Buying a home and don't know how anything works

[Epona]

If your offer is accepted you can and should absolutely go for another look around - it is understandable that there will be consideration to the pandemic, but that doesn't mean that you have to buy a place without measuring up, the surveyor will also have to go into the property - it will all have to be done carefully, but COVID doesn't mean you have to buy a place blind without further checks. I mean you can't be visiting all the time (even in normal times) but a second visit is normal and expected.

 

[xenon]

Good luck miss direct I hope you get it. Affordability and survey all good granted.

 

[miss direct]

Estate agent replied and said she'll be in touch later this afternoon. What a big day this is for me.

 

[bellaozzydog]

You're offering the thick end of a £100k. They are not going to be swayed by £500.

The important stuff is the cash buyer and that you're not going to pull out because you see a place that you could squeeze another grubby student into.

Email it in, then call the agent to ensure they've got it.

This

Pissing around with five hundred quid increments isn’t going to endear you to anyone at this point

If anything you may be taken less seriously

 

[bellaozzydog]

GOOD LUCK

 

[miss direct]

Offer accepted.

 

[Epona]

Offer accepted.

YUSSS!!!!!

Congrats! Now to get a survey done and sort out a conveyancing solicitor. Survey is still important even though it is leasehold, if the place has subsidence or rising damp you still need to know because costs for fixing it may end up being charged to you, so a survey is just as important as for a freehold property. And a good solicitor will make sure the lease is sorted out properly and inform you of any issues.

 

[cybershot]

Offer accepted.

Congrats. Take a moment to celebrate this part of the process, as the next bit takes aaaggggeeeeessssssss and when the real stress will start, but as you're just a buy it should be considerably easier and less stressful. If there's no chain in normal circumstances you'd probably be done in 3 months or there abouts, but i suspect with stamp duty ending rush, solictors are going to be very busy, so don't be surprised if it takes longer, but DO chase them every now again, to get an update. Say every seven days from when you last heard something.

We're here for survey and solicitor advise, but take the rest of the day to smile, tell people, get excited and have a glass of wine or whatever your tipple is! Deal with instructing the rest tomorrow. I don't think we allow ourselves to take in happy moments enough, especially at the moment.

 

[miss direct]

Thanks! Such a relief. I've got in touch with a solicitor and the estate agent said they were a decent one. They're meant to be calling me back. Might pop out for some prosecco.

 

[moonsi til]

Congrats- I have logged in on my lunch break to see how you were getting on & it was just the right time.

Know that the vendors will be whooping too.

 

[ddraig]

Yay! congrats and good luck with the rest of the sorting

 

[miss direct]

Don't mean to sound thick but is the conveyancing solicitor the person who does the survey?

Will a survey check things like the boiler?

 

[bimble]

Don't mean to sound thick but is the conveyancing solicitor the person who does the survey?

Will a survey check things like the boiler?

You need a surveyor to do the survey, the solicitor is a totally separate thing. My survey didn’t include things like the boiler or the condition of anything electrical.
just be happy today though, think about the boiler tomorrow !

 

[ddraig]

Don't mean to sound thick but is the conveyancing solicitor the person who does the survey?

Will a survey check things like the boiler?

Survey would usually be structural
You'll need a gas/boiler engineer for the boiler and general gas check

 

[Winot]

Don't mean to sound thick but is the conveyancing solicitor the person who does the survey?

Will a survey check things like the boiler?

Conveyancing solicitor checks to make sure that the people you are buying from actually own it and to ensure that you are buying what you think you are buying. They also check to make sure there aren't any nasties such as the local church having a right to walk across your back garden. They also search for local issues such as environmental problems or local authority problems that could affect the property.

The surveyor looks at the property itself i.e. the structural stuff (is it going to fall down). They won't look at the boiler - you'll need to get a plumber in if you want that checked out and equally an electrician if you want the electrics/wiring checked.

 

[platinumsage]

Look here for surveyors

Search | Find a Surveyor

Find a Surveyor helps you find a RICS chartered surveying firm that is right for your project. Search from over 40,000 firms worldwide.

www.ricsfirms.com

If you choose Homebuyers from the drop down that will list surveyors who deal with residential house purchases. You can then discuss with them whether a Homebuyers Survey would be appropriate, or whether they think a full structural survey i.e. RICS Building Survey is worth doing. They will know the local housing stock and construction methods.

