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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

to have reduced my offer?

166 replies

Ididthattoo · 04/03/2016 12:08

My husband and I have been looking for a house for a very long time. We found one nice house and we made an offer on it (which was accepted).

However, we found out that there is a small electricity substation behind the garden fence and there might be knotweed too. The area behind the garden is a green footpath that leads to a small park.

We had the emf emissions measured from the substation and they are normal. However, the surveyor said that it might affects saleability.

I am very anxious and haven't slept because of these issues. My husband says there are risks everywhere and we should just go ahead.

So, I have decided to offer about 7% less than what we originally offered in order to take into account of the increased risk. I would have just pulled out but the house is really nice and we are tired of looking.

What is your opinion on this? Am I being unreasonable? Am I mad in seeing risks everywhere or do you think there is a real problem?

I would really appreciate your views, I don't know what to think any more.

Thanks.

OP posts:
2016Hopeful · 04/03/2016 13:39

I think its fine to reduce your offer as you didn't know about those factors when you made the initial offer. Be prepared for them to turn it down though.

We reduced our offer after our survey, as we found that we would have to rewire house, strengthen beams in roof and a whole load of other little things. They accepted our offer which was 6K lower than our initial offer.

We used to live by a substation and it wasn't an issue. Not sure about knotweed though!

Greyponcho · 04/03/2016 13:40

Knotweed rhizomes ('roots', if you will) are more difficult to deal with than you may think... They can grow 7m laterally from the base of the plant each year. They can also reach 3m deep. That's a hell of a lot of digging if you end up with a problem. It must also be disposed as controlled waste due it's destructive nature (can ruin foundations, hence why some mortgage lenders wouldn't even entertain lending on a property with JK issues).
Chemical treatments enquires spraying the plants over a period of typically three years, using a glycophosphate that requires someone with a particular licence to apply (special permissions are also required if near watercourses). As another posters said, yes, there are 'ASBO' type implications for letting an invasive plant like that grow on your property and it is against the Wildlife and Countryside Act to allow it to spread off your property (plus waste disposal Duty of Care Act restrictions).
It is not impossible to manage, but can cost time and money, as the council have found out, but they do risk creating a monster (think antibiotic resistant bacteria, but herbicide resistant plants that will take longer to kill in the long run). Perhaps they're hoping they won't be prosecuted by the environment agency for not managing it because the EA are run off their feet..?

Electricity substations are a potential problem if you live in a high radon area, e.g. Where chalk is the bedrock. Online Radon maps will show if the property is in a high radon area or not. (The electromagnetic field attracts the radon particles to the area: radon is radioactive, hence why power pylons get bad press for 'causing' childhood cancers and other health problems.
How good is your hearing? Go to the property on one evening and listen to see if you can hear it buzzing... that is something I couldn't live with. Find out how old the substation is and if it ever had PCBs in the transformer oils (any pre-1990 could have had them)... it's very unlikely, but something to consider if the oils have ever leaked and you were planning a nice little vegetable patch along that wall (I.e. Don't plant veggies on a boundary with a substation).

Those 48% might not know why they would avoid a substation, maybe it's just because they've 'heard they're bad', but not really knowing why.

Do a bit more reasearch, get some solid answers from the council, and the electricity board, and adjust your offer on what you find.

Original poster
Ididthattoo · 04/03/2016 13:45

Well I doubt they will accept so I guess we will never do a survey etc. Pity the house is nice but you can't really control what goes on outside of it and that is the problem I see with these issues.

I know there will always be problems but I prefer a controllable one rather than something that is out of my hands

OP posts:
Openmindedmonkey · 04/03/2016 13:46

Mappcat - please call your council asap!
His gardening could cause you awful problems in future, if they haven't already. He needs to get rid of it; he could have caused all sorts of problems to his & neighbouring gardens & possibly properties too.

writingonthewall · 04/03/2016 13:56

there might be knotweed too.

unless you have 100% excluded that, pull out. don't buy this house.

cdtaylornats · 04/03/2016 14:00

I assume you are in England, in Scotland you would be looking at a bill for relisting the house.

ManneryTowers · 04/03/2016 14:04

It's the knotweed I would have a problem with rather than the substation. Even knotweed within the vicinity of your property, not actually on it, has to be reported to your lender. Lots of lenders simply won't lend due to the potential costs of clearing it. Even if your lender does proceed, you will be excluding a lot of future buyers and lenders when you come to resell. I'd look elsewhere.

JessieMcJessie · 04/03/2016 14:08

OP, you have to declare the knotweed to your mortgage lender. They may decide not to lend because of it. I know this for a fact as it happened to the vendors of the house we are about to buy (in relation to the property they were moving to). We're now stuck waiting for them to find a lender who is willing to overlook the knotweed, and it's a full 30m away from the house. However it is on their land and not adjacent, which may make a difference. But you can't be sure of anything till you get your lender's decision.

In other words, this may not be about you choosing to pull out, it may be that you have to.

Separately, how have you come to the 7%? If I were a vendor and a reduced offer were made I'd be more likley to agree if I could see it was designed to reflect actual reduced value and wasn't just the purchasers having a punt.

JessieMcJessie · 04/03/2016 14:09

Cross post mannery!

kirinm · 04/03/2016 14:11

It's not so much the cost of removing the knotweed, the lender will be concerned that the house will be damaged and become worthless.

I'm sure some lenders will lend even with the knotweed but I expect you'll have to be in a good financial position for the lender to take the risk.

