PLEASE READ BEFORE POSTING
Hello Forumites! In order to help keep the Forum a useful, safe and friendly place for our users, discussions around non-MoneySaving matters are not permitted per the Forum rules. While we understand that mentioning house prices may sometimes be relevant to a user's specific MoneySaving situation, we ask that you please avoid veering into broad, general debates about the market, the economy and politics, as these can unfortunately lead to abusive or hateful behaviour. Threads that are found to have derailed into wider discussions may be removed. Users who repeatedly disregard this may have their Forum account banned. Please also avoid posting personally identifiable information, including links to your own online property listing which may reveal your address. Thank you for your understanding.We'd like to remind Forumites to please avoid political debate on the Forum. This is to keep it a safe and useful space for MoneySaving discussions. Threads that are - or become - political in nature may be removed in line with the Forum’s rules. Thank you for your understanding.
Buyers Solicitors Talking To Water Company About Flooding
CityTiger
Posts: 41 Forumite
So, we are in the process of selling our house and we declared on the forms that our integrated garage had suffered from flooding a few years back.
The buyers solicitor asked for more information so we told them all we knew, that it was a seemingly one-off occurrence due to a 'once in a 100 year storm' and that only the garage was affected - the main house was fine as it is raised above the garage and the next door neighbours property (there is actually a 4 foot drop down to their garden so it would need to be a major flood to affect the living area of the house).
We also advised them of the remedial works that the water company did for us which was to install a flood board in the garage, add in extra drainage, and replace air bricks with self-sealing ones.
The buyers solicitors have since asked to speak to the water company directly for which we gave them permission.
We are getting a little concerned though as its been a couple of weeks and the solicitors are saying they havent had a substansive reply from the water company.
I'm going to call the water company tonight and see what they can tell me about what's being requested and why there is a delay but we are getting incresingly concerned this could all cause our sale to fall through. We are about to have surveys done on the property we want to buy so that combined with all the searches that have been done and the £1.5k mortgage application fee we paid means we stand to lose £2k+ if things fall through now.
Our solicitors have said that the enquiries are pretty standard and they wouldnt expect the sale to fall through but does anyone have any direct experience of this kind of thing and have an opinion of how much of a problem we might have here?
The buyers solicitors had also asked if we had declared the flooding to our insurers and what affect it had. We never claimed and to be honest never declared it which I realise is probably a mistake - not sure if that is likely to have any impact on the sale?
Any thoughts would be appreciated. I offered to send photographic evidence of the remedial works done but our solicitors said it would not help as they will need confirmation from the water company.
The buyers solicitor asked for more information so we told them all we knew, that it was a seemingly one-off occurrence due to a 'once in a 100 year storm' and that only the garage was affected - the main house was fine as it is raised above the garage and the next door neighbours property (there is actually a 4 foot drop down to their garden so it would need to be a major flood to affect the living area of the house).
We also advised them of the remedial works that the water company did for us which was to install a flood board in the garage, add in extra drainage, and replace air bricks with self-sealing ones.
The buyers solicitors have since asked to speak to the water company directly for which we gave them permission.
We are getting a little concerned though as its been a couple of weeks and the solicitors are saying they havent had a substansive reply from the water company.
I'm going to call the water company tonight and see what they can tell me about what's being requested and why there is a delay but we are getting incresingly concerned this could all cause our sale to fall through. We are about to have surveys done on the property we want to buy so that combined with all the searches that have been done and the £1.5k mortgage application fee we paid means we stand to lose £2k+ if things fall through now.
Our solicitors have said that the enquiries are pretty standard and they wouldnt expect the sale to fall through but does anyone have any direct experience of this kind of thing and have an opinion of how much of a problem we might have here?
The buyers solicitors had also asked if we had declared the flooding to our insurers and what affect it had. We never claimed and to be honest never declared it which I realise is probably a mistake - not sure if that is likely to have any impact on the sale?
Any thoughts would be appreciated. I offered to send photographic evidence of the remedial works done but our solicitors said it would not help as they will need confirmation from the water company.
0
Comments
-
My suspicion is it's the water company dragging their heels. Having worked with numerous ones over the last 15 years they can be very inefficient.
I wouldn't worry about it affecting your sale just yet.0 -
My parents garage used to get flooded a lot in periods of heavy summer downpours. They had an integral garage, and the house was lower than the roads (the cause was blocked drains!) They didn't claim at all when it got flooded - it was only a couple of inches.
I would have thought not claiming would be a good thing for your buyers - the house should still be insurable/without a premium.
Good luck! :beer:0 -
The buyers solicitors had also asked if we had declared the flooding to our insurers and what affect it had. We never claimed and to be honest never declared it which I realise is probably a mistake - not sure if that is likely to have any impact on the sale?I would have thought not claiming would be a good thing for your buyers - the house should still be insurable/without a premium.
Surely the issue isn't so much whether a claim has been made, but whether you're honestly answering the questions on the proposal form - as I presume "has the property been flooded recently" might be among them.0 -
Surely the issue isn't so much whether a claim has been made, but whether you're honestly answering the questions on the proposal form - as I presume "has the property been flooded recently" might be among them.
Yes that was a question and we answered it honestly - hence why we are now going through this process.0 -
I think David meant how you answered the question on your Home Insurance proposal?Never, under any circumstances, take a sleeping pill and a laxative on the same night.0
-
Yes that was a question and we answered it honestly - hence why we are now going through this process.
"Proposal form" = "the thing you fill in to get insurance".
You said you had never declared it to your insurers - are you sure they've never asked you at renewal? Doesn't really matter now you're selling, but your buyers (if they're being honest) may have trouble getting reasonably priced insurance now they know there has been flooding.0 -
You know exactly where the delay is - the water company haven't responded to the enquiry yet. If you ring them, they won't tell you anything, because it's not an enquiry from you.
Chill. It'll happen when it happens. If it falls through, it falls through. Would YOU buy a house with a history of flooding based only on the seller's say-so?
In the meantime, concentrate on making sure that your purchase is ready to go as soon as possible, because your seller is also going to be getting antsy about this delay from down the chain.0 -
"Proposal form" = "the thing you fill in to get insurance".
You said you had never declared it to your insurers - are you sure they've never asked you at renewal? Doesn't really matter now you're selling, but your buyers (if they're being honest) may have trouble getting reasonably priced insurance now they know there has been flooding.
Aha OK I see, no I don't recall getting that - just the normal automatic renewal letter.0
This discussion has been closed.
Categories
- All Categories
- 346.2K Banking & Borrowing
- 251.2K Reduce Debt & Boost Income
- 451.1K Spending & Discounts
- 238.3K Work, Benefits & Business
- 613.4K Mortgages, Homes & Bills
- 174.5K Life & Family
- 251.5K Travel & Transport
- 1.5M Hobbies & Leisure
- 16K Discuss & Feedback
- 15.1K Coronavirus Support Boards