homebuyer report - asbestos should i worry?

mad&jon

Hi

Wonder if anyone can help. Just received homebuyers survey back and they've highlighted a couple of things -

Asbestos in garage roof (house built 1961) - Its within the concrete roof, should i be worried? Any estimate on how much it'll cost to remove & replace?

Roof - Slight sagging in rear of roof where a loft extension has been built. Although they say its not an immediate problem but something to fix in the future. Is this a big and expensive job?

Self closing doors - States house doesnt conform to building regulations as the house doesn't have self-closing doors. I've never heard of this, it seems a bit strange for a residential property. Again is this expensive to fix?

I think we're going to renegotiate on price, but would like an idea of how big and expensive these jobs might be.

Thanks in advance.

itsakidsworld

Hi,

Asbestos is only a problem when you come to remove it. It is the micro dust which is dangerous. It is quite expensive to remove and you may be well advised to ask a specialist firm for a quote. As a company, we decided years ago to avoid as much contact as possible with Asbestos no matter how small.

Roof sagging could be a number of things. The dormer you say has been put into the roof, which would alsmost certainly require the cutting of the main support purling. This again needs a specialist report as it could just be sagging due to poor workmanship or it could well indeed be "dropping" as the weight is now to great on the roof, due to the fact that roof timbers have not been supported. If this is the case, an expensive job, sorry.

Door closers? Is the property over three or more levels? If so then that is why but also the doors have to be fire doors. Local planning office will answer that for you free of charge!!! At last a freebie, make it "post of the month"!!!!!!!

Ems*Honie

Its possible they are refering to the door to the loft room, these normally have to be fire reg doors.

Re: Asbestos, we have viewed about 20 houses recently, I would say 15 of those had asbestos. The one we are buying has an asbestos roof. From what my husband has said removal would be in the thousands, but not the tens of thousands.

You can always have a specialist in (with permission from the vendor) to estimate it, and builders for the roof, then you can offer lower before completion.

lilyann1

The house we're buying has asbestos in the garage roof as its built in 1953.We are not worried as we will probably never take the garage roof down as it is adjoined to the neighbours garage roof.

AndrewSmith

Usually garage roof are built from the less harmful type of asbestos anyway. Contact your local council enviromental services / contracts for a quote on removal to put your mind at ease.

I would be more concerned with the roof sagging and finding a definitive answer as to why, and the ramifications of non-rectification of the problem.

Andy

mad&jon

thanks for your advice everyone.

we're going to try and get the price reduced to cover the extra work needed.

thanks again

robwend

dont let this change your mind about the property, the type of asbestos your talking about is being downgraded next year and wont even be a issue. my house is built with the stuff!!