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Feeling really desperate now - Buyer renaging on Sale

(55 Posts)
cheneslieges132 Wed 05-Dec-18 10:07:10

This might be a long post - sorry in advance!
We have had our Mobile Home in France up for sale for over 20 months ever since my husband practically DIED suffering a Pulmonary Embolism on our return through France in 2017, and spent over a week in Intensive Care in the French Hospital. After much inactivity with the first Sales Agents, I found a new Sales Agent and this has been very successful - 8 enquiries, 4 viewings and TWO offers, the higher offer which we accepted, although MUCH lower than the asking price. This 'Buyer' was very keen and voluntarily offered a 10% Deposit to secure the Sale. We accepted this Deposit.
The whole procedure has been VERY difficult for us, because we can now not travel at all due to my husband's near-fatal collapse, and his Doctor has banned him from traveling long journeys. We therefore have had to rely on the kindness of a friend in France to be a "key-holder" and show all these viewers around - at considerable inconvenience - and we cannot keep repeating this.
However, two days ago we received a letter from this 'Buyer' saying he wishes to pull out of the Sale. We are devastated to say the least. There is no way we can start all over again, since there is now no one in France to show any new potential Buyers around. We ourselves can never go back to France, we are both in our 80's and cannot now travel again (I do not drive and cannot fly because of a serious ear problem). We are absolutely terrified of the possible outcome of this - and we still have to pay the yearly Site Fees of over £4000 where the mobile is sited, despite no one ever using it, or ever being there. We are absolutely bunkered and just do not know what to do - desperately worried.

EllanVannin Wed 05-Dec-18 17:25:57

Poor David got it in the neck through no fault of his own.He wasn't to have known the cost before you mentioned it.

However I realise how cut-up you are. How long have you lived in France ? Bricks and mortar would have been cheaper ?

cheneslieges132 Wed 05-Dec-18 17:40:46

Final comments to you all: JenniferEccles apart from anything else, the £4000 Annual Fees are NOT as you say horrendous - there are Sites in Britain which have Fees of over £10,000 - just try to find one with lower than that, especially in the Lake District. For what is included on this 5* Site, we thought it was incredibly good value. lemongrove I have already mentioned that the Site Owners can do nothing for us. In the end, we may have to do as you say, and just walk away (brokenhearted). As for Craicon it was never bought with a view to renting it out, as we knew that was not possible - we honestly thought that we would sell it after 2 years for about £95,000 or thereabouts. Incidentally, our Selling Price right now was about 1/3rd of what it cost us .... it already is at "rock bottom" price. Jalima1108 I have already said it cannot be let out - Site rules. DoraMarr that company, Caravans in the Sun, is who was our FIRST "Sales Agent" and they are RUBBISH and did nothing for us in all the time they were supposedly selling it for us!! That is why I found a 2nd Sales Agent!!
I think I will just have to close this - there is no help for us I'm afraid.

Riverwalk Wed 05-Dec-18 17:52:07

How long have you lived in France ? Bricks and mortar would have been cheaper ?

Ellan why the questions - how does that help the OP?

She's obviously at the end of her tether and very worried and doesn't need a lecture on what's been done!

We're all wise in hindsight.

EllanVannin Wed 05-Dec-18 17:54:18

Riverwalk, just wondering that's all given her present age.

MawBroon Wed 05-Dec-18 17:58:38

I appreciate your distress cheneslieges but I think there have been some attempts at sympathetic and helpful suggestions.
Do think about at least considering to salvage something from this awful predicament.

petra Wed 05-Dec-18 18:21:38

cheneslieges132
Why are you now having a pop at people who I think have been very kind and supportive in their replies.
You made the choice to buy a home in France in your 'later years' knowing that your 'time' would be limited with these long drives and the time you would have with the mobile home.
It's not other people's fault that you made a poor financial decision.

EllanVannin Wed 05-Dec-18 18:29:36

I'd engage a solicitor considering the value involved. It's not something that I'd tackle singly as an elderly person.

Well said petra. I thought she was quite rude.

Jalima1108 Wed 05-Dec-18 18:54:11

I was wondering that petra - someone who has unwisely got themselves in a financial mess, asking for help, then getting annoyed with posters who try to help.

Who invests in something which they know will lose value when they are 80?

I hope this isn't another one of Those Threads.

merlotgran Wed 05-Dec-18 19:01:17

I hope this isn't another one of Those Threads.

Pantomime season?

Riverwalk Wed 05-Dec-18 19:22:10

I hope this isn't another one of Those Threads.

The OP's name is familiar - she's been around for a long time, plus has come back to explain things further.

Izabella Wed 05-Dec-18 19:35:22

?

