Advice on what to do!

AdrianC

sloanefish wrote: »

I don't want additional reports...
but since the lender is asking for the others...

...it isn't up to you. You need to get them done, and then your lender needs to see the results to decide if they're willing to let their money be secured against this property.

sloanefish

Thanks for the help. Having cooled down, I have decided I will push ahead with these reports, if the vendor wishes to re-market it they can but I will tell them I shall pull out as I can't proceed without the reports. They can give me an extra week or so to prepare them, I think this is a reasonable request.

G_M

sloanefish wrote: »

The lender is willing to lend on it, but it must be done before completion. So I can go ahead with exchange now if I want to, the lender wouldn't have a problem with that, but the risk is too great for me, as the cesspit has flooded/blocked up!
This makes no sense! Either the lender has concerns, and requires further reports before deciding whether to lend, OR

the lender is happy to lend, in which case further reports are your choice, not the lenders.

What would happen if you Exchange, and then the lender sees these new reports before Completion, and refuses to lend. You'd be stuffed. And the lender knows that, so would never let you Exchange until they were satisfied.

I suspect you do not understand what the lender is telling you.

I don't want additional reports, I only really WANT the drainage one done, but since the lender is asking for the others I may as well get them done now.
The house was tenanted so the electrics etc must surely be up to scratch.
You cannot assume that.

Also yes searches and queries were done ages ago.

Cess pit? Now you mention a cesspit! Do you know what a cess pit is? Do you know what is involved in maintaining it? Even if it is in good condition?


Are you doing the conveyancing yourself? If so, I advise you to stop since you do not know what you are doing.

Or do you have a solicitor? If so, GO IN AND TALK TO HIM.

sloanefish

G_M wrote: »

Cess pit? Now you mention a cesspit! Do you know what a cess pit is? Do you know what is involved in maintaining it? Even if it is in good condition?


Are you doing the conveyancing yourself? If so, I advise you to stop since you do not know what you are doing.

Or do you have a solicitor? If so, GO IN AND TALK TO HIM.

The solicitor is on holiday! :rotfl:Also English is not my first language sorry. The wording used in the report is as follows.

It is likely that the drains are supplied to a septic tank. This should be clarified with the vendor and or your solicitor. At the time of my inspection I lifted the manhole cover outside and I found that the drain/manhole was full of effluent and therefore the drains must be blocked or the septic tank is currently full. This should be examined and tested.


And the requirement specifically:

Obtain a CCTV drainage survey of the property to check the condition of the drains and report on any defects within them.

The others are:

(1) Obtain a Timber and Damp Proofing Report to comment upon the limited extent of subfloor ventilation.


(2) Appoint an NICIEE-approved contractor to carry out a periodic inspection of the electrical system.

(3) Commission a report from a specialist OFTEC engineer to report on the condition and efficiency of the existing oil fired boiler and heating system.

arbrighton

Cess pit or septic tank? and 'it is likely' Meaning 'I don't have a bloody clue'

Very different

And based on the survey we had, surveyors often don't really understand what either is.

sloanefish

Yes the survey does seem like an exercise in minimalising risk rather than helping us to understand if we're biting off more than we can chew. So do none of those 4 points flag any major worries with you?

My last house was built late 1990s, much easier

When_the_going_gets_tough

You need a clear understanding of how the drainage system works, what condition it is in and who pays for it. Older rural properties are not always connected to the mains drainage system which means there must be either a septic tank or a cess pit- two different things - either on the property or shared with another property. You need to know about this.

G_M

sloanefish wrote: »

It is likely that the drains are supplied to a septic tank.
A septic tank is VERY different from a cess pit!
See: http://www.southerndrainage.com/advice/general-cesspit-septic-tank-or-treatment-plant.html

And for more, google cess pit & septic tank.

A septic tank is far less trouble than a cesspit.

This should be clarified with the vendor
So ask the vendor. Or ask the estate agent to ask the vendor. And then ask to go round to view, and be shown the septic tank. You are buying a £X00,000 property - you need to understand what you are buying.

and or your solicitor.
When back from holiday ,ask solicitor to confirm.
At the time of my inspection I lifted the manhole cover outside and I found that the drain/manhole was full of effluent and therefore the drains must be blocked or the septic tank is currently full. This should be examined and tested.
Ask the vendor when the septic tank was last emptied, and whether it is full.
You could also go and visit, and lift the manhole cover yourself. Then ask the vendor or estate agent to go inside and flush the toilet. Watch what happens. Does the water flow along the drain? Is it clearly blocked?

Once you understand how the drains and tank work, it is not rocket science.

And the requirement specifically:

Obtain a CCTV drainage survey of the property to check the condition of the drains and report on any defects within them.

The others are:

(1) Obtain a Timber and Damp Proofing Report to comment upon the limited extent of subfloor ventilation.


(2) Appoint an NICIEE-approved contractor to carry out a periodic inspection of the electrical system.

(3) Commission a report from a specialist OFTEC engineer to report on the condition and efficiency of the existing oil fired boiler and heating system.

So these were 'requirements' (ie recomendations) in the survey? They did NOT come from the mortgage lender?

The mortgage lender has confirmed the mortgage, so I do not believe they need these reports. Whether YOU need them is up to you. But if YOU want them, get them before you Exchange.

Hoploz

Surely the solicitor's search would have identified whether it is on mains drains or not

sloanefish

G_M wrote: »

So these were 'requirements' (ie recomendations) in the survey? They did NOT come from the mortgage lender?

The mortgage lender has confirmed the mortgage, so I do not believe they need these reports. Whether YOU need them is up to you. But if YOU want them, get them before you Exchange.

I will be clarifying this with the lender tomorrow. Yes, the survey did show these things need to be checked, and the lender agreed and said they need to be checked. It seems to me that the lender needs it, but the agent is saying the lender doesn't need it. I might be wrong, I will know more tomorrow, but it seems now that I've had time to process it (and calm down!) that it's the agent just pushing to get me to exchange and chance it. As you state, I would expect the solicitor and the lender to both turn around and put the stops on until they're all checked out.

About the drainage. I can go to the property clandestinely and test the toilet/drainage as you describe - there is an outdoor, unlocked toilet. But pardon my ignorance, what am I looking for? If I see the water from the flush pass through under the manhole cover through the drainage, what does this mean/prove exactly?