House buying advise - Seller Estate agent bullying me?

Question

I need advice about a house buying situation where the sellers estate agent is making my life really uncomfortable.

I am concern with way this house sale is going. I feel that I am being bullied into buying house by the sellers Estate agent sales representative despite me being proactive.

I am being advised by the sellers’ representative on a continuous basis that the seller will pull out of the Sale. I was advised that if we cannot complete by the date in July then the Seller would pull out as the Husband is in France and wants to complete ASAP despite me explaining why its not possible politely. I feel intimated at times and it’s making me feel very uncomfortable.

We received forms from the seller where they left the section blank regarding servicing and guarantees. I was advised by the sellers rep. that it’s normal not to have homes serviced. I felt that I am being accused of being to picky.

I am reacting against the fact the forms were not filled in correctly where this house has never been serviced since they moved in since March 2004.

I also have concerns about the fact that this house could have been rented out to individuals. I need to clarify this point as it seems very strange to not service the alarm, central heating system, wood burning stove to confirm that the house is fit for purpose. There are no warranties, no certificates etc.

It was difficult to do a number of checks considering the amount of things that were in the house. On one occasion there were more things in the house than before. This restricted access to many parts of the house. Therefore after clearing the house it was easier to identify a few issues.

They are the ones who delayed the documentation arriving. They are the ones who are not completing the documents correctly. Then they start threatening me to complete by an unrealistic date otherwise they are pulling out.

How do you think this makes me feel? Its not a cheap property and I have to be cautious in order to protect my family. I don’t thing that the house is fit-for-purpose.

There has been a number of valid points from people who are/or not estate agents.

I have appreciate everything is not perfect. But when you put an offer in and they increase it buy 25,000 that seems strange.

Then when I put a higher offer and mentioned I would be pulling out because I cannot afford any more the offer was accepted.

When the offer was accepted I was advised out of the blue that another party has increase our offer even though they dont know what our offer is.

Then there was a clsoed bid. Our bid was sucessfull when we increased it another 2,000. The agent mentioned that the other bidder decided to pull out.

My list includes:
- severe floor creaking
- no service history or bills
- crack on one of the bedroom walls
- large puddle in front of door
- Stove is rusting badly
- Windows are condensating
- Mildew in all bathrooms/showers
- Toilets not flushing well
- Side door for house/garage poor
- No keyfob for garage

Answer 1

This is a high pressure sale. It is a tactic used by Estate Agents to ensure the sale goes through and they get their commission.
I would complain about this Estate Agent to the ombudsman that governs estate agents. I can't think who they are for the minute, but I have done it and got very good results.
I remember now it's the "Ombudsman for Estate Agents"
they can be contacted at
www.oea.co.uk

Answer 2

As an estate agent let me put some water on the fire here. Are you buying a brand new home - no you are not. What level of survey have you had on the property, if its only the basic valuation then the vendor is likely to feel that a buyer who then has concerns over services etc is wanting everything on their terms without wanting to pay for it. However if you are finding that the vendor is unwilling to allow gas or electrical checks then it could well be the vendor is not being open here. You are paying a lot of money for a property and you have the right to make sure that what you are buying is sound, but dont forget the property will not be perfect as it is not new and is used, there is always a level of risk and nothing can be guaranteed to be in A1 condition.

When you purchase it is wise to get a contract with a gas company or engineer for servicing and also you can now get electrical and drains coverage. The key thing here is that everyone is spending money and if you pull out then you will be letting people down. That said you are paying for the property and have to be 100% happy. What advice has your solicitor or your own estate agent given you. At the end of the day if you are not happy and the agent you are buying through is a member then you can go the Ombudsman for Estate Agents or Trading Standards

Good luck - Oh and to everyone else not all estate agents are crooks or just interested in their pay cheque, many of us work many hours and very hard for no thanks at all.

Answer 3

It sounds like you are not being represented by a Buyer's agent or your agent is not doing a very good job.

