I’m looking to buy a particular horse, and his owners sent me a contract for a deposit. I’ve never done a deposit/contract before so I had a question.
The contract states the asking price. I’d like to offer less, so I do it before the vetting and get the contract updated? Or do it after the vetting? I’m not looking to offer something stupid, just to get him down a few grand closer to my budget.
If you intended to offer less regardless of the outcome of the vetting then you should be upfront with the seller before it’s scheduled. You should both be on the same page regarding price before the vetting. If the vetting turns up any major findings, then you can revisit your offer.
I wouldn’t pay for vetting if the owners will not come down in price. Are you willing or( able ) to pay the asking price or whatever they might counter at?
If you can’t afford him at the price he is listed at, you should find common ground before wasting the sellers time or any of your money.
Good points, thanks!
“Pending an acceptable PPE (no OCD’s, navicular etc), would you take $xx,xxx for Dobbin?”
I think that you need to negotiate your price first. Don’t do anything else until you negotiate a price.
Then you should find out if the seller needs a deposit to hold the horse until after the vetting. You should have a contract before any money changes hands though, and it should state clearly that the deposit will be refunded if the PPE turns up an issue that would affect the horse’s suitability for what you want to do.
Then get the vetting. During the vetting either nothing will come up that is worrisome (congratulations, you will have bought a horse!), or something will come up and you’ll have to decide whether the “something” is small enough not to worry about re-negotiating the price, or whether you still want the horse but at a lower price because of the problem, or you don’t want the horse at all because of the problem.
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