Seller forcing me to complete in less than 2 weeks

nicmyles

It doesn't matter whether or not anyone thinks these checks are standard and reasonable (I think they are btw). The OP has made them a condition of purchase. It's up to the seller whether he wants to sell the house with these (completely standard, non-strenuous) conditions or not. He seems to be in a position where he simultaneously does not want to sell the house with these conditions but also does want to sell it extremely quickly. Only he can resolve this paradox in his own mind. I'd stick to your guns.

justpassingthrough24

nicmyles said:

It doesn't matter whether or not anyone thinks these checks are standard and reasonable (I think they are btw). The OP has made them a condition of purchase. It's up to the seller whether he wants to sell the house with these (completely standard, non-strenuous) conditions or not. He seems to be in a position where he simultaneously does not want to sell the house with these conditions but also does want to sell it extremely quickly. Only he can resolve this paradox in his own mind. I'd stick to your guns.

Agree with this. Doesn't matter what anyone else thinks. If people are unfamiliar with electrics and want peace of mind to ensure it's not going to costs thousands for a full rewire, you are well within your right to request an EICR. An old property doesn't guarantee a full rewire (mine didn't) but most old properties fail an EICR and need at least a few hundred in repairs. The seller holding firm may be because he thinks you'll use it to negotiate property price. That is up to you, but for an old property, I understand the argument that you can't use old wear and tear to reduce the overall price. If it's a full rewire and you cannot afford the cost, then that's on the seller to decide the next steps.

doublewobble

So many relies and insights . Thank you so all of you.
Bit of an update..after talks with estate agent yesterday.

By estate agent words, seller is apprehensive of having trades in his flat or I the garden because they’ve made a mess before.

Also seller is anxious because he needs to complete by 29th November in order to purchase another property in which to live(chain).

As such, he said seller will arrange gas check with an independent not trade (because he doesn’t trust them?!) and I have to arrange electrics.

I have arranged electrics checks for 25th November, but I do not know the name of gas checker nor the date which they will do it on, because the agent won’t tell me, saying he doesn’t know.

Another things is, my solicitor advised me not to agree to complete by a certain date because, quote 

“Just to warn you I will need a little time to prepare my report for you. I am just thinking that I wouldn’t want you to agree to an exchange and completion date until we are ready.  The report is usually takes me 3 or 4 hours for a leasehold property so I don’t want to start this and you incur the cost if the matter was not to go ahead.”

So not sure what to do to be fair

Thank you 

theartfullodger

You can "force" delayed completion if you wish.  It's a two way street 

I wouldn't.

I've bought 4 houses in past 25 years, no such checks or certification.  No real problems.

Property buying & selling is always an uncertain gamble - you didn't know?

Best wishes to all.

Myci85

doublewobble said:

So many relies and insights . Thank you so all of you.
Bit of an update..after talks with estate agent yesterday.

By estate agent words, seller is apprehensive of having trades in his flat or I the garden because they’ve made a mess before.

Also seller is anxious because he needs to complete by 29th November in order to purchase another property in which to live(chain).

As such, he said seller will arrange gas check with an independent not trade (because he doesn’t trust them?!) and I have to arrange electrics.

I have arranged electrics checks for 25th November, but I do not know the name of gas checker nor the date which they will do it on, because the agent won’t tell me, saying he doesn’t know.

Another things is, my solicitor advised me not to agree to complete by a certain date because, quote 

“Just to warn you I will need a little time to prepare my report for you. I am just thinking that I wouldn’t want you to agree to an exchange and completion date until we are ready.  The report is usually takes me 3 or 4 hours for a leasehold property so I don’t want to start this and you incur the cost if the matter was not to go ahead.”

So not sure what to do to be fair

Thank you 

Your seller should realise that when you are in a chain, you can't always complete to a particular date just because you want to/your seller wants you to. You only complete when all parties are ready. 
At the end of the day, you're not ready, and his only options are to wait and tell his seller that he can't complete to (presumably) their deadline of 29th, or try and find another buyer... Good luck to him getting the process through again in 8 days!

The fact he doesn't trust tradesmen to come in his property because he had them in once before and they made a mess sounds like either a complete cop out, or a sign that nothing needing professional maintenance is likely to have been maintained at all recently!

Bonniepurple

doublewobble said:

So many relies and insights . Thank you so all of you.
Bit of an update..after talks with estate agent yesterday.

By estate agent words, seller is apprehensive of having trades in his flat or I the garden because they’ve made a mess before.

Also seller is anxious because he needs to complete by 29th November in order to purchase another property in which to live(chain).

As such, he said seller will arrange gas check with an independent not trade (because he doesn’t trust them?!) and I have to arrange electrics.

I have arranged electrics checks for 25th November, but I do not know the name of gas checker nor the date which they will do it on, because the agent won’t tell me, saying he doesn’t know.

Another things is, my solicitor advised me not to agree to complete by a certain date because, quote 

“Just to warn you I will need a little time to prepare my report for you. I am just thinking that I wouldn’t want you to agree to an exchange and completion date until we are ready.  The report is usually takes me 3 or 4 hours for a leasehold property so I don’t want to start this and you incur the cost if the matter was not to go ahead.”

So not sure what to do to be fair

Thank you 

OP, I am hearing alarm bells.  Owner has been reluctant to let somebody in for a few minutes to check that the electrics won’t go bang and that the boiler won’t kill you on the basis that at some point trades made a mess of the flat and garden.  You still don’t know who’s doing the gas check.  You are being pressurised into completing next week, when the solicitor has advised that you are not ready.  A chain’s completion date has to be agreed by everyone.  If you’re not ready to complete, then your vendor is stuck.

If you do proceed, I would be assuming that the current owner’s reluctance towards trades means that most things are a DIY bodge job.  I would be feeding back to the EA and the solicitor that you are not in a position to complete in 8 days-or leave it till Monday when it’s going to be even less likely.  

FlorayG

Your seller is just being unreasonable - possibly because the person they are buying from is also being unreasonable; but that's not for you to consider. Insist on the checks and also insist they are done by a qualified person

EssexHebridean

I'm also in the "more red flags" camp here. If this property is at a good enough price that even if you did have to have a complete rewire, replace the heating system, and spend more money, then fair enough. I have to say that I think by now I would have got cold feet and been using them to walk away as fast as possible. 

It sounds like that gas safety inspection/boiler service isn't going to be worth the paper it is written on - assuming it does ever get onto paper, which I confess I doubt. 

jbrassy

It is not unusual or unreasonable to check the gas and electrics before you buy a house (caveat emptor and all that). I have done it myself in the past.

What is unusual and unreasonable is the seller being really pushy and telling you who to use for these checks. I think these are massive red flags. If it was me, I would walk away if they're not willing to let you do the checks. I know you'll have to cough up legal fees for a house you will ultimately not buy, but it's better to cut your losses now rather than face a potentially huge bill  and stress later down the line.

doublewobble

Didn’t know seller was in a chain, and come to think now, possibly his own seller is in a chain.   Who knows how long the chain is!

  Yesterday the estate agent said seller had arranged for a trade - which I’ve rang and confirmed- to do gas check on 28th, but for whatever reason now they can’t, and been put on a reserve list.

  The same trade gave seller a list with trades which to contact and possibly get someone to do it before deadline.

  At this point, I could be wrong tho, it sounds like the seller is genuinely trying. I don’t understand why in the past nearly 2 weeks we went back and forth for who pays and arranges for things, and now mad rush everything, unless seller didn’t know about the deadline either?!

(thank you everyone for this great discussion and hope others will find it useful and insightful)