Just viewed a house, advice needed...

Ditto

I've just viewed a house -


The upstairs is ok, minimum work needed doing.

The downstairs has an extended kitchen which is a problem. When you walk into it from the original kitchen and you're talking/listening you can hear a noticeable difference. I know the ceiling is lower and has I think plastic ceiling tiles. I mentioned to the owner about the "sound" in the kitchen and she said it was because of the wooded floorboards plus the lowered ceiling. Also there are 2 large windows with no openings, just plate glass, these need to be double glazed like the rest of the house.
I was wondering does anyone know how to integrate the extended part of the kitchen so it feels like it belongs to the rest of the house?

Another point, I noticed than a couple of radiators were hot. I asked the owner about these and she said this happened when the hot water was turned on. I don't want to have to be turning off and on radiators, so I was wondering what the fault could be. How much would a replacement boiler be as this one is ancient.

The house was originally on for £105,000 but was dropped to £90,000 as the owner said all the previous viewers mentioned the kitchen.

I was wondering what I should offer, seeing as I will have to pay for double of 2 windows and the kitchen door, and possibly a new modern boiler

I have posted pics of the kitchen and boiler.

http://img39.imageshack.us/img39/1748/kitchen1.jpg

http://img44.imageshack.us/img44/1697/kitchen2r.jpg

http://img29.imageshack.us/img29/5333/chboiler.jpg

http://img40.imageshack.us/img40/226/chtimer.jpg

Doozergirl

I'd budget £1500 for your windows & door and £1500 for a new boiler and thermostat fitted. That is a fake ceiling, it can be ripped out - you'll have to look at what's underneath but I guess it will need replastering and you might need the lights rewiring to be neat.

creased-leach

Check that the extension is double skinned- a friend of ours has put a single skinned kitchen on a house he lets out, and it wouldn't pass building regs.

27col

I agree about the thickness of the walls. It is quite hard to see from the pictures but the wall does not look to be thick enough to be a cavity wall. If the overall thickness of the wall is not at least 250mm, then it is not a cavity wall.The thickness and type of construction of the outer walls certainly need to be established, I would have thought.
The ceiling is a standard drop-in tile type, more usually found in offices and factories. This type of ceiling tile is usually some type of fibre board. These boards do not like to be wet. They will disintegrate There are probably just ceiling/roof joists above it. Push a tile up and have a look.

dander

I agree, the walls look awfully thin to that extension. That combined with the fact that they haven't used 'real' windows in the windows would make me want the whole thing checked out to be sure it's actually OK.

ormus

the boiler problem may possibly be cured by a simple replacement 2 or 3 port valve.
(30/40 quid).