Vendor lying about alterations?

jbainbridge

Sound like you should consider walking away. What outcome are you hoping for?

dc197

What do you hope to achieve? To establish the exact dates of the works, or to see whether paperwork for the works was rubber-stamped?
Having seen one or both of those, how does this change your position and willingness to buy it?

BJV

In our last house we have our garage converted and then lost the paperwork. It appears that ( yes stupid me ) the builder I trusted at the time had not got all the planning applications finished. My fault I know ! But the council where amazing they sent someone around who dug up bits test other bits and then gave us a certificate of compliance ref building regs. I think it helped that we had just renewed our heating and electrics and had all the certificates for that which superseded the conversion.

Because it was 10 years + since the work was done they ok'd the planning and said it was too late for them to object.

That said that was a garage we converted into a study. I would be very very careful and if possible walk away. That is unless the vendor wants to drop his price to a 2 bed?

Bear in mind that when you come to sell you may have the same issues with your buyer?

MrsM71

Hi all.

Thank you for your comments & advice.

Our real concern is not the planning side of things but the fact that the works completed may not in fact be structurally sound. We have not budgeted for new joists & trusses in our refurbishment plans.

The estate agent has confirmed that they also believe that their client did complete the works.

We have now requested that the vendor fund a full structural survey & buy an indemnity policy & are awaiting a response.

DRP

I think i'd prefer to get a survey done myself tbh.

Cakeguts

What is so special about this overpriced bodged property? Can't you find one that hasn't been bodged and is cheaper? I wouldn't trust a survey paid for by an owner who had made bodged alterations to a property and then possibly lied about them. You need to get your own survey done and a structural engineers report. I sounds as if you are trying to save money on surveys and yet are still prepared to consider a property that might cost you more than it is worth to put right.

MrsM71

Thank you for your comments Cakeguts.

We have been searching for a long time for a forever home & this one has the potential to fit the bill. Perhaps you have never walked into a property & felt that "this is the one".

I have asked that the vendor fund a structural survey. I have not asked that he arrange it. We have already had our own Homebuyers survey done but this does not provide the reassurance we require.

Ultimately we may have to walk away but with a lack of available property in our area & the way we feel about the property we do want to at least try to make it work.

Cakeguts

MrsM71 wrote: »

Thank you for your comments Cakeguts.

We have been searching for a long time for a forever home & this one has the potential to fit the bill. Perhaps you have never walked into a property & felt that "this is the one".

I have asked that the vendor fund a structural survey. I have not asked that he arrange it. We have already had our own Homebuyers survey done but this does not provide the reassurance we require.

Ultimately we may have to walk away but with a lack of available property in our area & the way we feel about the property we do want to at least try to make it work.

The problem is that you don't know how many corners he has cut. An indemnity policy won't help you if the roof collapses on someone while they are asleep in the loft conversion or the garage. Sometimes building problems do not come to light until you start to take the building apart. People can do spectacular bodges. I remember years ago looking at a property that had had lots of extensions built on it. It had also suffered from some movement and the survey report came back with a valuation of around site value only and in that house you could see what had gone on. In the one you are looking at it is all covered up so you won't know until you start work. The risk is that you could finish up rebuilding most of this house from scratch which is fine if the price reflects that to start with. If it doesn't you finish up with a house that you can't get your money back on.

AlexMac

You seem set on this house, and prepared to spend money to fix it so I'd go for it! We're about to convert a garage and the difference between a bodge and a proper job with BR approval is only 25%... so why save?

Send in a surveyor at your own cost,

then negotaiate