Would you buy this house?

[UniqueShaker]

Hi all,

Just as the title says really…

we originally put an offer in on this house (asking price) and tried to ignore our concerns as we loved it that much, but unfortunately somebody else’s offer got accepted (they had less of a chain issue etc and were more desirable buyers). I was absolutely heartbroken but over the last few weeks got my head around it and told myself it was for the best anyway.

basically, we are looking to relocate closer to family - myself, my partner and two young children. We found the house of our dreams just around the corner from our family.

I walked in and instantly saw us pottering around in there. It felt like it really could be our home. It ticked all the boxes, minus an extra bedroom for other family to stay in but our children would still have a playroom (which is something we have considered we may not get in our next property as house prices are higher in that area) and we figured a sofa bed in there would do the trick. The location was perfect, the plot of land it is on is large with incredible views and is more than we could have imagined to find when we first started house hunting. We pictured camping out in the garden with the kids in the summers evenings in this house and really set our hearts on it.

now don’t get me wrong, it’s not perfect and not to everybody’s taste, but it most certainly is to ours. It’s just slightly over budget but we figured we could stretch and it would be worth it as it would most likely be our forever home. I do not want to move again any time soon!

we spent an hour talking to the current owners. Then we started to feel a bit suspicious of the reason on their sale. When I asked the reason for their sale they both stuttered and said to move nearer to family, just down the road - literally a few streets away. They basically listed the house around 12-18 months after purchasing. I found the old listing and they have made the house beautiful but it strikes suspicion really. They haven’t done anything to make me think they’ve done it up to ‘profit’ - just a change of decor and carpets and a new bathroom and a render as the main points. The house was built in the early 1800s and I asked the seller if they’ve had any damp issues. Response was ‘none was picked up on the surveyors report’ - it didn’t answer my question really. I asked have YOU had any damp issues. He then went on to tell me they’d had a PIV unit (for condensation, damp and mould) installed and alarm bells started ringing for us. He then continued to tell us he has ‘allergies’ so it’s been really beneficial for that. And then said when they moved in there was condensation because nobody had lived there for a long time.

I can’t help but wonder if they’re selling so quickly because they’ve found the house to be problematic. Current owner was pregnant too which made me even more suspicious because the house was plenty large to not have to worry about moving anytime soon.

we absolutely love the house. But I’ve had damp issues in a house before and it was a nightmare. i know it can happen in any house but I’d like to avoid buying another one with the same issue if i can.

this house is absolutely perfect. And for what we can get for our money there is a whole lot of house and land which could be a forever home. The location is perfect for us. To achieve anything close to this on size we’d have to consider a further drive from family in slightly ‘less desirable areas’ or a smaller house in the same area. But I feel like walking away from this dream because it feels to risky. I don’t feel they have underpriced the house for a quick sale, I think the price is reflective of the things that others wouldn’t find desirable about it - things that don’t bother us.

The estate agent rang me and told me the people who had placed an offer have now pulled out. They said reason is: they were getting a gifted deposit and the gifter is no longer gifting… I mean my first thought was did the buyers not like the surveyors report… but would the estate agent lie about this?

aibu to not go ahead and put an offer on this house? We’ve been looking for almost a year and properly for the last 6 months and nothing compares. Anything else like this is too far above budget.

I can’t help but wonder if I’m talking myself out of it because I have had to do over the last few weeks thinking it had become someone else’s, or if I’m being really sensible by admitting that it’s just too risky.

what would you do?

Your post is way too long but if things are not adding up it’s not good. And selling so quickly after buying is suspicious. It might be for various reasons e.g problematic neighbors.
I would assume that both they and EA are lying and order a survey plus visit area in the evenings a few times.

There are a couple of lovely looking houses in our village that are put up for sale on repeat. I always assume they are haunted 😂

With a house that old there’s a good chance there will be damp, it should be picked up in the survey. If you really like the house I’d probably get the survey done and take it from there.

I’d be suspicious. Estate agents frequently lie in my experience and the vendors will lose thousands in stamp duty by moving so soon, and they don’t have a good reason like relocating for work. Sadly you can’t afford a house like this in this area so best pull out.

This is the risk buying any house. Thats why you have surveys etc. i did live in a house that was single brick and every year, despite all precautions, went mouldy on the internal outside walls. Probably bleach washing the walls around 2 times a year. We installed a PIV unit which helped. It didnt completely cure it. Idk go with your gut. Its been on the market for a long time. Why? Maybe put in a ridiculously low offer

Ooh yes this!! Thinking Uncanny, material for series 4

I’ve got a piv in my house and I’ve fitted them in every house I’ve ever lived in - no condensation ever and better air quality. And stops damp from internal moisture being a problem. I swear but them and they are so so common in other parts of the world esp where there’s high humidity

Damp really isn’t the end of the world you just need to be prepared to manage it properly.

Ours cost £350 and was super easy to install

Could it be that the house is just too expensive to run and they're more worried about that with a growing family?
Our 1800s house costs a lot to heat and is prone to damp when not heated well.

You can make an offer, get your surveyors in then back out if you need to based on that.

If you love it that much and is close to family I think it's worth the above time and investment even if the sale falls through, at least then you won't spend time wondering about the could have beens.

To add...

I've also purchased a house where owners were only there for 2 years. Their reason was financial. I loved that home, was my first home.

I also went onto sell that house while pregnant because something else came along.

If it is damp it can be very expensive to fix. I have an issue on one side of my house, but also a neighbour recently told me they had the same problem and spent tens of thousands to fix it. So it depends how far you are prepared to go. Sometimes it can also be difficult to diagnose and remedy - my survey showed damp and the advice was to get a damp proof course, which we did. This did not work.

You can dig a French gully and or use breathable paint and dehumidifiers and so on to manage damp...

A good priest will also do a room by room blessing. And wouldn't charge. (No harm giving them nice cake or a donation but you don't have to.)

If you make a nest in a few rooms over winter you don't have to heat the whole house evenly. Kitchen, a living room/playroom, home office.

Something like an Aga or Rayburn is worth it. Working with the county council environmental officer who deals with historical buildings or similar is necessary. Damp courses are the cause of damp when injected into buildings that need to breathe (anything stone).

If you get a survey and find damp it could help you get a discount?

@UniqueShaker I still cannot fathom why you think there is damp? Also I say it again, for all those who seem to be of the opinion old houses = damp, this is not always true.

One step at a time I would say. Get an offer accepted. Don’t get ahead of yourselves by getting excited etc until you have had the homebuyers report done. If it shows damp, get a quote for fixing it before proceeding any further.

Get a conservation surveyor

Every house has problems of one sort of another. This one seems worth risking an offer and a survey at least. Hope it works out for you. Let us know what you decided and how things turn out... ;)

Offer again, subject to survey, and get a really thorough survey done, mentioning your concerns about damp to the surveyor. You should get a realistic idea of whether any issues are solvable. Another thought - could it be radon that has put the owner off the house?

Good thought...is radon mostly northwest Oxfordshire and upwards into the next county and also some parts of the southwest of England?

Radon is in approx half the UK, to a greater or lesser extent. Only really a serious concern to smokers in unventilated houses, in a small proportion of affected areas.

I thought this too or something has happened in the house.
Strange for them to be so vague.

I would walk away from it and see you missing out the first time as a sign that it isn’t right.

If you think it’s got the potential to be a forever home with the space and land then it does ring alarms that the current owners would leave it while pregnant to move down the road. They want that house out of their hands for some reason.

Get a damp report.