Is it a good idea to buy this house.

bez.59

Hi,

My wife and i are planning on buying our first home and have come across a house "Built in non-traditional form of sectional concrete" but we don't know much about them so we are looking for some advise on it.

I understand there are different types Wimpey No Fines, Reema Conclad etc but we don't know what type it is.

We have a couple of questions,

Should we stay away from them as it could be hard to sell it on or get a mortgage (we have enough to buy it without a mortgage)?

Can they be clad in traditional bricks or improved to make them worth more and easier to sell?

Am i right in thinking they aren't very energy efficient and expensive to heat?

Thanks for looking.

Owain_Moneysaver

Yes.

Some types can. Expect to pay £20-30k

Yes.

If it's detached, don't ignore the possibility of demolishing (they're often on good sized plots) and putting in a new timber frame house.

GDB2222

These are all very good questions!

The different types of non-traditional construction have different problems. Some are worse than others, but they all tend to be tarred with the same brush. They are generally not mortgageable at the moment, and you should assume that that position will not improve. Hence, these can only be bought by cash buyers, and that means that they should be a very substantial discount to normal construction, even if there is no problem with the building at the moment. Assume that you will have the utmost difficulty selling.

They can be clad in bricks, but this is very expensive and I doubt that it makes them easier to sell.

These mostly date from about 50 years ago, when people were less concerned about energy efficiency.

GDB2222

Owain_Moneysaver wrote: »

If it's detached, don't ignore the possibility of demolishing (they're often on good sized plots) and putting in a new timber frame house.

A lot of them are on council estates, and councils are gradually getting round to knocking them down and rebuilding them. This means that your property could be compulsorily purchased.

custardy

Do you mean what we called "prefabs"?

like these (these were meant to be knocked down but got made over instead)
https://maps.google.com/maps?q=langton+road+east+calder&ll=55.890535,-3.46241&spn=0.011431,0.032315&client=opera&oe=utf-8&hnear=Langton+Rd,+East+Calder,+Livingston+EH53+0BL,+United+Kingdom&t=h&z=16&layer=c&cbll=55.890364,-3.462037&panoid=9CzGLLS62B5xTBFuogImUw&cbp=12,236.15,,0,0

Werdnal

You need to find out exactly what type of construction it is. Some can be re-clad or even have the whole concrete panel sections removed and replaced with double skinned blockwork.

Some types can be cold and suffer from from damp because they are single skinned with no cavity for insulation.

They can be difficult to get mortgages on (more of a problem when you sell than buying in your situation), and consequently hold their value less. House insurance will usually ask what type of construction too, and may refuse cover or raise premiums as a result.

This site has some useful info:

http://landmarkprc.co.uk/

On the plus side, they are often ex-local authority, have larger than average rooms and more generous gardens.

If yours is one that can be refurbed and you are willing to pay for the work, it will improve its value, make it mortgageable (ensure the contractor is certificated to do the work to the corect standard), and you will have no difficulties when selling again.

bez.59

Thanks for the replies.

I can't post a link to the property as i am a new member. When will i be able to?

It is a 3 bed semi and is on for £69,950

All the other 3 bed semi's in the area are about £160,000 to £180,000

From looking at google maps it is the only property on the street that isn't clad.

Salz

Which town - we can post the link for you?

bez.59

It's on oker avenue in Darly Dale.

Catblue

http://www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-37886453.html

This one?

GDB2222

Catblue wrote: »

http://www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-37886453.html

This one?

The EPC on that one is not too bad. The other ones may have been clad by the Council as part of the better homes initiative. The cladding would improve the insulation. You'd need to ask a surveyor about saleability for that particular type of construction.