Advice needed for new house purchase - problems after purchase

bucksbloke

You have no come back on the seller at all. They don't have to tell you anything but they cannot tell you any lies.

Angela_D_3

bucksbloke said:

You have no come back on the seller at all. They don't have to tell you anything but they cannot tell you any lies.

I think we all know they can and do 

greatcrested

AdrianC said:

Was that hole in the roof visible from ground level? What did the survey say - EXACTLY - including any caveats?

What did the survey say about the extension - EXACTLY?

You have no comeback against the builders of the extension or the local authority's BR sign-off.
You might or might not have some comeback against your surveyor's professional indemnity.

Adrian asked clearly for the exact wording in the survey.

As others have said, you have no claim against the earlier builders, or the local authority, so if you have a claim it will be against the surveyor. Hence the need to know EXACTLY what the survey said before anyone here can advise whether a claim is worth making.

greatcrested

MalMonroe said:

The vendor bareface lied to you - "the vendor reassured us that the damp was due to the age of the property and had never caused them any issues". 

Damp is ALWAYS an issue and needs dealing with as soon as it's spotted. ............

Don't you have any building insurance that can cover this work?  I thought all property owners had to have buildings insurance. .......
In future, if you ever hear the word 'damp' in connection with any property, run - run for the hills!!  Don't just say, 'okay we'll buy it'. 

What!!!??

Well, presumaby the vendors had been living there for some time, and had been content to put up with whatever damp existed. Either they were unaware of it, or accepted it ("never caused us any issues").

No, property owners do not all have to have buildings insurance. It is entirely optional unless a mortgage lender (if there is one) requires it.

No, building insurance, if it exists, would not pay out for property maintenance like this, so will be of no help here.

'Damp' covers a multitude of possibilities, many (most?) relatively minor, a few major. Advising buyers to 'run for the hills' at mention of the word is scare-mongering, unhelpful and irresponsible. Indeed given the frequency with which surveyors mention damp following inadequate tests with unreliable so-called 'damp meters', buyers would end up repeatedly paying for surveys on house after house before ever getting to Exchange!

As an example, a blocked and overflowing gutter can cause damp in the external wall of an upstairs room. Ten minutes spent up a ladder clearing the leaves from the gutter cures the cause and within a couple of weeks the wall will dry out.