 

[miss direct]

So considering it's a flat on the first two floors of a building, I thought just a homebuyers survey which seems to be a few hundreds pounds.

 

[kebabking]

So considering it's a flat on the first two floors of a building, I thought just a homebuyers survey which seems to be a few hundreds pounds.

Not necessarily - you need, as a leaseholder, to be concerned with the whole structure because (obviously) if it falls down you'll be homeless, or looks like it's going to fall down the freeholder will do some building works and you'll get X proportion of the bill.

If the freeholder has had a survey done in the past you may be able to to get access to it - this will help you determine your risk.

Personally I wouldn't bother with a homebuyers survey, they are pretty much only interested in determining the value of the property for mortgage purposes, they are very unlikely to show up anything you can't see.

 

[kalidarkone]

Offer accepted.

Yay!!!!!

 

[Epona]

Not necessarily - you need, as a leaseholder, to be concerned with the whole structure because (obviously) if it falls down you'll be homeless, or looks like it's going to fall down the freeholder will do some building works and you'll get X proportion of the bill.

If the freeholder has had a survey done in the past you may be able to to get access to it - this will help you determine your risk.

Personally I wouldn't bother with a homebuyers survey, they are pretty much only interested in determining the value of the property for mortgage purposes, they are very unlikely to show up anything you can't see.

Yes, this. If the wall has a crack in it, or there is damp, that isn't something that will be magicked away and not your responsibility due to it being a leasehold property - you would likely be responsible for a share of the cost to get it fixed, so you need to go into the purchase aware of any structural issues that may come up as costs in the near future, or stuff that has legal and cost implications such as Japanese Knotweed in the garden (as an example).

 

[hash tag]

Offer accepted.

Well done. It might be worth checking with estate agent that they have take it off the market and stopped showing people round!

Survey would usually be structural
You'll need a gas/boiler engineer for the boiler and general gas check

I would be happy with a homebuyers. How does the boiler look to you and did you check all the radiators and the taps for hot water?
Are there receipts for an annual service and quite often a homebuyers would suggest you get a specialist report on the boiler if they
thought there was any doubt.

 

[Cid]

Nice one, get the agent to take the listing down.

 

[Cid]

Also 'ey up ducks, tha'll be reyt, have a breadcake for tea, now then, now then.

<is actually from the South >

 

[two sheds]

I also had a mining survey because the area round here is criss-crossed by old tin and copper mines. You probably won't need one but would be worth finding out whether there were coal mines in the area being Sheffield?

 

[two sheds]

This site I think tells you about old coal mines and whether you need a survey if you enter your post code (enter your post code ) when you have some time to have a pootle.

ttps://www.groundstability.com/public/web/home.xhtml

A lot better than down here because at least the coal board will have kept records. Down here it was all adventurers and before 1800s I think it was they didn't actually keep records, so holes regularly appear in roads and you hear of oak trees disappearing down old mine shaft

 

[Epona]

This site I think tells you about old coal mines and whether you need a survey if you enter your post code (enter your post code ) when you have some time to have a pootle.

ttps://www.groundstability.com/public/web/home.xhtml

A lot better than down here because at least the coal board will have kept records. Down here it was all adventurers and before 1800s I think it was they didn't actually keep records, so holes regularly appear in roads and you hear of oak trees disappearing down old mine shaft

That seems oddly specific - no beech or ash trees, just oaks?

 

[baldrick]

Yeah I would get a full survey tbh. Yes it's probably twice the price of a homebuyers but your house is two hundred times more (probably, I haven't done the maths)

 

[hash tag]

I very rarely recommended anyone to get a full structural. More often than not, I recommended a limited structural engineers report to look at a particular problem. more here House surveys

Find Local RICS Surveyors - Compare Survey Quotes - Local Building Surveyors

Compare survey quotes instantly from local RICS Chartered Surveyors. RICS Building Surveys, HomeBuyer Reports, Condition Reports & Valuations

www.localbuildingsurveyor.co.uk

 

[miss direct]

It already says sold on rightmove

 

[miss direct]

I've now got a solicitor for the conveyancing. Can I go ahead with a survey or am I supposed to be waiting for something?

I know noone can answer, but any idea how long this will all take? Considering its a cash purchase.. im sooooo ready to be on my own.