Sold As Seen: What Does It Mean?

Possom

Some listings, eg those below, state that the property is 'sold as seen'.

http://www.propertynews.com/Property/Carrickfergus/1189RR200708893/47-Sunnylands-Avenue/291412049/

http://www.propertynews.com/Property/Larne/MBS670945/2-Drumnahoe-Manor/291412049/


Surely all houses are 'sold as seen', so why put this in the listing? Does it have any real meaning, which distinguishes it from any standard sale?

eddddy

It could mean a few different things... but seeing that one says it's being sold by the Fixed Charge Receiver (i.e. probably a repossession), it probably means:

The firm/people selling the house have never lived in the house and so they know very little about it. They wont be able to answer questions like:
Is the boiler working properly? When was it last serviced? What caused that damp patch on the ceiling? When was the extension built? etc

passion_flower

Edddy is correct it could be a repo with very or no history or it could be a inherited home and the sellers do not want to have the bother of emptying the property prior to selling it, in which case you will buy it as seen with everything in it.

Babbawah

It means "caveat emptor", which roughly translates to "buyer beware".

Whether it is legally enforceable in respect of a house purchase I wouldn't like to explore, but basically you waive any consumer rights granted to you in law.

If you're thinking of buying one then you really do need to know what you're doing. On the basis that you're asking here . . . then you obviously don't.

Move on, find something that might not become a legal fee money pit if/when it all goes tits up.

Mrs_pbradley936

We bought a repossessed house once and had this to face. Have you ever seen the pages of stuff that owners have to fill out? Well these people do not fill out the form so you have to find out for yourself about which of the utilities is there and how much the Council tax is.

Also ours had a new kitchen that had not been paid for and the kitchen people could have come to take it but they never did.

Babbawah

Quizzical_Squirrel wrote: »

It could also mean that what you see is what you base your offer on, and once agreed, that's your price.
No further negotiation because it needs a new boiler or roof or whatever.

Nonsense.

Using this logic 'gazundering' becomes impossible.

At what point does our agreement become the price to be paid?

davidmcn

Babbawah wrote: »

It means "caveat emptor", which roughly translates to "buyer beware".

Whether it is legally enforceable in respect of a house purchase I wouldn't like to explore, but basically you waive any consumer rights granted to you in law.

You don't have much in the way of implied consumer rights when buying a house, as the law presumes that you're getting legal advice about the contract.

If you're thinking of buying one then you really do need to know what you're doing. Move on, find something that might not become a legal fee money pit if/when it all goes tits up.

I think that's overstating it, given that (as the OP suggests) property purchases are largely sold as seen anyway. It just means that you won't have the fairly limited warranties by the seller that e.g. the boiler is in working order or whether the neighbours have an ASBO. You'll still get good title etc.

jackomdj

In some instances it means whatever is in the house gets sold with it, ie if it was a repo or someone has died it may still have their "stuff" which won't get moved out before you move in.

G_M

Often repos have the water and utilities turned off. So you can't check the boiler or anything else even if you wanted to.

You buy 'as seen' - not following checks.