question, underpinning, council grant?

vicstick86

Hi
We are currently in the process of buying and selling. We were nearing sorting an exchange date, when our solicitor found building regs constent for underpinning on a search. I spoke to the estate agent... who spoke to the vendor, she says she recalls having a grant to do some work to the house, but couldnt remember what work.... I've goggled grants etc. But can find no further ideas on what this grant might have been for in relationing to underpinning.
I'm having to wait for all the paper work to come through, but in the mean time its driving me mad. My question, to ease my suffering a bit, is does anyone know of any grants that would have been given/avaliable in 2000, on a victorian terrace? Were grants given out for areas on bad soil before we hit a ressesion or is that just silly thoughts on my part??
Thanks is advance

ValHaller

vicstick86 wrote: »

who spoke to the vendor, she says she recalls having a grant to do some work to the house, but couldnt remember what work

Couldn't? This sounds more like a deliberate failure of memory.

I would walk away from this one, because you will never get to the truth.

SG27

Was planning permission required? If so the plans will be available to view on the council website.

BASFORDLAD

No grants were not given out for "bad soil"

tom9980

mining board grants maybe? sounds strange to me frankly

moneyistooshorttomention

Sounds like a rather convenient example of memory failure to me.

I'd still be checking it out in your position though, as I've never heard of grants for underpinning - so maybe it wasnt that.

Councils can be a bit "odd" in what they give grants for. I had assumed that grants for roof replacement had gone totally (apart from for people on benefit) just before I bought my old house - boo...hiss:mad:. However, when the old slate roof went and had to be replaced and I still hadnt got the money for it, I did ask the Council whether it was possible to get any sort of grant at all towards the cost (ie because of my low salary meaning I couldnt afford it and would have to get in debt for it) and they did give me a partial grant in the event. I still had to go into debt to pay the majority of the cost myself, but I did have that partial grant.

I would hazard a guess that there might be some sort of underpinning grant (at least in past history - if now fallen victim to cuts) for properties in mining type areas, but not in non-mining areas. Are you in a mining area?

Like I said - "very convenient memory loss". I could tell you exactly what I've had from the "authorities":
- free loft insulation
- that partial roof grant

and I've still got the paperwork regarding that roof.

and what I couldnt get:
- cavity wall insulation (because only part of my house is cavity wall)

AlexMac

Assuming your solicitor's standard enquires to the vendor included the question 'any history of subsidence' (and if not, what are you paying them for?) this means the vendor has wilfully mis-represented.

And you in turn, will have to declare this history when in future you sell, thus de-valuing the house. Or lie by omission and potentially be on the wrong end of court action if your future buyers discover it (assuming it doesn't send them running for the hills before completion).

Presumably your current vendor has no certificates or guarantees for the work? If they do, and these satisfy your insurer, you can happily proceed, but I'd try to establish what else they haven't told you; neighbour disputes? Flood? Internal structural alterations? Your solicitor will ask whatever you want her/him to in the way of supplementary written enquiries. And then, you take a view on whether to walk away or haggle the price down. Its the biggest thing you'll buy!

kingstreet

You may also have a subsidence/underpinning declaration to make to your insurers and your solicitor should disclose it to your mortgage lender (if any) for their surveyor to determine if it affects the valuation.