scary world of house buying

klew356

Good morning all,

I saw the broker last night, it was just a quick chat and he has made things a lot clearer, especially regarding arrangement fees, fixed rates etc etc. Im going to view the house tonight, I saw a list of questions somewhere on here to ask, I will also have it clear what I am looking for and what I am not looking for. im going with an open mind. Haven’t sorted a solicitor/surveyor yet but that will be next on the list to get quotes. Its quite exciting, and daunting! :money:

klew356

YoungBlueEyes wrote: »

I'd say that as well as making a list of things you do want in a house, have a list of no-nos and a list of no-nos that you'll compromise on if the budget is tight. That worked for me

I echo what DoozerGirl said about surveyors. Ring round a few and see what they'll do for the money. I managed to find a really good one. He rang me when he'd finished the survey, sent me the survey the next day, and spent 90 minutes on the phone to me going through it all (this is my first time too). No question was too stupid for him to answer, he was calm and knowledgeable and worth his weight in gold!

When you get your survey results back, there are many people on here who'll help you decipher it. Some points will be stuff to sort out quickly and some will be to bear in mind for the future. A quick post on here will set your mind at rest

i like the idea of the telephone explaination! :T and also seeking help with the results on here

Davesnave

klew356 wrote: »

i like the idea of the telephone explaination! :T and also seeking help with the results on here

Surveyors are usually more candid when speaking about a property than they would be putting it all in writing....which needs a fair bit of bottom-covering for obvious reasons.

YoungBlueEyes

I agree with davesnave. My paper survey read like an expensive nightmare that all must be addressed immediately. I sat and wrote a large chunk of on here and the replies were fantastic. (This was between getting my survey results and speaking to the guy, cos I was starting to worry!)

In my experience no question is too stupid for a post on here or a good surveyor. Really, I've asked all sorts of dumb questions. If you don't know, you don't know. Google is good but I find it more helpful to hear people's opinions and this place is full of all kinds of people. It makes it all a lot less scary

Bass_9

moneyistooshorttomention wrote: »

eg unless the house is pretty recently built or you have written proof it has been rewired = then assume it needs it

I wouldn't assume a house needs rewiring unless there is a good reason to believe so. Electrical standards are constantly rewritten so if a house doesn't meet current standards that does not mean the wiring isn't safe. If the wiring looked older than 20 years, that is when I would seriously consider it.

AdrianC

Bass_9 wrote: »

I wouldn't assume a house needs rewiring unless there is a good reason to believe so. Electrical standards are constantly rewritten so if a house doesn't meet current standards that does not mean the wiring isn't safe. If the wiring looked older than 20 years, that is when I would seriously consider it.

20 years ago was the end of the 90s...! I've got t-shirts older...

I'd be looking for an old rewireable fusebox as a hint that major work was likely to be needed. Even then, I'd be wondering if it was just a case of localised upgrading and extending. "Modern" PVC t+e goes back a lot further than the late 90s, and will last a heck of a lot longer than 20yrs.

klew356

To give an update I have been to see the house, as expected from the pictures the living room, and two bedrooms need redecorated and carpeted. The bathroom itself the tiles are horrific but the shower and suite is fine, ideally I would be looking to strip the tiles and replace with wet wall and a new shower system. The kitchen is fine as is the conservatory. Garden needs work but fine as is at the moment, massive shed which I wouldn’t want but could stay until I got it removed.
The windows are old, maybe 15- 20 years old, double glazed but look in good nick. The external doors looked a bit hard up. I def will go back, with someone for a second look. I def wouldn’t offer the asking price. The EA suggested that it would cost 5k to redecorate but I think to get it how I would want it it would cost a bit more in the long run. I need to find out about the boiler and the wiring which I am going to email them today as he did not have those answers last night, and arrange a second viewing
Also going to see another house on Friday to see what else is on offer.

Davesnave

With wiring, just learn the difference between a modern consumer unit with miniature circuit breakers and the older sort with fuses.

While the existence of a moden 'box' isn't a guarantee of anything, it's unlikely to have been added to a totally manky system.



An old fuse box will tend to indicate no rewire in recent times, but it will not necessarily mean what's there is dangerous or needing immediate attention.

However, because of potential mess etc, a rewire, if needed, ought to come early, before substantial redecoration.

klew356

Davesnave wrote: »

With wiring, just learn the difference between a modern consumer unit with miniature circuit breakers and the older sort with fuses.
While the existence of a moden 'box' isn't a guarantee of anything, it's unlikely to have been added to a totally manky system.
An old fuse box will tend to indicate no rewire in recent times, but it will not necessarily mean what's there is dangerous or needing immediate attention.

However, because of potential mess etc, a rewire, if needed, ought to come early, before substantial redecoration.

From what I could see it was a similar box to the house I live in now with the switches, so not the old style fuses, I wouldn’t know if it was added to a manky system, would I be able to tell? Would there be certificates or anything? Im such a novice at all this !

cloo

Signing the contract doesn't mean you are near to completing (as a lot of people seem to assume), it often happens early on in the process and it could be months before it's actually exchanged.


Once you get into the process, my number one advice is to ignore agent scare tactics and believe your solicitor. Agents will do anything to seal the deal, either your agents or the seller's agents, so it's quite usual for them to try to hurry you up by claiming some spurious reason you *must* exchange by such-and-such a date or they'll look for another buyer, or if you ask for reductions in order to afford repairs they will tell you the seller is furious and won't shift and will look for another buyer. Stick to your guns. Especially at the moment when there aren't so many buyers about. If in doubt about an ultimatum from the agents, ring your solicitor, I can almost guarantee you they will tell you they are not aware of any urgent deadline etc.