Moving into house that's been empty for a long time

regency_man

Hi all,

I'm about to move in to my first purchased home (hooray!).

It's a repossession property and has been empty for nearly a year. The repossession agents have (a while back) stuck "DO NOT USE" stickers and tape over absolutely everything, sinks, toilets, showers, boiler, hob, oven, fridge etc. Which I assume is a liability thing. They will also not warrant the condition of anything in the house, which my solicitor tells me is normal for these type of sales.

So, I fully intend to get a gas engineer in to inspect the boiler and hob before turning the gas on. I can do without these for a few days/weeks while I settle in thanks to the season and electric shower.

In terms of the water however, is there a checklist/procedure I should follow for turning it back on? Are there any common issues with water supplies/plumbing in properties that have been empty for a long time?

Thanks.

phoenix_w

regency_man wrote: »

In terms of the water however, is there a checklist/procedure I should follow for turning it back on? Are there any common issues with water supplies/plumbing in properties that have been empty for a long time?

I'd think common sense would prevail here. Turn on the supply a little bit, check for leaks around the place, turn it up some more, check all the outlets are working and for further leaks before turning it on fully.

Depending on how the property was repossessed, sabotage should be assumed (think loosened up waste pipes under the sink and bath, loosened up compression fittings, damages to pipework etc.)

regency_man

phoenix_w wrote: »

Depending on how the property was repossessed, sabotage should be assumed (think loosened up waste pipes under the sink and bath, loosened up compression fittings, damages to pipework etc.)

Yes I had considered this, I don't believe it was a particularly acrimonious repossession - the previous owner is based abroad and had tenants in place at the time, it sounds like he just abandoned it. However it is scary to think what you could do to sabotage a place - makes me very nervous!

System

is the water definitely turned off?
are there any tanks?
i think it's just going to be a thorough inspection, room by room - maybe have some help - i.e. someone to turn on/off at the stopcock

I would do an inspection of the system first, sketch it out or make a list of the entire system then figure out the best order to inspect/test things

elliot341

in regards to the water, it may depend on whether you have a tank in the loft or if the water just connects directly to a combi boiler. If theres a tank it could be empty, full of dust/muck or full of stagnant water thats been there a while. You may need to clean it out etc. If you dont have a tank then potentially letting all the taps run for a decent amount of time should get rid of any water thats been in there for a while.

regency_man

It's a combi-boiler, so no worry on the tank.

So my common sense checklist would be as follows, have I missed anything?

1. Visually inspect all drain fixings.
2. Visually inspect all visible pipework.
3. Ensure all taps and pipe-valves are in OFF position.
4. Turn on mains water supply
5. Conduct complete inspection of house looking/listening for signs of leaks as system pressurizes.
6. Test water fixtures one-by-one for flow and drainage.

brightontraveller

Bought a few reposs most you can tell if they’ve wrecked it lol
Sinks, baths, toilets etc before turning water on fill up a few bottles and tip water down them? if you see hear it coming out there's a leak Ditto toilet system fill and flush, Find this better to do before pressuring up for obvious reasons

Find out where all stopcocks, ball valves etc are located… If your that worried you could use pressure tester they can be hired £30 a day or you can get cheap ones on flea bay etc and follow manufactures instructions there not hard to use fill and pump basically,,,

Dan-Dan

I think you would be wise to spend some time making a similar list for the electrical sockets etc in the house

quidsy

a relative bought a repossession, the previous reposed owners cut every pipe, pulled all the wires from the boiled, cut the radiator pipes & basically sabotaged every aspect of the plumbing & heating. My relative had to fork out a few k to have it rectified & made safe. This was in January. The bank she bought from were about as helpful as a chocolate teapot.

paddyrg

Personally, I'd take advantage of the saved money and get professionals to be professionals -

Spark to turn on the leccy and check all sockets, any electrics
Plumber to turn on water, run it through, sort out the central heating, check out the loo, drains, etc
Gas engineer to service boiler, oven, whatever
Surveyor to have a look at the fabric of the building, floors, roof, etc.

That way you have the skills on-hand to sort any problems as they show up and you can sleep comfortably

regency_man

brightontraveller wrote: »

Bought a few repositions most you can tell if they’ve wrecked it lol

Yeah - I'm fairly confident this one is OK. It is being sold with the entire integrated kitchen suite and a few odd free-standing appliances. It seems unlikely you'd leave several thousands of pounds worth of easily removable items in the house, then do something as obtuse as sabotaging the place.

But you never know...