Garage Subsidence on Purchase - Help!

[paulrockliffe]

As far as I can see the bit to attack is, "We can't knock down the garage until we move in."

You can't, but the seller can. If the only way the sale can proceed to you (or anyone) is to remove it, they'll have to remove it. I would explain this all to them and offer to give them a hand getting it flattened. You would then need a new survey that shows no subsidence, but you should then be able toproceed from there shouldn't you?

[fergus]

Can you get policies which insurer your buildings insurance excess?

If so, you can get any policy which the underwriters will cover you on, then insurer the excess to bring the "gap" to you back down below the £1000 threshold?

[KTF]

BorniteIdentity said:

The company who currently insure the property WOULD insure the property, as they already do. However, they won't because they don't insure anybody with my occupation. Unbelievable.

What about putting the insurance in your partners name if they have a different occupation (assuming you have one)?

[EggsBenedict]

I'm not sure what your 'cashback' thing is about.

When we found issues with a bowing wall due to wall tie failure when we bought our house (not that the lender's survey found it), we had to renegotiate the price. It wasn't a big deal. Our solicitor advised strongly against any other process (can't exactly remember why, but it basically wasn't to our advantage at all - for one thing we'd have to pay stamp on the whole amount, not the amount less allowance.)

I'd try all of the above - it's not over until the fat lady sings.

- get specialist insurance
- get insurance that excludes damage caused by subsidence of garage
- get indemnity insurance
- make them knocking the garage down a condition of sale - no garage, no problem.

Ask your solicitor for advice. Sometimes they have ideas about how to take this forward. Mine was excellent in this regard (I was paying over the odds for mine, but I felt this was worth it)

[BorniteIdentity]

KTF said:

What about putting the insurance in your partners name if they have a different occupation (assuming you have one)?

They ask the occupation of all..err...occupants.

Sadly. I did ask this question.

[Mandat]

It seems to me that the most pragmatic solution would be for the sellers to demolish the garage themselves, which then removes the problem, does it not?

Also the issue of the cashback becomes redundant as well.

[BorniteIdentity]

The allowance is for remedial work. Demolishing a garage is half of the job!

[Spudler]

BorniteIdentity said:

Spudler said:

Specialist insurer.
You don't have time to have a structural survey carried out , which will include inspection holes etc.
Pay a bit more for insurance-move in-rebuild garage-change insurance on renewal.

Fine, if we can find an insurer that will do it with an excess of £1,000 or less for subsidence. Otherwise the lender won't accept it.

Have you tried Bureau Insurance Services?

[paulrockliffe]

BorniteIdentity said:

The allowance is for remedial work. Demolishing a garage is half of the job!

But how can there be any subsidence of a garage if there is no garage? You've said there are no foundations, so once it's down it's a pile of rubble. No surveyor is going to say that it has subsided when it's clearly been bashed by a JCB. You could even have the owners have the rubble removed.

It doesn't sound like you have many other options, so the owners will have to knock it down if they want to sell it, regardless of whether you ask them to or not.

[Spudler]

paulrockliffe said:

the owners will have to knock it down if they want to sell it, regardless of whether you ask them to or not.

No, they won't.
There's plenty of cash buyers (like myself) who will snap up properties with problems.
Obviously when the vendors realise this and drop the price accordingly.

It's going to be down to the op to sort this from his end, extremely unlikely the vendors will cooperate with any removal of the garage.

[Fatrat]

I might be able to help

Email me with a contact number and I will give you a call

[paulrockliffe]

Spudler said:

paulrockliffe said:

the owners will have to knock it down if they want to sell it, regardless of whether you ask them to or not.

No, they won't.
There's plenty of cash buyers (like myself) who will snap up properties with problems.
Obviously when the vendors realise this and drop the price accordingly.

It's going to be down to the op to sort this from his end, extremely unlikely the vendors will cooperate with any removal of the garage.

Fair point, but they could just knock the garage down and sell it to the OP at the non-knockdown price already agreed. I know which option I'd go for.