Selling mum’s home - how to deal with lack of paperwork, regulations or planning

bobster2

You can find and download (for a fee) all FENSA certificates online at the FENSA website. Search by postcode.

user1977

ss2020jd said:

doodling said:

Hi,

All you need to do is answer questions from prospective buyers truthfully.  "I don't know" is a valid answer to many of the questions that are likely to be asked.

Obviously if you do know an answer then you should give it but not knowing stuff is normal where someone is selling on behalf of someone else and sellers should expect that once they know the circumstances.

Of course, not having everything to hand might mean that sellers want you to pay for various indemnities or reduce the price (effectively the same thing from your point of view), only you can decide the balance between speed of sale and selling price.

Thanks doodling, that’s reassuring, and what I was thinking would have to be the case.

Since speed is really of the essence here, I’m prepared there will have to be some kind of reduction involved for missing information/knowledge. 

Such statements by the vendor aren't really worth a great deal (look at the cases where they lie through their teeth and buyers can't do much about it...).

Lack of paperwork for a 10+ year old little conservatory shouldn't have any real effect on the price anyway.

Bigphil1474

OP, I sold my dad's house last year and we had a box full of paperwork, although most of it was rubbish. His had a conservatory but we had nothing for that. We actually had very little for the building itself other than we knew it was built about 30 years ago. We did get some up to date checks done - gas safe certificate and electrics inspected, and the buyers were okay with that. We didn't reduce the price in any way although we did accept an offer below asking (but in the range we were expecting). It wasn't a huge value property though.

As above, if you don't know, you don't know, but I would expect a buyer to have a L3 survey done on a vacant property.

gwynlas

You have what you have and there are probate sales that probably have less paperwork to hand. Buyers shoud have relevan surveys completed. The EA will base their valuation on what they see in front of them so  as much as you can make the place clean and tidy. Read the forum for information about choosing the right EA for you.

ss2020jd

Thanks everyone for all the helpful advice.

That’s good to know @Bigphil1474. I was considering getting a boiler service done as well as I’m not sure when the last one was done. 

Thanks @bobster2, I did a FENSA check online and the one I have is the only one listed. 

Very true, @gwynlas. I will do. Thankfully it is fairly clean and tidy (although a lot of stuff that may need paring down a bit). Good tip about the EA. That is the next challenge! 

Bigphil1474

ss2020jd said:

Thanks everyone for all the helpful advice.

That’s good to know @Bigphil1474. I was considering getting a boiler service done as well as I’m not sure when the last one was done. 

Thanks @bobster2, I did a FENSA check online and the one I have is the only one listed. 

Very true, @gwynlas. I will do. Thankfully it is fairly clean and tidy (although a lot of stuff that may need paring down a bit). Good tip about the EA. That is the next challenge! 

We're selling our house now, and just had the gas/plumber out on Monday - boiler service done as well as the Gas Safe Certificate, replaced the dripping kitchen tap, changed the ballc*ock thing on the storage tank for the hot water tank. Also had the sump pump serviced today. The buyers survey is being done tomorrow, so hoping for no hitches. 

In terms of the actual process, I much preferred selling somebody else's property, than selling my own whilst looking for somewhere else to live. 

ss2020jd

Bigphil1474 said:

ss2020jd said:

Thanks everyone for all the helpful advice.

That’s good to know @Bigphil1474. I was considering getting a boiler service done as well as I’m not sure when the last one was done. 

Thanks @bobster2, I did a FENSA check online and the one I have is the only one listed. 

Very true, @gwynlas. I will do. Thankfully it is fairly clean and tidy (although a lot of stuff that may need paring down a bit). Good tip about the EA. That is the next challenge! 

We're selling our house now, and just had the gas/plumber out on Monday - boiler service done as well as the Gas Safe Certificate, replaced the dripping kitchen tap, changed the ballc*ock thing on the storage tank for the hot water tank. Also had the sump pump serviced today. The buyers survey is being done tomorrow, so hoping for no hitches. 

In terms of the actual process, I much preferred selling somebody else's property, than selling my own whilst looking for somewhere else to live. 

It sounds like you’ve prepared well for the survey getting all that done. Hope it all goes well. 

I remember selling my last home and buying the home I live now at the same time. This forum helped keep me sane. I’m hoping I’ll prefer selling my mum’s place too, and that it’s at least half as stressful as buying and selling at the same time! 

horsewithnoname

My current home had a downstairs chimney breast removed but not the upstairs one. The people I bought off hadn’t had it done and there was no paperwork. I just paid a small one off insurance premium and that was that. 

Your issue might be similarly resolved?

Yorkie1

horsewithnoname said:

My current home had a downstairs chimney breast removed but not the upstairs one. The people I bought off hadn’t had it done and there was no paperwork. I just paid a small one off insurance premium and that was that. 

Your issue might be similarly resolved?

I think I'd be more concerned, with this particular set of facts, to be sure that the work had been done properly with all necessary supports (and that the building was structurally sound) - rather than just having a piece of paper in relation to council enforcement years later.

horsewithnoname

Yorkie1 said:

horsewithnoname said:

My current home had a downstairs chimney breast removed but not the upstairs one. The people I bought off hadn’t had it done and there was no paperwork. I just paid a small one off insurance premium and that was that. 

Your issue might be similarly resolved?

I think I'd be more concerned, with this particular set of facts, to be sure that the work had been done properly with all necessary supports (and that the building was structurally sound) - rather than just having a piece of paper in relation to council enforcement years later.

The previous owners had lived here 20+ years with no issues and I’ve now lived here 20+ years with no issues. I reckon it’s ok 😀