Can I ask sellers for the costs of their bills?

Postik

I wanted to ask when I bought recently, but I forgot when doing the viewing and after making an offer it seemed somewhat pointless other than to satisfy my curiosity.  The house I moved to also has a water meter so I was curious what affect this might have on the cost compared to my previous house which didn't.

On the house I sold I would happily have provided this information because the gas and electric bill were less than £80 a month which to me is somewhat of a selling point!

diystarter7

Hi OP
You can ask and most would oblige.
However, you are not to know if they keep a much warmer or cooler place than you.
Therefore, the property energy cert may be a better guide as well as if it has DG windows when were these done, insulation, south facing, trees causing big shadows, etc, etc.

Some people feel the heat some the cold, so look at the other items as per above
Thanks

Marvel1

Another note, if I said X amount on energy, what I have not said they are based on pre April 2022 rates, as on a prepayment meter and last topped up in March - so meters are not running on current rates.

saajan_12

MobileSaver said:

lookstraightahead said:

Why would a seller make a decision as to whether a buyers's question is relevant or not, especially if there's no harm caused by asking?

Well my time is precious so yes I would absolutely decide whether I thought a buyer's question was relevant or not and respond accordingly.

If it was a reasonable and relevant question then I may happily spend time getting the specific information they asked for. However, if I thought it was an irrelevant/pointless question then I may well just give a vague answer or even a non-answer.

I know my approach is not unusual because professional solicitors do the same all the time. Over my 30 years of buying property I have seen several examples where solicitors have replied to a buyer's question with something along the lines of "the buyer should rely on their own enquiries".

hedgewitchery said:

MobileSaver said:

For example, my girlfriend is nesh so we have the heating on much more often than most people

What a great word - I'd never heard it before.

I think it's a Northern thing; we're supposed to be hard and work outside in just a vest whether summer or winter so it's good-natured banter for someone who dares to wear a jacket just because it's minus ten outside.

Right, and answering that question is what 10 min to log into an online account, download the statement and attach it to an email? You have to balance that with the time + money cost of refusing.. back and forth with the EA / buyer as to why youre refusing? they may spend longer estimating it themselves, while you chase why the transaction isn't progressing? chance they see it as suspicious, potentially a terribly insulated house (something could have changed materially since the last EPC) and pull out? Resulting abortive solicitor costs and time to readvertise, etc? 

Unreasonable and irrelevant questions can be ignored or fobbed off to see if they are happy without, but this isn't inherently unreasonable. Its easy for you to provide, and while not 100% due to lifestyle differences, there are correlations between what different peoples' bills would be in the same property. 

There are plenty of questions that are routinely answered that relate to the seller's experience and may not necessarily be the case for a buyer, but is a useful indication. For example, neighbour complaints, etc

MobileSaver

saajan_12 said:

MobileSaver said:

lookstraightahead said:

Why would a seller make a decision as to whether a buyers's question is relevant or not, especially if there's no harm caused by asking?

Well my time is precious so yes I would absolutely decide whether I thought a buyer's question was relevant or not and respond accordingly.

If it was a reasonable and relevant question then I may happily spend time getting the specific information they asked for. However, if I thought it was an irrelevant/pointless question then I may well just give a vague answer or even a non-answer.

I know my approach is not unusual because professional solicitors do the same all the time. Over my 30 years of buying property I have seen several examples where solicitors have replied to a buyer's question with something along the lines of "the buyer should rely on their own enquiries".

Unreasonable and irrelevant questions can be ignored or fobbed off to see if they are happy without, but this isn't inherently unreasonable.

Yes, we are both in agreement then!

I was challenging @lookstraightahead's assertion that the seller should do anything the buyer asks, regardless of whether the questions are reasonable or relevant.

lookstraightahead

MobileSaver said:

saajan_12 said:

MobileSaver said:

lookstraightahead said:

Why would a seller make a decision as to whether a buyers's question is relevant or not, especially if there's no harm caused by asking?

Well my time is precious so yes I would absolutely decide whether I thought a buyer's question was relevant or not and respond accordingly.

If it was a reasonable and relevant question then I may happily spend time getting the specific information they asked for. However, if I thought it was an irrelevant/pointless question then I may well just give a vague answer or even a non-answer.

I know my approach is not unusual because professional solicitors do the same all the time. Over my 30 years of buying property I have seen several examples where solicitors have replied to a buyer's question with something along the lines of "the buyer should rely on their own enquiries".

Unreasonable and irrelevant questions can be ignored or fobbed off to see if they are happy without, but this isn't inherently unreasonable.

Yes, we are both in agreement then!

I was challenging @lookstraightahead's assertion that the seller should do anything the buyer asks, regardless of whether the questions are reasonable or relevant.

I personally don't think you have a problem answering questions. Or exaggerating (I didn't say do anything they buyer asked. I mean if they asked me to bounce all over the garden in a space hopper to see if the land was flat I might stop at that, although probably not if it meant not having to relist my house for the sake of it).