Builder Recommendation? - East London

MotokoJTW

Hi guys

My partner and I are in the process of purchasing a new property and have had some red flags come up in the Homebuyers Report. Can anyone recommend a builder servicing East London that would be able to help us get a quote on the repairs so we can work out how much it might cost us if we decide to go ahead?

Problems include:

- High levels of damp in the ground floor rooms potentially requiring repairs and/or improvements to the damp course
- Cracked fillets and flashings on the kitchen / bathroom roof
- Bad ventilation, support and maintenance issues in the main roof
- Repairs/improvements required to the chimney stacks and flues
- Poor ventilation and insulation in the kitchen and bathroom wall

The house is a brick construction, two storey mid-terrace built approximately 1900 with a rear extension housing the kitchen and bathroom.

Any recommendations gratefully received.

Thanks :-)

J

kmmr

Firstly – you may struggle to get a builder you don’t already have a relationship with to come and quote for a job which may never happen. Quoting is not a cost free activity, and a lot of quotes come to nothing, so a builder may not be keen to quote on a job whe you don’t even own the house yet. It might be worth your while to offer a few hundred quid for them to prepare something detailed and written which will help your negotiations.

- High levels of damp in the ground floor rooms potentially requiring repairs and/or improvements to the damp course
I used a high street company the first time, and this time I am getting an independant paid for surveyor to give a report. For my current purchase there was an estimate provided by the vendor, also prepared for free by a high street supplier. I don’t have the final report yet, but the surveyors estimate is that the work will cost £1-2k maximum. The ‘free’ report says £3500, and we can see from the included floor plan that they have missed large sections of damp.

So it sort of depends what you want! If you want a high cost for negotiating, get a free survey from anyone (as they will price up as they have a vested interest in saying you need the work). If you want an honest, and probably cheaper, estimate, pay for a surveyor. It’s a hard choice.

- Cracked fillets and flashings on the kitchen / bathroom roof
- Bad ventilation, support and maintenance issues in the main roof
- Repairs/improvements required to the chimney stacks and flues
- Poor ventilation and insulation in the kitchen and bathroom wall

I can’t help with a name, but you could try the FMB website and put the job out to tender. Someone may do a free quote, or you could even offer just the quoting as a paid for job.