Urgent building advice needed

rhian_22f

I am in the process of buying a new house and I should be exchanging and completing on Friday (24 July). My solicitor told me that I have to start looking in to building insurance but I am not 100% certsin what the construction of the property is. I have been told that it was built of non-standard construction in 1927 and at a later date a layer of concrete blocks were erected around the original non-standard construction. I have spoken to a couple of insurance companies and they have told me that if it has concrete blocks all the way round then I can get insurance with them. I wrote to the local council office to find out if there has been any planning for alterations. Here is the reply they sent back to me:

I have been unable to locate anything about alteration to the construction of the building but I have managed to locate two planning files from 1987 & 1990 where permission was sought for a kitchen & bathroom extension to the property.

There was a Survey Drawing dated July 1987 which may be useful to you, it states:

‘Existing External Appearance -
Roof: Corrugated asbestos
Walls: Asbestos sheet cladding with 2” wide timber sealing strips
Chimney Stack: Smooth faced red brickwork
Windows: Casement and sash type in painted softwood
Guttering and rainwater pipes: steal painted
External boundary walls: roughcast render’

On the proposed plans the architects proposed to use the following materials for the walls –

‘External cavity walls to comprise of 4” class ‘A’ concrete block outer skin, 2” cavity and 6” celcon solar insulation block inner skin … Building in to existing concrete pillars is to be done using a ‘Crocodile’ galvanised M.S plates bolt fixed to pillar according to manufacturers specification.’

It appears that the original construction was asbestos - was this a common material for building houses in 1927.
The roof is no longer asbestos, so do you think that they removed the asbestos sheet cladding when they erected the concrete blocks?
Do you think that the house now has a layer of concrete blocks around the whole exterior?
The walls seem pretty solid when I have been right around. I didn't bother with a survey because they wouldn't agree to do a structural survey because that would involve making holes in the walls.
Any advice welcome
Thanks
Rhian

gooner63_2

mmmmm....maybe give it a miss ! Assume your a cash buyer, hence no survey needed !...:o

muskoka

If your a cash buyer, can't you find something less complicated to buy? Bear in mind when you come to sell, your buyer will have the same doubts/problems. And when you come to sell your buyer may need a mortgage & is it actually mortgageable?

I wouldn't touch it without a full structural survey because if you guess the construction & get it wrong and then need to claim your Insurance will be void anyway....

Maybe speak to a neigbouring property if similar construction & see what they say, but sounds a bit 'different' and I'd be wary of the insurance and/or mortgageability of it.

rhian_22f

Yes I am a cash buyer. I have searched online and most people say that they would not buy a house with asbestos in it. It has taken 4 months since my first offer to get to this stage and the day I tell my solicitor that I am ready to exchange and complete I received this information. I don't know what to do. :mad:

G_M

I can't advise on the construction issue, but do NOT be influenced by the amount of time you've devoted to getting this far.

Make the decision on the facts you have today. Ignore the past. Is it wise to proceed given what you now know? Or do you need more information?

Davesnave

To reach that fairly standard spec for the reconstruction in 1987 they would surely have to remove the asbestos cladding, and if you can detect solid walls outside and in, then it's almost certainly gone. OTOH the tying in to reinforced concrete pillars would need more thought, because the state of those ought to be determined. Also, what are they supporting that the walls aren't?

You don't say what kind of discount is involved here, but if it's a very good one, then I suppose there might be a case for the vendors not agreeing to a structural survey, thinking perhaps that many cash buyers might bring along an experienced builder instead. However, if the discount isn't that great, they may be on a hiding to nothing.

Personally I think they are being unrealistic and you need to be very careful. I bought my property at a discount, as the vendor wanted a quick cash sale and no complications/renegotiation, but it is of standard construction. Had it had a 'strange' history, I'd not have agreed to those terms.

rhian_22f

Hi Dave,
Please excuse my ignorance but what does OTOH stand for?
The property was originally on the market for £160K and they have accepted an offer of £118K from me (I assumed it was because it is a slow market but maybe they knew about the problems). It is not a massive amount of money but it is all of my savings plus I have to borrow £20K from my parents.
The outside walls are solid and so are most of the internal walls but my concern is that they have just covered the asbestos with plaster.
I am waiting for the building control department from the local council to get back to me with a report and if then I can see if there is any mention of how the asbestos was removed if it was. I am also trying to find out who the builder was that carried out the work as it was only 20 years ago so he might remember.
An architect has offered to have a look round for me (which will only cost about £100). He would not be able to give me an asbestos report though or drill holes. He would just look in the attic space and if he sees that the sheets are still there then they are probably still right around the house and the cost of removing them will be more than the house is worth. I am not the type of person to stay in the same place for more than a couple of years so I am worried that I am going to have big problems trying to sell it on again.
If I can find out that it has been removed then I think it is still a good buy if it hasn't I will not go ahead.
Thank you everyone for all the feedback
Rhian

kingstreet

I think I'd want at least a structural engineer's report.

Completion tomorrow?

I wouldn't.

lowbrim

Speak to neighbours it is surprising what they know. But as already stated for the sake of delaying purchase by a week or so bite the bullet and have a structural survey otherwise yoiu will be left with a house that you will not be able to sell or insure!!

rhian_22f

Do you think a structural survey is better than an asbestos report? I asked 2 surveyors for a structural survey a few months ago and both said that they could only do a homebuyers report as a structural survey would involve making holes in the walls. The asbestos report would also involve drilling small holes for a camera to be inserted - so permission from from the vendors would be required.
Exchange and completion has been delayed. I am really lucky because the solicitor is my father's friend and has been helpful and understanding.
Still waiting to hear back from the council and we will go and try to speak to the neighbours later. Most of them were probably there 20 years ago so maybe they remember the work that was carried out and which builder did it. The property next door looks very similar so I am guessing that it was built at the same time of same materials.
Thanks again

maninthestreet

rhian_22f wrote: »

Hi Dave,
Please excuse my ignorance but what does OTOH stand for?
The property was originally on the market for £160K and they have accepted an offer of £118K from me (I assumed it was because it is a slow market but maybe they knew about the problems). It is not a massive amount of money but it is all of my savings plus I have to borrow £20K from my parents.
The outside walls are solid and so are most of the internal walls but my concern is that they have just covered the asbestos with plaster.
I am waiting for the building control department from the local council to get back to me with a report and if then I can see if there is any mention of how the asbestos was removed if it was. I am also trying to find out who the builder was that carried out the work as it was only 20 years ago so he might remember.
An architect has offered to have a look round for me (which will only cost about £100). He would not be able to give me an asbestos report though or drill holes. He would just look in the attic space and if he sees that the sheets are still there then they are probably still right around the house and the cost of removing them will be more than the house is worth. I am not the type of person to stay in the same place for more than a couple of years so I am worried that I am going to have big problems trying to sell it on again.
If I can find out that it has been removed then I think it is still a good buy if it hasn't I will not go ahead.
Thank you everyone for all the feedback
Rhian

OTOH = On The Other Hand.
So the vendor accepted £42K (25%) less than their asking price and won't agree to full structural survey - doesn't that tell you everything you need to know? The vendor is desperate to sell this property. You say £118K isn't a massive amount of money, yet it's all the money you have in this world.