House I am buying may have been broken into

Willow1976

I am in the final stages of purchasing a house.  A friend mentioned that a house on the street i am buying was broken into 6 months ago.  It is a small cul-de-sac so not many houses.  i have asked the estate agent directly but they have not replied to me and now asked my solicitor to find out.  From what i can gather looking at the local news online nothing was taken but a window was smashed to gain entry (the house i am buying is empty as owner sadly passed away, family are selling) so suspect it may be the property i am purchasing.  My question is should this have been disclosed to me?  If not now i have asked do they need to reply?   Lastly, i have a young family and this has really worried me, can i ask for money towards adding security to the property?  there is nothing there are the moment.  Thanks

user1977

Willow1976 said:

My question is should this have been disclosed to me?

Did you ask? Otherwise, no. And they don't need to answer the question if you ask now.

You can ask for money to add security if you like, but it's not a normal thing to negotiate and the answer is likely to be no. Any property can be broken into.

Silvertabby

As you won't know how many spare keys the previous owner handed out to all and sundry, your first job will be to change all the locks, won't it?   So take this opportunity to upgrade the locks and perhaps add window locks.

No, the previous owner's estate won't pay for this.

Mr.Generous

Day 1 of ownership, change locks, fit an alarm. Job done. Thieves look elsewhere for easy targets.

hazyjo

I should imagine most properties have been broken into at one stage or another! I have been asked this question as a seller, but not for a while. Wonder if it was just a solicitor's question, or if it used to be on a form...

Anyway, no, they won't be responsible for making it safer. It might not have even been this particular house.

eddddy

Willow1976 said:

 i have asked the estate agent directly but they have not replied to me and now asked my solicitor to find out.  

Presumably, you mean you have asked the estate agent to ask the seller.

And is the estate agent saying

• "I'm refusing to ask the seller"
• or "I've asked the seller, and the seller is refusing to answer"
• or something else?

If the estate agent knows the answer to the question (e.g. because the seller told them), but is not telling you - arguably the estate agent is breaking Consumer Protection laws. i.e. They are withholding material information.


You can't rely legally on an answer from the estate agent -  but my first instinct would be that it's very suspicious that nobody will answer your question.

Depending on the broader circumstances, I might say to the estate agent something like "I'm very worried that the seller isn't answering this simple question. It makes me suspect that there is something significant to hide."  



Edit to add...

As others say - perhaps it isn't a serious issue if there was a break-in anyway.

And perhaps the estate agent should have just given you a straight answer at the outset, rather than 'escalating' things by refusing to answer.


 

dimbo61

You could even have a Ring doorbell or cctv  set up if you want to.

user1977

eddddy said:

Willow1976 said:

 i have asked the estate agent directly but they have not replied to me and now asked my solicitor to find out.  

As others say - perhaps it isn't a serious issue if there was a break-in anyway.

In which case it isn't "material information"....(I don't think it is, assuming that e.g. any damage has been sorted).

lincroft1710

When my parents bought their final home 60 years ago, they were aware it had been previously broken into. They lived there for 40 years but no subsequent break in

eddddy

user1977 said:

In which case it isn't "material information"....(I don't think it is, assuming that e.g. any damage has been sorted).

If the OP tells the estate agent it's material information to the OP - which might influence their decision to purchase (or words to that effect)...

... I think the estate agent might be skating on thin ice, if they withheld the information on the basis that whilst the OP says it's material to the OP, they don't believe it's material to a "reasonable purchaser".

I don't think the Property Ombudsman would side with the estate agent on that.



And if it's not really that important - why is the estate agent not answering the question? 

Typically, an estate agent would rush to answer a question like that, with lots of 'spin' and lots of 'playing down' and lots of reassurance - so that the buyer doesn't find out instead in a bland, no-nonsense solicitor's report. 

powerful_Rogue

What's the plan, as could be likely the vendor says the property was broken into and they absoutely won't be making a payment towards additional security?