When is the point of no return

ludmilla

Dear All, I am thinking of buying my first house. I haven't a clue, and need a tiny bit of help. I will be a cash buyer. The house I like will need quite a bit of work done to it.

When should I take a builder/architect to view, and if they say the work will be too horrendous can I pull out, or should I take a builder/architect before I make an offer?

I want to do things the right way.

Many thanks

Ludmilla

gazebo

Wouldn't it be sensible to ask the vendor if you can take a builder/architect along before making a decision on an offer?

How would you know what to offer if you don't know the work required and if you could afford it?

Don't make an offer until you are aware of the risk.

Or, if you insist on making an offer prior to this, your offer is subject to survey and reports from builder/architect. (Which is why making the offer via a solicitor is a good idea)

trailingspouse

What do you mean by 'quite a bit of work'? You would only need an architect if you were thinking of extending or totally re-modelling.



If it's things like re-wiring, new kitchen, new bathroom, then a builder isn't necessary - you would be looking at employing an electrician, kitchen fitters, plumber.



And if it's just needing a lot of painting and decorating, you're on your own!



If you are thinking of extending, then you need to look at applying for planning permission - you can do this on a property that you don't own. You need to know if you would be allowed to do what you want to do before you buy, if not being able to do it would be a deal breaker. Some types of extensions will not be allowed in some areas - for example we wouldn't be allowed to put a porch on the front of our house because it would spoil the line of the Victorian terrace, but it seems to be 'anything goes' at the back!

Davesnave

It can be worth taking an experienced builder with you on a second viewing before making any offer, but only if you know and trust them.

I've always done this, rather than employ a surveyor, whose report will be full of caveats and won't give a clear idea of likely costs.

In England and Wales, you won't be legally committed to the house until contracts are exchanged,which is typically months into the buying process.

But frankly, if you "want to do things the right way" and you "haven't a clue" you're not in a good position to buy yet.

You need to do some real research, starting with the stickies on this forum, or you'll possibly make a mistake that costs thousands, or even tens of thousands to rectify. I don't mean just buying a house that's physically wanting, but buying in the wrong location, or the wrong kind of house for your needs.

eddddy

Assuming you're in England or Wales...

The usual process would be to get an offer accepted before progressing too far.

But it's best to explain that the offer is subject to survey, and builders' estimates etc, and that you will want builders to visit before purchasing.


However, many builders might think it's a waste of time giving you an estimate on this basis. You don't own the property, and there's a good possibility that your offer will fall through anyway.

And even if you do buy, the job won't be for 3 or 4 months. They might prefer to quote for jobs that are more likely to actually happen, and more likely to be within the next few weeks.

Or the builder may suspect that your request for an estimate is a way of getting a free survey.

And maybe you use an 'expensive' builder to get expensive estimates - to help negotiate the purchase price down. But intend to use a 'cheap' builder to get the work done.

ReadingTim

Almost anything is possible, given enough time, energy and money. The point of no return is when one of those runs out before the project is complete.

Furthermore, different people have different interpretations of "horrendous" is. What is a minor inconvenience for one person is a complete nightmare for another. Given, by your own admission, you "don't have a clue", you might want to look at places which don't require as much/any work, and get comfortable with minor DIY and other small decorating and building projects before taking on larger or more ambitious things.