Got survery back.. are these items ok?

neas

Hi all,

got survery back but have the following red/amber items and a little worried:

Central heating is provided by the gas fired boiler which is located in the kitchen. It is an old unit and 3

will therefore require more frequent repair than a modern one. There may also be difficulty in
obtaining spares. If it is to be replaced, then in order to comply with modern regulations, a
condensing type boiler will need to be fitted.
The system was not operating at the time of inspection and we therefore cannot comment on its
effectiveness.
The plastic feed tank in the roof space, which serves the central heating boiler like the main storage
tank, is covered by insulation and is hidden from view. We therefore cannot advise you on its true
condition or serviceability.
We are not aware of any service agreement for the central heating system and your legal advisers
should check for any service records. We refer you to our advice in Section I. If no servicing has
been carried out within the last 12 months then this should be undertaken prior to use.
This investigation should be undertaken by an appropriately qualified person or specialist company
before you exchange contracts so that you are fully aware of the condition of the property before you
commit to its purchase.

Condition Rating 3. (further investigation). Condition rating 3

Safety warning: You should have your electrical installations inspected and tested regularly to protect 3

your home from damage and to avoid putting your safety at risk. Guidance published by the
Institution of Electrical Engineers recommends that electrical installations should be inspected and
tested at least every 10 years and when the occupiers of the property change. All electrical work
carried out after 1 January 2005 should be recorded on an Electrical Installation Certificate.

The meter is located in an outside services box. The consumer unit is located at high level within the
entrance hallway.
Where visible, the installation has been wired in plastic covered cable.
When considering the lack of any recent testing and the advice of the Institution of Electrical
Engineers it would be prudent to have the system checked and tested before exchange of contracts
by an approved electrical engineer registered with either the National Inspection Council for
Electrical Installation Contracting, (NICEIC), (https://www.niceic.com/) or with the Electrical Contractors
Association, (ECA), (https://www.eca.co.uk/).
This investigation should be undertaken by an appropriately qualified person or specialist company
before you exchange contracts so that you are fully aware of the condition of the property before you
commit to its purchase.

Condition Rating 3. (further investigation). Condition rating 3

Sanitary fittings were found to be in dated but serviceable condition. 2

The hot water tap to the sink within the ensuite shower room is defective and requires replacement.
In addition we noted constant running water to the cistern serving the toilet within the ensuite shower
room and this requires investigation and correction.
We observed that the ensuite W.C. is fitted within a narrow space between the main front wall and

the shower cubicle. In our opinion

I hear people get the electricity one alot.. and the boiler we are intending to replace as well.. so nothing major. Only thing we were unaware of was the toilet thats constalty running water.

keith969

This is the usual backside-covering twaddle, the only thing I'd be worried about is the running water to the cistern, sounds like the float valve may be faulty. But that's cheap to repair / replace.

tyllwyd

I assume that the water is constantly entering the cistern and then draining away (either a pipe outside the property or into the bowl)? Probably nothing more sinister than a faulty ballcock inside the toilet - it might be as easy to fix as taking the top of the cistern off and adjusting it so that it cuts the water off properly. Or it might mean replacing the ballcock, or even replacing the toilet - not a big job in the scheme of things.

neas

Thats what i thought. It also picked up on other items that slightly worry me:

They are down as green but i am wonder what the effort/cost involved in doing the work is:

These are made of plastic and are double glazed.
Your legal advisers should check that either approval from the local authority for the double glazing
installation has been obtained or that the double glazing has been installed by a member registered
with FENSA, (a government approved trade association). Your legal adviser should also check for
the existence and validity of any guarantees and we refer you to Section I in this respect. If no
approvals or guarantees exist and a FENSA registered firm was not involved in the installation, then
glazing should be considered suspect. Condition rating 1

E6 Outside doors (including patio doors)

The main doors 1 The property is fitted with plastic double glazed external doors.
Your legal advisers should check that either approval from the local authority for the double glazing
installation has been obtained or that the double glazing has been installed by a member registered
with FENSA, (a government approved trade association). Your legal adviser should also check for
the existence and validity of any guarantees and we refer you to Section I in this respect. If no
approvals or guarantees exist and a FENSA registered firm was not involved in the installation, then
glazing should be considered suspect.
The rear door contains glass which may not have a safety rating. The glass is also close to floor level
and thus there is an increased risk of injury. The glazing should be replaced with safety glass.

Condition rating 1

F4 Floors

The floors The ground floor is of solid concrete construction. 1

The first floor is formed in timber.
Floor finishes
The floorboards and chipboard surfaces are creaking and need refixing. When floor coverings are

removed, other areas of disrepair might be found. Condition rating 1

Woodwork (for example, staircase and joinery)

The staircase 1 The staircase creaked excessively and treads and supporting timbers will need attention.
Internal finishes

Some areas of the property would benefit from some internal redecoration. Condition rating 1

neas

Thing that im wondering about (even though its down as green) is the creaky floorboards. How big a job is that? And when would i need to do it?

Im a complete novice but have my FIL who has offered to help with DIY. The property is about 20-25 years old. so not too many biggies.

keith969

Floorboards always creak. Look on the bright side, you will be able to hear if a burgular is creeping around!

BabyBoots

Apparently floorboards creak if they're nailed down, not screwed down, as they rise and fall along the nail.

vet8

I am not trying to be funny, but this sound like the worst sort of a**s covering possible.

To assume that the glazing must be suspect just because it was done before FENSA certificates were required is nonsense. Also, assuming that the electrics must be faulty if they have not been tested in the past 10 years. I am sure most people live in houses that fall into these categories. Floorboards and stairs usually creak and the toilet should be easy to repair.

I know surveyors have to find something wrong to justify their existence, but these seem trivial to the point of farce. Probably 90% of houses in the country would fail on these criteria.

silvercar

If you buy anything other than a brand new house, a surveyor will find issues. If you buy a brand new build you will have a snagging list. I generally work on the assumption that if the current owners appear to live in the house like "normal" people, there is no reason to assume that you won't be able to do the same.

LittleMissAspie

That's a good survey neas, I'm sure a bit of plumbing shouldn't be expensive to fix. You could book another viewing and take a good look at it with your FIL.

It's easy to panic about these things when you're spending so much money but really most of it is butt-covering. Our survey had the smoke alarm under Red because he didn't test that it worked. He's just saying that we can't rely on it working and have to check it ourselves. Replace the batteries or buy our own, job done.

Have you ever been in a house without a single squeaky floorboard? How many people are living in houses with decades old glass in the windows? Don't worry too much, look at things logically.