Sandstone Cliff Cause for Concern?

konn1ch1ha

Hi all,

My wife and I are due to move in on Thursday. We are a cash buyer but are concerned this rock face (pictured) may put off future (mortgage) buyers whenever we may sell. The vendor does currently have a mortgage on the house so it has been mortgageable in previous transfers.

What would constitute potentially the house not being able to be mortgaged? My solicitor has flagged the rock face could possibly be a concern. 

On the flip side, to which she agrees, the house does not suffer from subsidence, the environmental report and local search report returns an all clear for ground stability, the house is insurable (I have quotes on offer), there is no history of danger here and the building report does not flag anything up with subsidence. 

Any thoughts would be appreciated. 

TIA

doodling

Hi,

What does your surveyor say?  Your post hints at the possibility that you haven't employed one - who produced the "building report" you mention?

I would be employing a surveyor not so much for their ability to comment on the security of the rock face (which I suspect they will say needs a specialist to comment on) but for their knowledge of what is (currently) acceptable (or otherwise) to mortgage companies.  You would need to make it clear that you are asking them to comment on the property's mortgageability when you engage them.  If you have already employed a surveyor then get them to comment on whether they would flag up any issues to a mortgage company if there was one.

Whether you also have a specialist comment on the rock face itself is to some extent a separate issue.

konn1ch1ha

doodling said:

Hi,

What does your surveyor say?  Your post hints at the possibility that you haven't employed one - who produced the "building report" you mention?

I would be employing a surveyor not so much for their ability to comment on the security of the rock face (which I suspect they will say needs a specialist to comment on) but for their knowledge of what is (currently) acceptable (or otherwise) to mortgage companies.  You would need to make it clear that you are asking them to comment on the property's mortgageability when you engage them.  If you have already employed a surveyor then get them to comment on whether they would flag up any issues to a mortgage company if there was one.

Whether you also have a specialist comment on the rock face itself is to some extent a separate issue.

Hi, thanks for the response. 

I had a building survey completed. And he didn’t mentioned about the mortgageability of the property I will however messge him. 

He commented in the report under “Risks” “landslide situation (considered a minimal risk due to the age of the property)”

RedFraggle

See also this

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/6345722/possible-creeping-freehold#latest

Have you done any due diligence so far as it looks like you have some unusual last minute concerns.

TheJP

konn1ch1ha said:

Hi all,

My wife and I are due to move in on Thursday. We are a cash buyer but are concerned this rock face (pictured) may put off future (mortgage) buyers whenever we may sell. The vendor does currently have a mortgage on the house so it has been mortgageable in previous transfers.

What would constitute potentially the house not being able to be mortgaged? My solicitor has flagged the rock face could possibly be a concern. 

On the flip side, to which she agrees, the house does not suffer from subsidence, the environmental report and local search report returns an all clear for ground stability, the house is insurable (I have quotes on offer), there is no history of danger here and the building report does not flag anything up with subsidence. 

Any thoughts would be appreciated. 

TIA

Cash buyers can be put off things that put their property/investment at risk too. 

RedFraggle

What happened after this thread?
https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/6337418/surveyor-could-not-follow-up-survey-at-property-here-s-why/p1

konn1ch1ha

RedFraggle said:

See also this

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/6345722/possible-creeping-freehold#latest

Have you done any due diligence so far as it looks like you have some unusual last minute concerns.

It's last minute doubts is all. I'm allowed to have those. I don't doubt people would necessarily be put off with this if they're cash buyers too as neighbouring properties have been selling recently. My question was about mortgage lenders criteria being put off with this.

user1977

I'd expect any type of survey to highlight if something made a property generally unmortgageable.

TheJP

konn1ch1ha said:

RedFraggle said:

See also this

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/6345722/possible-creeping-freehold#latest

Have you done any due diligence so far as it looks like you have some unusual last minute concerns.

It's last minute doubts is all. I'm allowed to have those. I don't doubt people would necessarily be put off with this if they're cash buyers too as neighbouring properties have been selling recently. My question was about mortgage lenders criteria being put off with this.

Of course it would, you're a cash buyer and your having doubts! Cash or mortgage i wouldn't buy a house on a cliff edge.

konn1ch1ha

TheJP said:

konn1ch1ha said:

RedFraggle said:

See also this

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/6345722/possible-creeping-freehold#latest

Have you done any due diligence so far as it looks like you have some unusual last minute concerns.

It's last minute doubts is all. I'm allowed to have those. I don't doubt people would necessarily be put off with this if they're cash buyers too as neighbouring properties have been selling recently. My question was about mortgage lenders criteria being put off with this.

Of course it would, you're a cash buyer and your having doubts! Cash or mortgage i wouldn't buy a house on a cliff edge.

It’s not a cliff edge. It’s at the bottom of a rock face. The rock face not being taller than the house. 

And if it’s such a risk, why is there currently a mortgage in it with the current vendor?

Skiddaw1

OP, if the castle at the top of the cliff is still intact (presumably hundreds of years after it was built) and the survey hasn't thrown up any serious issues I'd be tempted to assume the cliff is unlikely to collapse any time soon.