Buyer wants 6k off after survey.

mark_cycling00

I feel that the threat/blackmail to send the survey to other buyers is a big red flag.

(Did you say they were divorced? I wonder why....)

I'd expect them to make additional threats throughout the sale process and perhaps not be particularly truthful which they've already done by lying about what the survey said.

That's my "level 1 survey" results about your buyer! 

RogerPensionGuy

How long was the house on market before the current offer was accepted?

Bigphil1474

OP, the survey can be passed on, or more commonly sold on, to another buyer. My daughter bought a survey from the previous buyer who pulled out, on a house she was looking at. She didn't proceed because the survey identified something like £25k worth of work on a house that was already near top price. 

From what you've said, you have a house worth about £185k, needs £12k of work, and they have offered £170k. Doesn't seem any need to reduce further imo. Just tell them you accepted the offer as you were aware of the work needing doing and that's the lowest you can go - unless you are desperate to sell of course. If you remarketed at £175k or even £180k do you think you'd get more buyers?

MultiFuelBurner

So far your buyer seems to be munipulative,.using divorce, other tactics to try and squeeze you and your price.

We wouldn't put up with that and would bin them off.

It's easy of course to say not being in your situation but we have had people try and mess us about before and saying no often works and focuses them on what they really want and makes sure they are a committed buyer.

Fdbjg123

RogerPensionGuy said:

How long was the house on market before the current offer was accepted?

2 weeks. We had an offer of £183k the week earlier but the buyer went AWOL before we could even proceed 😕

jimbog

Fdbjg123 said:

Also, the buyer has said that (if we don’t reduce and re market) they have been told by their solicitor to give the survey to future buyers. Is this a thing? 

Blackmail. In other words if you don't agree to our demands we'll undermine you by offering it to your other buyers.

But, that's nonsense. The only party who would have their contact details and that of any new buyer is the estate agent who only works for you. If this sale falls through say to the estate agent that you don't want them to facilitate any survey reports between any parties

Fdbjg123

mark_cycling00 said:

I feel that the threat/blackmail to send the survey to other buyers is a big red flag.

(Did you say they were divorced? I wonder why....)

I'd expect them to make additional threats throughout the sale process and perhaps not be particularly truthful which they've already done by lying about what the survey said.

That's my "level 1 survey" results about your buyer! 

Yes I felt like the threat to give the survey to future buyers was in quite poor taste. The way they worded it essentially sounded like ‘give us the reduction of we will sabotage any further potential buyers’. It was odd. I know of course that they can, but the way they worded it wasn’t nice. 

Fdbjg123

Thanks for all the responses/advice. I’ve had the survey sent over and a lot of it is utter rubbish on the surveyor’s behalf. I’ve basically responded in bullet points explaining why a lot of it is false and why we won’t reduce further based on the bits that are true (roof sag etc). So will have to see if she pulls out or not. 

Fdbjg123

retiredbanker1 said:

On the other hand if I could see a problem with the roof - even without a survey (will it pass a drive pass bank surveyor to make an offer?) then personally I would not touch it with a bargepole.

That's just me.

They already have their mortgage offer, they received it after the survey so I don’t know if it was given to the bank and they still ok’d loaning the amount she needs. 

Fdbjg123

RHemmings said:

I did a google, and it appears that a sagging roof may or may not be a symptom of serious problems with the roof. Best to confirm exactly what the situation is. 

The builder seems to think it’s undersized rafters, but he also thinks the roof is original so have they always been undersized? Nothing structurally serious. IMO it’s because of age…but I’m not a roofer for a reason 😄