Why would a conveyancing solicitor ask this question

[returnofjim 10]

I'm in the process of selling our house, it has been almost six weeks since we accepted an offer. Today I get a phone call from our solicitors with a query from the buyers solicitor. The buyers solicitor has asked why the price has increased. The price they are referring to is the price we paid for the house three and a half years ago. Our solicitor said it wasn't protocol for a solicitor to ask such a question.

 

Our solicitor thought the price increase was in line with the market improvement but still wondered if there was anything I wanted to add. I told him of all the improvements we have done in the three and a half years we have lived here which are complete bathroom refurb, new central heating installation, en-suite and quality fitted wardrobes added to master bedroom, a larger garage and fully decorated throughout including new floor coverings in all rooms.

 

We had five estate agents round when we put the house on the market and they all valued it around the same price £165000-175000 we have accepted an offer of £171000. According to zoopla the estimate they give for our house is £182000 and say our house has increased in price by £28000 in the last three years.

 

I just dont understand why six weeks down the line a solicitor should ask this question about the price.

Edited September 11, 2015 by returnofjim

[geared 321]

The buyer sounds like abit of a mong, you're free to advertise the house at whatever price you like and they're free to offer whatever price they like.

 

They would only come into difficulty if they needed a mortgage and the company assessed the house and deemed it to be overpriced and refused to lend the full amount.

[returnofjim 10]

I could fully understand if that was the case but the buyer has not even had the valuation survey done on the house yet. They have an appointment on Wednesday to finalise the mortgage, so I assume the survey will take place soon after that. We had another buyer for the property which pulled out through no fault of our own, they lost the buyer for their property when we were days away from exchange. The previous buyer had a valution survey done and they said it was worth the amount that had been offered.

 

I am now seriously wondering if the buyer is messing around and if we should just put the house on the market again. Both times the house has been on the market we accepted offers within a week, so we are not having trouble getting acceptable offers in.

Edited September 11, 2015 by returnofjim

[spider1 11]

I could fully understand if that was the case but the buyer has not even had the valuation survey done on the house yet. They have an appointment on Wednesday to finalise the mortgage, so I assume the survey will take place soon after that. We had another buyer for the property which pulled out through no fault of our own, they lost the buyer for their property when we were days away from exchange. The previous buyer had a valution survey done and they said it was worth the amount that had been offered.

 

I am now seriously wondering if the buyer is messing around and if we should just put the house on the market again. Both times the house has been on the market we accepted offers within a week, so we are not having trouble getting acceptable offers in.

The solicitor is only doing what the buyer asked him to. Be carefull seems to me he is going to lower his offer. Is it mr Khan once did it to me wanted £10.000 of very near exchange of contract as he was a first time buyer:suspect:

[Treeman893 10]

Hi, sold a house two years ago and got similar randomly irrelevant questions. My solicitor charged a fixed fee but apparently some sols charge on the work that they do. We were asked three questions that the buyers sols may have been able to charge £25 per letter.