Listed Building Survey Issues

mea2000

We are currently in the process of purchasing a Grade 2 listed cottage. I have recently had the structural survey done and a couple of items have come out which need addressing. A small outbuilding (included in the listing) currently a utility room has had some subsidence which will need some investigation and potential underpinning. On the same building some plaster rendering also needs repairing. The other item is that some of the pan-tiles need re-laying (again mentioned in the listing).

My questions are:
- Am I right that the current owners have the responsibility to fix these as part of the maintenance of their propoperty under English Heritage guidelines?
- I am about a couple of weeks away from exchange so what's the best way to handle this? Ask them to fix before completion or have some sort of deposit retainer so I can get the work done?

I am worried I will be left with a big bill, because without further investigation on the subsidence issue, I don't know how much this will cost to sort out. What is the normal approach to this type of problem when purchasing? I want the property, but I don't think it is reasonable to expect me to foot the bill for these items.

Thanks

Mark

Davesnave

You have a perfect right to offer less now on the basis of the survey, and the seller has an equal right to to accept or reject your revised offer.

These items don't sound as if they would result in any immediate action on the part of the Local Authority who are, ultimately, responsible for ensuring that listed builsings stay in one piece. They only act in extremis, though if someone wishes to alter such a building they are much more [STRIKE]obstructive[/STRIKE] interested.

BitterAndTwisted

Talk to your Surveyor and take their advice about how complex the remedial works could be. Your next step will be to speak to a builder who has experience of working on listed buildings and have them cost up the work required.

Once you are armed with the potential cost of the work you are then in a sensible place to negotiate with the vendors about the price. Buying a listed building and negotiating the price works in the same way as buying any other type of property, really. The only difference is that listed buildings cost rather a lot more to maintain, refurbish or repair because of the prescribed methods and materials required as I'm sure you're aware.

mea2000

Thanks. I will take it up with the surveyor and get quotes for the work. I presume it is reasonable to pass all this cost onto the seller (as a discount to selling price) if I could not had reasonably known about these issues when putting in the offer? Alternatively, can I have them carry out the remedial works as a condition of completion?

poppysarah

It'd be up to you to negotiate which thing happens.

BitterAndTwisted

Quite honestly, I wouldn't trust anyone to carry out necessary repairs to a listed building unless I was paying them myself. Just get a sensible costing and then reduce your offer. Once you own it, it will be up to you on the time-scales to get it done.