More survey dilemmas!

pelethecat

Hello

Going through my surveyor's report he's recommended some further investigations that have left me a little baffled. These are following his identification of a rising and penetrating damp problem, which I'm getting investigated, and some probably historical movement.

* expose timbers incorporated within original construction (eg above openings) to confirm condition and repair if required
* expose ceiling joists to confirm condition and brace if required - (it's a lathe and plaster ceiling - so unlikely to be able to do this cleanly)
* expose timbers spanning or abutting external/internal walls for weather penetration/damp to confirm condition and repair and provide bracing if required
* expose solid floors to confirm condition and repair settlement if required

Is it even possible to do these investigations without tearing the house apart? And would they be done by damp specialists, builders or structural engineers? That's assuming the vendor would agree to this... Or is my surveyor just being overly-cautious?

I'd be really grateful for any advice for this FTB! There's a lot to learn in this house-buying business.

Thank you!

David_Aldred

Hi - please have a look at this forum thread:

http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?t=2135747&highlight=damp

It is all very well for the surveyor to recommend destructively opening areas up but until you have signed on the dotted line the vendor may view you as simply somebody who is showing an interest in buying their house and nothing more, especially when another surveyor may not ask for such opening up.

This being the case the vendor may well object to such destructive investigation. Under such circumstances and if negotiation on price is possible your aim would be to budget for a worst case scenario for the risk of problems suspected being concealed. This puts it back in the vendors court and their options will be to turn round and say no that is the asking price of the house, or okay I will meet you half way or even all the way regarding potential works or they may yield to opening the areas upfor investigation and again you would have to negotiate who would pay for such opening up and making good.

By the way rising dampness will not have been proven by the Chartered Surveyor since it cannot be proven by electrical damp meters and statistically should be the least likely moisture source to be considered.

Again please read through previous posts by myself regarding this and other issues such as timber decay, wood boring insect attack, cavity wall ties etc.

Hope this helps - kindest regards, David Aldred Independent damp and timber surveyor.

guy0wen

Hi, Newbee here, Have been readin the forums for 6 months since I started looking at buying my first house. Finnally completed and moved in July this year and have started a major refurbishment project on the place.

pelethecat's post above inspired me to final join up and strat posting. so here goes:



Wouldnt worry what the surveyor has said to much mate, sounds like the satandard cover my !!!! surveyor lingo.

He will advise opening up and checking everything in an old property. I am a building surveyor my self and have writtten the same in many reports. If your living in a old property there can be alot of problems, with rot, damp etc, as long as its not dry rot or active beetle infestation you'll be OK for the time being.

I moved into a 100 year old house 6 months ago and got the same on my valuation report about investigating cracks, it was clear to me thought that evry house on the street had the same cracks in the same places and none of them had collapsed.

If it hasnt fallen down yet it isnt going to in the near future anyway.

BTW either take down down the lath and plaster or dont touch it because its a nightmare to repair.

pelethecat

Glad you were inspired guy0wen!
Having never done any of this before, and not knowing much about even simple DIY, let alone building, it's really difficult to know what to take really seriously and what to take with a pinch of salt.

I guess with an old house (1890s) there's a certain amount of underlying risk that you just have to accept if you don't have really good reason to go tearing the place down with invasive inspections.