Metal Security Shutters - cannot get full access for survey

Jonesy_McJones

clutton wrote: »

folks who have been repoed are understandably not cooperative as they have been deprived of their home - for whatever reason... could you find him and offer him £50 to let you in ? cash in hand as it were ?

They're not the ones who had the shutters put up - the lender has instructed a company to sell it for them, who in turn instructed a company to put the shutters up for them.

Jonesy_McJones

GDB2222 wrote: »

Hmm, difficult then. How did the mortgage valuer get access? Or didn't he?

He didn't - he wrote something along the lines of assuming there was nothing there that would alter the valuation.

Jonesy_McJones

VIGILANT22 wrote: »

another one trying to buy cheap with no idea as to what is involved............

Er... what?

I don't think the price I've offered is 'cheap' considering the sold prices of other houses in the area, or the work that it needs doing.

GDB2222

I think that you're going to have to take a view then. Is it so cheap that it's a bargain you can't miss? If not, give the EA an ultimatum, 'either give my surveyor access or I'll walk away', and mean it!

One piece of advice from my own experience: I have only ever bought one property that was boarded up, and that was nearly a catastrophe. It was on a fairly rough estate in Lewisham, and I can tell you that it was boarded up for a reason! The central heating pipework was ripped out, and I guess sold for scrap, when I bought it. I reinstalled the pipework, with the boards still on the property, and the locals had enough time to break the boards off and steal the pipes again. None of the neighbours bothered to call the Police. I'm not asking for sympathy. This was a commercial venture, and it all worked out quite well in the end.

The point is that I've seen loads of repos, and only very, very, very occasionally have any of them been boarded up. So, it's not normal for repos to be boarded up, and it's a very strong sign of what the neighbourhood is like.

Jonesy_McJones

GDB2222 wrote: »

I think that you're going to have to take a view then. Is it so cheap that it's a bargain you can't miss? If not, give the EA an ultimatum, 'either give my surveyor access or I'll walk away', and mean it!

One piece of advice from my own experience: I have only ever bought one property that was boarded up, and that was nearly a catastrophe. It was on a fairly rough estate in Lewisham, and I can tell you that it was boarded up for a reason! The central heating pipework was ripped out, and I guess sold for scrap, when I bought it. I reinstalled the pipework, with the boards still on the property, and the locals had enough time to break the boards off and steal the pipes again. None of the neighbours bothered to call the Police. I'm not asking for sympathy. This was a commercial venture, and it all worked out quite well in the end.

The point is that I've seen loads of repos, and only very, very, very occasionally have any of them been boarded up. So, it's not normal for repos to be boarded up, and it's a very strong sign of what the neighbourhood is like.

Apparently the shutters are on there because a squatter (who may or may not have been the previous owner, depending on who you speak to!) got in. I used to live in the area and know people who still do so that's not a concern for me.

Like I said in another post, it's not necessarily a bargain but it does tick all the boxes. (Apart from possibly being about to fall down / have damp / dead bodies in the cellar - yes my mind is working overtime!)

Thanks for all the replies everyone by the way. :beer:

Jonesy_McJones

Hope no one minds - just want to bump this

Owain_Moneysaver

I wouldn't worry too much about dead bodies in the cellar - the police will take those away for you, and you can sell your story to the Daily Sport for enough to pay for all the renovations!

DVardysShadow

Jonesy_McJones wrote: »

Hope no one minds - just want to bump this

What more is there to say?

You have been warned about properties being boarded up. You are happy in your own mind apart from completing the survey. You have been advised either to walk away or put down a strong ultimatum to the vendor to get the shutters down or the deal is off or at a very reduced price.

All that is left is for you to decide and hopefully comeback and let us know what you decided and the outcomes. Or is there a question I have missed?

Jonesy_McJones

DVardysShadow wrote: »

What more is there to say?

You have been warned about properties being boarded up. You are happy in your own mind apart from completing the survey. You have been advised either to walk away or put down a strong ultimatum to the vendor to get the shutters down or the deal is off or at a very reduced price.

All that is left is for you to decide and hopefully comeback and let us know what you decided and the outcomes. Or is there a question I have missed?

Jonesy_McJones wrote: »

Has anyone come across this situation before? Were you able to come to some agreement regarding the shutters?

See above!

PS - The property is not boarded up because of the area - there are no other boarded up properties on this street or neighbouring streets as I far as I know, and I’ve had a good look. There is glass in the windows and doors behind the shutters.

GDB2222

The companies dealing with repos are very inflexible. They never see the properties themselves. They just instruct surveyors and EAs. It's all done according to a long tick-box list. They don't care about you as the buyer at all. They know that you have spent quite a bit already on this, so they probably reckon you won't walk away. However, if you do, it doesn't matter to the repo admin company. It doesn't cost them anything.

In this situation, the person with the most to lose is the estate agent as he'll have to find a new buyer if you walk away. And he's just so close to getting the commission on your purchase! So, my advice is to bully the estate agent. Tell him that unless he gets your surveyor access within 48 hours you will walk away. Tell him you have found somewhere else. Tell him anything you like, really! If, despite this, he won't do anything, I would be extremely suspicious that they are hiding some serious problem with the house.