Protecting future buyers from a bad house

dave_84

Hello, we recently pulled out of a purchase after our survey came back with very damning results. Terrible damp problems (when we viewed it we were told it was all treated and could see where course had been applied, but was apparently done badly), bowed roof due to incorrect tiles, a structurally unsound modification, basically everything had been bodged and the property was worth significantly less than the asking price.

Obviously this was a pain but what makes us livid is the seller (a builder by trade) blatantly knew about all this before letting us waste all this time and money. Now the house has been re-listed at the same price(!) by the estate agents who are also now fully aware it's not worth it.

I wanted to know is there anything we can do to prevent other buyers from wasting their money on this house? Surely the estate agents have some sort of responsibility knowing the extent of the problems?

phill99

"Fully aware its not worth it". The EA can only advise his client. Additionally the EA will take instructions from his client and if the client wants the house marketed at more than its worth, then they will do this.

How do you know that work hasn't been done to rectify the faults?

Unfortunately there isn't a database where bitter and resentful buyers can register their anger.

dave_84

`i sent the survey to EA and they asked if they could arrange a quote for the work, so yes they are fully aware. I'm not bitter, I know that it's our responsibility to pick up on these problems, I just wondered if there is any laws against this as it's just really unfair especially for first time buyers.

Winter_Phoenix

Unless there is a clause in your contract with the surveyor forbidding this, you could photocopy your survey report and give the copy to the Estate Agent.

This action would not guarantee anything, but would leave you with a clear conscience and (perhaps) prompt the Estate Agent to review any inaccuracies in their written and verbal presentation of the property to potential buyers.

dave_84

Fair enough, have done this. I guess there is nothing more we can do, thank you Winter Phoenix

pixieland

The same thing happened to us,lovely house (we thought)till we got the survey back,done up by a load of cowboys.the house is still on the market,estate agent did say that there has been a damp report done now,still leaves the roof and other problems.

Running_Horse

House might not be worth it to you, but fully worth it to someone else. Short of standing out the front with a placard warning everyone about your concerns, what can you do? It is up to potential purchasers to do the same as you and have a survey done. You are understandably angry things did not work out, but should put that energy into searching for the next place.

Davesnave

Perhaps there should be a way of warning prospective sellers about people who have a survey done, become scared by a few problems and then, after a lot of messing around, pull out, thus wasting the vendor's time.

Now I'm not saying that's the situation here, but perhaps my description might demonstrate the difficulty of policing sales to make them 'fair.'

What a house is worth isn't decided by one or two individuals, but by everyone who views it with the intention of buying. While structural problems feature significantly, there are other considerations. Two people can view the same property and see completely different futures for it.

densol_2

OP - I can see your point, at least you escaped this one ! And by posting about it here re emphasises the importance of having a survey done to find out these nasties and cowboy bodgers!

Maybe one day there will be a website for posting up old surveys - although I imagine Copyright and surveyors would be against such an idea.

Thrugelmir

dave_84 wrote: »

Now the house has been re-listed at the same price(!) by the estate agents who are also now fully aware it's not worth it.

Vendor sets the selling price an agent can only ever advise.

dave_84

Thanks for all your replies, yes obviously angry but this really was a situation where the house was in bad shape having the surveyor abandon half way and tell us explicitly that we should walk away. Not afraid of a little maintenance but this is thousands of pounds worth during which time we wouldn't be able to live in the house, so absolutely do not think we are the time wasters here. Also not interested in 'naming and shaming' just wondered if there were any protections in place for things like that, but obviously not.

Understand that this sort of thing is something that just happens and I should stop crying about it, it get it

Moving on