Interpretation of Seller Behavior

The seller certainly put a lot of effort into the offer (I say this without having seen the 2-h video). I find it understandable that there is little sympathy for such a low offer. And I do not think 400 k€ is too much for the size and location in comparison.

best regards

But honestly, why do you get an expert if not to follow them? I can only partially understand the accusation, and you can also give an estimated price by feeling without experts

I would use them to have the building fabric assessed, so I know I'm not buying a renovation case. Nothing more. They don't even have the knowledge and ability to assess the "market price." Where would that come from anyway. Just the valuation Boris + 15% surcharge is ridiculous for the house in the exposé

So then we toured with the really good inspector. He measured wall moisture and temperatures and was well prepared. He then valued the house at €330,000 at the end. If you also want to accommodate living or sleeping rooms in the upper floor (which we do), you can’t avoid re-insulating the roof (above the rafters). The bathroom upstairs would also need to be renewed. The gables upstairs must also be insulated. The exterior facilities also need to be completely renewed at some point. Nevertheless, you can move in immediately on the ground floor; everything you would need for a certain time is there. Online valuations based on location, condition, etc., confirmed this value by the way (€280,000–€340,000).

For me, it would be interesting to know what value the inspector would have assigned if the seller had commissioned him and not you as potential buyers.

Since we were still enthusiastic about the house, we made an offer one day later. €340,000. €10,000 above the estimate.

Since other forum members have already confirmed that your behavior is fine, allow me to say that I actually find it rather extremely unfriendly up to aggressive. Especially since you also mentioned that the seller seems to be a nice person and you deliberately wanted to rub him up the wrong way (as you mention in a later post).

Less than 2 hours later, the price on the online platforms was reduced from €450,000 by about €20,000.

That doesn’t have to have anything to do with you; we also always experimented a bit with our listing and played around.

Yesterday, after my inquiry, the feedback was that he actually didn’t want to get back to us because of our “rude” offer. He found it cheeky to offer so far below the listed price and said he would never have dared to do that.

I share the seller’s assessment, but as mentioned, other forum members have already sided with you. It would be good to leave the seller alone now.

The seller seems to be a nice person, ...

All the more unpleasant, from my subjective point of view, that you deliberately wanted to rub him up the wrong way.

Your report is very interesting in any case, and I am curious how it will go with other existing houses and how it will develop with the inspector, who will probably also be involved then.

I would be interested to know whether the appraiser took into account that it is a two-family house. In my assessment, two kitchens and two bathrooms should be valued higher than one kitchen and one bathroom or one kitchen and two bathrooms.

we knew that by doing this we would first upset him

Bang......that’s probably it then.
You want to make a deal (both sides should be satisfied) and you even consciously hit the other person right in the face? Ok, that wouldn’t exactly have been my strategy.

So overall I think that the seller has invested a lot of money and time in recent years and that has been factored into his price considerations.

That’s it!
In addition, there is no real estate agent commission.

The house looks top, it will never go for less than 400k... rightfully so.

Just use the search function in the region and you can at least get a rough feeling for price and alternatives. Another house in the area, significantly less nice, 15% more expensive per sqm........

I also don’t understand why everyone here calls it a ‘nerve’ to make an offer below the asking price.
A nerve are rather the asking prices in the demanded areas.

I agree with you. Both are possible, a high demand as well as a low offer, completely emotionless, it works or it doesn’t. No one is forced into anything. As a seller I want the maximum price, tomorrow as a buyer I see it the other way around.

I was shocked how he canceled on us and not that. He said he had to restrain himself not to be rude

Huh? Why are you shocked and affected after you deliberately and consciously upset him, as you yourself write? I wouldn’t have answered at all in his place but that would also have been rude.
If you privately, i.e. without a real estate agent, list a house for sale, you should actually throw your phone away right away. I have experienced it, 100 calls and 95 times nonsense and 30-40% under price. From the other five, the first took it, but for the other 95 times you need a thick skin.

and not on the one who directly offered much less and set an ultimatum

.... I don’t understand at all how someone can come up with such an idea: You would have to hope that the other person is massively under pressure and that you want to take advantage of their distress......
I believe that on your side you have used tougher means here than you yourself now want to endure; you will do it differently on the next project. I would have set an ultimatum to YOU rather as a seller.
The seller has obviously made an effort and described in detail, far more than most real estate agents. From the pictures you can see that the people didn’t install cheap junk but also took care with that. The upper floor can be rented out and brings income, he attached the calculation for amortization anyway.
We searched for a very long time and in a wide radius, so I think this is an interesting “honest” property, whether it is worth the price to you, you have to decide yourself.

I would be interested to know if the appraiser took into account that it is a two-family house. Two kitchens and two bathrooms are, in my estimation, worth more than one kitchen and one bathroom or one kitchen and two bathrooms.

That’s right, you can rent out the upper floor/if necessary also sell it, later live upstairs yourself and have young people etc. downstairs..... if you want or need to see these things you will also appreciate them.
In any case, absolutely EVERYTHING really points to decent people who have taken very good care of their property. Not every house seller can say that about themselves.

Huh? Why are you shocked and upset after you deliberately and consciously hurt him, as you yourself write? If I were in his place, I wouldn’t have responded at all, but that would also be unfriendly.

We are not in an interrogation here, where you look for inconsistent statements and then confront the OP with them ;) :cool::oops: