Full Survey Results - anything to worry about?

cwcw

Our full survey has come back. The house is a 1930s semi with extension and modernised in recent years. The valuation in the current condition matches what we are paying. Some key points from the survey that are highlighted to address or get quotes for asap include:

- Re-concreting the base of the chimney stack to avoid potential damp issues
- Clear the gutters and re-align a gutter corner
- Patch up a few hairline cracks in the render to avoid potential damp
- Dig out some of the drive way where the concrete goes higher than the damp proof course to avoid potential damp
- The detached garage has an asbestos roof and is generally in a neglected state


Further investigations include:

- Check under the floor in case of timber rotting (damp meter showed no dampness, but floor not accessible to check)
- Test the electrical installation (house rewired recently but garage not and still has old electrics)
- Check gas installation (last serviced 10 months ago)
- Check cost to remove asbestos from garage and replace roof


Does anything here stand out or are these all standard issues? Would we have any grounds to reduce our offer for cost of repairs?

G_M

All fairly minor routine maintenance. Will need addressing gradually over next few years (or bite the bullet and do all immediately).

None urgent.

The garage might be a problem if you plan to remove/replace the roof - asbestos is fine if not disturbed, but if removed needs to be done by an expert as the dust is dangerous.

dimbo61

Are you sure the garage roof is made of asbestos ?
What condition is it in ?
I was quoted £500+ VAT to have a roof removed ?
As you already have a garage you could always have this removed and a nice new large brick built garage put in its place.
Are the gutters UPVC ? or old cast iron and in need of replacement,
Buy a pick and shovel and dig out the area near the house and driveway !!

cwcw

dimbo61 wrote: »

Are you sure the garage roof is made of asbestos ?
What condition is it in ?
I was quoted £500+ VAT to have a roof removed ?
As you already have a garage you could always have this removed and a nice new large brick built garage put in its place.
Are the gutters UPVC ? or old cast iron and in need of replacement,
Buy a pick and shovel and dig out the area near the house and driveway !!

The gutters are newish, aluminium, they don't need replacing.

He has stated the garage roof is asbestos and the roof may have leaked in the past but has been covered in additional felt. Was £500 to remove an asbestos roof? How much would it cost to have the garage removed and rebuilt completely?

Fire_Fox

You need to get quotes, prices vary massively around the country. IMO renegotiate on the last two (DPC and garage) but not the minor maintenance tasks.

dimbo61

Yes the quote of £500 + Vat was to remove the roof only from a firm that deals in asbestos removal.
Now I looked on ebay and a couple of adverts for concrete sectional garages one of which stated that it might be an asbestos roof ( but it still sold)
I did the same and sold the old garage on ebay but the main part of the garage was in excellent condition and came apart in about 42 concrete sections and 11 posts.
The roof was still in excellent condition and not flaking or dusty and came apart in about 20 sections.
The garage was water tight and the buyer was happy to disassemble and remove in a big sealed van to his home.
I wore a face mask and you can water down the panels before removal,
DO NOT BREAK THEM UP and have lots of plastic bags and duct tape.
I also spoke to the local council and they have a number of tips which accept asbestos as long as its double bagged and transported in a sealed van/car.
They will not help you unload it so do not overfill the bags as you have to carry it to the skip.
Couple of hours work and maybe the hire of a van
If you want a new garage speak to the council before you pull the old one down !!

Lolzicles

All sounds minor to me, especially given its a 1930s house. I wouldnt be overly worried about any of it, just make note of stuff that may need doing over time whilst youre living there.. when you get round to it! Was it a full buildings survey? They always come up with stuff. I'd be "happy" with that survey personally!

Kynthia

Sounds like normal minor house-owning issues to me. Nothing there that devalues the house.