Please HELP , need expert advice.

Kinga1c

Please help.

I am looking to buy a repossesed property via an estate agent, which has been taken off the auction by the bank twice.
The electric\gas\water\plumbing has all been turned off as the property has been vacant for one and a half years. How can I get this all checked out before I commit to buying the property? I have asked the estate agent to turn it all back on but she suggests that it will not be likely. Also does anyone know why it would be taken off auction twice ?

Also ontop of that the neighbour is suggesting there maybe plumbing issues, and is threating to turn off the stop-tap which is in her house that feeds both houses as she seems to think that both houses are using the same water pipe and waste pipe and there seems to be a bad smell of sewage entering her house. Also she seems to think that the water supply pipe supplying the vacant house is drawn from the public pathway underneath her house to the vacant house, unless a seperate pipe is installed to the vacant house she will turn the water off 28 days after the new owner moves in? Does anyone know what my legal rights are regarding this ? How can I verfiy if she is right about the pipe work or not ?:j:money:

BoGoF

In all honesty you have no rights at the minute and in your shoes wouldn't touch it with a bargepole.

Only thing I can think off is speak to the water board but until you are owner it may be regarded as none of your business

Doozergirl

Doesn't really matter if she's right or not, you'd be buying next door to a troublesome neighbour! If you're planning to live in it, think carefully. I've learned that good neighbours help make a house a proper home.

Doozergirl

Have the lenders produced anything like a HIP or done the searches for the auction pack? A drainage search might help. They cost about £40-50 and you can order one yourself if you like.

They won't switch anything on for you. That's the deal with repos. It's for insurance.

jackomdj

Is the neighbour or one of her friends or relatives interested in buying It? It sounds to me as if she is trying to put you off.

If you were to offer I would build in some possible costs, assuming the house still comes in at a reasonable price you could go for it.

But as others have said doesn't sound like you will end up with a friendly neighbour

G_M

Yup. Insurance requirement that the watr be not only turned off but completely drained down. The attic tank is empty; the radiators are empty; the loo cistern is empty. With a repo you buy it as seen (or more accurately, blind!). Not for th faint-hearted!

By 'taken off auction' do you mean failed to sell/meet the reserve price, or withdrawn prior?

Best advice? Unless you have plenty of cash reserves for contingency, plan this as a major 'project' and very good reasons for wanting this property, walk away.

silvercar

The bad smell could be stagnating water or because the water has been drained there is no water in the u-bends so the smells can appear.

If there is a shared water pipe (quite common in terraced houses in the 1960s and before) there should be covenants in the deeds regarding access and maintenance and she can't just turn off your water.

You would have thought a neighbour would be delighted that the house may be occupied again.....could be a difficult person to deal with.

Doozergirl

silvercar wrote: »

You would have thought a neighbour would be delighted that the house may be occupied again.....could be a difficult person to deal with.

I've seen more than one thread where people have been so desperate to get away from neighbours that they've considered just leaving.

I'd send my H round to introduce himself and talk to her - see what can be drawn from a simple conversation.

flora48

I wouldn't fancy having her as my neighbour, escape now.