Problem Properties And Selling Quickly

Selling any property can involve elements of stress. From the worry of a broken house chain to getting the right paperwork together, there’s a lot to consider and many things that can go wrong. However, when it comes to selling problem properties quickly, it can add a whole extra element of worry.

If you want to sell your house fast and have concerns about problems that could cause a sale to slow down, collapse or your home to drop in value, it can be a worry. Our guide looks at the common problems and how they can affect your house sale.

What are problem properties?

Our homes can often throw up different challenges and can easily fall into disrepair without proper maintenance. Of course, there’s not always enough time in the day to carry out necessary repairs and some can even go without us noticing until a survey or check is carried out by a professional.

From subsidence and structural issues to selling a house with sitting tenants, problem properties are those properties with major issues that could cause implications for their sale. This may mean that you must carry out certain repairs or sort out any ownership issues before putting it on the market or completing a sale, or it may mean that your buyers reduce their offer.

Factors that may lead to a property being referred to as a ‘problem property’ include external issues such as slipped slates, overgrown vegetation or subsidence, or internal issues like damp or faulty wiring.

Selling a house with structural problems

Structural problems are very common in older properties and the key is to find them early to avoid lasting damage. Structural damage can range from minor problems like cracked walls and uneven flooring, to serious issues like subsidence and settlement that will worsen over time. The common signs of a potential structural issue include:

Bulging walls: Bowing, leaning or bulging walls are usually a sign of decreasing stability, which can result from vibrations caused by heavy traffic, additional floors being added to the property, insufficiently thick walls, or a lack of restraint between the external walls and floor joists.

Cracked windowsills: Cracks in windowsills and lintels are often a visible sign of a deeper issue, such as damp, structural movement or foundation failure. If these cracks are larger than 15mm wide, you should instruct a structural survey as soon as possible to find the cause.

Sticking doors or windows: Having doors or windows that stick when opening and closing is very common in older properties and is usually due to distortion. Distortion can be a sign of foundation settling, where the ground under a home expands and contracts over time.

Combustible cladding: As well as being extremely dangerous, if your flat has ACM, HPL, MCM or timber cladding, your property isn’t mortgageable, as lenders won’t be able to obtain a fire safety report. We recommend getting together with other residents of the building, and speaking to the management company to get the cladding replaced as quickly as possible.

Can I sell my house if it has foundation problems?

One of the most notorious structural problems that will rapidly worsen if left untreated is subsidence. Subsidence occurs when the ground underneath your property begins to collapse, resulting in your property foundations sinking. Selling a property with subsidence can be difficult and expensive, as treating the physical signs does not mean the issue has gone away.

It is possible to sell a house with foundation problems, although it won’t be as straightforward as a regular sale. A structural survey is essential to assess the damage, and the scope of the work required to carry out repairs. From there, you can decide as to whether you’d like to find a contractor and carry out the work yourself, or whether you’ll reflect the repair costs in the value of your home.

A house with foundation problems could be an ideal property for a developer. However, you should expect the problems to influence the price they offer you to sell.

Selling a house with mould or rising damp

Damp is most common in older buildings, vacant properties, poorly insulated attics, basements, and areas which are prone to wet weather. It can lead to serious structural damage if left untreated, and the worse the problem gets, the more costly it will be to remove and repair. The three most common kinds of damp are:
Condensation: Condensation is caused by moist air settling on walls, particularly in rooms with a lot of air moisture like kitchens and bathrooms. Symptoms of condensation include water droplets on windows or walls, dark mould appearing on glass and an unpleasant smell.
Rising damp: Rising damp is caused by groundwater moving up through a wall or floor. If you have rising damp, you may notice damaged skirting boards or plaster, peeling paint and wallpaper or wet patches along a wall.
Penetrating damp: Penetrating damp is caused by water leaking through walls. It may expand across your walls or ceiling horizontally and can be a sign of structural problems in a home. It shows up as damp patches on walls or ceilings, which may darken when it rains.

If you suspect there’s damp in your home, you should identify the cause, have it treated and get professional approval before putting your home on the market.

Selling a house with Japanese Knotweed

Japanese Knotweed is an invasive plant that spreads rapidly and has a drastic effect on residential property sales. It can cause severe structural damage to your home, as it grows through asphalt, destroys walls, cracks foundations and blocks underground drains. Knotweed will thrive in overgrown gardens or around dilapidated commercial buildings and is extremely costly to treat. It’s known to be so damaging that it’s not uncommon that the presence of Japanese Knotweed destroys house sales.

The first thing you need to do if you suspect the presence of Japanese knotweed is identify whether it’s affecting your home or an adjoining property. If it’s growing on your land, it’s important to find out the scale of the problem. Even if it looks like there are only a few sprigs, there will likely be a mass of underground growth that will cause structural damage to your home if left untreated.

Selling with Japanese knotweed is difficult, as mortgage lenders generally won’t lend on a property where the invasive plant is present or nearby.

Selling a house with tenant issues

If you’re a landlord with problem tenants, it can seem impossible to sell your rental property. From antisocial behaviour to rent arrears, an increasing number of property owners are deciding to sell due to conflict with their tenants. Some of the common tenant issues landlords face are:

Sitting tenants: Unless your tenants have broken their contract or the rental term has ended, you have no right to evict them. While some landlords look to buy properties with sitting tenants, it can make it difficult to schedule viewings.
Squatters: Squatting is when someone deliberately enters a property with the intention of living there without permission. Squatting in residential properties is illegal and, if caught, trespassers can be sent to prison, fined, or both.
Withheld rent: A fundamental part of any tenancy agreement is the tenant’s obligation to pay rent in exchange for accommodation. A tenant has no right to withhold rent, unless it can be argued that the landlord isn’t providing safe and habitable housing.

Is my house unsellable?

It’s very unlikely that any house is unsellable. A problem property may just take a little longer to sell. If you’re struggling to sell your problem property and want to sell your house fast, using a regulated cash house buyer such as Good Move could be the answer.
Contact our expert team today and get a cash offer.

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