Survey Results Advice

daveyjp

If this is the whole statement it's the sort which really ticks me off and does a disservice to surveyors.

"Main Walls ; The main walls to the property are brick cavity in construction. You should be aware that cavity wall
tie failure is common in properties of this age and type. This usually manifests itself in regular
horizontal cracking either to the mortar pointing or the rendering."

This is from someone who is supposed to have surveyed the property, but reads like a paragraph out of a building inspection handbook and serves absolutely no purpose to you as the purchaser of the property.

There is absolutely no comment on the actual condition of the walls other than a bland statement on constrction method which will apply to any property built since about 1920.

It's a report built around box ticking. Go back to the surveyor and get them to actually advise you if this property is suffering from CWT failure - he suggests it's easy to spot, so has he spotted any problems or not? That is the point of a survey!

It requires a hole in the mortar bed no larger than you can stick a finger in to insert a boroscope to check wall ties, but if the surveyor had done their job and stated there were no problems evidenced this wouldn't be required.

All the other stuff about mechanical and electrical installations simply wastes paper.

xtra_time

daveyjp wrote: »

If this is the whole statement it's the sort which really ticks me off and does a disservice to surveyors.

"Main Walls ; The main walls to the property are brick cavity in construction. You should be aware that cavity wall
tie failure is common in properties of this age and type. This usually manifests itself in regular
horizontal cracking either to the mortar pointing or the rendering."

This is from someone who is supposed to have surveyed the property, but reads like a paragraph out of a building inspection handbook and serves absolutely no purpose to you as the purchaser of the property.

There is absolutely no comment on the actual condition of the walls other than a bland statement on constrction method which will apply to any property built since about 1920.

It's a report built around box ticking. Go back to the surveyor and get them to actually advise you if this property is suffering from CWT failure - he suggests it's easy to spot, so has he spotted any problems or not? That is the point of a survey!

It requires a hole in the mortar bed no larger than you can stick a finger in to insert a boroscope to check wall ties, but if the surveyor had done their job and stated there were no problems evidenced this wouldn't be required.

All the other stuff about mechanical and electrical installations simply wastes paper.

No thats not all that he put in fact the report states the walls are in condition rating 1 but I think its this line in the summary "No significant defects were noted to the property, however it has been recommended that a cavity wall tie report be obtained along with reports on the condition of the wiring and central heating system." which YBS have grabbed onto and have made a condition of the offer - I also think because I never used them to do the report they are making things harder than they need to be.

Janie2008

When we sold our last house a few years ago our buyers had the same wording regarding wall ties on the survey and were told the mortgage would be dependent on them getting the wall ties looked at. We were not that happy as we thought it was unecessary and they wanted us to pay. They went back to the lender and argued that the survey didn't say there was any evidence of a problem with the wall ties just that it could be a problem with houses of that age in which case all house that age would have to be checked. Anyhow the lender backed down and dropped the condition on the mortgage. Maybe you could try and talk to the mortgage lender again.

xtra_time

the estate agents have now advised they give permission as its only a small hole which gets filled in so fingers crossed they allow it.

xtra_time

Got the electric report back saying that £2k work needs doing to bring it up to standard.

john_white

what standard?

xtra_time

A lot of points were urgent attention

No isolator for Jacuzzi bath and no RCD protection. Requires isolator and RCD protection

Outside socket wired in unprotected 1mm cable + no RCD protection. Requires 2.5 protected or concealed
cable and RCD.

Second outside socket is positioned within 5 inches of a fall pipe and drain, it is also 2 inches from the
floor and has no earth loop impedance or RCD protection. Requires removal.

Outside lights positioned on patio wall are wired in unprotected cabling and have no earth continuity or
RCD protection. Require complete removal.

Garage supply / socket is wired in 2.5 T+E cable sheathed within hose pipe fed from under concrete
offering little or no protection. The socket has an earth loop impedance of 17.23 ohms which exceeds the
maximum zs of 2.30 ohms for a 20A breaker. Requires removal.


The other points were not urgent but these seemed quite bad to me.
Overall it said "Original installation in good repair. recent additions make this installation unsafe (see defects)"

timbo58

£2k sounds an awful lot of money for just those jobs!
Just switch off all of those outside circuits from wherever they originate from.
Just fix the jacuzzi problem and remove the other stuff or replace it properly as & when you feel you'll need it.
All of these sound very much like DIY bodges by the last owners to me!
(especially the t&e in a hosepipe! : I worked in an electrical shop years ago and got asked about running power to sheds all the time!)

Mrs_Z

How about another quote for the electrics? Homebuyers report on our buy to let picked on the outdated electrics (they really were) - I arranged 2 electricians to go and give me an estimate. First came back the day later and said; yes complete rewire required = £3k + making good. The other didn't come back for a week, but eventually produced a very detailed spec with a partial rewire only; total came to £2k with minimal making good required and this included some unforeseen work.

xtra_time

We have now pulled out of this house as they were not even prepared to negotiate and I don't see why I should have to pay for there DIY jobs they should have done properly. This combined with already paying more than I wanted to go up to and the "snootyness" of the owner when we went round last time ,and if the cavity wall ties needed doing as well it just made the house feel wrong and unsafe for us. I think she thought she was doing me a favour by letting me buy her house. We are now going to rent for at least 6 months to keep our sale and hopefully find a better home in the summer.