Surveyor recommends disruptive structural report which vendor won't entertain.

Blinkblink

I'm currently at a loss on how to progress my purchase and would appreciate any advice.

Building survey highlighted potential structural issues which the selling agent is insisting I should ignore as vendor won't allow a disruptive structural engineer's report. They say buying a property is always a gamble!!

Don't really want to pull out of purchase if there is a sensible way forward.
Can anyone please help?

ognum

Not enough information, what are the structural issues and how disruptive are they.

have you talker to the seller?

Blinkblink

Thanks.
Seller insists all communications are via agent or solicitor.
Structural issues are recent loft conversion 'may' be cause of cracking in wall above a longstanding opening (no building regs) in rear wall.Structural engineer would want to expose ends of ground floor beam and possibly foundations too.

moneyistooshorttomention

Personally, if I had that level of worry about structural soundness of a house - I'd walk...

withabix

Blinkblink wrote: »

Thanks.
Seller insists all communications are via agent or solicitor.
Structural issues are recent loft conversion 'may' be cause of cracking in wall above a longstanding opening (no building regs) in rear wall.Structural engineer would want to expose ends of ground floor beam and possibly foundations too.

You have two or three choices here:

1) walk away

2) You pay in advance for all of the work, including making good to the seller's property to the current finishes or better, such that there are no signs of the inspection work having been carried out.


3) you reduce your offer considerably (which is effrectively the same as 1).


I would choose 1.

david29dpo

NEVER believe anything the agent tells you. There ONLY interest is there fee from the seller.
Do what you need to do to satisfy yourself the house is fine. Tell the agent this.
If no joy,walk.

namecheck

withabix wrote: »

You have two or three choices here:

1) walk away

2) You pay in advance for all of the work, including making good to the seller's property to the current finishes or better, such that there are no signs of the inspection work having been carried out.


3) you reduce your offer considerably (which is effrectively the same as 1).


I would choose 1.

I agree with 1)

I certainly would not consider buying in the circumstances without this in-depth survey. I dare say the vendor will realise (eventually) that no one will buy without this survey and/or a big price drop.

Better_Days

Blinkblink wrote: »

They say buying a property is always a gamble!!

Bloody cheek. Ask them if they would be willing to gamble with their own life savings (which in effect is what house buying is)

Disgraceful that they should try and put pressure on you in this way.

What are the possible structural issues?

I would walk. I would not be prepared with a purchase when there is such uncertainty about remedial works. No point in reducing your offer by £10k if the remedial work ends up costing £50k.

mrsmchapman

If they refused the structural survey I would walk, sounds like a loft conversion that jack built, and I would not gamble with possible damage costing thousands without knowing the exact reasons and remedy to fix!

DaftyDuck

Shows they suspect that, when the surveyor reports back, you'll choose to walk, and they'll be left to patch it up... in other words, they know it's structurally unsound.

After all, if surveyor bashes a hole in the wall, says all is fine, you'd buy house - and hole would be yours to repair....

Insist it is done... or save yourself the surveyor's fee and simply walk. Remember, if they've botched on that, they'll have scrimped on the plumber, done DIY electrics, wedged a bit o' cardboard in that 'ole...

Tancred

Blinkblink wrote: »

I'm currently at a loss on how to progress my purchase and would appreciate any advice.

Building survey highlighted potential structural issues which the selling agent is insisting I should ignore as vendor won't allow a disruptive structural engineer's report. They say buying a property is always a gamble!!

Don't really want to pull out of purchase if there is a sensible way forward.
Can anyone please help?

What is meant by 'potential structural issues'? A lot of surveyors point just about anything out without actually explaining in detail what the heck they mean.

If there is deep cracking on a wall then it's a danger sign, but then again if the cracks are superficial it doesn't necessarily point to any issues.
The worst that could happen is that some building work may be required to repair the issue - maybe you should get a builder in to give you a quote for any remedial work and negotiate that off the price - unless the price is already low.