Okay, so I'm in the middle of trying to buy a small plot of land just outside town. It's not huge, but it's perfect for what I wanna do (small cabin, bit of gardening, you know the dream). Anyway, the seller's price seems fair-ish, but my buddy keeps telling me I'm nuts if I don't at least try to haggle it down a bit. Thing is, I'm terrible at negotiating and always feel kinda awkward about it. Like, what if they get annoyed and sell it to someone else? Or what if I lowball too much and offend them?
So quick poll time: when you're buying property or something big like that, do you usually try to negotiate the price down or just accept whatever they're asking? Curious how many folks out there are confident negotiators vs. those who'd rather avoid the hassle altogether.
Feel free to share your experiences too—maybe it'll help me grow a backbone before I meet up with this seller again, haha.
I get the hesitation, negotiating can feel awkward, especially if you're not used to it. But honestly, sellers usually expect a bit of back-and-forth. I've bought a couple of properties and each time I negotiated—even when the asking price was fair. It's not about lowballing, just making sure you're getting the best value. Maybe start gently, like 5-10% below asking? Worst case scenario, they say no and you pay asking price anyway...no harm done. You've got this!
"Maybe start gently, like 5-10% below asking? Worst case scenario, they say no and you pay asking price anyway...no harm done."
Yeah, totally agree with this approach. I've found that sellers often price with a bit of wiggle room built in anyway. When I bought my last plot, I started around 8% under asking—not to push too hard, just curious how flexible they were. They countered halfway, and we landed at about 4% below asking. Definitely worth the slight discomfort of negotiating to save a few thousand bucks...
I've found that sellers often price with a bit of wiggle room built in anyway. When I bought my last plot, I started around 8% under asking—not to push too hard, just curious how flexible they were.
Yeah, most sellers I've dealt with expect a bit of back-and-forth anyway. But sometimes if the property's priced really well, lowballing—even gently—can backfire. Ever had a seller get offended and shut down negotiations completely?
"But sometimes if the property's priced really well, lowballing—even gently—can backfire."
That's a good point. I've noticed that too, especially in competitive markets. Sellers who know they've priced their property fairly can get defensive if they feel you're undervaluing their effort. I once made an offer about 5% below asking on a plot that was already priced attractively, and the seller politely but firmly declined without a counteroffer. It taught me to gauge the market carefully before deciding how much wiggle room to test.
