Sellers: Tips for Selling Your Home in Galway & Mayo
Have your Ducks in a Row before selling your property!
TL;DR: Clean. Tidy. Fix. Make sure that you have all mapping, planning and building regulation issues addressed BEFORE the property is put on the market. Register the septic tank. Jet and clean sewer pipes and make sure the sewers are functioning properly. Have your ducks in a row! Be respectful to the Engineer/Surveyor, when you have sold and sailed off in to the sunset, they are the last ones left standing.
Ducks.
Whilst we generally offer pre-purchase property survey services for purchasers in Galway and Mayo, we do come across a number of common problems when inspecting properties. These can result in delays when selling or can just put a purchaser off buying your property. The 6 Most Common Issues we see are:
Lack of Basic Maintenance / Dirty Properties
Issues With Building Regulation Compliance
Issues with Planning Compliance
Issues with Maps and Boundaries
Leaks, Damp and Condensation
Attitude
Did You Know! We often get requests from Sellers / Vendors to undertake a pre-inspection report before they put the property on the market… these are great and help you to get your Ducks in a Row for a fast sale, when all items have been addressed and fixed.
1. Lack of Basic Maintenance:
Clean. Tidy. Fix. It is very disheartening to inspect a property and see that basic maintenance has never been undertaken. Also, dirty properties, even those that are abandoned, can be cleaned and cleared of clutter which help the purchaser to see the potential. Common basic maintenance items include:
Clean the gutters. Power wash outside, including the drains and manholes. De-sludge your septic tank. Make sure the manholes / percolation vents are visible.
Tidy: Cut the grass, fix broken fences and generally tidy up. Remove clutter and unnecessary items. Even in an abandoned property, it can make a big difference.
Fix leaking showers / baths and replace damaged silicone seals etc. Fix broken doors, floors and joinery.
2. Issues with Building Regulation Compliance:
Before you put the property on the market, contact your Solicitor and check that all necessary compliance certificates are in place. If you built an extension or made changes to the property, this certificate may need to be updated. Common oversights we see in this regard are:
Attic conversions - Non compliance with fire escape regulations from an attic or second storey.
Attic Conversions - Non compliance with structural regulations - You cannot convert a truss roof!
Alterations that negate regulation compliance - putting a shower in the disabled toilet! Removing the Disabled ramp etc!
Upgrading bedroom windows and not providing a fire escape window.
Non-compliance from the start. If you built the property and did not comply with the Building Regulations at the time of construction, this will be found and has the potential to devalue the property.
New Extensions (40 sqm +) after March 2014 - Did you register with the Building Control Authority?
Get a Building Energy Report (BER), you are obliged to have one before you advertise your property for sale.
Register your septic tank.
Contact your Solicitor and Engineer before you put the property on the market and have these issues resolved.
3. Issues with Planning Compliance:
If you built an extension and it was exempt from planning, you may still have to provide a certificate from an Engineer to confirm that the extension was compliant with the applicable Planning Exemptions.
If you built an extension (not exempt) that had no planning permission, then you should engage your Architect/Engineer to obtain Retention Permission.
If you made alterations to a property that are deemed to be “substantial”, then you should engage your Architect/Engineer to obtain Retention Permission.
If you made alterations to your site and reduced the plot size to which the original planning permission applied, then you should engage your Architect/Engineer to obtain Retention Permission. You must at least sell the property to which the planning permission relates to.
If you are not in compliance with planning conditions of your original permission, you should make the necessary changes to comply or apply for retention.
If your septic tank / treatment system does not comply with the planning permission you should correct this.
Pay all outstanding development and financial contributions. Contact your Solicitor in this regard as this is outside the remit of our services.
If you don’t know, you should engage with your Architect / Engineer / Planning Authority and seek professional planning advice.
4. Maps & Boundaries:
Maps are one of the biggest problems with selling property. You may have made boundary changes or you may have to register a new map. The following are the main problems:
Unregistered Land. If your property is on unregistered land, it needs to be registered with the Property Registration Authority (Land Registry) for “First Registration”. This is not necessarily a mapping defect, it is just a change in registration rules from the 1/6/2011 and can even occur in housing estates.
Digitisation anomalies. The Property Registration Authority converted all Folio Maps to a digital map register. Whilst this corrected a lot of map problems, there are some instances where errors have occurred. In genuine cases, the PRA will correct these when brought to their attention.
Incorrect maps. Sometimes, the original maps were incorrect and need rectification.
Boundary changes. Informal changes between landowners that were never mapped or rectified in the past.
“Ransom strips”. If a site is not registered to the centre line of the road or at least the edge of the road/right of way, there can be a piece of land owned by someone else between the property and access. Theoretically, these landowners can prevent access to your property! Hence, these are regarded as “Ransom Strips” and should be rectified.
Rights and Burdens: If the septic tank is in the neighbours field, there should be a right to access it. The same is true for any other comparative scenario that benefits the property, including non-public road access etc.
5. Leaks, Damp & Condensation:
Leaks, Damp and Condensation problems are off-putting. Try to fix obvious leaks. Examine the hot-press and utility for signs of water and just repair them. If you have damp, try to repair it or at least be honest and flag it with the purchaser (it’s not a problem if you are not willing to spend any money to repair it). In terms of condensation, try to ventilate and heat the property. Clean and re-paint as necessary as condensation is usually an occupancy problem and can be repaired (unless there is a fundamental building defect).
6. Attitude:
Yes! Attitude!
The role of the Surveyor / Engineer is to inspect the property, maps and documents and present this information in a factual manner for the purchaser. They will make an informed decision after that. A small percentage of Vendor’s have made passive remarks such as “I will sell it to the other bidder, if your client causes any problems” or “I will find a cash buyer, if your client have any problems”. Luckily, such comments are not too common.
Simply put, a negative attitude towards the Engineer does not impact the outcome of the inspection report. The Facts and Findings are logically presented to the purchaser, without any emotive context.
When you have sold the property and sailed off into the sunset, the Engineer is often the last one standing. They have a duty of care to their Client to present the facts. They are not out to get you. They are just trying to be diligent and professional for themselves and their Client.
Happy Selling!
