Buying Advice Query

mutley74

Hi
i have a seen a house i like, Vendors have sold this to Taylor Wimpey who are now in charge of the sale. House is on the market for £219k and only available till end of November (when the current owners new house is built).

The house needs new front doors, windows and has a small hold on the side wall of the kitchen, a blocked gutter plus a few minor issues to repair.
I have offered £190k which was refused.
1. Before i up my offer, is there any way i can make a condition of the sale that Seller fixes the hole on the kitchen room side wall and clears the blocked gutter? I am conscious if am successful buying this house a 4month wait could result in further damage/damp due to these issues. If so when is best time to make this a condition of my offer?

2. Also there is a downstairs WC/Shower room (next to the kitchen) but only 1 door separates this from the kitchen - is it not Building regulations to have 2 internal doors between a WC room and a kitchen?

Any other advice dealing with a Seller who is Taylor Wimpey to get a good deal welcome, if i am successful to buy the house. I cant really afford to pay more than £202k as i need to allow at least £12k for new front door and windows.

AlexMac

You can suggest any condition you like, but my one experience of trying to buy a "trade-in" property like this, from a developer (admittedly not Taylor Wimpey, but another big one) doesn't fill me with confidence about them delivering.

Perhaps because my vendor company were focussed on the core business of selling their newly built properties, they were really slack about selling an odd "second-hand" one.

No one responded to my solicitor's standard enquiries, things dragged on for months, the cleaners they sent in used something caustic which ruined the stainless steel cooker hood and splashbacks, and then, when I was beginning to lose patience, a plumbing leak brought down part of the ceiling. So I suggested they fix it, or drop the prices accordingly. They refused. In fact, they suggested I wait til completion then try an insurance claim so I'd have the admin hassle and disruption of repairs rather than getting it done while it was empty!

So I walked away! And swallowed a few hundred quid of wasted legal fees! Your experience might be better, especially as the gutter clear and a small hole are minor and cheap to fix. Or hire a window cleaner to do the gutter; many builders won't climb ladders but insist on scaffolding!

And No, I'm sure you no longer need 2 doors- google it.

Good luck; my best-ever investments have been tired old properties needing tlc; especially if you can DIY the non statutory bits

Kynthia

I'm fairly sure the two doors thing is very old now. I think it might be fine to have one door if there's an extractor fan.

swishy87

Lots of newish houses have a toilet where the utility is in kitchens instead so can't be an issue.

Honestly I don't think builders will do any of the stuff you are asking. But may negotiate a lower price as want to get rid. We have part exchanged our property and the developer has looked at the homebuyer survey and suggests what they want doing before they purchase but then I very much doubt they will do anything before selling it on.

G_M

Never ask sellers to fix things, either as a favour or contractually. They have no incentive to do a good job and will use the cheapest materials, and contractors, possible.

Buy it as it is at whatever price you are willing to pay, and then get stuff fixed yourself, to your spec and standard.

Vendors have sold this to Taylor Wimpey who are now in charge of the sale.

Makes no sense. If the 'vendors' have sold to TW, then TW are now the owners. Which mean TW are now the 'vendors', Who actually owns the property now?

only available till end of November (when the current owners new house is built).

Also makes no sense. So what happens in December if the property has not been sold? It gets blown up?

As for Building Regs, what matters is the regs at the time the shower room etc was built. Perhaps there were no regs back then, or different ones?

Plus, of course, BRs cannot be enforced beyond 12 months from date of the work. (section 36 of the Building Act 1984)

AdrianC

mutley74 wrote: »

House is on the market for £219k and only available till end of November (when the current owners new house is built).

I think you mean "from November". So they're in no hurry to sell.

1. Before i up my offer, is there any way i can make a condition of the sale that Seller fixes the hole on the kitchen room side wall and clears the blocked gutter?

Of course you can ask. And they can say no.

I am conscious if am successful buying this house a 4month wait could result in further damage/damp due to these issues.

How long have they been like that already?

2. Also there is a downstairs WC/Shower room (next to the kitchen) but only 1 door separates this from the kitchen - is it not Building regulations to have 2 internal doors between a WC room and a kitchen?

Let's say it is. And...?

i need to allow at least £12k for new front door and windows.

TWELVE GRAND? Blimey. Are they going to be gold-plated?

mutley74

Thank you for all the good advice, most appreciated.
The current small hole on the kitchen extension roof side wall and blocked gutter on the conservatory seemed to have been like this for a while. My concern is waiting ~4 months to get this house any heavy rain could result in further damage/damp especially in the kitchen - although i have not seen any on past viewings.

The house has a front sliding patio door which is broken and the 2nd door a UPVC is off alignment, a rear UPVC door needs fixing, and upstairs windows could do replacing, plus a new consumer unit (current one is dated), plus gutter cleaning, roof hole, and few minor jobs- thus why i estimated ~£12k.

Agent told me TW may accept £210k, but they are not in hurry to sell. Only a few 3 bedroom houses go on sale in this area and previously most get sold within ~2-3months, thus i do expect this house to attract more offers as time goes on.

AdrianC

mutley74 wrote: »

...plus a new consumer unit (current one is dated)...

Define "dated"?
Rewirable bakelite fuses?
Circuit breakers?
RCD?

Just because the surveyor says "Not up to current standards" means nowt on its own.

As for the blocked gutter, if you're THAT worried about it, get up a ladder with a rubber glove on and clear the damn thing.

G_M

Should the rubber glove go on the bottom of the ladder to stop it slipping, or the top to stop it marking the wall it leans on?

robatwork

mutley74 wrote: »

Agent told me TW may accept £210k, but they are not in hurry to sell. Only a few 3 bedroom houses go on sale in this area and previously most get sold within ~2-3months, thus i do expect this house to attract more offers as time goes on.

I wouldn't be minded to believe this, for 2 reasons. Firstly the house builder like a main dealer for cars want to sell new, and don't want the lower profit 2nd hand stuff hanging around on their books. Secondly agents don't tell the truth.

If you really want this house you have to accept dealing with 2 of the most unscrupulous businesses in the country - house builders and EAs. It's going to be a hassle and a headache.

Having said all that, if the house won't even be available until November (your OP didn't make sense but I think this is what you mean) then there isn't a real hurry for the builder to sell so why would they take your low offer?

mutley74

Thanks for all advice. I was concerned that the faults i mentioned could cause potential property damage, if i am successful buyer, as sale would be in November or even December. A date would need to be agreed.

I have booked a further viewing and will take it from there.

The current consumer unit is the old black style box, not the modern type circuit breakers. Will check it out tomorrow in a more detailed viewing.