Selling a Dorran Bungalow

sara_501

Hi all,

I inherited a bungalow from my grandmother, I cannot live in it, as it's too far from my work and honestly while all the memories are good memories, I find it too overwhelming to be there since she passed.

I've spoken to an estate agent who has stated I must get a structural engineer report prior to marketing.

However, I was under the impression such surveys were the responsibility of the buyer, not the seller?

And while I have the property as an asset in this property, I'm cash poor otherwise (renting in a major city, with a single income, and spent what savings I had on helping my gran with her bills, and mobility conversions in the years before she passed) and believe such a report would cost me £1,000+?

The double council tax I'm currently paying is making things very difficult.

Anyone had experience selling one of these?

Robin9

Dorran is a precast concrete build and is in a limited market as building societies give them a wide berth - you are left with cash buyers. 

I suggest that the EA finds it difficult to put a value on it until they know its structural condition.


PS Google is your friend - search Dorran

lincroft1710

An asset with a double edged sword!


If this is a detached bungalow on a good plot, it may appeal to a developer who would demolish it and build something larger and more substantial. It seems an unrepaired Dorran is not a good buy. If you know it is in original condition and unrepaired, it is probably not worth getting a survey. but if it has been repaired then a proper structural survey would be worthwhile. 

MalMonroe

Sorry to hear about your grandmother.

The estate agent probably wants a structural report because the bungalow is of 'non-standard' construction. There's some info in this link -

https://nonstandardhouse.com/dorran-prc-house/#:~:text=By 1967 it had built,Dorran committed its fatal mistake.

And it may be difficult (or even impossible) for people to get a mortgage on such a property. Sometimes people are prepared to buy them for cash, though. There are some, which we call 'prefabs' but which are basically the same as your grandmother's, where I live and people have bought them for cash and have renovated them and they are still going strong. I like the fact that they're mostly detached with large gardens. Always a bonus. 

Personally I think if a property's survived as long as your grandmother's has, then it should be given a chance.  

Why not contact another couple of estate agents, see what they say? It may be a bit of a faff for you but another EA might be a bit more positive. They could market the property as 'cash only' and point out the fact that it's not of standard construction, hopefully you wouldn't have to pay for a structural report that way. Not all estate agents are the same.

Also have you asked your council if you can have a reduction in council tax in the meantime? After all they're profiting twice from you and sometimes it is possible.

eddddy

sara_501 said:

I've spoken to an estate agent who has stated I must get a structural engineer report prior to marketing.

There's no law (or rule) saying you must get a structural engineer's report. I suspect that the estate agent means either:

• They very strongly recommend that you get a structural engineer's report prior to marketing, otherwise it will be very difficult to sell.

• The estate agent has decided that they will not market the property without a structural engineer's report. But other estate agents might make a different decision.

A good estate agent will want to give buyers accurate and complete information.

For example, there's no point in accepting an offer from a buyer, who later withdraws when they find out that repairs will cost, say, £50k (it wastes everyone's time and money).  It's better to tell buyers up-front that a structural engineer's report says it will need £50k of repairs.

Or market it to developers as a development opportunity - for demolition and rebuilding.

sammyjammy

Sounds like the perfect auction property particularly given your financial circumstances.

Sorry for your loss.

sara_501

Thanks all really appreciate your advice