Awful woman slagging off my family home

If she didn't view the house thoroughly, and it's not to her standard, that's on her. If the work required is beyond her, she chose badly. Did she have a full survey done?

Unless you buy a property that's new or recently updated, you can expect to have to carryout work on it.

She's being unreasonable and hurtful towards you. I'd have a word with her.

I'd ignore it. You sold the house for an agreed amount. Her thoughts on how you lived are irrelevant. 🤷‍♀️

We paid £1200 for a level 3 survey, literally the most comprehensive survey we could have paid for, recommended by a reputable company locally. We were young and trusted them, but most crucially what we didn’t realise- and a word of warning to others- even for a level 3 survey they do not move furniture or belongings so all a seller has to do is some clever positioning and even the most expensive survey is worth fuck all.

It's unfortunate but in no way reflects badly on you. People will realise that after a while.

she's a bit overwhelmed by the amount of work that needs done, that you acknowledge need doing .

She is entitled to speak about her new house, she shouldn't have to stay quiet because you have common friends.

how grim the house is, it’s a total renovation project, she doesn’t know how I could have lived there with kids etc etc etc.
if it's that dated and does even need replastering, sounds like a fair comment?

You managed to sell without doing renovation, you must be happy with that? You didn't sell a show-home, you saved a lot of money by not doing a show home, she couldn't afford one and bought what she could.
Enjoy your new place

If the position of furniture prevented such acutely serious problems being identified by you or the surveyor then that is odd

A proper in-depth structural survey will move furniture and look behind it.

A basic bog standard mortgage survey wont and is virtually useless.

If you didn't get a thorough survey done thats still your fault I'm afraid

People always complain about their houses though. It’s no reflection on you. She’s the one who saw it in that state and wanted to buy it.

We have a lovely house, but it’s become a running joke how much it wrong with it! Every time we have a tradesperson in to do a job, we discover something new that the previous owners did totally wrong. 😂 Chimney not lined properly so is a fire hazard. All the electrics for upstairs run UNDER the bloody bath. 🙈 The chimney hadn’t been built properly (nothing we could have seen from the outside) and partially collapsed. All sorts of weird things leak or are wired in a funny way or there is a pipe in a totally nonsensical place.

I do whinge about it, but it’s not a personal attack on the previous owners. They are lovely. It’s just a wonky old house. I’m allowed to whinge about it though. I think you need to not take this so personally.

This

The surveyor that came to my property for a buyer certainly moved the furniture… a lot!

Frankly, I'd be much more concerned about the people who are telling you these things. If they weren't passing on the gossip, you wouldn't know a thing about it and, in this situation, ignorance is bliss.

Why are they telling you? There is no legitimate reason other than to stir things up. I wouldn't want that sort of thing from a friend. Shut it down.

I think there's at least an element of this going on. You've moved onto better things and she has your hand-me-downs. She trying to put you down to make herself appear superior (in her mind). She has a fragile ego, and she's actually coming across as a petty snob.

I can't stand those "my standards are so much higher" women, they're small-minded and incredibly dull.

Yep- same here.

They absolutely move furniture and if they didnt, then you need to take it up with them because it sounds like they didnt do their job properly.

The Op even suspected they are stirring

It all sounds like a very immature and unpleasant community tbh

And of a bit of furniture can apparently hide a very serious problem then… well, that in itself is strange!.

Read my previous reply. This was a Level 3 Building Survey, the most comprehensive, and expensive, that was on offer. Far from a bog standard mortgage survey!

The final answer, and believe me when we realised what was hiding we tried to go back to the company, even a level 3 survey do not move furniture or belongings. That was confirmed as being standard practice, it is a visible inspection and it is totally the norm that they do not move furniture.

I must admit that if I heard someone constantly slagging off the previous owner of the house they had just bought, I would think they were the unreasonable one.

They don’t move heavy furniture

What was this horrendous problem that a bit of furniture hid?

Don’t mind her. I wouldn’t speak to her. If she has buyers remorse tough. She looked at the house, you can tell when a house is in need of repairs. Did she use a surveyor?

If she's had loads of work done then she probably didn't even live in it properly until the work was finished. Is the house you moved to bigger/in a nicer area and she's feeling butt-hurt about that?

Surveyors I have had have absolutely looked behind furniture and asked to move furniture!

Sorry but I find it rather incredulous that the structural damage was all coincidentally hidden behind what- a sofa? or was it a hoarder house?

I'm afraid I wouldnt ever buy a house where you couldn't see the state of it behind all the furniture.

Eff her.

If she'd wanted to move into a house where everything was in pristine condition - as in new bathroom, kitchen, etc - it was up to her to look for and to pay for such a house.

I had to sell a house a few years ago and was concerned that most buyers round here seem to be looking for a house in 'move in' condition.

The surveyor who did the home report (Scotland) told me "But it is in 'move in' condition'. The house is sound. The buyers can do it up a bit at a time once they're in here."

i pass the old place from time to time and I can see where the new owners are gradually sorting things out - a new door at first, then new windows. It's nice to see the old place being loved.

If the house had been renovated, then the buyers would have had to pay a good deal more, as shown by the prices paid for identical houses on the estate. (The estate was built about 60 years ago.)

I'll add that where a house has been completely renovated, then that's normally reflected in the price. Your buyer is just looking for an excuse to moan.

Instead of getting annoyed and uncomfortable I’d laugh it off and say well more fool her for buying it if it’s that bad.

If she wanted a turnkey property she should have bought one. My parents house sold, the new buyers put in about 60,000, that’s what happens when you buy a second hand home unless it is a turnkey home that you pay a lot more for. The new buyers sold it after a year as a turnkey home and made a decent profit.
The price reflected the work required.

You're absolutely right OP, to say your house wasn't fit for children to live in is an outrageous thing to say just bc it needed some decorating.

Most houses need some re-painting and carpeting when you move in, and needing a new bathroom or kitchen is pretty standard, that doesn't mean they're unfit for habitation. It's not like it was infested with bugs and rot.