What to expect with an old house

olly300

spannerzone wrote: »

wow.... really??

Never found that myself on various houses, you live and learn!

Yes really.

I've lived in a few 1930's properties and definitely no cavity walls. They all had long bay windows in the largest rooms but lower ceilings then Victorian/Edwardian properties.

Current flat is from1950s and has cavity walls.

olly300

helencbradshaw wrote: »

Is it modern building reg advice to put rads under windows? None of mine are and it would seem I was paying to heat the outdoors if they were?!!

Radiators don't have to be put under windows.

They are generally put there as:
1. It makes use of a dead space
2. It's one of the coldest parts of the room

While were I currently live they all except the bathroom one are under the windows in a few properties I've previously lived in they haven't been. Mainly in rooms where the windows are so large that the radiators being added have been too big to fit under the windows.

Plus my family and friends who live in properties built from 1990 onwards some of their radiators aren't under windows in some of the rooms. As they have smaller windows where the radiators would definitely fit I can only presume it's to do with the plumbers not wanting to use so much pipe. In modern houses due to insulation this isn't a problem.

hcb42

i was just questioning the advice, they dont need to be moved...one less job for the OP

duncan32

Would be nice not to have to think about moving radiators I must say! Checking out the description, it seems that all rooms have double radiators then (:j) and surely that in tandem with the double glazing in every room has got to be a plus!?

I really would love to find out that this house is still attainable for me. I shall revist later this week with the list of things to check and even though I don't really have a clue what I am looking for, will see what I can find out.

Was also thinking of taking a builder / handyman that I sort of know (did some work on my kitchen earlier this year) around with me, under the agreement that if he helps me out with advice free of charge he will get the chance to quote on any work that I need doing if and when I purchase. Sounds reasonable to me.....?

Oh, another question (sorry): what financial outlay is required when checking the house prior to purchase? (i.e the building survey?). If it came in bad enough to stop the purchase, how much would be lost as a result?

Thanks again everyone.

Duncan

somethingcorporate

Going through something similar myself but we have offered and are proceeding on the property, it wasn't until we had the homebuyers survey (£500) back did we realise the need to engage tradesmen.

Most are happy to provide a free quote / short written report that should help give you an idea as to the severity of the issues a homebuyers would pull up. You really need to get it properly surveyed as there could be lots of things that you wouldn't notice even looking carefully. One for instance in our new place is a springy floorboard in the corner of the lounge. With furniture in it is well hidden and even when it was moved out we were not heavy enough to make it spring much! The surveyor and subseqency builder did! It was flagged as a potential rot issue and could have ended up quite costly.

If we pulled out now our only cost would be the survey (which was worth every penny, if we proceed or not).

Ours is a 1900s 3-bed terrace so (rising) damp, windows, dpc, roof, walls and insulation, electrics etc are all the obvious things to look at.

Good luck! very stressful this home buying stuff.

G_M

olly300 wrote: »

Radiators don't have to be put under windows.

They are generally put there as:
1. It makes use of a dead space
2. It's one of the coldest parts of the room

There's a reason. Put the rads inside the room. The hot air rises. To replace it, air is sucked across the room...... from the window. So cold air is sucked across the body of the room while the warm air rises to the ceiling!

Put the rads under the window, and the cold window-air mixes with the hot rad-air and rises. This moves across the ceiling and circulates down and back across the room. So WARM air is crossing the room.

G_M

MrsCrafty wrote: »

Bought a similar shell and we had to rewire, double glaze and check out the damp course. Some of it might be good but some of ours wasn't. Get a cheap Dampometer and check out everywhere above skirt level all around the house top and bottom especially where you can see the guttering and fireplaces. Our surveyor didn't pick up hardly any of ours. We knew this though, so were not bothered.

The coving looks in good condition and this could be made into a fantastic family home IMO. If you don't have any building/diy skills though - beware as labour is expensive and when they pull off the wallpaper and the wall falls down..............

Dampometer :rotfl:

These things measure electrical conductivity, not damp! Work fine on wood: If there's an electrical current passing through the wood, it must be damp. But brick, stone, plaster etc can contain materials other than water/damp which conduct electricity, so an electrical reading does not necessarily mean it's damp.

hazyjo

Wow... what a view (of the Beetle opposite, I mean). Definitely buy it if only for that, and make them sign something to say they'll never move or sell their car

Sorry, rubbish post, but I'm still drooling.

Jx

Doozergirl

hazyjo wrote: »

Wow... what a view (of the Beetle opposite, I mean). Definitely buy it if only for that, and make them sign something to say they'll never move or sell their car

Sorry, rubbish post, but I'm still drooling.

Jx

Did you see what they did to one on Top Gear? :eek:

I was a bit shocked!

MrsCrafty

helencbradshaw wrote: »

Is it modern building reg advice to put rads under windows? None of mine are and it would seem I was paying to heat the outdoors if they were?!!

Ours are double glazed with lined curtains within the recess or behind the rads, so we don't lose any heat, it also helps in my opinion, to keep any creeping damp down as bays are prone to damp. However, we keep our curtains closed in winter but are very stingy with using them anyway.

To be honest I wouldn't go with modern building reg advice anyway, hubs goes back a long way as does my father, engineer and heating person, so I guess I would take their word as gospel.