buying an older house

DaftyDuck

Another point with older houses and water pressure (see my post at #2) is that supply pipes are often at the point of failing on 1930's and 40's houses by now. Not only have they corroded in the last eighty years, water pressures are now increased. The supply pipes are limescaled, corroded, flakes fall off, gumming things up. Replacement is often expensive - £300 to £1500, allowing for the tarting - up of drives and paths, etc.

megadishu

I think you sound too anxious to buy an older house. Employ a recommended surveyor to do a full structural but with direction on areas on concern.

The solicitor, although not legally obliged, should get the boiler safety certificate and service record plus details of installation date. Find a recommended electrician and ask for an electrical survey. Get a drain inspection. A builder to look and report inside and out. A roofer to give a roofing quote. Look at the windows - new or old - cost up but do you want replacement wood - expensive ... Or low maintenance ...

Wood infestation is on most surveys, but you can relatively cheaply get wood treated and most infestation is historical and not current.

Get a damp service company in.

With all of these you will get the worst case scenario costs plus. The companies have to cover themselves.

A good builder can see relatively easily most of the problems, but no one can foresee what happens with chimneys, under floorboards, full extent of decay ....

Do you really want an older property. There is an element of acceptance, but if you do not have the knowledge or experience, or money you may rat the mercy of others.

bouicca21

Ta - actually these replies have removed quite a lot of anxiety. Ideally I'd probably be going for a more modern low maintenace house but ... the area I want to live in is almost all Edwardian with some Victorian and just a smattering of modern, so I don't have a lot of choice. Despite any signs of anxiety exhibited here I like older houses better than new/newish ones. What I don't want to do is buy a money pit or spend money on surveys only to find out things that I'd have known if only I'd kept my eyes open. Dafty's suggestions at #2 are going to be really useful.

G_M

bouicca21 wrote: »

And thanks to Dafty; I've certainly been looking at roofs (very few original ones, lots have replaced slates with concrete tiles though) and will now add gutters to my list!

Be systematic. Start outside, at the top, and work down:

Roof line;
tiles/slates
attic ventilation/airvents
gutters/downpipes
pointing /brickwork
windows window frames
damp proof course
air bricks
surroundling ground level and make-up
drains
(don't forget underground. Lift those manhole covers....)

Then do the same inside:

attic
windows
walls
floors
etc

then check utilities

etc etc

Compile your own check list. Go to the library and borrow a book on house construction, or DIY repairs, or property purchasing

One or all of the above will show you what you can add to the list....

olibrofiz

My last 2 houses, and my current one, have been/are victorian mid terraced. Just love them love the space, and the quirkiness of some

IMO, unless the house was a wreck and given a complete overhaul by a builder, I would expect that

the wiring & consumer unit would need looking at
the roof may need some attention - get a roofer to have a look
the chimney probably needs repointing
the boiler & radiators are probably old
there's damp somewhere
the plaster has probably had it
the guttering may need replacing
Air bricks - poke something through the holes - mine were 'decorative' only!!!

If it has a bay window, and a cellar, check the bay roof, and check the ground floor floorboards from the cellar to see if there are water marks on them - i thought the marks were condensation as the lounge was carpeted, until it rained, and the water poured through the inside of the bay....

That said you don't need to get everything fixed at once - my current house is an ongoing project been here just over five years

moneyistooshorttomention

Checked that Victorian house checklist with interest. Out of that - I ticked everything on my "Victorian" as fine - except some of the plaster. Some of the plaster has indeed "had it", though it's not something that actually needs sorting except in one room - as long as you can live with woodchip wallpaper.

But roof is fine, electrics are fine, central heating is fine, chimney is fine, boiler and radiators are fine, don't think there's any damp, guttering is upvc and fine, airbricks fine.

Not on that list - the kitchen needs replacing again. Backyard walls will do - but it would be nice to get them sorted out better.

So - certainly some "Victorians" are a good bit better nick than the picture painted.:rotfl: