Survey showed spray foam, cut beam and sagging... recommending new roof

rundmc-k

Albermarle said:

rundmc-k said:

Thanks for all the tips and opinions folks. 

The situation is currently... owner didn't get their own survey, just "got someone" to look over what I sent of ours, then told us the max they would go is 10k off. We said our situ hadn't changed, EA told us it was a no go then, and we said ok, notified our solicitors and that was that. 

The next day, the EA contacted to say seller now agrees it does need a new roof, but maximum they'll take off is 25k!
We have been mulling over our response but I am almost certain it will be that our position still hasn't changed and that our figure is 40k off (well, 37.5 to allow it to be a potentially more appealing sale figure) or we continue to walk/run away.

I'm not sure what the response will be to that

Now the seller seems to have come to their senses, they probably genuinely think that £25K off seems a pretty good offer ( inevitably buyers and sellers will always have a different view).

Usually the best test in this situation is to imagine that you stick hard at £40K off, they refuse and you find a few weeks later the house has been sold to someone else. Would you be disappointed and wish you had compromised, or would you not be that bothered? 

I think this is essentially what we've tried to do, although it is difficult to truly know the level of disappointment or relief until it happens. 

We decided to stick to our guns and said we wouldn't go any further than 37500 off (i.e. making the offer 300k) and the seller responded that he couldn't do that. 

We feel disappointment and relief but ultimately I'm glad we didn't compromise too much. With the house needing what it needs, we would have had to feel like we were getting a good deal for it to seem like a good idea. I still wouldn't be at all surprised if we got further contact from the EA, but for now we're just going to keep looking out for other properties and try to look at the 1k+ we put into this process as a learning fee

martindow

I would say that your offer still stands and leave it with them.  Most people will need to buy with a mortgage which will be a no go for this house.  Wait and see what happens ...