ASK197: How can I use a survey to negotiate a discount? PLUS: Can my agent hike their fees?

This week on Ask Rob & Rob, the guys are dishing out advice on how to best handle homebuyer surveys whilst using them to your advantage, and what to do when your letting agent adds in new fees to your contract.  They’re certainly two questions that probably 90% of investors will come across at some point in their property journey, so this is definitely an episode to bookmark!  Our first question comes in from Cassie. She wants to know how you can use a home buyers survey to negotiate a price.  She’s previously had one done that says a property needs a lot of repairs doing to it. Can she use this survey along with the property valuation to her advantage to negotiate a better deal? Rob B explains the different levels of homebuyer surveys you can get and advises Cassie on what she should do, with one potential outcome being to walk away from the deal.  Rob D points out that Cassie is in an even better position than she was at the beginning now that she has this additional information. Ultimately, it’s her choice what she does, if she can get a better deal, great!  But if the numbers aren’t going to stack up, then as The Robs mentioned last week, sometimes walking away is the best possible option. The second question is from Matt  who’s having a bit of a dispute with the letting agent for one of his properties. The current tenant has just given notice to leave and the letting agent is now saying that due to the new tenant fee ban, they need to charge Matt to get new tenants in. Is the letting agent allowed to do this? Can Matt dispute it and within his rights to avoid paying for it or is he going to have to suck it up and take on the new agreement? Matt certainly isn’t alone in this situation, there’s numerous letting agents who are implementing these new charges so that they’re not out of pocket.  So what advice do The Robs have for Matt? Should he stick with his current letting agent and accept the fees, or should he start to shop around for a new agent?  To make life easier, he could just head on over to Property Hub Lets, but tune in to find out what Rob & Rob suggests. Do you have a buy to let or property investment related question for Rob & Rob? You could feature on the next episode by giving us a call on 013 808 00035 and leaving a message with your name and question (normal UK call rates apply).  Or if you prefer, click here to leave a recording via your computer instead. The next question on Ask Rob & Rob could be yours.  Have you joined us over on the Property Hub Forum yet? Our online community is friendly, informative, and the members are waiting to welcome you with open arms. So get yourself over and introduce yourself. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.