How far does "buyer beware" go?

chivers1977

I am selling to a BTL investor. There are a few niggles that we know about like having not finished off the beading on the laminate floor as we have furniture all the way in front of it & my OH managed to put a hole in the kitchen door which is hollow (we have a poster over it!) You get the idea!

If she has not picked up on these things or the surveyor, can we be held liable? I think that we should put a new door up or say that it happened on moving day and leave some money for the door.... thoughts pls.....

Tomthumb

I hadn't done the beading on my laminate floor either (there were a couple of largish gaps but they were covered by furniture also). I didn't bother doing it before we left. I think maybe I would be a little embarrassed about leaving a door with a hole in, so I personally would replace it.

PoorDave

How attached are you to the poster?! Could leave it where it is.

I believe it's up to the combination of the buyer are their surveyor, strictly, but it depends on your conscience.

Do you have the materials to finish the laminate floor? If so, leave them behind.

chivers1977

My OH thinks that we should just leave the poster. If it was people buying to move into I would feel bad for them but this woman is wanting to market it to tenants before exchange even!!

courtjester

To my knowledge, properties are sold 'as you find it'.

You will not be legally liable for repairing anything UNLESS you have stated that you will repair something or have indicated that the door for example has no hole - or you have answered a specific question on the condition of any part of the property.

You must not mislead a purchaser by making a false statement, hence any questions about condition must be answered honestly - however, if the purchaser does not ask the question, you are not obliged to bring defects to their notice - it is up to the purchaser to conduct their own survey and satisfy themselves that the property is fit for their purpose.

I would say that the flooring aspect is not important (unless you stated or implied that it would be properly finished), although as indicated repairing the hole in the door (which you *know* in your heart is not reasonable) would be a matter of morals and embarrassment to me if not undertaken.

Debt_Free_Chick

chivers1977 wrote:

If she has not picked up on these things or the surveyor, can we be held liable? I think that we should put a new door up or say that it happened on moving day and leave some money for the door.... thoughts pls.....

Not once you complete.

But if the buyer spots anything before then, expect them to negotiate with you - either to put things right and "make good" or a reduction in the price.

Oddgy

We have got a large chunk of plaster that has fallen off from behind the telly - all to do with when we drilled a hole through the wall to put the cables through when we moved the telly.
Well i say its large its about 3 inches x 3 inches.
It happend about a year ago and as the telly was in front you cant see it so forgot about it. We moved the telly yesterday and remememeberd it was there. We sold the house a month ago, and as i said this was already their done a year ago. Do we have to repair it or leave it? The bloke whos moving in has already told us hes having his telly the same place as ours....so??? what do u think?