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?

Op. They will have had a survey, likely a montage, they will have seen other houses for sale. They will have seen the adverts.

they know. Stand down, no need to get up in their business.

@lineylines you haven’t done anything wrong ignore anyone being critical. Some of these houses look very alike but are very different and it’s really vital to know what sort your own is - I see no issue whatsoever asking them about it. You aren’t interfering as this could directly affect you as well !

I’m a structural engineer and find the mortgage/insurance/buyer obsession with ‘non standard construction’ somewhat baffling. Yes, there were plenty of houses built quickly with new prefabricated systems, many of which have been found to have serious problems later on. Normally this is due to materials degrading over time or being used in a completely inappropriate way.

However…there are plenty of concrete structures which are well built and robust and becoming increasingly common for individual homes. Most modern mass house builders also use their own form of prefabricated wall system for the inner frame, before overcladding in something more traditional. Conversely, there are thousands of traditionally constructed homes where overenthusiastic DIYers or less reputable builders have got a bit carried away and (knowingly or otherwise) caused serious problems, before covering them up for some unsuspecting person to discover down the line.

I suspect (hope) we will start to see a more nuanced approach to the binary ‘brick timber tile = good, anything else = bad’ tickboxes.

Also - please don’t confuse a RICS Level 3 survey with a full structural survey - one is done by a surveyor and is visual, the other by an engineer and will likely involve bits of wall being opened up!

(oh I’m all sweetness and joy this morning!)

I live here. You don't.

As I have explained up thread, I'm pretty sure a fair few people here don't realise they're concrete, or if they do, they don't realise it's such an issue.

This isn't a busy place where houses are being bought and sold all the time.

It's a sleepy town with families staying put for a long time.

In the 15 years I've been here, only 2 of the concrete houses have been sold.

All the houses would have originally been bought through right to buy from the council.

Many people here bought their house decades ago when it wasn't such an issue to get a mortgage with concrete. As it wasn't as issue, they may not remember or even if they do, they may not realise it's going to cause problems.

Others have been passed down through families through inheritance so no, they didn't get a survey before taking over ownership.

A neighbour who I'm friendly with definitely didn't know, for example. I told her ages ago mine is concrete and I think hers when she asked me if my house has problems with condensation.

It’s none of your business.

But what is the issue precisely? What are you so worried about?

Are you worried there will be no interest in your neighbours property because you think it’s overpriced?

Are you worried that people might make an offer and then pull out when they get the survey?

Or are you worried a new buyer might buy it not knowing it’s concrete?

As others have said it’s not such an issue and not as bad as people think. You can get mortgages on them or get remedial work done. Lots of them are totally fine.

It is ! OP has the same house type ! It’s not like she’s just got a standard construction home and is just interfering. OP needs to know for herself as well.

So you know more than any of the professionals in the process they are using, which is nothing to do with you

God complex?

I am worried that my neighbours will proceed with selling their house without realising it's concrete. And that at some point during the sale it will come out that it's concrete. This may happen late on in the process, once they've already got their heart set on a new place.

I'm in a similar situation only I realise mine was concrete long before that point. I would be absolutely gutted if I thought I was moving and suddenly not only had my sale fall through but discovered my house was worth about £75k less than I thought and might be hard to sell.

It would be a huge disappointment, plus a huge waste of time and potentially money on my own moving costs. It may be they're under time pressure to sell, and that would be a problem too.

I would hate to find out like that, but it could easily have happend to me.

I'm also worried I may get a new neighbour who's paid over the odds for a house they don't realise is concrete.

At least I paid market value. I thought I was getting a bargain!

Eh? Where are you getting that from?

Some people here have some very odd ideas. 😂

I really don't know why you're getting such nasty responses OP, and it's not even aibu!

Do you think you will mention it to them? I would, in passing.

Yes, I was surprised at how little the basic surveys cover! And that they won't bother to get access to things that are instructed.

Please can I ask, do you think basic surveys would always reveal a house is concrete? Thanks :)

I think I will if I get a chance - i.e. if we see each other in the street.

I'm not going to go knock on their door to say anything - I don't know them well and I'm worried now they may have the same attitude as the antisocial people on this thread!

If you can get mortgages on these, why did the other neighbours sell for cash only?

Also I've looked at the cost of the remedial work and it's ridiculously expensive - you're basically rebuilding the walls. Not an investment worth making. This isn't London! The ground itself isn't worth a fortune, even if it is a nice area.

It would surely only come out in the survey or the mortgage valuation? Which would be a long time before exchange. But they probably already know or have been told by the agent. I’d hate to find out from my smug neighbour who’d nosed at my Rightmove ad and wanted to let me know that in her expert opinion I’d priced it too high and I would actually prefer to find out through other means.
Houses are worth what people pay for them. If the new buyer gets a mortgage and is happy with it, it’s worth what they pay for it.

Which is why you should keep your nose out of other peoples business.

If it’s not mortageable then they will find out very soon. And if others in the area sold for cash only in the ads the agents will know and advise.

I'm really glad the whole world doesn't think like you. What a miserable place it would be.

I've had some great advice and help from friends and neighbours over the years, that I expect you'd have seen as them sticking their nose in.

But you wouldn’t really be helping. It reminds me of another thread where a neighbour kept telling the OP that she’d overpaid for her house. I’d be really pissed off, not grateful.

I'm not antisocial at all, I just happen to think it's none of your business. You are also assuming that your neighbours don't know that their house is built in concrete. They may know and have chosen not to mention it. It's their house and up to them what they do.

Yes, I am well aware they may already know. Hence the thread.

Although, if they do know and are trying to pull a fast one on the people who will become my new neighbours, then I'm less worried about what they feel / offending them by trying to be helpful tbh.

Don't worry, MN is definitely a universe within itself and not representative of the real world! That sounds like the best approach.

Out of interest, are you sure yours is 1930s? I know some Wimpey No Fines date back to 1940s.

Do you know how thick the walls are? If 12" then it would be another nod to WNF. It just sounds exactly like the one I had, in the midlands.

Not mentioning it in the advertising isn't necessarily them trying to pull a fast one. They may just not want to mention it at this stage. I wouldn't be against buying a concrete house if I had viewed it and it was a property I liked. They may have not even considered it necessary to mention it. It really is none of your business unless you are interested in buying their house.

@lineylines I think you're getting a hard time on her.
You didn't realise when you bought and I understand your motivation.
Doesn't seem patronising or interfering to me !

It’s actually not easy to find a PRC specialist structural engineer and to obtain a PRC certificate. I’ve seen many times when it hasn’t even been realised a house is non standard construction you’d be surprised !