Bank Sale Water turned OFF!!

lucast2007us

Have gone sale agreed on a bank sale property however we have found out that after the property survey that the water was turned off at the mains.

The estate agent said to the surveyor that as it was a bank sale that the water was turned off, the surveyor didn't want to turn it on Incase there was any leaks (then he could be liable) which is understandable.

We have since been in touch with the estate agent to get the water turned on so we can send our own plumber out to check it all over but the estate agent is not returning our calls or emails.

Are we right to want to get this checked before moving forward?
What else can we so if the estate agent won't get back to us?

Samuel T. Cogley

lucast2007us wrote: »

Are we right to want to get this checked before moving forward?
What else can we so if the estate agent won't get back to us?

Yes and not a lot.

You should be able to turn on the water yourself or your plumber can so if you can get another viewing just show up with the plumber and turn it on.

lucast2007us

Madison Ashy Archer wrote:

You should be able to turn on the water yourself or your plumber can so if you can get another viewing just show up with the plumber and turn it on.

We were thinking that but as we haven't officially signed for house yet we were worried if we turned on water and there was a burst pipe we would be at fault.

gobo99

It's not uncommon for the plumbing to be sabataged by the evictee in a forced bank repossession . Came across a house with something poured into radiator pipes in hot press to corrode underfloor pipework.

Askthe EA

OP, this is standard practice for repossessed properties. The security company come in, change locks, turn off water and turn off the trip switches.

The damage a leak can cause in a repo'd house that is vacant for long periods of time is extensive so they dont take the risk.

Have you got a drains report done? I believe they run a pressure test and can tell if there is running water in the system. But dont quote me on that.

Get your engineer to go in and turn it on. Let the tank fill flush the toilets, see if boiler works (if gas - thats probably disconnected though so allow for a boiler replacement costs in your offer). Check the obvious piping for any signs of leaks and if not plow on.

Remember, a leak can come at anytime in any house form new to old anyway. They happen.

lucast2007us

Thanks the weird thing is the electricity is still on

Spoke to the engineer about turning on the water he said he couldn't as would be accountable for any leaks after it he thinks

Askthe EA

lucast2007us wrote: »

Spoke to the engineer about turning on the water he said he couldn't as would be accountable for any leaks after it he thinks

I dont see how that is relevant. He turns it on, does his checks looks for leaks and turns it off again.

lucast2007us

Askthe EA wrote:

I dont see how that is relevant. He turns it on, does his checks looks for leaks and turns it off again.

I would have thought so but trying to organise this to be done again is turning out to be a nightmare. Since getting our holding deposit the estate agent is not returning our calls or emails.

Askthe EA

lucast2007us wrote: »

I would have thought so but trying to organise this to be done again is turning out to be a nightmare. Since getting our holding deposit the estate agent is not returning our calls or emails.

Which is wrong, but not sure they can help. They dont own the house.

bluetractor

Fairly standard to turn the water off at the mains on any property that would lay empty for a while. We do it on a holiday home just in case of a big freeze and causing pipes to burst. There's been no big freeze this year, so should not be any issue once you don't see any physical damage to pipes or tanks.
Surprised the surveyor did not use common sense. I'd be getting a better surveyor.
In a worst case scenario, when you close the sale, turn on the water and be in situ for a couple of hours. But I wouldn't be concerned.

lucast2007us

Thanks so much guys heard back from estate agent today and ye he also put our minds at ease about the whole thing.
We will have a plumber up there when we get the keys

Askthe EA

Good luck with your new home!

Markcheese

lucast2007us wrote: »

Thanks the weird thing is the electricity is still on

Spoke to the engineer about turning on the water he said he couldn't as would be accountable for any leaks after it he thinks

Can you check when the esb bill was last paid?
Get on to the esb quick to put the account into your name... If its vacant for more than 2 years, it can be disconnected, and treated as a new connection, I missed the 2 years by a week, and it took me months to get reconnected...

lucast2007us

Markcheese wrote:

Can you check when the esb bill was last paid? Get on to the esb quick to put the account into your name... If its vacant for more than 2 years, it can be disconnected, and treated as a new connection, I missed the 2 years by a week, and it took me months to get reconnected...

Would I be able to do that before I get the keys though?

Claw Hammer

lucast2007us wrote: »

Would I be able to do that before I get the keys though?

If the meter is on the outside, you can go up and take the reading. Go back a couple of days later and see if it is changed.

lucast2007us

Claw Hammer wrote:

If the meter is on the outside, you can go up and take the reading. Go back a couple of days later and see if it is changed.

Ye good point it is outside.
I know the electricity was on when he was doing viewings, as it was on for ours.

Askthe EA

lucast2007us wrote: »

Ye good point it is outside.
I know the electricity was on when he was doing viewings, as it was on for ours.

If the metre readings haven't changed in a few days, doesn't mean you've been cut off though. Often the EA trips the switch on repod properties when leaving. If its a soft disconnect you'll see an esb tag on the meter. They are cheap to reconnect.

If its a hard disconnect, its done at the street and this is the expensive one.

Markcheese

Askthe EA wrote: »

If the metre readings haven't changed in a few days, doesn't mean you've been cut off though. Often the EA trips the switch on repod properties when leaving. If its a soft disconnect you'll see an esb tag on the meter. They are cheap to reconnect.

If its a hard disconnect, its done at the street and this is the expensive one.

It was just a fuse to be replaced for me, took the guy a couple of mins, but It took months to get the right guy to approve the reconnect...

MAJJ

It's very easy to turn on the water, you could do this quickly before you sign and ask the to see the house a few days later.