Sold as seen statements

[ClaretMick]

Hi.

I am buying the show home on a persimmon development and I have not yet exchanged contracts as yet but were due to exchange today.

I received a phone call inviting me to do a pre completion demonstration (or something similarly named), which I understand it is to walk us through our new home and show us where things are and how things work.

On the phone call, I questioned why it was so urgent when completion wasn't set until end of April (due to builder needing to relocate the sales office). The response was that she was getting busy and wanted to make sure we were happy with it all. I made a statement about what happens if someone were to damage the house in anyway between now and then and I was advised that it was sold as seen and priced accordingly for this - which in my opinion is complete BS.

Having phoned my solicitor, he confirmed that show homes were sold as seen and the only thing that I could argue was that the damage was not there when I originally agreed to buy it. Now I am worrying because there was no defined list to what problems were there when we agreed to buy it 5 weeks ago and because the last new build I bought was not a show-home off plan, we did a snagging list about 3 or 4 days before completion. Clearly, I am now worried to what I am letting myself in for.

I have negotiated the price down due to the parking not being as described, am I entitled to argue that if they will not agree to do a snagging list with me and promise to put right any problems, then I want the price to be reduced - afterall, you do pay a premium for it being new?

Is there anything else that I can do to ensure that I am not walking into a house that will have scratched worktops or holes left in the wall from where the pictures are and carpets being muddied up etc.