To not list all of the houses faults when we come to sell it?

[NC223344]

It’s wonky, damp, some radiators don’t work, taps are linked up wrong way hot/cold, windows are shit, oven not actually screwed into the unit, it’s built on a brook.. you get the picture the list goes on.

Anyway, if I want to sell it do I have to tell people this crap or do they just figure it out themselves sold as seen type thing.
If I have to say then nobody will ever buy it, surely.

No one told us any of the issues we found in either of our houses and I would not tell people if I was selling either. I wouldn't lie if I was asked but I'm not going to go round telling them all the flaws.

Oops that was for @come

We never told our buyer that the fire was capped off. She never asked if it was a working fire and it never came up in the paperwork so we just never mentioned it.

If it's an old house and hasn't been renovated/modernised then most realistic buyers would expect some problems. I'm guessing some stuff like damp and crap windows are obvious anyway and they're the big ticket things in most buyers minds. Is the roof sound?

fair few of the things you list are fixable with good maintenance

Oh if only it were that simple 😃

it will be quite evident that a lot needs to be done on the house,, the agent will state this.so its up to any buyers to note all things that need improvements or repaired. This will happen to me,if I wanted to move, I have a very old terrace cottage, that needs big up dates,, but will have to be sold quite cheaply,

You’ll be given a list of sellers questions to answer and you must answer them honestly, or it could come back on you.
However if there is no question about whether the cold tap works in the second bathroom and the buyer does not ask then you do not have to reveal it.
Most buyers ( and all buying with a mortgage) will have a survey done. Surveyors want to find a few things wrong so the buyer can negotiate on price.

I know someone whose survey didn't find the faults and let them down. Over the last year they've had to spend a fortune practically rebuilding from scratch. The pain, money, etc etc is heartbreaking.

Previous owners were most likely aware of most of the issues.

I'd like to say I can't imagine how anyone could do that to another person. But.

A wonky damp house sure this alone is enough to put any1 off buying surely the surveyor will notice this.

This is exactly why we are building rather than buying our next house. We thought this house was fine, but uncovered loads when we moved in (a number of years ago). If we have to disclose everything that is wrong with it when we sell then we might as well give it away!

But @Cherrytart23 you are mistaken, you’d have to live here to notice. Survey did not reveal. To be fair the whole street is wonky when you spend time looking.

That’s why I’m asking, some things I know surgery won’t pick up, but I know they’re there.

I think you disclose what you are required to, answer all questions 100% truthfully, and don't do anything like cosmetic patch jobs to hide serious faults. I think its the decent thing to do to mention actually dangerous stuff like if something is loose & could fall on a child.

Otherwise sold as seen. The tap thing is not a big deal. The oven thing - how new if the kitchen? If it's pretty old and heading for a needing a new one, no biggie. It sounds like it can be fixed easily anyway.

Both the properties we've bought we've found various problems after moving in, I think this is standard. One had a big patch of bare plaster on the sloped ceiling over the bath, we thought it was just the general poor decor of the room, after moving in we've realised it was that the whole bath/shower unit positioning created the problem.

We moved from a new build into this house so or previous experience was I've of snagging list and prioritising the jobs that the builder could do, but no house is flawless ultimately. I'd screw in your oven, are the taps at least labelled correctly (I've encountered wrong way round but labelled appropriately before, that's not terrible). Brook and wonky... admittedly harder asks but ones that a survey will see, and priced appropriately... Fingers crossed. It's just when issues are only apparent after moving in that the previous owners were clearly aware of it is frustrating. Good luck!

You didn't know it was built on a brook? Surely that would have come up in the searches.

@WallaceinAnderland

You didn't know it was built on a brook? Surely that would have come up in the searches.

Nope, neighbour told us not long after moving and showed us where it comes out

Our survey didn’t find everything. The bitch who sold to us didn’t disclose her FUCKING BED BUGS among a host of other nightmare issues, and left all her crap in the garden/shed/loft so we had to pay for that along with all the terrible other things, and honestly I hope she died a long and miserable death of Covid once she’d fucked off with our money.

Fix what you can or price realistically as “in need of full modernisation throughout” instead of trying to fake it as a livable house.

Nope.
When buyers came to look, I said that they would likely want to replace soffit and facias. Also said that boiler was working and serviced but 15 years old.
Did not point out cracks in the garage wall, a false wall put in.
They paid the minimum for a drive by valuation.
Buyer be wear.

Survey should pick up major issues. For an old property, if buyers don’t get a detailed survey then more fool them. Stuff that matters to you might not even matter to buyers. They might want a new oven, new bathrooms and plumbing etc… in which case what you’re talking about is irrelevant. If anyone buys an old property expecting it to run like clockwork, then they have unrealistic expectations. Most people don’t live in show homes where everything works immaculately.

@comeundone

We moved from a new build into this house so or previous experience was I've of snagging list and prioritising the jobs that the builder could do, but no house is flawless ultimately. I'd screw in your oven, are the taps at least labelled correctly (I've encountered wrong way round but labelled appropriately before, that's not terrible). Brook and wonky... admittedly harder asks but ones that a survey will see, and priced appropriately... Fingers crossed. It's just when issues are only apparent after moving in that the previous owners were clearly aware of it is frustrating. Good luck!

They’re bloody engraved with H and C so we can’t swap it unfortunately. If it was a simple job we would have done it. It is a headache for some tbh ing that really, once you know about it it’s not a ‘thing’ iyswim. Thank you, glad that your new house is all sorted now.

instead of trying to fake it as a livable house.

It is liveable I’ve been living here years!

Wonky doesn't always mean structurally unsound. It can be pretty cosmetic.

We found loads wrong when we moved in, things the survey hadn't picked up as you needed to be living here to realise. I wouldn't worry. It's definitely buyer beware with houses

People generally don’t have integrity about this sort of thing ime. Our vendors let us move into a house without a working cold tap on the bath despite knowing we had two under threes. And didn’t do any cleaning after completion.

Answer the questions on the documents your solicitor sends you honestly. If that says are the taps the wrong way round then answer, fairly sure it doesn’t.
I’d fix the oven as wouldn’t want someone to have an accident.
As for the brook, well that’s an odd one. How far under is it, do you have a cellar? Does it have any negative impact at all ever, or possibly?
There’s lots you don’t get asked. I just wouldn’t want to leave anything dangerous for a new occupier.

I agree with PP, be honest on any paperwork and don’t do cosmetic coverups. The people who sold me my house were upfront about some things, the survey picked up most of what was left. I assume if your house is that old the buyers will get a detailed survey.

@stuntbubbles I’m angry for you. Bedbugs? Did you have to throw much of your stuff away? If I had moved my possessions into my new house then discovered bedbugs I’d be fucking raging.