Survey Problem??

Bluefusion

Don't get a damp company in to quote as they will make it sound worse than it is. You better off getting a Surveyor who specialises in Damp or rising damp. They have no ties in with a damp company, and only report on the amount of damp, which you can then pass onto Damp companies to quote on.

We had a report done on damp in our house because damp company were saying that we need the whole damp proof course replacing (very expensive.) I then decided to get a professional Damp surveyor in who reported that only one small corner was damp. In the end based on his report, other damp companies then only quoted £420 rather than the thousand they originally said!

Oddgy

Bluefusion wrote:

Don't get a damp company in to quote as they will make it sound worse than it is. You better off getting a Surveyor who specialises in Damp or rising damp.

Where do i find one of these, as in Yell.com and on the net, it all comes up they they can also do the work to correct it.

??

Simon1981

We are in the opposite position to you - have had HBR back on the house we are trying to buy. Survey says damp and new roof. The preliminary quotes are bordering £3k for all the work to be done, and we are going to talk (via the EA) to the vendors about reducing the price. If your buyers came to you and asked for a £3k price reduction due to these problems what would you say? And i can tell you how the buyer would react to that reaction, if you see what i mean?

Oddgy

Hi Simon, we are just trying to understand the process of what happens when your the buyer....so when you got the home buyers report back, im assuming the morgage company has held a retention? If so, was it 3K?

and....what did you then do? Contact the EA and get some builders to arrange with the Vendors to go round and get quotes or have the Vendors get quotes themselves?? Just wonder, oblviously your vendors know that these problems have arisen, and wonder what steps they have taken to assist in the problem. Have they offered a solution or anything? Or have you yet to contact them?

I think you said that it will cost 3K to fix, did you get quite a few quotes?? So if the Vendors came back and offered to knock half the quote off the Asking price how would you feel on that? After all the vendors are moving out and you would be the ones benefitting from a new roof and damp problems sorted.

You ask if our buyers came back and asked for 3k off, what would we do? Well, thats a lot of dosh and it would effect the house we were intending to buy. If they wanted 3k off we would be stuck so in that responce we would probably say we couldnt as we would then not be able to move in anycase. However if they came back and said to pay for 50% then i think we would agree to that and somehow find that extra 1.5 k....as that is almost a certainly fair offer, and they would only be paying for half the work, and they would be the ones benefiting as its the house they are moving into. Be interesting to see how others on this board think to that tho?

Back in our scenario....We havent heard anything yet so we are wondering what is going on!! The most gut renching thing, is we have 12 years to go on our damp proof coursing guarantee. Obliviously 4 years ago when we bought our house, the damp wasnt an issue according to our surveyor.... and only now that we are selling it this has now shown problems - so we search for the guarantee, find it....but guess what, the company that did it and offered the 30 yr guarantee, is now out of business. Result - - - Tuff luck!

Simon1981

That's a real shame about the damp company being out of business! could have solved you and the buyer many problems. Having read the many threads on here regarding damp proofing, i cant help think we're getting taken for a ride, but have no way of proving it (i know the roofing quote is reliable) - if the third quote comes back as just as expensive we're considering employing a neutral surveyor to look just at that issue (as Bluefusion recommended to you here). Have you thought that if your surveyor didnt notice damp 4 years ago, perhaps there is a case for sueing him? Surely such damp cannot appear over 4 years in such an old house? But then, i know nothign about damp.

We got all the quotes ourselves, i am not aware of the vendor doing the same, but the EA hasnt mentioned anything. I think the vendors are just waiting to see what we do, maybe the EA has told them to sit tight, let us do it and see the response. We are so new to this, wet behind the ears isnt the phrase.

We didnt have a retention to borrowing outright so much as a clause to get the work done within 3 montsh of purchase (is this the same thing?). We are waiting for two more quotes to come in, because we do not want the work to cost so much.

The survey said the house is valued at £2k below the agreed sale price. We are waiting for the last quotes before negotiating, but we hoping that the vendor would accept this £2k reduction - so we are paying £1k and them £2k. THis may seem unfair, but we're FTBs and really need all the help we can get (though we too would go to half way - £1.5k each if pushed). I think that seems fair, and hopefully from your response our vendor would agree?!?

I think the only difference in our case is that i know our vendor isnt buying another house in a chain - we are buying vacant possession, which means they may be less bothered about the money, but also they are not pressed into making the sale.

Oddgy

Oddgy wrote:

pulled a bit of carpert up last night, and found some sawdust and a black beetle.

Clutton - The dust wasnt sawdust - - it was plaster powder. We had the wall plastered not long ago. Such a Dumb A**!!

However - i definately saw the bettle - thats for sure.

Oddgy

I know - such a disappointment about the damp company. We looked up about the company and it dissolved 2 months after the work was done on our house. So that guarantee was nil and void two months into its 30years certification. It makes a mockery of the whole system.
Yes - as you say, it would have sorted our problems out in no time at all. But these things are sent to try us i suppose!!

We had some quotes in, and the work is only gonna cost £1000. Thats to do the damp proof coursing again, and fix the brickwork in the roofspace. So in all, its not as bad as we expected. I did wonder why they have held such a high retention of 5k tho. But then again, they did initially think we had wood worm, so oblioviously this contributed to such a high retention.

Thats from only 1 company as yet, we havent had the other quotes back from the other 4 companies weve had in as yet.

So now we have this quote on our doorsteps, can i ask you MSE what i supposed to do now. As i said i havent heard from our EA or from the buyers in the next step to take.

The last thing i heard was from our EA on Wednesday to arrange for someone to come round and quote on the work. So we have done this now, I suppose i should ring them and tell them we have the quote in, (well one of the quotes) but i noted that i was given advice not to tell the EA about it.

In your case Simon, you as a buyer needs to consider how much you want this house. If you want it that badly then you may have to meet at least half way, however, if you can make the risk, as there are more houses out there, then stand your ground when the time comes. Your independent circumstances can only decide for you, including whether you can or cannot afford the extra money.

Our buyers got a retention, so they will not get the money until the lenders have been back to check the work has been done. Howver, the same is in your case, but you dont get any money held back, you just have to get the work done in the time specified by the lenders, 3 months i think you said. Then you have to send receipts off or they come and check. Otherwise if its not done i believe they then charge you. Makes me wonder why they have this two kinds of retention!! I suppose it depends our serious the lender feels the problem is.

clutton_2

i have never been asked to produce receipts for work done on a property at a later date. i have been asked to produce a Damp Certificate if the retention was for that purpose.

Ask the EA what the purchasers offer is - the ball is in their court. Buyers buy property under a "Caveat emptor" principle - ie - "buyer beware" - which means that it is up to the Buyer to investigate and do his/her own research as to the property, its condition etc etc. It is NOT up to you to tell them. These figures will be your trump card.

As an example - say you have it on the market for £100k the EA comes back and says the purchasers are offering you £90k because of all the work that needs doing, you can then go back in with "the work will cost no more than £4k (or whatever) therefore i will accept £96k.

Its all a game !!!!

Hold your nerve - if these buyers want your house so much, they will negotiate with you on price, but, let them bid first.

If EA is putting pressure on you, tell him a member of your family is thinking of buying it - that'll shift him !!!!!!!

Oddgy

It will definately come down to a point of re negociation though. We better had accept that. Oh well!!!
Thanks for your input Ladies and Gents - will keep you posted in anycase.

Simon1981

if you can take any heart from this, like i am, is that i presume most people are reasonable and it would seem that both vendor and buyer are willing to compromise.