Telly Wed 05-Dec-18 19:36:07

Ebay? Advertise it as a bargain. Let's face it if you get something for it you will have cut your losses and get out of the site fees.

JenniferEccles Wed 05-Dec-18 20:29:32

It is not helpful of you to come back on here and to be rude to people who are offering suggestions to you.

Also you will achieve nothing as long as you have the attitude that the situation is hopeless. It isn't.

You can sell ANYTHING - at the right price. It has been on the market for 20 months, which suggests to me that it was overpriced to start with.

Fennel Wed 05-Dec-18 20:50:20

Leboncoin - we sold lots of things on there and they have a section for ventes immobiliers, by dept.

52bright Wed 05-Dec-18 21:42:46

I think the op's tone is a reflection of the desperation she is feeling. Wish I had some helpful advice but I am afraid the only solution is to sell at a greater loss than you had hoped. Please don't walk away with nothing if it can be at all avoided. Could you take a loan to pay this year's site fees. If that is possible it would give you the summer months to sell. Better to lose the £4000 site fees than the whole van. On sites where renting isn't allowed sometimes informal renting goes on because friends and family only are allowed to use the van. As far as the site is concerned friends/family/friends of friends are staying free (as allowed) but rent paid directly to you.

Best I can suggest op but I deeply sympathise with your predicament.

Jalima1108 Wed 05-Dec-18 22:28:19

If the OP is genuine then I apologise for doubting her.

However, posters were trying to be helpful given the facts as presented to them and to be rude to them is not helpful, desperate or not.

Anja Wed 05-Dec-18 23:03:29

This is a sad situation and I sympathise. My suggestion, for what it’s worth, try to forget this until after Christmas. Put it out of your mind, on the back burner and try to enjoy your Christmas. Worrying will not rsolve anything and who knows, if your DH is so ill he needs to have less stress and worry.

Then in Spring put it on the market at a reduced price. One that will sell. You nearly sold once, you can do it again. Better to have something than lose all your retirement fund.

GillT57 Wed 05-Dec-18 23:08:04

I agree that the poster has been rather rude to people who have been generally making helpful suggestions and even scaring their own experiences. We are all sorry for the predicament you find yourself in but to be honest buying such an expensive mobile home in your 80s with an over optimistic idea of what it would sell for 2 years later was hellishly risky.

gillybob Wed 05-Dec-18 23:14:11

Speaking from experience, Fees of £4000 are not unusual in the UK (I cannot speak for France or anywhere else) . Our caravan fees were due in 1st January and we didn’t have 2 beans to rub together so we were forced to sell to the highest......... well only, bidder. It broke my heart . I’m still paying the shortfall of the loan we took out to buy the caravan that was supposed to be our bolt hole. The place that kept us sane and away from “that god forsaken place....work” .

Some people are being too hard on the OP.

Jalima1108 Wed 05-Dec-18 23:31:38

Some people are being too hard on the OP.
I think that posters were being kind and as helpful as they could be with the information they had.

petra Thu 06-Dec-18 06:56:05

Who invests in a retirement fund where by her own admittance you will loose £48,000 in 2yrs.
Bought for £135,000, sell 2 yrs later for £95,000 + 2yrs site fees £8,000.
The OP knows that her and her husband didn't think this through and needs to blame someone.
She would have done much better if she had bought a second hand home. Maybe 5yrs old where all the profit has been taken out of it.

Fennel Thu 06-Dec-18 09:14:03

Here's another site to advertise on:
www.pap.fr/annonce/mobil-home-vendre-3
And notice the prices are in euros, not sterling.

glammanana Thu 06-Dec-18 10:00:56

If the site is run as they are in Spain and I think it will be when and if a sale is acheived a large percentage will have to be paid to the Agents who run the site,that will have to be factured into any sale price the OPs will receive.
It may be a 5* site but not everyone wants or uses the facilities and will opt for cheaper 2nd hand homes on the site.
I do think the OP should look at the replies offered and be thankful that people took the time to try and offer her help.

gillybob Thu 06-Dec-18 10:08:58

Similar thing happened to us here in the U.K. glamma and we had to pay 5% of the selling price to the site . shock

JenniferEccles Thu 06-Dec-18 10:29:49

petra I came to the same conclusion as you.

Sadly for the OP this was never going to work as an investment for retirement at any age let alone for a couple in their eighties was it? The figures would never have stacked up.

Ironically even with interest rates on savings still being so low, they would have been better putting the £135,000 in a building society account. Ok the money wouldn't have increased a lot but at least it would still be intact, and they certainly wouldn't have lost over £40,000 !

The best option now though as most on here have said, is to wait til the Spring then advertise it at a lower rate.