What Does ‘Sold As Seen’ Mean When Buying A House?

Have you seen a property for sale, but it says, ‘sold as seen’? Maybe you are wondering what that means? That’s what our local conveyancers in Peterborough look at in this blog post. We look at what it means for the property and what it means for you, as the potential house buyer.

When a property is advertised as ‘sold as seen’, it means that the enquiries can extend to the legal title or legal ownership, and no further. However, if the property is being purchased from the owner occupier you may have the opportunity to ask questions about the property. You are then able to rely on the answers being correct. That said, this isn’t always possible.

Generally speaking, a property marked as ‘sold as seen’ was because the property has been sold through probate. This means that the previous owner may have died, for example. Even in the case of probate sales, there may be a family member that is dealing with the sale of the property. They may be able to answer some questions or give background information on the property.

However, an increasing number of house sales will no longer involve an owner occupier or a family member. Over recent years there has been an increase in standalone sales, where there is not a chain. Instead, the property is owned for a short amount of time and then sold on. In many cases, the transactions will follow a purchase procedure where there is no disclosure of historic information shared.

When you see a house that is being ‘sold as seen’ it means that the seller may be unable to answer any additional enquiries that relate to the property. In this case, as a buyer you should check that you are satisfied with the property. You should make separate checks about the types of facts you would normally expect to get from the seller. This could include information such as the presence of utility connections and that the boiler has been serviced, for example.

Here at Burgh Thorpe Solicitors, our local conveyancing lawyers in Peterborough recommend that you inspect the property before the exchange of contracts. This will ensure that nothing has been removed or damaged.

It’s important to remember that just because the property is being ‘sold as seen’, it doesn’t mean there is anything wrong with it. It just means that it is the responsibility of the buyer to check the property themselves.

Considering purchasing a property that is ‘sold as seen’? Call our conveyancing experts now to see how we can help to protect you, your investment and the property.