Final viewing advice...

[pyrrah]

We are in the process of buying an C16th house and I have been down there 7 times so far - 2 viewings pre-offer, specialist surveyor, Listed Buildings Officer, specialist builders for quotes etc etc.

We finally agreed a revised price last week and are moving forward with conveyancing and hoping to move in early January.

I am wondering if I should insist on a final viewing - and if so, should this be before exchange or before completion?

Reason for asking and being picky is that my parent bought an old property earlier this year. The owner died 18 months previously and the heirs were selling it, but it hadn't been lived in since her death - and nothing much done to the place since the 1940s.

The APs had pretty much the same series of viewings that I have, but the final one was around November last year and they didn't complete until May.

Over the winter, the rain managed to get in and a large chunk of ceiling came down in one of the main rooms and the whole place was soaked. They only discovered this when they moved in. A local woman who was keeping an eye on the place told my parents that the agents had told her that she was under no circumstances to tell them about the damage if she saw them.

Am I being totally paranoid, or is it normal to ask for a final viewing just in case?

My solicitor recommended viewing just before exchange to make sure everything is as you expect.

yes, well, if nothing had been done for seventy years it shouldn't be a surprise that there was a roof leak!

not unreasonable for a final check, though - open cupboards, run taps, 'measure up' (while having a good look).

BTW the damage to the other place should have been fixed by the previous owners under their insurance, assuming it was before exchange.

Is there a set time between exchange and completion?

Our vendors are moving to France. Their vendor is being a bit of a PITA. They can't move in until January, but he wants to exchange asap and they are feeling edgy as there is a cash buyer in the wings (but with a lower offer).

Estate agent was muttering something about exchanging contracts in the next 5-6 weeks. Our buyer is being a bit slow and given that the London market is not as buoyant as it was, we'd like to get him under contract asap as well.

So, potentially there could be 6 weeks or so between exchange and completion - which is the time that I am anxious about.

The damage to my parents house did occur before exchange - they knew from the survey that there was a lot of work to do, but not as urgent as it turned out to be. The agents kept v quiet about it as they didn't want insurance claims etc or to risk my parents pulling out given how long it had been on the market.

I know from my survey that we need a new roof in the next couple of years, but there's no leaks or anything, so we shouldn't be encounter anything of that kind. Just anxious given that my DH is very much trusting me to spend all his money!

There isn't a set time between exchange and completion but completion date is defined at exchange.

It can cause some people problems with mortgage offers etc. and buyers need to ideally take out insurance on the property they're buying from point of exchange.

I quite like a month between because you can sort out utilities etc.

Good point re insurance - will go and check that as lots won't cover old properties.

Thank you all for the advice!

yes, might be a good idea...

remember you have to insure it from exchange. In that period, both parties have an interest in it and both insure it. It's not an 'ideally' it is an essential, because if it burns to the ground after exchange you are still buying it.

Yes def view as near to exchange as possible. (Ie just before)