I'm in the process of selling a property for the first time. It's a flat I currently let out to a third party. We agreed a price with buyer a month or so ago and then instructed solicitor to get on with things, obviously incurring fees. Today we received a list of niggles the buyer expects us to sort before completion. I'd perhaps understand if they'd had a survey done and found that there was structural damage needing repair, but this is for minor stuff like a damaged door on the fitted washing machine, slow draining bath (it's always been slow), missing handle on a drawer of the fitted kitchen (it's 10 years old, things are bound to be 'not new' condition. Is this standard stuff or is the buyer being a cheeky sod?
I'm no property tycoon but I would think stuff like this is standard enough. Although a drawer handle sounds unduly pedantic. The fitted washing machine if it's more or less permanent fixture seems reasonable. Can't imagine what you would do with a slow tub. Outside of sneakily putting a small pump on the drain line and leaving it plugged in while they look it over. If I were a potential or current tenant I would probably ask you to fix items like this anyway.
If you found a property that you really wanted would any of those things stop you buying it? No. Yes they are trying it on but its upto you whether the small outlay to sort them is worth it to make sure the sale goes through.
People are just trying to get as much value for their money as they can. Novice property buyers often think properties should be flawless. You should see the lists I have gotten when we sold houses. Pick the one you think are reasonable, fix them and reject the others. Meet them 1/2 way. Example: I would fix the washing machine and explain the drain, then tell them nicely the handle simply isn't ever going to happen.
That's called taking the piss by trying to move as much moving and decorating cost into the agreed price. Did this list appear before or after they agreed a price? If after, ask them whether they want a separate bill or to tack it onto the agreed price, since none of those things were mentioned prior.
Can I just ask how they are aware that the bath is slow to drain? I've never seen anything like that mentioned in a home report, for example, so unless they drew a bath whilst viewing the house, how did they find out about it? As Jumeira_Johnny says, fix the things that are reasonable and tell them where to go with the others (politely, of course ) Whilst it isn't worth jeopardising the sale over a few trivial things, you shouldn't be bending over backwards too much either.
They must have spoken to the current tenants about it. The tenants mentioned the slow-draining a while back when I was fixing a leaky shower faucet. I tested the rate but couldn't see the big deal. I used to live there from when the property was first built and it was always a slow drainer but not to the extent that it ever caused a problem. Who needs a rapid turnaround on a bath ffs?
These are the kind of things worthy of a snag list on a new build, or if renting, but not in your situation. We just bought a new house and did request the seller to fix a couple of things, but that was related to ensuring the extension met building regs. That said, if it's cheap to fix then for the sake of a few quid don't lose out on the sale.
A price was agreed which then went to a solicitor to finalise. Creating a list after this point is in breach of the contract that agreed upon when signing into a value for the property. Your well within your right to tell them to do one to be honest. As others have said though, if it's not a costly fix, do it anyway as a gesture of good will.
Have they had a survey done? It's not worth the effort even to do the simple ones if they haven't even put the money down to book a surveyor.
