Re-negotiating after a survey??

so08dnd

So we have found a house we love, but we have had the survey back which have identified the following problems;

1. Roof in need of repair. Some slates are broken, have slipped or are missing or have been refixed with tingles and should be replaced. The roof coverings along the end wall do not project adequately away from the face of the masonry to throw off water and the slates should be refixed.
2. The chimney stack is built of rendered masonry. It has bulged slightly and although no repairs are required at this time it should be periodically inspected for further deterioration.
3- Cracks in front wall- The front wall has been repaired and this indicates that damage or movement has previously affected the building however it does not appear to have been structurally serious. A range of factors common to properties of this type and age can cause the outside walls of the property to move. I notice that the walls have been repaired and the movement has not reoccurred.
4. The textured ceiling coating throughout the property may contain small amounts of asbestos fibres. You should arrange for a qualified asbestos removal contractor to advise you further on how to enclose or remove this potential safety hazard.
5 No servicing/inspection/testing certification for the electrical, gas, central heating, hot water and open fireplace installations since 2002.


Now I'm no expert, but to me this sounds like a lot needs doing We love the house but we are not in a position financially to have the repairs done.

I just wondered what our options are? Could we re-negotiate on the price? And if we do do this, the bank has already agreed to lend us the asking price, so if the vendor agrees to sell for lower does that mean we can keep the extra money from the bank to do repairs?

OR, would it be reasonable to ask the vendor to do the repairs themselves before we proceed?

Any advice would be appreciated.

Thanks

G_M

doesn't sound too serious.

so08dnd wrote: »

1. Roof in need of repair. Some slates are broken, have slipped or are missing1 or 2? 6? half the roof? or have been refixed with tingles fairly normal practice! No issue. See here.and should be replaced. The roof coverings along the end wall do not project adequately away from the face of the masonry to throw off water so some adjustment needed at some point to stop water running down wall. Not urgent or expensive.and the slates should be refixed. which slates? loose ones? or the ones along end wall?


speak to surveyor to determine number of problem slates and extent of repair needed

2. The chimney stack is built of rendered masonry. It has bulged slightly and although no repairs are required good news!at this time it should be periodically inspected for further deterioration.OK - so a year or so from now, take a look!
3- Cracks in front wall- The front wall has been repaired and this indicates that damage or movement has previously affected the building however it does not appear to have been structurally serious. good A range of factors common to properties of this type and age can cause the outside walls of the property to move. I notice that the walls have been repaired and the movement has not reoccurred.good
4. The textured ceiling coating throughout the property may contain small amounts of asbestos fibres. You should arrange for a qualified asbestos removal contractor to advise you further on how to enclose or remove this potential safety hazard.asbestos, if present, is only a problem if disturbed and fibres released into the air. If not touched, no issue. Do you plan to remove the textured ciling?
5 No servicing/inspection/testing certification for the electrical, gas, central heating, hot water and open fireplace installations since 2002.
if you suspect problems, or want to be safe, get an electrician, gas engineer to inspect.


I just wondered what our options are? Could we re-negotiate on the price?
not much work on which to re-negotiate!
And if we do do this, the bank has already agreed to lend us the asking price, so if the vendor agrees to sell for lower does that mean we can keep the extra money from the bank to do repairs?no. If purchase price is reduced, bank will reduce your mortgage.

OR, would it be reasonable to ask the vendor to do the repairs themselves before we proceed?worse idea - seller has no motivation to do a proper job so will do it as cheaply as possible

Any advice would be appreciated.

Thanks

hope this helps.

anselld

I would agree with GM ... nothing to renegotiate, just routine maintenance.

Was the valuation in current state in line with purchase price?

martinthebandit

I think you would struggle to find a older house anywhere in the country where a survey report didn't say similar.

kingstreet

What's the valuation now and what will it be after essential repairs?

I suspect this means the property has valued at the agreed price;-

the bank has already agreed to lend us the asking price

You won't be able to borrow more. The mortgage you get is based on purchase price or valuation, whichever is LOWER.

So a price reduction will simply mean you pay less and your mortgage will be reduced accordingly.

so08dnd

Thanks for all your advice. I just wondered if anyone is aware of how much it would cost to have asbestos assessed/ removed? If we did want to renovate in the future I wondered what this is likely to cost to have it removed?

Thank you

martinthebandit

so08dnd wrote: »

Thanks for all your advice. I just wondered if anyone is aware of how much it would cost to have asbestos assessed/ removed? If we did want to renovate in the future I wondered what this is likely to cost to have it removed?

Thank you

Easiest and simplest solution is to get a plasterer to give the ceilings a skim, irrespective of if it contains asbestos or not.

That's not a particularly expensive job

teneighty

Obviously without inspecting the property is impossible to give an informed opinion but some of the comments in the survey could suggest serious defects. Initially I would speak to the original surveyor to see if they could provide any more information.

1. "Some slates are broken, have slipped or are missing or have been refixed with tingles and should be replaced"....This suggests numerous slates have failed and could suggest nail corrosion which would require complete stripping and replacement although you may be able to re-use the old slates. You need to get a good roofer to inspect and give costings for repairs/replacement.

2. "The chimney stack is built of rendered masonry. It has bulged slightly and although no repairs are required at this time"......How long ago was it rendered? It is possible that the chimney stack has been rendered as a temporary repair to the original defective bulging brickwork. Just because the surveyor could not see a need for repairs now does not mean it won't fail in 6 months time and require rebuilding. The fact that it is bulging and has already been rendered suggests the chimney stack is defective. Again, the roofer should be able to give advice.

3. "A range of factors common to properties of this type and age can cause the outside walls of the property to move. I notice that the walls have been repaired and the movement has not reoccurred.".......How long ago were the repairs done? If it was in the last 12 months it is too soon to say the movement has stopped. Despite what the surveyor said walls do not just move! All movement is potentially a structural defect, some minor some serious. The surveyor should give more information on the nature of the movement and the repairs. If they cannot provide that information a structural engineer may be required to diagnose the cause of the movement and whether the repairs have stabilised the wall.

I would want clarification of these three points before I decided to proceed or re-negotiate.