Neighbour maybe doesn't realise house is concrete WWYD?

[lineylines]

My neighbour has put their house on the market. It's a normal ad.

However, their house is concrete construction. Definitely - not only is ours, and the houses look the same, but theirs in a semi and the one next door (that it's atttached to - effectively the other side of the same house) sold last year, and the ad clearly said "cash buyers only as concrete construction".

The price they're asking is normal for a standard construction house round here, but they're not going to get nearly that for a conrete house. The one next door sold for £75K less than they're asking.

I'm trying to work out whether I should say something to them.

If they already know it's concrete I guess it's none of my business really. It's very unlikely a buyer won't find out as the houses on this road are flagged as "possibly concrete construction" and it will be hard to get a mortage. Unless someone buys cash, I guess?

But if they don't know, then it's going to be a nasty shock - they may find out once they've offered on a new place and then their buyer's mortgage falls through when the lender finds out it's concrete.

Lots of people here don't realise about the concrete I think as this is an ex council estate and some of the houses were bought ages ago and passed down families.

I don't know them well, they keep themselves to themselves.

Should I say something to be neighbourly? Or stay out of it? WWYD?

I'm surprised by this

I live in an ex Council house that is concrete

1930's semi detached with poured concrete and pebbledash

Walls are a bugger to drill 😂😂 and can ruin /blunt drill bits as workman found out when I had a window taken out to make patio doors

I got a mortgage no issue

Next door did 20yrs later

They sell quickly along my road as near a fab school so lots sell and sure all got mortgages and not cash buyers

I’m a bit confused at why you’re asking.
Unless they’re your best friends then it’s literally none of your business. Stay out of it

It's got nothing to do with me as an American but I'm still interested.
I'm interested that a country can be full of people who seem to be absolutely terrified of being called rude and yet those same people will have no problem brazenly cheating unsuspecting home buyers.
It's fascinating, really.

Racc concrete is a big problem, there's a housing estate in Aberdeen where 500 house's have to come down because of it.

@CliantheLang no idea why you're quoting me.
A neighbour selling their property has zero to do with @lineylines
At no point does op need to drop it on to conversation or make a fake email account.
It's not the ops house so it's nothing to do with her.
If your so fascinated with the selling of property in the UK Google it
My neighbour has just sold their house for over twice what they paid for it four years ago , do you know what it's got to do with me? NOTHING

Maybe a message board that is fundamentally about other people’s lives that have nothing to do with us is not the place for you?

Yes but if they don't know they can't disclose and don't have to disclose it. It will be on a buyer to find out and they may not - after all you didn't.

I find it puzzling that you know all this and are this involved. You win the prize for the ultimate nosey neighbour.

Stay out of it.

What an odd way to think!

You'd rather not LOOK like you're interfering, but you're quite happy to actually interfere by going to the estate agents secretly? What if they then found out you'd done this? That'd be awful for everyone!

I'd rather be straight up with my neighbours, or say nothing. I'm not going to go sneaking around behind their backs meddling with their house sale.

My starting and ending point are - "what would I want people to do if it was me in their shoes?"

Goodness, some posters really do love to find ways to stick the knife in! 😂

It's hardly being a nosey neighbour to know their house is concrete as MINE IS IDENTICAL!

I keep an eye on house prices in my town as I'm planning to sell as soon as I'm in a position to be able to do so. That's not being a nosy neighbour as I have no idea who lives in most of them - it's research for my own benefit. Also I enjoy it, it makes it feel more real that we're going to move at some point.

I'm nervous about not being able to afford anything decent (because of the low prices for concrete) and it helps with planning to know what I'm up against. And so, I'm curious whenever a concrete house comes up for sale if it'll sell ok, as I'm worried mine won't. (Hardly any have been put up for sale since I realised mine was concrete).

That's not being a nosy neighbour, as it's got nothing to do with who lives in them - that's sensible planning, for the benefit of my family.

You're projecting, it's not neighbourly to do that.

They are living their life their way. The price they ask is between them and their estate agent.

You're projecting your feelings onto them. Its none of your business.

Wow so many saying it is none of your business and why do you care; because we are human beings who need to work together to make the world a better place. Would you not want others to use their knowledge to try and help you? Should they just look on and watch it all go pear shaped; I hate what 'be kind' means now but in this case thinking of others is the right thing to do. With attitudes that are so scathing and people who are blind to caring no wonder we are in such a mess. Yes op you should speak up via the estate agent; your points are valid and could be of help to all 3 parties.

If they genuinely don't know, it would be unhelpful for the OP to 'helpfully' tell them.

I was thinking the same thing - also on the other side of the world. We had an old concrete house, it certainly showed no sign of crumbling (well, until an earthquake hit it!).

It's absolutely none of your business.

Where I was born there is an estate like this. Some of the houses gave been given a brick 'skim' so they are now mortagable. IYSWIM. Has this happened to this house?

Mind your own business.

It's as simple as that.

Really???

Is the OP an architect or housing expert?

It may stir up trouble that is totally unnecessary - not 'make the world a better place'

@lineylines

Well you did ask the question... and you have lots of answers.

Just do whatever the heck you want. You wanted opinions, but it seems not any opinion, just the ones that agree with your viewpoint.

I’m sitting in the kitchen of my concrete from head to toe house, bought last year with a mortgage the size of the GDP of a small nation. It’s not an automatic barrier to banks lending. Even the skirting boards are concrete - shortages of wood in the 1940s.

Surely it would be fraudulent for the seller and estate agent to knowing sell a house of non-standard construction without telling the buyer? I would be concerned for the potential buyer - imagine if you'd hugely overpaid for somewhere with unsafe cladding then had a neighbour later say 'well yes I thought it was weird you paid that much and the advert didn't mention the cladding but it wasn't my place to say anything' . I'd be incredibly upset, out of pocket and looking into legal action against the seller!

The estate agents will know - they aren’t total idiots. I suspect the OP is concerned that her neighbours will get more for their property than she thinks they should (probably because she paid over the odds for hers with her dodgy surveyor who couldn’t spot the construction) and would like them to clearly put in the listing that it’s concrete and therefore awful construction and not worth the asking price.
I’m unsure why OP is so certain it hasn’t been priced knowing that it’s non standard. Maybe they want to go in high.
When I’ve bought I’ve seen houses where I’ve been told of subsidence, previous flooding and lack of building regs. None of it was in the original listing obviously. But I was told.

Blimey, I’d be going back and suing that surveyor!

guess you could go and chat to the neighbour and tell them you’re thinking about selling and ask if the estate agent has said anything about potential issues with selling due to the concrete. Personally I’d keep out of it.

Op you've got me worrying about my houses. I have a 1930s ex council house. I know the lintles are concrete because it's bloodt hard to put up blinds 😂 but I'm realising that brick dust comes our when I out up shelfs. Anyway in my panic googling I've just found this website https://nonstandardhouse.com/