Possible additional cost of house, would estate agent lie about this?

[FingersXrossed]

Saw a house which we liked however it's got solar panels and some investigation suggested this might not be a good thing as they're leased with the house rather than the owner.

The home report also mentioned that the buyer would be charged X amount for the next X years to pay off the loan.

When we viewed it was the estate agent who showed us around instead of the owner (unusual here) and when questioned she knew nothing about the solar panels loan and phoned someone (the office?) to ask. They had no answers (I also showed her the home report info) and she said she'd ask the owner and let me know.

Today she's phoned back and said that there's no outstanding loan, it's been paid off. I asked about the home report X amount over X years and she said that's maybe just standard.

She also said they'd had a verbal offer that they're considering.

It sounds like we could make an offer too but I'm a little nervous in case someone isn't telling the truth. Would they do that about something like this? Say it's paid off and then I find out later that the loan is outstanding? I'm not sure what to do.

I’d investigate further. Perhaps the owners want to pay it off as part of the sale? Are you in Scotland? I’m in England so not sure how it works, but is it possible to make a conditional offer stipulating that the solar panels are paid off on completion?

It sounds like we could make an offer too but I'm a little nervous in case someone isn't telling the truth. Would they do that about something like this? Say it's paid off and then I find out later that the loan is outstanding? I'm not sure what to do.
This is why you have a solicitor.

You just get your solicitor to get the detail on this. If it is not as presented you pull out.

Thats what you pay a solicitor to do - check that the solar panels are paid off.

Sorry are you in Scotland?

Hi yes I am in Scotland. She said they've paid it off but the home report suggests there's an outstanding loan payable for many years. Do I just ask my solicitor to investigate?

Looks like you are in Scotland. We are in England and the questions about solar panels were in the property information form. One of the questions does specifically ask about the payments for the solar panels.

How do you tell when an estate agent is lying? It’s when their lips are moving. Hard as it can be to uncover a less desirable fact please get a solicitor to check this thoroughly. If they get it wrong that’s what the solicitors insurance is for and you have some chance of clawing lost monies back. Not do with something an estate agent said to you.

The estate agent can only tell you what the vendor tells them.

Thanks everyone, I'm waiting to hear from my solicitor. See if there's an invoice or something as proof.

I wouldn't buy until that risk had been investigated and resolved.
You may be happy with it but it might be a problem when you come to sell.

It turned out that the seller accepted the verbal offer they received (EA called to tell me this while I was waiting to hear from my solicitor) so it got sold anyway. My solicitor was busy dealing with sales stuff but I explained the situation when they called. They agreed that it was probably best that I hadn't gone for it.