Would you get in touch with the previous owners of your newly bought house re:issues?

pinkteapot

Absolutely no harm in sending them a letter, if you make it clear that you just want to pick their brains so you don't waste time trying things they've already looked at. Give them your number and say you'd be really grateful if you could have a quick chat about it (so they know you're not asking for a written response which is very formal!).

In all likelihood they won't reply. TBH, I wouldn't. For fear of incriminating myself and revealing something that a judge might think should have been revealed during conveyancing.

But, you just might happen upon people who are open and helpful and not as cynical as us lot on here.

Worst that happens is you waste some time and a stamp.

MysteryMe

Perhaps the vendors had unwittingly used cowboys so knowing what a cowboy did to try and fix an issue is not going to help either. I'd bring in a reputable tradesmen and be guided by their advice.

PasturesNew

Once you've bought it, unless there was a HUGE lie in the documentation .... you're on your own.

Caveat emptor, you had a survey done. No house is perfect and how people perceive the importance of issues varies immensely.

Just forget it, move on - and get the stuff done ... they'll not give a t0ss. You saw it, you did all your research, employed professionals, still chose it. It's over.

pawpurrs

Crikey oh riley the op knows its cavet emptor and all that, and is not looking to lay any blame at all.
By all means ask and hope they will ring back, but they may not, if asked i would try and be helpful.

yorkshire_terrier_owner

It's not necessarily that people are unhelpful, it's that we live in such a litigious world these days and we are so frightened of incriminating ourselves and saying something that could be used against us. I am the sort of person that will do anything to help anyone, but in this circumstance I would do what other suggest here and ignore requests for information for this very reason. As vendor I have no way of knowing what your reasons are for asking or if you have a hidden agenda.

moneyistooshorttomention

I'm someone who is inclined towards a default setting of "Be helpful", but I wouldn't want my buyer contacting me about my last house. She paid the correct price for the condition it was in and, if she tried to contact me, I would fear she was going to try and get some money back.

On the other hand, I would simply see no point in contacting the vendor of my recently-bought house, as I figure he was intelligent enough to be aware of the problems my surveyor should have pointed out (but didn't:mad:) and the mere fact he didn't mention them means he would have no intention of being helpful. The only reason I would want to contact him is to ask who the cowboys were who did a job when his mother bought the house, so that I could try for some redress from THEM for being such cowboys that I had to totally redo the job concerned (and it wasn't cheap). But I'm sure said cowboys would wriggle out of compensating me for their bad workmanship anyway..so whats the point? It hasn't escaped my notice that any guarantee on that cowboy workmanship would have expired literally months before the house was put up for sale....

Kynthia

OP, the people on here ARE the helpful sort as we give our time and knowledge to help others who come here are start threads. What they are saying is that in this situation they would be very very wary. We'd be afraid of getting drawn into a situation where the buyer wanted to sue us or hold us responsible for problems with the house in some way. Or even that this contact could continue and the buyer will still be 'just asking' about stuff in 3 years time. If you phrase the letter right, make it clear that you are very happy with the house and prepared to take on all of the existing and ongoing maintenance issues but a little info from the would really help, and give a number for if they'd prefer to answer with a quick 5 min chat, you never know.

notanewuser

It's a bit different because we bought our house from the bloke that built it.

Over the (many) years I have asked him questions about things and he's been very helpful with giving me plans, supplier names, brick and tile colours etc which has saved us a lot of bother.

BornAtTheRightTime

Goodness everyone seems fearful today! Personally, I'd be inclined to pop round for a quick chat and a nosy, if I was approached in the manner the OP is suggesting. OP should just go ahead and ask - nothing to lose is there?

cootuk

At worst they can tell you to get lost or ignore you. Nothing lost in asking.