Property with Hydroponic set up

Alanisakiwi

Hi all,

I've just discovered (after getting the keys to my newly purchased property yesterday) a hidden room beside the basement with a hydroponic set up to grow presumably cannabis. 

The building surveyor clearly missed this (I've asked the question why) and the damp surveyor is hiding behind the "I wasnt instructed to check for this" line (not exactly ethical business practice). 

Obviously a quite a stressful thing to find... what should I be doing here? 

I've got an electrician coming around to sort the wiring (which might mean some ££), but is there anything else I should be doing? I presume I have no recourse against the building or damp surveyors as they have caveats protecting them?

Thanks for any and all help given!

Keep_pedalling

Turn it into a wine cellar would be one option I would be considering.

RHemmings

A secret room is intriguing. Can you post photos? 

Dodgy electrics would be the first thing I would think of, but you're on that already. 

In the long term will the room increase the value of your house? Once it's no longer dodgy. 

user1977

Are there any specific problems (other than sorting the wiring) or misleading answers by the vendor in enquiries? How "hidden" was the room? Presumably you also missed it when viewing?

DullGreyGuy

There is nothing illegal about owning hydroponic equipment and it can be used for things other than growing cannabis... our former neighbour had one, in their garden rather than basement, for growing vast quantise of tomatoes. 

If its ordinarily plugged in then just remove it, if they've connected it to neighbours power or directly to the mains before the meter etc then either get a sparky to look at it (they may pass it to the energy distributor for your area or report it to the energy theft line 

How was it "hidden"? Depending on how effective the concealment was will dictate how reasonable/unreasonable it was that people didnt spot it... looking for hidden rooms isn't a standard part of a survey 

Alanisakiwi

Keep_pedalling said:

Turn it into a wine cellar would be one option I would be considering.

I like your thinking... was thinking of advertising it to be used as storage... its very well insulated!

Grumpy_chap

Alanisakiwi said:

Hi all,

I've just discovered (after getting the keys to my newly purchased property yesterday) a hidden room beside the basement with a hydroponic set up to grow presumably cannabis. 

The building surveyor clearly missed this (I've asked the question why) and the damp surveyor is hiding behind the "I wasnt instructed to check for this" line (not exactly ethical business practice). 

Obviously a quite a stressful thing to find... what should I be doing here? 

I've got an electrician coming around to sort the wiring (which might mean some ££), but is there anything else I should be doing? I presume I have no recourse against the building or damp surveyors as they have caveats protecting them?

Thanks for any and all help given!

So, you purchased a house believing it to be XXX m2 floor area.

There is now some extra floor area that you never expected to find.  It may have a cost to make that extra area properly useable.  Once usable, will that add value to the property?

Is this properly constructed and definitely your property?  It is quite intriguing how there could be a hidden room that the vendor did not mention to you on selling (did the Vendor even know?) and you did not see on viewing, and the EA did not see on valuing.  I don't think you can really hold the surveyors responsible for not finding the hidden room given how well hidden the room was.

theartfullodger

Great opportunity for tax-free income....

Maahes

theartfullodger said:

Great opportunity for tax-free income....

Indeed, if you know how to grow tomatoes you're away. Many years ago I grew some healthy plants in between my father's tomato plants in the greenhouse.

AlexMac

When viewing with intent to buy a house in SE London in the 1980's I came on one with a greenhouse absolutely full of cannabis plants. The owners were in and seemed quite happy to show prospective buyers around the house and garden?

I didn't buy it, but before you ask; No, I didn't "grass 'em up" to the law!

MysteryMe

You have done the right thing getting the electrics checked, if it was used for nefarious activities it is quite possible that abstraction of electricity was involved.