O/T House buying advice needed please

Just to add, a gas certificate is only a legal requirement for a landlord letting his property to a tenant. It's not legally required for a homeowner occupying a property for their own use. However, I would question why anyone having gas work done would not get a certificate at the same time? The additional cost would be negligible. I've a couple of friends who are gas safe installers and they don't even ask, they automatically issue a certificate when doing a job. They have to check their work is up to standard anyway, so why not just sign the form?

 

I'm pretty certain you do need to register it when having a new boiler installed? It's just the later checks you don't need as a homeowner. I am more worried that none of the work that has been done has been registered with any company (boiler, wall removals, window replacements etc.), it makes me what sort of cowboys they got in that none of them filled out the forms.

 

Based on what I’ve just read through the thread JD, if I was in your situation and the vendor wouldn’t budge I’m afraid I’d walk away from it. I’ve bought 3x houses in the past and it’s never easy when these things crop up. I’ve lost on a house due to similar circumstances but now live in one that is better than the one i originally wanted. there is always light at the end of the tunnel. I’m also a firm believer that “things sometimes happen for a reason”. Good luck tho

 

They are minimal in terms of the purchase price, but can mount up with each failed purchase.

Exchange of contracts has got nowt to do with it.

Once you've exchanged contracts, you're committing yourself to purchasing that property.

You don't exchange unless you're satisfied with your searches.

 

I would walk away. It’s not worth the hassle or stress now or down the line.

 

I think you may have answered your own questions about the house there. I sincerely hope you get this dilemma sorted out. My advice would be to be selfish - think only about what's best for you both. The sellers and everyone else are irrelevant. Once again good luck.

 

We had a similar situation regarding the removal of internal load bearing walls and no building control sign off when buying a house earlier this year and I posted on here for advice (cant seem to find the thread). Given the timescales since the work was completed then the indemnity insurance is worthless so just be careful. Luckily we met the seller directly and she had the boiler and electrical installations tested and we also negotiated a reduction in the overall sale price because of the situation with the internal walls.

I know you really want the house but you will be left with the same problems should you and your other half come to sell the property in the future. As others have already said I would call the seller bluff and walk away if he isn't willing to negotiate with you. Yes you may lose out on £500 or so for the homebuyer's survey and aborted legal fees but it could save you thousands of pounds in repairs.

Good luck JD whatever you decide to do...

 

The point is that if you exchange contracts, you've committed to purchasing. And can end up with all sorts of costs for breach thereof.

You only exchange once you're OK with the results of your searches.

The rest of the stuff that you are mentioning is neither here nor there. If you don't exchange contracts.

It's like saying if you don't go on holiday, you don't end up with a bill for all that booze you sup.

 

Who would we try and negotiate through? We were discussing it with the EA agent before but got nowhere. Do we try again with them or mention it through our solicitor?

 

Everything you communicate through your solicitor could potentially increase your fees payable in the event of an abortive transaction. If there's another alternative, through the selling agent, or even direct with the vendors, it could save you money. What a nightmare.

 

It would make me wonder too, absolutely.

I think the replies on here are just a confirmation - I think you know what you have to do. Unfortunately. Vendor comes down or you walk.

 

VERY GOOD ADVICE

 

PS there is a plaque in the East Stand to our friend mark Ellis, who died due to carbon monoxide poisoning, a little over 10 years ago.

 

Is this not mountains out of molehills?

Breaking it down you just need a service on a boiler, (had ours done last week along with the gas fire cost 60 quid,) once he’s serviced it if it’s in working order he’ll certify it, if it needs work he’ll quote for the work, and you ask the vendor to pay for the work or knock it off the asking price, if you explain to the gas fitter what’s happening he’ll probably add the service cost to the quote for the work on the boiler if any needs doing so it’ll not cost you anything.
As for the windows doors and the RSJ you just need a builder, he’ll walk in the house look at the RSJ go up stairs knock on the wall above and tell you straight away within being in the house less than a minute if it’s load bearing or not, if it is the vendor lied and you have wiggle room to negotiate on the price should work need doing, if it’s not load bearing then you have nothing to worry about what so ever, as for the windows he’ll be able to check every window in the house within five minutes to see if they’re fitted properly and up to regulatory standard at the time of fitting, if the work meets current building standards he’ll be more then happy to certify the work for you for a minimal fee, he’ll be able to do this for you in less than 10 minutes on his way home from work. Honestly it’s a nothing job finding out if the work that’s been done is up to standard or not. I really can’t see the problem with the above, the damp corse is the expensive job should it need doing, and that’s where you need to be coming to an agreement with the vendor on who foots the bill for that. But it could be something as simple as a blocked gutter or a leaking pipe again a builder would be able to tell you this straight away. In my opinion you’re worrying about nothing.

 

When Kaht Junior received her valuation/homebuyer report the valuation came in 10k under. She went back to the estate agent to tell them this, assuming that the whole deal would be off. The estate agent then asked that it be left with her but came back the same day saying that the vendors had obtained a 10k uplift on their mortgage and were happy to drop their sale price by the same amount to allow the transactions to proceed. So in the light of that, I'd go back to the estate agent and let them do what they can, telling them that you will need the required amount of movement or the deal will be off.

 

Yes - appreciate all of that Toby but the point was really about whether/how much the solicitors would refund if the transaction didn't proceed. On that issue, Kaht Junior was refunded everything except disbursements, although there was an understanding that she would go back and use the same firm when she found an alternative property. I suppose most firms will have a policy about this type of situation, which can't be uncommon?

 

I wouldn't worry about the valuation, every property i've bought has been undervalued by the surveyor compared to the purchase price. However, I would factor in a market shock in 6 months time. It may not happen, but I personally believe one of the first things to hit post Brexit is a major confidence fall and property is the top of the confidence chain. As such, you could see negative equity very swiftly. We've seen the market cool in London and properties with niggles not budging, one property round the corner from me has fallen by about 30% over 18 months and had multiple agents. London tends to be the start of all national trends. Alternatively, if Brexit didn't happen, or a far more aligned deal than expected, the market may breathe a sigh of relief and see something of a confidence bounce. The former is probably more likely as it stands though, but that could change quickly.

I'd approach the vendor and outline you want a more detailed inspection. You'd probably get a gas engineer for free on the basis of a simple quote, the structural engineer, you'd have to foot the cost of that, but maybe ask the vendor to share costs, or knock the price off if the purchase completes. Alternatively, you ask the vendor to rectify these issues and highlight they will appear on any future survey, so the issues will persist.

Ultimately, if you don't think it will stack up, be prepared to walk away. Financially, emotionally and just out of safety... its much easier to walk away from something that could cost you a fortune, drain your emotions every day with stress and worry, and ultimately but your safety at risk.

 

Just one more point... my mum moved 2-3 years ago. She saw a property she really loved. It had had walls knocked out, roof work and some other renovations. During the legal work and survey, she found the property had no certificates, and several of the jobs were bodged. The supports for removing a wall weren't sufficient and a chimney breast was removed downstairs and not supported properly. After several attempts to get certification for some things and ask for remedial works to sure up the roof and support walls, the vendor wouldn't budge, then went quiet.

Though disappointed, my mum pulled out of the purchase. A week later, she saw a property in an area she hadn't looked at before, agreed a cheaper price than the other deal, moved in seamlessly and after a few projects on it, is now happy as can be.

 

Thank you everyone for all of the advice. Hopefully something positive will come of it.