Estate agent marketing 3 bed as 4 bed

[CamdenTownie]

Hi everyone,

We've had an offer accepted on a property and as far as we were aware up until today it had 4 official bedrooms, including a loft conversion.

The estate agent has just called and said that when the survey takes place it will only be classed as a 3 bed as the loft doesn't have building regs.

I don't know what to do, I certainly wouldn't pay £475000 for a 3 bed property, and I won't have any cash left after the purchase to get it passed, I do love the house but obviously I'll only be able to sell it on as a 3 bed.

I'm both cross and upset, I feel I've been misled as well f it was marketed as a 3 bed I wouldn't have even considered it. I'm not even sure if it would be safe for one of the children to use as a bedroom.

My brother has suggested making an offer now based on the fact that it is officially a 3 bed, I don't even know what that would be?

It's going to be a problem if we pull out as we have a buyer in place and I don't want to lose them.

Anyone have any advice?

Thanks

We bought a house that said it was 4 beds but 2 loft rooms didn’t have building regs.

We got the building regs guy in. Nothing wrong with the build just the previous owners had converted it in the 70s.

Just to say I'm taking all comments on board and I will 100% be making a complaint, the email from the 'director' makes me more certain that it's the right thing to do every time I think about it.

He needs to called out for his attitude and unprofessionalism (is that a word?) and needs to be stopped in his tracks.

What a slimy snake the EA is. They must know they were wrong to have changed the description, good job you screenshot it!

The EAs are such tossers.

Should have been 3 bed + loft room.

Revise your offer down by 20%

Ah you’ve already pulled out. Good. Hope you find something better!

Ooooh that email, so RUDE!!!

I wouldn’t complain about his attitude as that is open to opinion(*), I’d go hard on the misrepresentation/lying. The fact that the ad has changed shows he knows he’s in the wrong. Send copies of the email exchange and the two adverts as supporting evidence.

(*) anyone reading the emails will see what a rude arsehole he is, you don’t need to dilute your complaint pointing it out!

How bloody rude!
So pleased you have a pdf of the original listing.
Following your complaint I'd be giving them a negative review on line too. People deserve to know what they're dealing with when spending nearly half a million pounds.

I thought that, with no building regs, it could only be listed as boarded loft space. Not a room of any sorts.

Makes me wonder if home owner and EA are friends/relatives.

It's 7 years since I last bought a house but I'd have expected an EA - who thought I was in danger of pulling out of a sale - to speak to me or DH on the phone. Although in this case it is good he didn't as you have written evidence.

This is from the EAs website:

Our vision is to offer a unique Estate Agency experience, that we believe has not yet been done. The idea for this company has been years in the making, from deciding on our name through to sourcing our exceptional photographer

We wanted to give the public a better option, at a cheaper price and change how Estate Agents are currently perceived

I'm excited to be changing people's perception of Estate Agents and I'm passionate about offering people exceptional value for money

Sounds like they may have a little way to go to achieve their objectives...!

I'd drop a note through the door of the vendors too, explaining why you withdrew. You never know what the EA has said to them and they need to know he's a knob too....

Their website also confirms they have signed up to The Property Ombudsman code of practice.

www.tpos.co.uk/

Funnily enough far from changing people's perceptions of estate agents he has done exactly the opposite by reinforcing the view that they are unscrupulous, unprofessional and talk a load of bollocks.

So glad you'll be making a complaint, I know it will take a while to go through but please do update with the result. I'm furious on your behalf!!

Bloody hell, what a snotty email. Definitely worth a complaint, with the evidence included. And hope to hell that if your dream house does come on the market, now you're having to start again, it's listed with someone else.

That e mail is so rude , both the owner and the EA knew damn well there was no building regs so have mislead people to gain more interest. My house was sold as a 2 bedroom with potential for a loft bedroom, it was never advertised as a 3 bed we didn’t expect much when we viewed it but were pleasantly surprised.

On the issue of 'dressing' it as a bedroom, why did they not more accurately 'dress' it like the office they later suggested in the original listing? Because they were being deliberately disingenuous. If it walks like a duck and quacks like a duck - you're going to think it's a duck!

I'd forward that email and your screenshots to trading standards and the ombudsman pronto. What a cock.

Oh dear.

Just reply back op.

And write,

Thank you for your mail. Let me also keep it simple. We are with drawing our offer and have complained to the property ombudsman about your misleading advertising and business practices.

Thanks

Camden townie.

Lurker who registered to point out the updated ad still has wording that is wrong and strengthens your complaint:

The description begins with

" 3/4 BEDROOM FAMILY HOME | SPACIOUS FAMILY HOME WITH 3/4 BEDROOMS | 2 BEDROOMS WITH EN-SUITE FACILITIES | PARKING "

And then in the main body says

" Having 3/4 bedrooms, 2 with their own en-suite facilities, a ‘glass’ kitchen/breakfast room that invites the outside "

Before going on to say

" Taking the stairs to the first floor, you will find 3 bedrooms (one with an en-suite) and a family bathroom. "

Logically, if only one of the three bedrooms on the first floor has an en-suite, then the only other 'bedroom' with an ensuite must be the loft room as that is the only other room described as having an en-suite - so even now, they are describing the loft room as a bedroom despite changing the words you screenshot above.

Totally agree with pp

Your case is stronger now especially as you have all the original listing saved.

Report and claim back any expenditure.

My friend had exactly the same problem, no building regs on the loft conversion and it was valued as a 3 bed room house by the mortgage company, which was a lot less than they were paying. This put a real spanner in the works, they nearly pulled out, but the solicitors sorted it out and the vendors got the building regs signed off and the sale went ahead at the original price.

It would be interesting to see what this house is valued at by a mortgage company. You either need to proceed on the grounds that they get the building regs signed off, or you pull out now, or wait until the valuation is done and then make a lower offer if it is valued lower.

The EX has a bad attitude though and if you are pulling out then I would go ahead and report them for mis-selling as there is no way that should be described as 3/4 bedrooms if there isn't building regs and they are still describing it as 2 bedrooms with ensuites, when one of those is not a bedroom.

Agree you should complain. That email is so rude!

The EA that sold us our property manager to lose a set of keys. But that they accepted that though of course. Either the seller was lying/mistaken or I was. They had not lost the keys - despite having no paperwork or pic of how many sets they received! A quick complaint to the ombudsman and they agreed to pay fir a locksmith.