In California, for preowned homes, the Seller is not obligated to fix anything. The Buyer has the opportunity to ask for repairs or perform inspections/investigations to satisfy themselves on the quality of their purchase. If the Buyer is not satisfied, they may rescind the offer without penalty.

Time is of the essence in all real estate transactions. Rescinding the offer for both parties is dependent on the terms made when the offer was first accepted. In California, the default time period for the Buyer to perform their investigations & request repairs is 17 days. Your time frame or loop hole may be different.

If you've already surpassed that time frame, then you are obligated to continue with the purchase because of the original contract. If you can demonstrate that they gave you disclosures in an untimely manner (after the 17days) or they failed to allow you into the home to do your inspections, you may have a case (speak with an attorney). Otherwise, if you choose to back out and all was 'KOSHER' with the SELLER, then you can lose your deposit and maybe up to 3% of the sales price.

Good luck...

Answer 4

Don't allow yourself to be intimidated...you're the one buying the damn house! The house hasn't been serviced in years and that gives me the feeling they are trying to "unload" it. Something could be really wrong with it. If the sellers can't work with you, the hell with them. Tell them and their thug of an estate agent very firmly how you feel, adding that their pushy tactics have lost them a sale, and then hang up the phone. There will always be another house. You may also want to report the estate agent to the Better Business Bureau. This guy is a lousy estate agent, not the Mafia.

Answer 5

Unless the house is a new build,there may not be any existing guarantees in place for anything.It is always a case of buyer beware with older properties.Have a complete survey done,get a gas and electric fitter to check it and on the strength of their findings make your decision on wether you still want to purchase it.If you feel you do not want that expense and your solicitor is not satisfied with the vendors replies to enquiries,then pull out and look for something else.Do not be intimidated by the agents or sellers if you are genuinely waiting for all the loose ends to be tied up before you complete.Have no more verbal interaction,let your solicitor deal with it,it is much less stressful.Good luck.

Answer 6

Be Careful. Some people will not have their gas fire, alarm and other applicances serviced but that could mean somthing is wrong. We moved into a house last October, within a day our boiler was condemmed and it cost us just over 2 grand. Firstly ask a Corgi engineer to inspect any gas fires or boilers, ensure electrics and other parts of the house are as you want them(have them checked if not sure).Keep asking as many questions as you want it is the biggest thing you will buy in your life. Also ensure you get a proper survey done. Do not let them bully you, it is you that should be ruling them. Remeber that most estate agents will not get payed until the sale goes through so could this be the reason.

Answer 7

house buying advise seller estate agent bullying

Answer 8

The sale of real property must be in writing and the seller and the buyer must have a meeting of the minds and exchange something of value th show good faith. That was the purchase agreement you and the seller signed. the agreement could be voidable if not done properly. All these after thoughts may or may not be relevant. You must go back to the original sales agreement. The seller can not change that nor can you without both of you agreeing to the change. You need the advise of a good Real Estate Attorney. Pay attention, I said Real Estate attorney.

Answer 9

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When there is a lot of back and forth between the two parties it can be tedious and lengthy. If the agents know that it's not going to be easy to get an agreement than they may prefer to negotiate verbally, then get it on paper once it's settled. Personally, I prefer this method of verbal negotiation until we come to a conclusion. But, you must know that if another written offer comes in while you're in verbal negotiations, your verbal offer means nothing if they decide to take the other offer. If you want to have a better chance of not losing this deal I'd get it all in writing.

Answer 10

Unless you've gone to exchange of contracts, the seller is free to pull out at any time -- and so are you! IMHO, the seller is trying to push for a quick completion and doesn't have another buyer in the wings. If the seller had a better buyer (i.e. more money, ready to close immediately, no conditions, etc.) they would have gazumped you already.

This puts you in the driver's seat. If you have your own buyer's agent on the deal, tell the seller's agent to deal with yours and not to have any more direct contact with you or YOU will pull out of the deal. If you're dealing with the seller's agent directly, tell him or her that it will be done on YOUR terms or not at all.

There are plenty of good homes out there. Don't become overly attached to one so that you get yourself bullied into something that you're not comfortable with.