House age

Pinkz

Hi I bought a house and was told it was built in approx 1955 but it's since come to light it could be as old as 1927 and definitely before 1938. What's the implications of this? Our insurance obviously states 1955 which is what the surveyors told us. I'm a bit annoyed as 5 minutes looking into local history told me the house has been here well before 1940 so I don't know what else they potentially have got wrong. Also they sent us someone else's survey at first... said the house was worth half what we were paying and I nearly keeled over... haha


Anyway if anyone has any advice - do I need to worry or do something???

dc197

If your insurance co wanted to know the age, update them.
Then don't worry too much.

Only come back would be if you were told the wrong age by the seller's solicitor and you based your decision to buy on this info.

Pinkz

We don't know the actual age though... so the age I gave them last year was what the surveyors told us. Now I have a range of 10 years to pluck a number from and no idea how to find out the actual age.

I wouldn't say it affected our decision to buy but it's made me worry how much will need to be done in the near future since the house is now around 30 years older than we previously thought

davidmcn

Pinkz wrote: »

We don't know the actual age though... so the age I gave them last year was what the surveyors told us. Now I have a range of 10 years to pluck a number from and no idea how to find out the actual age.

The insurers won't care whether it's 1927 or 1937 (though probably they might care whether it's 1990 or 1890).

I wouldn't worry about it, just use the more accurate age the next time you renew.

eddddy

Looking at things pragmatically, when it comes to insurance, be careful about overriding the opinion of a professional surveyor with the opinion of an amateur.

I doubt you could be found negligent for relying on the opinion of a professional surveyor.

But you might be found negligent for ignoring a professional's opinion, if your own opinion turns out to be wrong.

Pinkz

This is what I'm worried about. I supposed if I stick with what they told me and if anything happens they are the professionals not me... plead ignorance when several pictures exist of a field where a 1940 building with a date stone should be and you can see my house on the pictures haha!

Just a bit annoying. Doesn't make a difference really but makes you wonder what exactly you paid them for. I already had reservations over the survey because they said they thought the price was the top end for the area based on 1 house selling a few months earlier which was in an absolutely terrible state! Needed new boiler kitchen bathroom etc. Ours is on a much bigger plot and in a much better condition. No modernisation needed either. Few years earlier houses in street sold for same and more!

Hoploz

There is a big thread about finding out when a house was built.

First stop is browse your council's planning applications online. You should be able to find the permission in there.

davidmcn

Hoploz wrote: »

There is a big thread about finding out when a house was built.

First stop is browse your council's planning applications online. You should be able to find the permission in there.

Some councils' systems go back to the 1980s if you're lucky, I doubt any have 1920s records online.

Dan83

Have a look on Facebook for groups local to your area.

In my area there is a local historian and he post's loads of old pictures and facts about the area.

You might find a more accurate ages for your home, and it might also have an interesting history.

Missus_Hyde

......and it might also have an interesting history.

Actually, I'd be more upset if I'd bought a house and found out afterwards that it was newer than I'd thought, but then I much prefer older houses, anyway.

It may not require any more work on it than one built in the 1950's, if the previous owners have looked after it.

Pinkz

That's where I have the age range from but unfortunately it is just an age range. There's a photo it's on and a photo it's not and no specific details about dates other than approx this and approx that and working out from confirmed details of other buildings in those pictures.

The council records don't show the date either :-(