Survey

seven-day-weekend

We have recently accepted an offer on our house and I am getting anxious about the survey, having heard horror stories of lenders wanting certification for everything. The house was was built c.1857.

1. We have a creeping freehold. Next door's bedrooms come over our entrance way, for the full depth of both houses. It's about a metre wide. They have no right of way down the entrance way. Is this likely to cause a problem?

2. We have a utility room that was constructed in 1990, simply by roofing (with plastic sheeting) over the outside space between next door's back wall and our kitchen, and putting a door and window on the front. We did not need planning permission for this. Is this likely to be a problem?

3. We had the house rewired about 25 years ago, but have no certification (I don't think you needed it then). Could this be a problem?

4. We have a loft room which is (we think) original to the house. Certainly it can be traced back at least fifty years. We have opened up the roof space (just by removing plasterboard) and put an extra velux window in (no certification as before the time you needed it), also put laminate flooring down. Obviously there is no sort of certification for this room. If they look at the stairs they can tell it is old. Is this likely to cause a problem?

Is there anything we can do if any of these cause a problem?

We do have certification for some of the windows (they are all UPVC double glazed, but some were done before the need for certification) and the installation of the woodburner.

We have lived in this house for forty years.

I know I should just wait for the survey, but I like to be prepared. Thanks in advance or any advice.

Davesnave

I wouldn't be bothered by any of the above, except perhaps the loft room, where I would want it to conform with modern practice for safe egress and smoke containment in the event of fire, but I'd expect to make any alterations myself in the case of a stairway with a long history.

There may be people who might baulk at some of these things. We meet them every week here, don't we? So, what you need to find is a purchaser like me!

Seriously, most people who choose period property are more clued-up about its foibles, or they become so after a few viewings.

It's character, innit?

seven-day-weekend

The buyers are FTBs , but the guy is a builder so hopefully will have a bit of knowledge about these things.

Thanks Davesnave for your comments.

Mrs_pbradley936

I agree with the previous poster - people that choose to live in older houses readily accept their characteristics. For example I have lived in houses hundreds of years old - built before plumbing was ever thought of and such plumbing added on. Hence the pipes are visible and subject to freezing in the winter. Modern houses are built to high codes and nobody ever has a burst pipe in a modern house.

The only problem I can foresee is a youngster without knowledge comparing and contrasting a new build with an older property. In a new property if you need to replace a window or door you can probably find one in Wickes or B & Q. In an older (especially if listed) property you would need to pay a carpenter to make/adapt the item and its surrounds.

seven-day-weekend

Thanks Mrs PB. It's a Victorian mid-terraced house. Tens of thousands of them around the country.

The buyers have looked at newer property. They liked ours because, for the same budget, they get two downstairs reception rooms (instead of one) , three double bedrooms (instead of two and a box room) and a decent size, mature garden (instead of a handkerchief size lawn). They have no problems with the downstairs bathroom.

It's not really them I'm worried about, it's if they can't get their mortgage because we haven't got certification.

I'm probably worrying needlessly.

Thanks anyway.

ancientofdays

There's nothing there that would put me off, if your house had been in our area, I would have made you an offer because it is just rIght. I saw it when you put up a link to tge details. Like you, I have lived in old houses for over 30 years and they have their quirks which is what makes them desirable, and just think how many people have mortgages on this type of house, mortgage companies must lend on these all the time

seven-day-weekend

Thanks ancientofdays (brilliant name!) for your kind words.

I suppose it's first-time sellers' nerves. Maybe we have them as much as first-time buyers

(we have sold an investment property (where we didn't think there would be any problem with the survey and there wasn't, perhaps because the cash buyer did not bother with one!), and our house in Spain (where they don't bother with things like surveys, just a valuation from the bank), but we have never sold our family home before).

G_M

The creeping/flying freehold may put off some lenders, so depends if the buyer is getting a mortgage, and with who.

It also depends what repairing/maintenance covenants exist to cover this area. If none, buyers/lenders may be concerned about the possibility of future disputes over who repairs what and who pays, and what happens if one side refuses access (eg for a roof repair).

Solution is a Deed between the two neighbouring properties.

seven-day-weekend

G_M wrote: »

The creeping/flying freehold may put off some lenders, so depends if the buyer is getting a mortgage, and with who.

It also depends what repairing/maintenance covenants exist to cover this area. If none, buyers/lenders may be concerned about the possibility of future disputes over who repairs what and who pays, and what happens if one side refuses access (eg for a roof repair).

Solution is a Deed between the two neighbouring properties.

We have the creeping freehold. Next-door's bedrooms (the flying freehold) go over our entry passage (our front door into the house is halfway down this passage.). We own the passage, they own the bedrooms.

There is no question of access. It is no-one's right of access but ours. Roof repairs irrelevant to us, it is next door's roof (although I suppose the part of it over their bedrooms is actually inside our boundary).

Basically, our house would stand if theirs was taken away, theirs would fall down without ours. It was in fact joined on about thirty years after ours was built, as far as we can ascertain.

So I hope it won't be a problem. (but glad to know there is a solution if there is one!). Would the lenders on our house care whether next door could maintain their roof or not?

G_M

seven-day-weekend wrote: »

We have the creeping freehold. Next-door's bedrooms (the flying freehold) go over our entry passage (our front door into the house is halfway down this passage.). We own the passage, they own the bedrooms.

There is no question of access. It is no-one's right of access but ours. Roof repairs irrelevant to us, it is next door's roof (although I suppose the part of it over their bedrooms is actually inside our boundary).

Basically, our house would stand if theirs was taken away, theirs would fall down without ours. It was in fact joined on about thirty years after ours was built, as far as we can ascertain.

So I hope it won't be a problem. (but glad to know there is a solution if there is one!). Would the lenders on our house care whether next door could maintain their roof or not?

Hypethetically, suppose next door allowed the roof to deteriorate, eg perhaps the owner died and the relatives left it abandoned. Rain gets in and starts penetrating down. Rain water does not always flow directly down - it follow slopes beams and walls etc, so it might cause damp to your top floor ceilings& walls (next to their bedroom) or even the ceiling to your ground floor.

a) who pays for the new roof? You ask them to fix and they refuse....
b) You offer to pay (and even just employ a builder) but they are right *****s and refuse you access to their roof, and threaten you with trespass

Now, it' an extreme example, but the potential is there for complicated legal disputes, which mortgage lenders don't like.....

Hence a Deed which lays out rights, and responsibilities, of each property owner.

missbiggles1

We bought a property with a flying freehold some years ago and had no problem with either the original mortgage or subsequent remortgage - neither did our buyers. They're very common in many parts of the country.