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Property/DIY

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Original poster

Just Moved In, Problems

12 replies

BigDipperMama · 21/09/2019 13:27

Just moved in and there are so many issues, wonder if anyone can advise me what to do about these to start with:

the garage door won't open. Seems it hasn't been used for years, may be screwed or just lodged shut, key turns but makes no difference. Dh thinks we should get a handyman to try to sort it, but don't we have the right to find doors open-able at least? Who do I complain to, estate agent or our solicitor?
no gas and electricity when we moved in, on a meter and it had run out. We had to pay about 150 pounds of previous tennants debt, then buy our own. Also had to get a gas engineer in to get dormant boiler working again, another 90 pounds, but feel okay about this as peace of mind everything is now working and sound. Should we write off or sort out with EA or solicitor?

Having not done this before, I'm not sure what our rights are after completion, please help.

OP posts:

Apolloanddaphne · 21/09/2019 13:31

A bit of WD 40 might work on the garage door? I hope you don't open it and find it full of crap!

Paying the gas/electric debt is not on. I would speak to the EA about that. Were you aware the gas boiler didn't work when you bought the house?

GreenTulips · 21/09/2019 13:34

Not sure why you paid off their debt. I’d try and recoup that but it’s unlikely you’d see a penny.

Garage doors, onus is on you to check things work, did they open when you viewed

LIZS · 21/09/2019 13:43

Did those things work at exchange or you were specifically told they did on the enquiries form? The utilities should have been read and debt cleared on completion by vendor.

mankyfourthtoe · 21/09/2019 13:49

Did you pay for a boiler check

mankyfourthtoe · 21/09/2019 13:49

Or a survey. But I would be annoyed about gas debt

Original poster

BigDipperMama · 21/09/2019 14:24

Thanks for all your replies. I have emailed the EA now, even if only to get it off my chest.

We couldn't put credit on the meter without clearing the debt, would have had to go without electricity on our first night, trial enough going without hot water!

We had a survey and the boiler was marked as working, but 2,5 months of inactivity meant it had now stopped working. Like I said, I don't mind paying for that part, as at least it's all checked out again, and working fine.

Didn't check the garage door was working on viewing, no, just didn't think to. There is an interior door into the garage, so we have got some bits in that way.

Did I mention the freezer was full of rotting veg...

I want to cry when I think of the lovely state we left our house in, spotless, with fizz and glasses and lots of notes. All I got was rotten peas!

OP posts:

EL8888 · 21/09/2019 14:27

Very confused why you paid their debt. Surely all you had to do was prove they had moved on so they could be pursued for the debt by the energy companies? The freezer thing and the garage door things l would bat back to them via your solicitor. My old neighbours were left with a loft and 2 sheds worth of tut. They got a few hundred pounds for it all to get sorted out

Original poster

BigDipperMama · 21/09/2019 14:44

It's a pay as you go meter thing, we have no experience of it and had to go to a pay point to sort it out. Dh bought 120 pounds of credit, but 70 immediately went on a debit. We'll change to a normal system now... Have forwarded issues to solicitor too now. Urgh, your poor friend, at least not too much tat to deal with here.

OP posts:

OnlyFoolsnMothers · 21/09/2019 14:46

Shouldn’t have put money on the metre- should have called the company and confirm date you took ownership

EL8888 · 21/09/2019 16:14

@BigDipperMama yeah they were raging. It was all rubbish e.g. crap old Christmas decorations, school books, chipped crockery etc

Flightlessbird17 · 21/09/2019 17:33

I think it's your responsibility to check if doors are working ect and a freezer of rot and £90 is nothing really we purchased our house 1 year ago and had to get new boiler fitted and steralize the entire house before we moved in remove previous occupants things old manky sofa bits of filthy carpet ect also change a disgust g jacuzzi bath because we couldn't get it to work so couldn't get in all the holes cleaned properly. This has all been fine because at the end of the day it was reflected in the price of the house.

Original poster

BigDipperMama · 23/09/2019 13:16

Flightlessbird, that does sound terrible, and gives me some perspective, we came off lightly, it seems!

I sent the vendors' EA an email on Saturday, they replied today and were quite apologetic, reimbursed us for the gas/electricity and doubled the amount for the inconvenience of the garage door and the peas (I don't know if I can ever eat peas again!)

The money recouped will hopefully cover the handyman to sort the garage door, if not, I'm pleased to have some costs back and to have got it off my chest.

Also forwarded the email I sent to the EA to our solicitor, who confirmed we had a right to recoup the cost of the debts, but the door fell under the buyer beware category, we should have checked it worked. You live you learn!

Thanks for all the advice!

OP posts:

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