Trickydecision · 04/03/2016 14:29

Jessie is correct on lenders' reluctance to lend where knotweed is involved. DS1 was turned down on a very nice house as the surveyor spotted it in the property next door. Better to pull out now rather than waste survey money.

Justaboy · 04/03/2016 23:46

Course if you are seeing the problem with Knotweed then I bet others are and I bet too that the vendor is. Perhaps some negotiations on the price taking into account the remedial costs of that and your lenders decisions and or comments. Of course a cash buyer won't have that problem getting a mortgage but I suspect any cash buyer will want to know what the costs are going to be as well. Perhaps see if the vendor might cough up for an independent survey perhaps?.

Don't be bothered by the substation there's more absolute cobblers and poor science written on that subject than most anything else. Much stronger electromagnetic fields are around you than what is likely to be from the substation and they tend to make 'em not leak oil as it'll flash-over with dire consequences.

Greyponcho · 05/03/2016 00:28

Justaboy - so you studied this at degree level?
Peoples worries about EMFs are not unfounded, just poorly understood, which what puts people off them. If OP has had survey done, it'll be fine in this instance.

Leaky substations are part of what has paid my salary for over a decade Grin

Original poster
Ididthattoo · 05/03/2016 06:19

Well, the vendor offered us a small discount (not quantified yet). My husband really loves the house I now see only the problems.

But I think we will go ahead. There is nothing else on the market that works for us and we want to buy (actually I am super happy renting but not him).

I am normally not a pushover, but I can't make decisions on houses. We missed some good ones and now we need to buy this.

I guess if it is intolerable we can sell it and lose some money. This is all very sad, I haven't slept much.

OP posts:
Thelwell · 05/03/2016 06:33

Your DH needs to educate himself on knotweed. I know it's disappointing. I've just decided not to offer on a lovely property due to a high flood risk, but this is not an option that's compatible with my stress levels.

Your dh is not fair to discount your feelings in this....are you using a mortgage? Will they give even give you one with a nearby knotweed issue?

Other buyers will see this too and the price is likely to drop substantially...

underrugsswept · 05/03/2016 06:39

I wouldn't go near a place with knotweed. It's a bloody nightmare. The seller legally has to declare it so definitely look into that further before you make a decision.

Original poster
Ididthattoo · 05/03/2016 06:46

We need a mortgage. I will let the surveyor know that there is knotweed on the path. I hope he stops us from this. My husband knows about knotweed, he thinks it is all hype and that it won't spread (or that we can deal with the council).

I need a miracle to happen. He was so upset last night when he thought we had lost the house that I can't do this to him again.

I guess I need to try not to think about this.

OP posts:
Original poster
Ididthattoo · 05/03/2016 06:50

I guess I need to realise that I will never live in a house where I can relax. Some people have problems with relationships, some with jobs. I have a problem with houses. This is so depressing

OP posts:
Duckdeamon · 05/03/2016 06:53

YABU: you clearly want to pull out, which would be sensible in the circumstances (knotweed), but are giving in to your DH. Why? You say he's pushing you to go through with it.

Is he the one who will deal with it? Bet it'll be you.

I gave in to my DH over moving to our current house and regret it. He was being an arse and unreasonable! Giving in to someone behaving selfishly and disrespectfully is generally not a good idea.

Duckdeamon · 05/03/2016 06:56

Your wishes and views matter just as much as

You don't need a miracle or someone else to intervene (although you do need to inform the mortgage company), this is in your hands to resolve.

Just because you might've been fussy about previous houses doesn't mean you're wrong on this one. It's a huge investment with huge costs (and reliance on selling) to change. Not sensible to do it because your DH is "so upset" (Hmm): he knows what he wants and wants you to comply.

Original poster
Ididthattoo · 05/03/2016 06:57

He is normally really nice but I am really difficult with houses and he just wants to get it done.

He doesn't really understand my anxiety about this (we pulled out of a couple of other places for other reasons) and says there will always be problems.

I am happy to buy something with problems that are under my control, obviously it is more difficult when one needs to deal with third parties (councils etc).

I am devastated with the situation

OP posts:
Original poster
Ididthattoo · 05/03/2016 06:59

He is normally really nice but I am really difficult with houses and he just wants to get it done.

He doesn't really understand my anxiety about this (we pulled out of a couple of other places for other reasons) and says there will always be problems.

I am happy to buy something with problems that are under my control, obviously it is more difficult when one needs to deal with third parties (councils etc).

I am devastated with the situation

OP posts:
Duckdeamon · 05/03/2016 07:02

It's disappointing, but OTT to be "devastated". There will be other houses, and some of the issues you had with previous ones might be reconsidered.

If your H wants you to even consider proceeding you should await the Council's response and get independent advice on the knotweed, before committing to the vendors.

The electricity substation would rule it out for me too.

Salene · 05/03/2016 07:06

God no no no knotweed can wipe 50% off value of your property it's a huge risk to take

Sorry but if run a mile

Original poster
Ididthattoo · 05/03/2016 07:08

Duck, I am devastated because I think we will end up buying it. I just can't say no this time I have said no too many times before.

If we lose 50% of the value so be it, it will be an expensive lesson for my husband but maybe one he needs.

I seriously can't go on being so stressed about the situation. I am just getting some comfort from mumsnet as I don't want to talk about this with friends in real life.

So, thank you for your help, reading the thread helps me

OP posts: