Walking away from house purchase

[Neet90]

So we have been on and off the market for a year and a half, trying to find the right house and have our sale line up with our onward purchase which they finally have, but now I think we will end up walking away.

We found a house over budget but just about doable, it's in a nice location, lovely big garden, detached, driveway for 2 cars and 5 bedrooms making it bigger than any other house we had seen, but it has a cellar prone to groundwater flooding.

Of course we were concerned about the water issue in the cellar, the owners said there was a spring under the house but claimed they were fine using a sump pump from time to time. We went ahead and offered hoping that our minds would be put at ease.

We were able to get our mortgage offer but enquiries with the council, water board and environment agency showed that they were unaware of a spring or a particular flood risk for the house. A cellar company that agreed to have a look said that there was a well under the house and likely a perched water table and suggested a cell membrane drainage system coating 15-20k but doing that wouldn't make the room habitable as it's too low.

The building survey didn't seem too concerning other than wood rot, but our telephone call with the surveyor was. He said that even if we could afford to do the house up, the flat roof 2 storey extension and flooding cellar in particular would put future purchasers off and neither of them would be matters you could fully solve. He said there were a lot of risks and if it were him he wouldn't buy the house and suggested that for us to have a fighting chance we would need to get it for 25-30k less than we offered.

We contacted the agent about a reduction but because the cellar was a noticeable issue they feel it doesn't warrant the reduction suggested. Because the house is at the top of what we can afford we need to know if our circumstances were to change we would be able to sell it without having to wait ages or make a big loss, I also worry about the ongoing risk of water damage even if you install a system to try and keep it at bay or the risk of flooding which would also mean unaffordable insurance premiums.

I appreciate the sellers probably think we are being a pain and I do feel bad. Our revised offer was at the price the surveyor suggested to us on the phone, he has apparently spoken to the estate agent also but they don't believe the survey itself (which didn't alarm us much either) or whatever he has said warrants such a reduction. I think we ought to walk away based upon what the surveyor has said and the fact we would never have full peace of mind about the flood risk but I worry we won't find such a big house elsewhere, also we will lose our buyer and be back at square 1, plus our daughter is meant to start school this year so I had hoped we would have exchanged this summer so we knew what was happening address and school place wise.

I know I will worry about any house move as it's such a big step but I guess I just want reassurance that we should walk away, the house would be too much hassle, it's all meant to be and things will work out in the end.

@ThisIsM also after we said we would walk away they then called back to agree the reduction to £350000, but by then we had had a few days convincing ourselves the house was a no go. I appreciate they are keen to get the house they are moving to but I worry they have had a huge struggle flogging it

@Nothingmuch we said we were walking away and then they called back to agree the reduction to £350k but we had a few days convincing yourself of its faults. At that price it is about 30k more than a nice 3 bed in the area. I honestly didn't feel excitement when the estate agent called but if we don't go now we will be stuck where we are. So confused.

@Myshoesarenew they offered a discount of 25k so we are now confused, this would cover the cost of waterproofing the cellar but it's hard to know if it's worthwhile as it will cost about 20k but won't be able to be classed as a room as not tall enough. The house has usual cosmetic stuff inside that you could hopefully do over time-consuming kit, bathrooms, flooring, and ideally knocking the lounge through to the room behind and putting in French doors. The surveyor also commented that the flat roof extension is a bit of an eyesore as well as being tricky maintenance wise but that the windows are unattractive and that the strange polka dot effect rendering is also off putting. We like the area, space and garden but when they called to agree our offer after we said we were walking away I didn't feel relieved or excited. I know we can't get that much house elsewhere but it's hard to know it will never be just right and the cellar water issue could only be managed not sold.

I would have shared your concerns except we have had a specialist company in and had our cellar fixed. Work was guaranteed. On going costs are servicing the pump annually and the pump is replaced every 5 years. Absolutely no problems now. The pump works a treat when it's needed. Totally recommend it. 8 years with no further problems since the work has been done.

We use our cellar for storage - half is food. We have a spare fridge and freezer in it. Everything is stored on trolleys and all dried foods are in plastic boxes. It's a long story but we had 3 floods - until it was all sorted - ie specialist company in.

When we had work done to the house I had extra drains put in at the back of the house for drainage as historically water had always puddled at the back. Architect and builders thought and expressed I was being OTT.

I'm not sure I would be that worried about the flooding cellar TBH. I have owned two houses in the past with cellars which flooded occasionally, sometimes to ankle deep after heavy rain.

I had a VERY thorough survey on the 18th century listed one and did a walk through with the surveyor too. He said that the worst thing to do would be to try and tank it and that I should accept it was a cellar and had probably always flooded from time to time and just leave it alone.

I owned the house for 8 years with no problems. Sometimes I'd go downstairs (used the cellar for storage with stuff on shelves) and it would be wet, other times it would be bone dry.

I also know of a street in quite a famous village where every single house (timber framed) has a wet cellar because a stream runs down the street under the houses. Again, they just live with it.

