Buyers Questions

[sellingmyhouse2024]

Name changed due to location being named on previous post.

Our buyers have had a survey done ages ago and are now asking questions that we feel should have been covered in the survey.

Drainage, Chimney stacks, damp, asbestos, flood risk, subsidence, floorboard condition- the list goes on and on!

We don't want to answer their list of questions without legal advice but the estate agent is encouraging us to do it.

The surveyor should be answering these questions in our opinion. We don't want to put them off but also don't want to do anything that could come back to bite us.

give a couple of examples of the questions

Any additional enquiries like that came via our solicitor, so they asked us if we could provide any information about any of the queries, then drafted replies for us.

Is the home in a flood risk area?

What repairs need to be done to the front chimney stack?

Are the ceilings made with asbestos?

Does the property suffer from damp issues?

Be very careful with your answers. The property information form should give them most answers, but for instance, I know that if you answer 'no' to any knotweed question and it turns out to be there, you're stuffed with a HUGE legal claim and I would assume the same with asbestos. I would ask your solicitor and always play the 'not to my knowledge' answer, esp. with unseen things such as asbestos (unless your house was built since 2020, you'll inevitably have it somewhere!) Agree with previous poster and tell the EA that you'll be only doing via solicitor.

Did the survey flag repairs to the chimney stack or did you disclose these?

I’d be tempted to answer by referring them back to their own survey or searches.

it’s also fine to write “not that I am aware of” re asbestos- we are buying a house with artexed ceilings- prob do have asbestos which they surveyor flagged but I’m not going to ask vendors to confirm- they can’t really add anything without actually getting someone over to test

They can check the flood risk themselves online.
The chimney stack : does it need repairs? Otherwise just say you don’t know and they will have to pay for a surveyor or builder to assess it themselves.
Asbestos : either you know or you don’t. If you don’t it’s up to them to get it tested.
You would know if the property suffers from damp and yes, their surveyor should have tested imo.

We haven't disclosed anything. I assume it's from the survey so I am really confused why they are asking us.

the surveyor would not have been able to inspect the chimney and the report would have stated as such so reasonable question

the report will not have confirmed or denied the presence of asbestos.

the report may have identified areas of damp that the buyer is asking whether this is something you have encountered in the past

Just answer them! Not unreasonable so far.

I would just say you don’t know unless it is a very straightforward question.

Flood risk should definitely be covered by your solicitor.

If you’ve ever met a plasterer then you’ll know that every single stippled ceiling in the land 100% definitely contains asbestos and it’s more than their job’s worth to touch it.

Advise them to get their own surveys done…

Good luck!

“Not to my knowledge” to all of them apart from the chimney stack question which is “none, to my knowledge “

"Our buyers have had a survey done ages ago and are now asking questions that we feel should have been covered in the survey."

That's what I would respond to "their list of questions" then. Something along the lines of 'was this not covered by your surveyor', maybe even a blunt 'what kind of survey did you commission, I would have expected your surveyor to have established these details'.

"We don't want to answer their list of questions without legal advice but the estate agent is encouraging us to do it."
Some estate agents seem to forget who they are working for, assuming they will be paid the fee without actually earning it. Bat it back to them too!

These questions have come via the EA? and the EA thinks reasonable to answer.

OP… you are on shakey ground if you seem cagey

why not answer the questions where the answer is explicit and any thorny ones refer to your solicitor

perhaps they got a very basis survey

I understand they're not unreasonable questions but should we be the ones responsible for the answers when they have paid a surveyor. Happy to answer but I don't want to be sued lol

and what’s “ages ago”

i have explained why the surveyor wouldn’t be able to answer
added to which , they could have got a very basic survey

You can’t be sued if you answer as per my suggestions…

even if the Op does know
and that repairs to the. chimney are necessary?

Depends if it can be proven that the OP knows I guess. But they haven’t said they are aware of any pre existing problems so I’m assuming not for now.

Their solicitor will run a flood risk report as part of the searches.

What repairs need to be done to the front chimney stack? - Are there any repairs required? If none that you're aware of, state that.

Are the ceilings made with asbestos? - I mean, without testing how do you know? I'd answer not to my knowledge.

Does the property suffer from damp issues? - does it? If not then again not that you're aware of.

Usually this is covered on the Property Information Form.

i think the fact the op has started the thread would indicate some of the questions…. she doesn’t want to answer because she does know and doesn’t want to put the buyers off

Answer as honestly as you can "to best of my knowledge "

needless to say that will be denied on this thread!

This seems like good advice. Our survey was so detailed that we didn't need to ask these questions so might be right. It was about a month ago so hadn't heard anything until now. They're nice people so definitely not trying to be cagey. They're not FTB so maybe they always do this when buying.

Nothing negative at all, in fact quite the opposite. It was more from a legal standpoint. I am not a deceitful person at all. This is a huge decision for this family so I would not lie.