And we thought our problems were over when they made an offer... So this bright young couple made an offer on our house, no chain and keen to complete within 28 days. Since we are due to emigrate in August, 'How nice !' we thought. Three surveys and a damp course later, I was feeling a little less charitable about them. But my estate agent assured me they were keen to buy, and had all the finances in place. Then the estate agent says he can't deal with the bloke any more and we are passed to another guy in the branch who says Yes, our buyer is a bit of an arse but he's definitely keen to buy. Friday before last, we get the news that they are going to sign the contract and the exchange can go ahead. On MONDAY I get a five point letter- with twenty quetsions about WHEN was the central heating installed and WILL I read the water meter before I go and WILL I hand over the copy of the damp course certificate. Oh, and has the house been altered since it was built? (It was built in 1820 so I am tempted to write 'what do you think?') So I am mildly peeved- but had been warned this might happen- so send my replies back.
FRIDAY, I get another letter. With another FIVE points. The same questions about the central heating - btw we have had a new boiler, radiator valves and timer fitted as well as the whole thing serviced by a registered Corgi engineer- and stating 'If the answers are not satisfactory he demands a service by a CORGI registered engineer'. I have already sent him the service history and guarantee. Plus the same question about the damp-course. And is the bathroom cabinet included in the price.
But it gets better. I should add that my parents bought the house nearly thirty years ago. At that time, it had the same two-story extension it has today. But Mr. Picky states that I should 'confirm what date the extension was built' AND pay his buildings insurance. I ring my solicitor- she is nearly in tears going 'that awful letter, I just don't know what to say'.
My question is :- At what point should I have thought 'Something isn't right with these people?'
My soliciotr suggested writing a reply and stating that if they don't get off their arses and stop coming up with more five point enquiries about the history of the house, it's going back on the market. The good thing is I can tell the next buyer the house has been surveyed into an inch of its life!
I wonder if these questions are coming from your purchaser or whether they are solicitor led? I can remember we had to ask questions that our solicitor couldn't be fagged to, but told us to ask......... I think although they're a pain, if you need to sell you should grit your teeth, and go with the flow, they say that moving is as stressful as divorce, and this is a good story to highlight the truth of the statement!
flamin 'eck Decca - what do these people want? a cast iron guarantee that nothing will go wrong with the house and fixtures - like EVER? Why buy an older property if you are going to expect everything to be guaranteed?
Are they ftb's? They sound very naive. I guess if you want to go in August then there is still time to go back on the market.... Your solicitor doesn't sound too hot - she should be used to dealing with such things and not passing problems on to you....
them asking you to pay their building insurance would have been the turning point for me. I would have gone so far in your position, wanting to emigrate and all that, but, that just takes the biscuit. I agree with Lee33, show him the door.
A good friend will bail you out of jail...... A TRUE friend will be sitting next to you saying 'Damn, that was fun'.
Set a deadline for exchange (like next week - or even this Friday) and stick to it. You've given them plenty of time and info.
I'm afraid that whenever I have heard of people being messed about like this it has ALWAYS ended up with the buyers pulling out
pugyswugsy - it doesn't matter whose idea the questions were to start with. The solicitor works for the buyers and the responsiblity lies with them. There is no excuse for this sort of nonsense.
Lee33, your comment made me laugh out load, and not a lot else does at the moment
yes, they are first time buyers, and I would add that I think they have a slightly unrealistic idea of the whole house buying process. Obviously, you find out what you can but at the end of the day you have to accept that buying a house is like buying a car- you WILL have to spend money on it at some point. And the horror stories I have heard about new build suggests you can't be sure there either. Our solicitor has been pretty average but I think even she was stunned by the amount of queries and surveys they have demanded.
I would say if they don't exchange by this Friday, they've had it. They have spent a lot of money on surveys presumably so won't want to lose it.
