Maybe I am far too anal but I have questions; lots of them and estates agents don’t seem to be too happy with me asking such questions. Today was simply if they had details on the house rules of the apartment complex, a copy of the previous AGM minutes and what the value of the sink fund is.
They responded that they could only get that information when the solicitor requests it once the sale has been agreed.
In my opinion is well run management company alters the value of the place.
For houses I’ve been asking for things like the BER cert, extension and planning permission type stuff.
Are these such unreasonable questions to be asking during the negotiation period, or am I being as usual a pain in the hoop?
But theres your problem, you have asked common sense questions for someone considering making a major purchase and these guys arent equiped for that or anything else ouside of ‘ooh arent those nice curtains’ and ‘you can’t hang washing on the balcony’. God forbid you would actually manage to learn any information that would influence your decision such as the possibiliy of pyrite or its built on a flood plain or even the sink fund is sunk. It would seem a lot of them operate from the ‘ah sure it’ll be alright’ manual ‘now givus ur money’
The BER thing really gets on my nerves. I’ve had estate agents tell me they’ll sort that out when we’re ready to go sale agreed.
Bad news my friend, I won’t be making any offer without it. AFAIK, a property shouldn’t be on sale without it done but I’m open to correction on that. Either way if it has to be done, why prolong the agony?
I’ve also drawn a blank asking what management fees are. Asking about sink funds and who the management agents are are level 2 questions.
it’s pretty clear to me its required; when I rented my apartment out I got it done, I was obviously wasting my time and money daft.ie/building-energy-rating-ber/
I’ve come to the conclusion that lack of BER indicates a seller who is not serious and simply fishing - either for a gullible (high) buyer, or just wants to know what price they might get (bank negotiations).
Either way, once there is no BER there is point is wasting your own time any further.
Saw a property last week which was on the market for 6 months with no offers. BER? No. Maybe over the weekend. Yeah right.
Sinking funds and management related questions can be answered by purchasing the management company’s reports, as previously mentioned, from the cro. If you don’t know the management company’s name, ask the EA as they definitely know it.
Planning permission is all viewable online, at least recent-ish planning. If you can’t view it online, go view it at the local planning office.
Last week I asked an EA why they never specify the BER in the brochure, online listings or, well, anywhere – seeing as it’s inevitable that they’ll be asked by anyone looking seriously at a property.
They said it’s because “most of them are crap” and that they’d only mention it “if it was a selling point”.
The planning permission was on an extension that I thought needed planning and couldn’t see it online. I was asking had they sought it and if not why not.
I hadn’t realised I could get these records myself, thanks for that shall be making friends with cro.