really interested they would be asking for a discount.

So assume they aren't interested any more, and chances are it's nothing to do with the survey.

Remember - they've spent money on your house and have lost it, so whatever the issue is, it's serious to them.