My name is Sean, my wife is Emma. We are Irish and have been living in the UK for several years. We rent a flat in London, but all this time we have felt uncomfortable in the big city. We miss living in the countryside, in our own house, in peace and quiet. When I received an inheritance, we seriously considered moving.
Sean and Emma are a married couple from Ireland. They have been living and working in the UK for several years, both have permanent jobs and a stable income. Their children are grown up and have families of their own. When they came to us for help, it turned out that all these years they had been missing village life — their cosy home, large garden, barbecue area, peace and quiet, fresh air and peaceful morning fishing.
Our clients are very pleasant people to talk to. They felt uncomfortable living in London and were never able to get used to the fast pace of modern city life, so they wanted to buy a house in the suburbs without giving up modern conveniences. Sean recently received an inheritance, which was enough to cover not only the property itself, but also the inevitable additional expenses.
The clients found a suitable house on their own, without our help, on the banks of a river in a good neighbourhood with developed infrastructure. The task set before our experts was initially limited to providing legal support for the transaction and checking the documents. We examined the property and found that it was “old”, having been built in the early 1950s. Therefore, we recommended that Sean and Emma conduct an additional in-depth technical audit before finalising the transaction.
The owners of the property assured us that the house was in excellent condition. As proof of their words, they presented a technical report and the conclusions of an expert assessment. However, our experience shows that you can only trust the results of your own inspection, not the conclusions of a third-party organisation. First, we talked to the owners of houses located nearby and built around the same time.
It turned out that the proximity to the river causes increased humidity in the air and soil, which led to foundation deformation in several houses and mosquito infestations during the summer months. Residents suffering from asthma told us that they sought medical help more often after moving in.
The results of an inspection of the house itself, carried out by our engineers, also revealed problems that did not appear in the previous technical report. For example, when the river flooded, there was a risk of the basement being flooded, making it risky to use it for storage. The increased humidity created conditions for rot to grow and reduced the strength of the load-bearing structures.
The utilities were old, some of them installed when the house was built. It was difficult to determine the extent of their wear and tear, but the risk that Sean and Emma would have to spend money on repairs in the future was quite high. The main problem was partially rusted water pipes. There were also issues with the electrical systems. Aluminium and copper cables were used in the wiring, and galvanic couples formed at the connection points, which violated fire safety regulations.
Another problem was the quality of the internet connection. The equipment installed in the house was outdated. Its performance depended directly on weather conditions. During the rainy season, the speed slowed down significantly, and it was difficult to change providers due to the characteristics of the area. Telephone service was relatively stable, but even on modern smartphones, it was limited to 2G. For Sean and Emma, who were actively developing their YouTube channel, this was highly undesirable.
After evaluating the results, we recommended that Sean and Emma walk away from the deal. The house they had chosen could have helped our clients realise their long-held dream, and most of the problems were solvable. But it would have required significant investment; simple cosmetic repairs would not have been enough. And if our clients decided to sell the property in a few years, they would not be able to get a good price for the house.
It should be noted that the regulations in force in the UK practically exclude the possibility of making claims against the seller after the transaction has been completed. Therefore, Sean and Emma cannot count on compensation for their expenses. The clients agreed with our arguments and cancelled the deal.
But the problem of finding suitable property remained. After they found a house that seemed ideal to them, they terminated their lease on their flat in London. They had two weeks left to find new accommodation. They did not want to agree to another lease, so Sean and Emma asked our specialists to find them a suitable house. The biggest problem was time; we only had one month. The owner of the flat in London understood our clients’ situation and added two more weeks to their lease.
To find a suitable house in the suburbs of London, we requested current options from major real estate agencies and received the most interesting “hot” offers that were not yet available in online databases. At the same time, we prepared our clients for the move — transport, removal services, documents, and the planned termination of the London flat lease.
We found a suitable property in nine days. The technical condition of the property was perfect; just a few years ago, the owner had ordered a major renovation, updated the utilities, and installed high-speed fibre optic internet. Sean and Emma really liked the house, especially the large plot with an orchard and a barbecue area. Our lawyers carefully checked all the documents, agreed the terms of the deal with the owner, gave our clients a tour of the property and helped them with the move. Ownership was transferred to our clients upon completion of the transaction, and the documents for the purchase of the house were sent to the HM Land Registry for registration.
By turning to Imperial & Legal for help, Sean and Emma were able to avoid technical risks, financial losses and potential health problems. The house they found themselves requires significant investment, and some of its flaws are extremely difficult to fix. The property found by our specialists is a very good option for living and long-term investment, and its price will increase every year.
We checked the property’s documents, its technical condition and utilities, took care of the paperwork and organised the move from London. Our experts were able to fulfil the client’s request despite the time constraints, once again proving the importance of a comprehensive approach and the coordinated actions of a team of professionals.
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