Some cellars are just wet and as long as the problem is not getting worse that alone would not put me off. It does not sound worth trying to tank it due to the ceiling height, but I'm sure the spring can be managed. What would happen if the sump pump were turned off? Does it level out at a few inches or would it just keep rising? I think you need to know the answer to that.

The question really is the impact on this house. I'm not clear about the problem with the flat roofed two storey extension but surely they are also very common (certainly here in London).

That’s actually only about 10 miles from where I live. Who did the survey? Wonder if a second opinion on these particular issues would be an option? I can recommend someone based in Gosport. He did our survey and walked me through the concerns for our house

For me. We’ve looked at a similar house only difference is the house flooded rather than the cellar.

We’ve walked away because even if it doesn’t bother us it flooded - they have done the remedial work required to hopefully stop it flooding again. It would be difficult to sell on and as it’s the top of our budget id worry if our circumstances changed.

I’d walk away even after the reduction.

Interesting, I can see why you love it, it's an absolutely beautiful house! I think what you have to ask yourself is are you 99% sure this would be your forever home (are you likely to both always have good jobs to upkeep it?) If so, I would go for it (providing you can get insurance - surely you have to have this for your mortgage, so find out from the owners what theirs currently is?)

Remember that chartered surveyors are always going to be overly cautious, and of course they wouldn't buy a house with potential problems, given their job 😂 but so many people do because it doesn't hugely affect them/the risks are there but unlikely to cause any harm. Don't let him sway you so much that he would leave it - everyone's different so make up your own mind if you love it and love the area.

I wouldn't have an issue with a damp cellar, we have a cellar and it gets damp, don't think it's ever flooded, but it's an old listed building, water gets in there and I've seen it with a couple of inches. All pur surveyor said was it was not fit for human habitation. 🤷‍♀️

Thr flat roof and the polka dot rendering aren't really a big deal. The house has never flooded. What difference does it make, you don't need to use the cellar as a room.

I think you're surveyor is over cautious. It seems a great house for the money,

Lovely house, op. A leaky cellar hasn’t impacted our insurance whatsoever.

@AbbieLexie that's good to know you are happy win your converted cellar, is yours tall enough to class as a room of sorts? I wonder if it is financially worth going to the hassle of waterproofing it, maybe a better fitted sump pump etc would help. From what i have been told it tends to have puddles and these worsen with rain, and 22 years ago the cellar had over a foot of water and they don't use it for storage even

@Gladiolus45
It's great to hear you have had 2 cellars with no issues, if it were just a bit damp and grotty I think it would be ok but it has water going in it all year round. I think they have had a pump of sorts for the last 22 years and I think it's always on so I'm unsure how bad it tends to get without these and of course they are going to rose tint it all a bit. The surveyor hasn't honestly mentioned what we ought to do ie leave it or waterproof it, he has just mentioned that it will make it harder to sell, has rotten the floor above and if we were to waterproof it the membrane drainage system would be the best option. Nobody has confirmed the spring or what exactly is under the manhole cover etc it's just a few unknowns and so I can't help but worry.

@Myshoesarenew oh gosport, we looked at a couple of houses in Alverstoke but that would make it too hard for work and childcare. We used gavaghan jones. We also had a waterproofing company look at it but they will of course recommend something that gets them a job.

@lovelyupnorth if it was the actual living part of the house I would have legged it during the viewing itself.

@ThisIsM I loved it online but was underwhelmed on our viewing but my husband really does like it a lot and he is desperate to move due to neighbours and he likes he space, he's a typical bloke and doesn't care about a house being attractive. I love the garden and that it's double fronted and detached. Yes we will have to see who their insurer is.

This is the first time I've tried to post a photograph. This is part of our cellar.

@Bluntness100 thank you. I think it tends to be about an inch on most of the floor a lot of the time and I imagine a lot worse without the pump. I'm not sure waterproofing it is worth the money but I think it needs to be improved in some way

@HeadintheiClouds good to know about your insurance, thanks

@AbbieLexie thanks for the photo, I will see if I can find one from the survey report.

That is a lot of house for the money in the town, and it's gorgeous. It's on high ground too, if I remember. That road goes down to the river but it's steep.

Buy good insurance from a company with a reputation for good service, not necessarily whoever's cheapest on Confused.

@abbielexie can I be nosey and ask how much water yoir cellar had before, how much it cost to waterproof and what they actually did to waterproof it and give you peace of mind? Thanks! I'm

@Neet90 - we are not actually in Gosport, but I’ve used Woods surveyors (Gosport based) before. I met Gary at the property and he walked me through the main concerns. He was really pragmatic about what was a big problem and what wasn’t. I found it really useful. I don’t know if you want to shell out on a survey again (I suspect not) but it might be worth enquiring about whether he could consult on these two issues.

Here's photos of the cellar from the surveyors report

If the surveyor says walk away, I'd walk away. He knows a lot more about it than you or we do! It was kind of him to give you such a frank warning and I think you'd do well to heed it.