Victorian house. Damp issues. Likely to be the sand and cement render all over some outside walls someone stuck there decades ago, along with some pointing being done also in non lime mortar.
Probable cost of fix some thousands.
Looking to move anyway, so pay X thousand to fix, then sell? Or not fix, just reduce asking price by something or other when asked? Or just reduce asking price before marketing to take it into account?
What does the panel think in general about those options?
|
Are you desperate to move or are happy to wait?
If the former, price to sell stating the issues and make it plain that no reduction will be considered if/when the surveyor/valuer identifies the problem.
If the latter, price as if the house has no problems and wait to see if the surveyor/valuer spots the problem.
Caveat Emptor; unless you are specifically asked about a problem, keep quiet and simply advise that you are not a surveyor and the buyer should get a full building survey. If you are asked - reveal all in full.
I am a surveyor and estate agent...
|
Where is the house?
London and South East struggling markets. Elsewhere not so bad and Manchester area pretty busy.
|
"I am a surveyor and estate agent..."
If you really were an estate agent, you'd start every sentence with "arguably".
|
|
And deny all liability at the end
|
>> And deny all liability at the end
>>
But not as a Chartered Surveyor. We have some standards you know.....
In fact I am a Chairman within a group of surveyors who are the final arbiters of who qualifies. Our biggest area of failure is people who do not take their ethical responsibility seriously.
I aksed a lawyer about this and his genuine answer was "why do you ask about that?"
|
>>
>> I aksed a lawyer about this and his genuine answer was "why do you ask
>> about that?"
>>
...any decent successful lawyer learns very early on not to ask questions they might not like the answer to......
|
>> Our biggest area of failure is people who do not take their ethical responsibility seriously.
Always a difficult subject.
Less so for a lawyer, of course, because their behaviour is entirely governed by the law, but even then.... [as are my actions, usually]
One has to accept that in business one *will* lie. Everybody will.
Under what circumstances could a Chartered Surveyor need to resort to his ethics where the law and/or contract and/or agreement did not already determine how he most act?
Or do you believe that ethics should rise above those commitments/restrictions?
For me I think ethics only arise when there is somthing I could "get away with" even though it would be breaking the law/contract/agreement but I opt not to do it.
|
We hold ourselves to a higher standard. So things like not informing clients of a conflict of interest, or turning a blind eye to something illegal (e.g. inspecting a building and finding evidence of a cannabis farm) are simply wrong.
There are more subtle areas which are specfic to property, such as massaging sales or rental evidence to suit a situation and then unmassaging it for a different situation are also not compatibile with being a Chartered Surveyor.
In property in particular there are so many rogues and each city has its known operators both as principals or agents. Sometimes one has to deal with these people, and knowing how to do that without straying near the line of acceptability is a skill.
|
Surely all those areas would fall under the law or your agreements/contracts, would they not?
What would you do about the cannabis farm?
And "massaging" figures kind if depends on what is meant by 'massaging'. If you mean presenting in the best light for each situation, then surely it is your duty to do exactly that.
Obviously if you mean falsifying figures then that's a bad thing, and also illegal.
|
Cannabis Farm? Call to the Police immediately. Do not tell the landlord, the bank or anyone else. Leave the building, make a note on the file and go back to the office.
Other things, it's hard to explain without a face to face conversation, but effectively a building has a 'value'; I cannot provide two reports of the same building for different purposes at different values, unless there is a genuine and obvious reason (i.e. one value of the building as is and another on the assumption of planning permission). Simply having a high value for the bank and a low value for the tax man is not acceptable.
|
Agreed on changing figures, but surely that is illegal, not solely unethical?
Where does one draw the line on reporting potentially illegal activity. OK a cannabis farm is a bit obvious, but what about Health and Safety infringements? What about an unbunded diesel tank?
Because if it is a subjective decision then that's not at all appealing in a service provider.
I guess ethics play a part when the law does not. i.e. a totally legal activity, condition, activity or state which someone has decided is not ethical according to their standards. But if it is legal, then what can or should you do?
I think I am with the lawyer on this one; I don't understand why you would ask.
[p.s. I am genuinely interested, not picking holes]
|
Thanks Netsur (et al.). That's a very useful steer. We shall discuss.
Incidentally, I've not forgotten about Iceland - the people who went are part of our weekly walking group, and for the past five weeks either they or we have been away. By the time I do get to talk to them, you'll have gone...
|
Glad to help.
Don't worry about Iceland. Will enjoy ourselves whatever we do.
|
Now is a bad time to sell, and may be for quite some time, or there is of coarse(ha!) the hassle of getting a builder to do, and the ruddy scaffold issue. You are between a not so hard rock and a not so hard hard place (did you see what I did there?)
Generally speaking, you never reduce the asking price to take into account building defects, (unless they are blindingly obvious - like fire damage), because the buyer will want to stripe you twice.
Let them find it, get the price down, they think they have won.
Last edited by: Zero on Fri 2 Aug 19 at 11:27
|
Have a look at 'Wally damp man'.
Numerous Youtube videos. He gives an insight into damp issues and how there can be simple fixes.
|
When I sell a property the price displayed is the price for the property as is. Should somebody require alterations/improvements then that is at a cost to be borne by them.
|
>> When I sell a property the price displayed is the price for the property as
>> is. Should somebody require alterations/improvements then that is at a cost to be borne by
>> them.
>>
>>
You've sold all houses at asking price?
|
|
The cause/s of most damp issues are blindingly obvious. What is often overlooked are the problems that start from within. I've had 30+ years dealing with such matters, successfully I might add.
|
.
Edited out for cheekiness...
Last edited by: Crankcase on Mon 5 Aug 19 at 20:04
|
House - fix or sell? - Netsur
