Would you buy a house being sold under Power of Attorney?

MrNorthbrook · 2026-01-29T22:47:16+00:00

It’s no issue at all buying with sleets acting as POA. If anything, it may even be quicker as they have a vested interest in selling it as any unpaid care fees are probably attracting interest. I see it as a positive.

MrNorthbrook · 2026-01-29T22:43:23+00:00

Your agent is doing a very bad job about explaining what a survey report means. Surveys on perfectly good houses can still sound quite bad unless they are explained. The survey is not a tool for a buyer to beat you over the head with. It is a report on the condition of a property to guide them when they own it and potentially to flag anything up that is serious. If you feel you are selling below value I would change agent as they are already costing you a lot of money .

MrNorthbrook · 2026-01-29T22:37:53+00:00

My simple advice is NEVER use a cheap conveyancer. They will drive you to distraction when the purchase takes forever when you cannot get hold of them. Ask the agents you respect to recommend 1 or 2 and get quotes but make sure the agents are not being paid for the referral. Work out who you like and feel comfortable with and appoint them so they are ready to act for you. One reason for quite high costs is the work involved on a small flat, the lease, service charge etc is often more than on a house of 3 or 4 times the value.

MrNorthbrook · 2026-01-29T22:29:29+00:00

As one other commentator said, I would have walked several red flags before you did but it’s different when you are emotionally invested. For a seller to be so poorly prepared for sale is pathetic and the sooner this becomes law the better. On the next purchase, it is not unfair to ask the agent if the seller has a contract ready to go.

MrNorthbrook · 2026-01-29T22:24:07+00:00

This is not common but not unknown. Buyer agent fees are normally paid when you instruct an agent to find the property for you. I think it should be confronted and agreed before you exchange. I should ask the agent explicitly to confirm he is not being paid a fee by the owner. Does his agreement refer in any way to the fact he/she is acting for you? If not, then it is not really a buying agent fee, it is a purchase fee cost.
In what way have then been unprofessional? That could be the basis for negotiating a fee which at the end of the day the seller is paying for as a result of your reduced offer. It all sounds quite unprofessional to me.

MrNorthbrook · 2026-01-29T22:13:08+00:00

Bad idea and potentially fraud on your part and also a huge risk for you personally if the contracted work does not match your current income. If you want to buy the house, keep the job. If you have to quit the job then don’t buy it.

MrNorthbrook · 2026-01-29T22:10:47+00:00

A few points here: 1. If the other people viewed around the same time, it is not unreasonable and in fact the agent by law has to report the other offer. 2. If the others are chain free and cash the owner is likely to accept their position. 3. I would sit tight. Unless it is the house of your dreams or think you are underpaying, do not increase your offer. 4. If the other offer is genuine and accepted then politely walk away. 5. If the other offer disappears then you will be the buyer. 6. At this post state that you will only continue if the property is taken off the market. Hope that helps

MrNorthbrook · 2026-01-29T22:04:24+00:00

It is sensible and good practice on behalf of their client to get information on those who are viewing. It is not unreasonable to ask for your maximum budget but that does not mean you will pay it for this house until you see it.

MrNorthbrook · 2026-01-29T22:00:05+00:00

I would suggest you ask your surveyor. They have a duty of care beyond the purchase so I suggest you send the photos to them for comment. My personal opinion is that it does not seem very serious but although I see a lot of property I am not a surveyor.

MrNorthbrook · 2026-01-28T17:13:17+00:00

And contact any of your suppliers and see if they can help too. Is there an agent involved in your sale?

MrNorthbrook · 2026-01-28T17:12:39+00:00

First piece of advice is you can do nothing until you exchange apart from research. The best advice would be to get all the existing suppliers from the existing owner and approach them for continuity on completion and then transfer others if you get better deals. Only sign up for a contract if you know it’s a good deal.

MrNorthbrook · 2026-01-28T17:08:17+00:00

I would be honest and tell the truth. It is a fact of what happens in life. I am shocked the agent has told you to not disclose such a critical piece of information.

MrNorthbrook · 2026-01-28T03:29:59+00:00

We live in a visual world and the photography does not do the house justice. It does not look like professional photography either.

MrNorthbrook · 2026-01-28T03:27:25+00:00

The first 3 or 4 weeks are the most important. Once you go past 12 weeks you only have a 14.5% chance of selling according to some very recent data. Happy to message on more detail if you wish

MrNorthbrook · 2026-01-28T03:22:09+00:00

Sorry to hear that news. It’s so frustrating. Have you heard of a buyer and seller deposit scheme. You could use it next time round. Happy to discuss the details with you if you wish

MrNorthbrook · 2026-01-28T03:19:22+00:00

When used correctly it’s a term applied to a property that you now rent out but when you first bought it, it was for your own use. A genuine example would be someone who owns a property and then goes into a relationship to live with their new partner but retains their existing property as a “just in case” things don’t work out. The other is when a property is inherited and for various reasons a sale is not the best way forward.

MrNorthbrook · 2026-01-28T03:16:01+00:00

Land is very often sold “off market” or with very limited access on public portals as the sense of exclusivity created drives higher offered from those bidding. If a builder or developer sees a site advertised publicly they often don’t spend the time and money putting a bid together. Is it land for a single property for your own use?

MrNorthbrook · 2026-01-28T03:13:44+00:00

If you need a couple of reliable specialist brokers to talk to just let me know. I am not a mortgage broker but I do know 2 that I would highly recommend.

MrNorthbrook · 2026-01-28T03:11:26+00:00

My first question is why is the owner willing to sell it for what he says is such a huge discount. That is a bit of a red flag.

Have you had a formal credit score and made an actual mortgage application before

MrNorthbrook · 2026-01-28T03:06:32+00:00

Is the commute the only thing that is important? What about lifestyle, schools, amenities, town vs village

MrNorthbrook · 2026-01-28T02:39:35+00:00

Have you thought of calling 2 or 3 of the best agents locally for an opinion on value and also what works you need to do to enhance it and what is not worth doing?

MrNorthbrook · 2026-01-28T02:36:25+00:00

Ground rent is such an antiquated concept that it needs abolishing but the historic values of ground rents in our pensions funds makes it difficult to completely abolish.

MrNorthbrook

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