We bought a house through this agency and we can’t regret more. At the first glance we liked the house but didn’t know it was in awful condition as we are not builders. Our mortgage took so long to get and then when we have our mortgage sorted we wanted to have a private survey to check the property but unfortunately it was immediately refused by Paul the manager of Belvoir saying that they already waited so long for us so didn’t want to delay the sale any more. He knew that we were desperate as we gave notice to our landlord so we had to move in as soon as possible. As a result we trusted him and his client when they said the house was in good condition and doesn’t have any major issues. This was our biggest mistake ever to trust them. If Paul didn’t know that the house is about to collapse and has too many big problems then he shouldn’t have stoped us to have private survey. Since we moved in we are still struggling with major issues and huge expenses. Wish we didn’t buy this house and didn’t listen to them when they refused the private survey.
Reply from agent
This sale was agreed on the 2nd April 2024 for £317,000. There were two mortgage valuations for two failed mortgage applications, nothing to do with the property itself, but because of issues following financial checks on the purchaser. At that time, the property was being marketed as o.i.e.o. £310,000.
On the 20th June, I was instructed to re-market the property with a new asking price of £320,000 and on the same day received an offer of £319,567 from an alternative buyer which was accepted by my clients.
Shortly afterwards, your mortgage broker advised me you now had a mortgage offer, albeit the property had not been surveyed, because the surveyor had conducted a desk top valuation.
I contacted my clients to take their instructions as to continue with the new buyer for £2567.00 more money then you or to revert back to you as you were supposedly pretty much ready to exchange contracts. They agreed to revert back to you on the condition contracts would be exchanged by the end of the following week.
We were then told your lender had decided to have an actual surveyor attend the property to confirm your mortgage offer, which created another delay. Then after all that, you contacted me to say you were going to have a level 2 building survey, but the surveyor could not do it for two weeks later.
It was at this point I wanted to know why on earth you were doing the survey now as it should have done weeks ago. Bearing in mind, the only reason my clients stayed with you was because in theory you would be able to exchange contracts imminently.
What I said to you was, that you either proceed or I would go back to the other buyer whilst I had the opportunity to do so. It was your choice to do so and nobody else.
I have never misled you regarding the structural integrity of the property. I had only seen the property with all the walls being papered. Three different surveyors had been to the property on your behalf with no mention of any issues so I said presumably it must be okay.
Did you take advice from your solicitor regarding whether or not you should proceed without having a private survey?
I visited the house whilst you were away in Turkey and met the gentleman who was working on it. I was shocked to see it completely stripped of wall-paper, plus plastering missing and some lifted floor boards.
There is no way you have been deceived by anyone. You are adults and capable of making your own decisions.
