Agent, Vendor or both....?

[lingus75]

We have finally found our dream property in a Cotswold village with a lovely school, decent size, great area etc. We lost out on the house originally last year, as the sale fell through for 'unknown personal reasons'. I had no reason to not believe this and was able to agree a price on the house myself.

Roll on to yesterday as exchange near and I was getting quotes for buildings insurance. Had real problems as house in flood risk area. This isn't a concern as have enviro search stating the area never flooded, it is a flood risk area blah blah, blah, just like 5million others after enviro agency rewrote the risk areas a while ago, and I have decent quotes available.

What this did was prompt me to email the conveyancers to see the rest of the searches regarding the house. It showed high local readings of radon and contaminated land. The land was as a result of tanks from an old filling station in the 70's on which 6 houses including the one I want, were built. When I asked the agent they suddenly had all of the information to hand and were able to email within 30 mins documents confirming the land was appropriately dealt with, with the local council certificate. The radon search was requested by the vendors last October, so this I think part of the reason why the last sale fell through.

I wonder what on earth they have in hand, just in case I find out anything else as this information was clearly with them from day one, and they were waiting to see if they could get away without telling us unless they needed to.

Is this usual from agents and vendors? I have only bought and sold one house and did everything I could from the off, so I could make sure this sort of crap didn't happen further down the line and waste everyone's money. I don't trust the vendors or agent but really want the house.

Why cant they just be honest and open with me, I am already £1500 into the sale with fees so far, but I would have no issues pulling out. Do they really think people will just continue as they are so far down the line? Actually, even the first house I bought the agent withheld info until they were found out. Everyone does the same searches if they need a mortgage, so what's the point in this, no one gets paid if people don't go through with it.

[C Lee Farquar]

Looking at this from the outside if the grounds not contaminated what's for them to tell?

We are building a new house in the Cotswolds on virgin agricultural ground and that's high risk radon too nothing to do with contamination.

It doesn't sound like anyones being cute tbh

[lingus75]

C Lee Farquar said:

Looking at this from the outside if the grounds not contaminated what's for them to tell?

We are building a new house in the Cotswolds on virgin agricultural ground and that's high risk radon too nothing to do with contamination.

It doesn't sound like anyones being cute tbh

I think its more to do with the fact that they had the information from the outset, but chose not to offer it me until I had searches done. The problem is that now the conveyancer maybe going to lender about it, and if they had just offered this when we instructed solicitors then I would still be in control of the situation.

Also, just a question about the radon. If you are doing a build I guess you know a fair bit about the risks etc... The house we are looking at has the appropriate membrane for the radon which is present in 10-30% of the local houses, but not confirmed at the one I want. Does this generally make the situation quote safe? What is the real risk?

Edited by lingus75 on Friday 29th May 21:11

[C Lee Farquar]

We've put radon barriers and sumps in because Building Control wanted them.

We wouldn't have bothered otherwise, it's not something we lose sleep over.