how accurate must estate agent description be ?

[Elliott]

first post so not sure if that's the right question, but, if an estate agent describes a property as "building land with main drainage nearby"

does that mean the land has been designated as actual building land and will be/has been granted planning permission or has a CU (although I guess they'd mention the CU)

and how "nearby" is a reasonable distance to expect the drainage to be ?

thanks for any advice... and I'm sure there'll be more questions

just before someone says, I contacted the agent last Monday via email but haven't had a reply as yet

[Will]

As you rightly surmise, such descriptions are open to different interpretations so do ask specific questions before committing to a contract. It is always essential to double check any important points for yourself, and not to rely on agent's particulars.

If a CU is needed, then you must ensure that a current positive CU is a condition of sale, written into the compromis de vente (initial sales contract).

You may do better telephoning the agent rather than waiting for a response to an e-mail.

[P-D de Rouffignac]

Estate agency descriptions are invariably 'non contractual' and as Will usefully points out, you will have to sooner or later do your own checks on the viability of the property.

On another forum, there is a current thread about buyers considering suing a vendor, now back in the UK, about the condition of the property they recently bought. As has been pointed out in one reply, it is a standard condition in the compromis and final sales contract that the buyer buys a property entirely at his/her own risk, and has no legal recourse again the vendor, for any faults or defects subsequently discovered after purchase. So once again, the onus is very much upon you the purchaser to ensure you are happy with what you are buying.

P-D de R.

[Iceni]

A key difference between life in England and France

England - it is always someone else's fault

France - it is your own fault

Best summed up by that good old Napoleonic phrase = caveat emptor

John

[dexter]

The house i`m interested in is on with at least 2 agents, you wouldn't think it was the same property after reading each description! 

[Anton Redman]

The last time I was property hunting at least 50% of property descriptions on French Estate Agents websites were self contradictory. A two storey house built on 60 square metre plots which had 170 square metres of living space in total. What you see is what you get if you are very lucky.

[Elliott]

thank you everyone for all the info

I have more questions but for another post :)