And I would get the EA to line up some viewings for the weekend. It doesn't matter whether they are naive, nervous, or deliberately awkward - it's no concern of yours what the state of their mental health is, you just want to sell the house, so they sign or clear off. (Can you tell I'm not in a good mood today? )
I hope everything turns out okay. Sounds like the kind of buyer who the minute any maintenance is required, or any small problem emerges he will try his best to pin something on the previous owner (obviously a pointless exercise anyway), but you would have the last laugh cos you'd be on the other side of the world!
I wonder what they are like when they buy a car?
*It is not necessary to understand things in order to argue about them. -- Pierre De Beaumarchais
Oh poor you Decca!!! You have my sympathy as well - this has got shades of our "buyer from hell" at our last house. I won't bore you all again with what he did but he DID eventually sign!!! I often wish I'd had the guts to give him a deadline but as we'd already bought the new house I was terrified to call his bluff!!
Originally posted by queenstomper: I wonder what they are like when they buy a car?
Probably like the woman who wanted to buy our last car. She didn't have any friends who knew about cars so wanted to have an AA check. Fair enough, but she wanted us to deduct the cost of the AA check from the price of the car so she could still afford it.
Her logic/argument was that she would still have spent the asking price on buying the car so that was fair and reasonable
This might come out twice as I've just got an error message - apologies if I'm repeating myself
quote:
Originally posted by queenstomper: I wonder what they are like when they buy a car?
Probably like the woman who wanted to buy our last car. She didn't have any friends who knew about cars so wanted to have an AA check. Fair enough, but she wanted us to deduct the cost of the AA check from the price of the car so she could still afford it.
Her logic/argument was that she would still have spent the asking price on buying the car so that was fair and reasonable
lee33 - great comment Pay their buildings insurance - they are taking the pi55. Sorry to be so blunt but Cat and the others all have very good points.
Cheeky so and so.
If they can't be ar5ed to ask all of their questions in one go (albeit exceptionally in depth questions) then you can't be ar5ed to sell it to them in one easy go either. Tell them to put up or shut up. (I think I'm in the same mood as velvet ).
Can you imagine how hard it's gonna be when the homeowner's pack thing comes out. Start filing everything house related away in a drawer - they're gonna ask for everything....
Do they know you're emigrating? I don't think you should follow queenstompers' advice of taking out the policy and then stop making the payments as that may only encourage them further. bet they're fun at the supermarket
Actually this experience as put me right against the idea of buyer's packs. Before this I thoguth it sounded fairly harmless and actually quite friendly, you know a bit like including the manuals for everything. NOW I think it's just going to be a dream for the litigation minded buyer- who is going to demand receipts and guarantees and legally binding documents for every single thing. And there is going to be a lot of stupid court cases about 'You never told me that the man down the road has a bonfire once a year' and 'Where is the receipt for the light switch and was it installed by a professional electrician?'
I suspect that by 'pay his buildings insurance' you are actually paying a one off? I had to do that on my last sale as there was a possiblity of flying freehold being a problem in the future, so the purchaser is covered if it later turns out to be. It does sound like your lot are a bunch of time-wasters though...
It sounds like your potential purchaser is aware that it's now a buyers market.
If you feel that they're pushing the boundaries a little too far, then simply pull out of the deal and look for another buyer.
To be totally honest, we took a similar line with our vendor when we bought in 1991. At the time they hated us, but realised they had little choice other than to concede to our requests.
Five years later our house was worth £10K less than we paid for it. With hindight, perhaps our vendor had the last laugh - they just didn't realise it at the time.
Sellers packs - typical idea from Government which sounds great at the outset i.e speeding things up but could lead to all kinds of problems in the future. In the light of ambulance chasing lawyers now advertising their services with regard to endowment miselling could we see in the future these people turn to litiginous claims aganst sellers packs in a few years? Where's there's trouble there's money
Originally posted by QuaintIrene: Set a deadline for exchange (like next week - or even this Friday) and stick to it. You've given them plenty of time and info.
I'm afraid that whenever I have heard of people being messed about like this it has ALWAYS ended up with the buyers pulling out
Good luck decca
I agree with QI, and its what I would do. These people must have spent a fair bit on surveys and solicitors, so its time for them to put up or shut up...
