Owning your own home

I don't want to come out the dickhead in this.

If they've accepted an offer, knowing that the house needs major remedial works but not bothering to disclose that before accepting the offer, then I'd be pretty sure that you're not the dickhead in this case. It might be a bit unreasonable to expect a discount representing the entire price of the works, but I can't see there's anything wrong in expecting a discount representing most of it, especially when they knew it needed to be done.

our buyers have dropped their solicitor because, one month in now, despite having his mortgage offer, our management pack, the money for the searches and survey results they have done.. sweet fuck all with it.

added stress we dont need when our sellers are keen to move immediately but better now than in another few weeks i guess

It will always leave a bitter taste.
Walk away.
In fact don't just walk away. Say "OK, the offer has now gone down to 50k below the asking" and then properly flounce.

I like your style

You mean the render?

He has completed a survey, is there more survey to be done?

@T4NY4 for our old house purchase, the place was on at £500k OIEO. Our conservative estimate is that to get it completely done up with nothing spared would be about £100k. But it is liveable as it is and we are in no rush with these things (so long as the survey doesn't come back with any boner killers. JINX!). We offered £475k due to the amount of work needed which they originally refused saying that similar houses in "tip top" condition we're going for £550k. Which is true (places with fewer bedrooms and without the already done loft conversion and kitchen extension are closer to £600k), but I think they were being a little naive in their estimates of what is required. There's likely at least £30k in the windows alone. So we split the difference and they accepted £487.5k

Survey is in two weeks time and it's looking like we should be able to hold back about £30k cash out of the deposit we had originally planned but still get a good rate, so long as our buyer doesn't get nervous or try any funny business. So if anything immediately critical comes up, we'd be able to cheque book it (your roof story gave me the heebie-jeebies @Señor_Bear).

Anything more than we already had considered comes up in the survey (windows, fuse box, general major decorating, plastering, plumbing), we'll look to renegotiate.

Interesting.

Another 5 bed, albeit smaller, had come up 5 doors down. It's on at £295k but looks like it's been very recently completely done up and we could just move in without all the building work for months or years - roll top bath, very new looking carpets, much nicer kitchen etc. It also has a driveway, garage, utility room, master ensuite and downstairs WC that 'ours' doesn't.
And a bigger garden.

It's making me wonder on a couple of levels :
If we're going to end up spending that (at least) on 'our' place, should we be looking at this house as a genuine alternative;
And should I casually mention this to the EA today to see if it rattles them a bit?

Another one I'm pondering is that it has transpired that one of the other original interested parties, who also put in an offer, knows the builder we got to quote for the works. Family friend I think.

He told us that, before our offer was accepted, they asked him for advice and I think were planning on getting him to give the place a once over if their offer was accepted.

I'm wondering if, in the light of the fact that the vendor has said she is willing to go back to the other interested parties if we don't accept her shitty offer, that this could be useful...

Should I point out to the EA that this other interested party likely has heard all about the tens of thousands of pounds of work needing doing direct from said builder, and may even already have a copy of the survey we had done, as we gave the builder a copy?

Is there a Forum Approved financial / tax advisor?

I'm not adverser to my own research but I already know loads of pointless info about the party wall act, building regs, fire suppression systems and solid wall insulation - happy to have someone who knows just tell me what to do.

Should I point out to the EA that this other interested party likely has heard all about the tens of thousands of pounds of work needing doing direct from said builder, and may even already have a copy of the survey we had done, as we gave the builder a copy?

No. Keep it professional. You need them to not dislike you. They will see this as underhand.

And should I casually mention this to the EA today to see if it rattles them a bit?

It's pie in the sky until you've had an offer accepted on it, I can't imagine it will affect their way of thinking, even if its through a different agent. If you were viewing it, and had put an offer in on it, then that will change.

Also, get viewings on the other house, it sounds better than the one you are trying to buy! Who wants a place without a downstairs loo FFS!

Is there a Forum Approved financial / tax advisor?

As far as I'm aware there isn't, no! Which is kind of remarkable but then when you think about it not totally surprising.

What area are you looking at for a 5 bed at under £300k?

Probably wise, thanks.

On paper it is better, but I'm not convinced. Viewings are tricky as we're in Bath and it's in Northern Ireland. Will see if I can dispatch the Mater for a quick look.

N. Ireland :)

I'll give you a tenner and free choice from my parts bin if you tell me what to do.

I would say that whatever you think it'll cost to do up a house you're buying, double it. Then you'll be in the right ballpark.

There are so many hidden costs.

If this house is finished nicely and you don't have to rip everything out then I would go for it. Having work done on a house is stressful.

The investment thread has some good stuff in it between the zillions of nutmeg referral links

What problem are you trying to solve?

Sage advice, thank you

Ah yeah, I didn't even twig there was an investment thread.

Just spoke to our mortgage advisor, he reckoned 2-3k for a conversation with an FA, he knew someone that had to pay a couple of grand just to have their pension transfer signed off. It's a fairly simple question that I could almost certainly google my way through, just hoped I could chuck £500 at it and not have to waste any time / limited brain space.

Cheers and @Quincy

There is no designer. The place we bought was done by a developer and they fitted a smaller kitchen than we want so we're just planning on adding three cupboards and a worksurface on top to an empty wall.

Just thinking that as it's reasonably wide a deeper work surface would give a fair bit more space.

We used Brin at Harrington & Horne for what was a fairly complicated house purchase. He was far better to deal with and far more useful than a very expensive legal firm in Switzerland and their recommended UK solicitors in the city. Have recommended him on here before, be interested to see if anyone else found him as invaluable

So the model the welsh government have imposed.

Harrington & Horne

Thanks, might give them a call, even if just to tell them their #1 link on google results is hijacked as spam....

Why is it never simple? Everything else moving on quite well then my solicitors email me to say they can't get hold of our freeholders' solicitors. Sure enough, no answer on the phone number and other flat owners now saying the same thing. Despite being in contact with them last year. Feck. Solicitor's paralegal then asks me what to do next so I suggest they write to each of the freeholders (a group of siblings who I imagine inherited the freehold) as their names and addresses are all listed on the paperwork from when we extended the lease a couple of years ago. "Oh, yeah, I'll do that". Tempted to rock up on one of their doorsteps as he lives in Sevenoaks.

I asked what the worst case scenario would be and the solicitor didn't seem phased, being sure she could get in touch with them but did say we could get an absent landlord indemnity policy if necessary. Which I wouldn't mind doing, but it's not the landlord(s) that's absent, it's their solicitor.

Survey question; will a home buyers report flag if a roof needs work? Or would I need a full building survey for that?

Specifically concrete roof tiles on one of those ugly 1970s terraces. Looks fine from the outside but I'm sure they're supposed to be replaced every 40 years and they don't look done.

A builder will tell you. Get them access to the roof.

Surveyor won’t have access to the roof, will do it by sight, and will caveat whatever they report.

Ask the seller when it was last done too. You don’t have to trust them but they may surprise you.