Buying house that needs lots of work

bigjoe

I'm looking to buy a re-possessed house that needs lots of work. Basically survey shows woodworm, damp, problems with windows and roof.

I don't know where to start. As it isn't my house, can I get builders, etc., to quote? And will they even bother knowing I don't own it? Like people say get three quotes for every job - that's a lot of quotes especially if three potential buyers are looking at same house and need quotes!

Vendor is selling "as seen" so onus is on buyer to be satisfied.

Also, when it comes to a big job like this, who do you get to oversee allthe jobs / make sure they are done in the right order?

Sorry for all the questions.

dimbo61

If you are not experienced in building work then you need to find a builder you can trust.
Someone who can do the whole job and bring in trades as and when needed.
Have you got deep pockets ? What does it need doing ?
I have over the last 3 years nearly rebuilt a house having spent £30,000 within 12 weeks of buying it and more than that on recent large extension.
Same builder did both jobs to tight time scales but he knew what he was doing and got the right people in to draw up the plans and guide me through the planning application and APPEAL!
So we used the right tradesmen/women plus professionals to work out what steels were needed+ draw up plans etc
Roof first if it is leaking

bigjoe

Thanks for the response.

Sounds like you owned the house before commencing work, but how did you know how much it would cost to do the work prior to purchase? That's where I m at the moment.

dimbo61

I got the keys on tuesday evening and the builders moved in on wednesday.
Planning but it helps if you have a brother who is a chartered building surveyor and the builder being available to start straight away.
You really need the help of an experienced builder who can walk you round the property and tell you what needs doing first and how much this will cost.
We had a window firm measure up before we got the keys and had ordered steels to support the walls and ceilings after we removed some of the walls.
Costs ??? £3500 for central heating, £4000 for complete new rewire, whole of downstairs walls stripped of old plaster and new damp proof course. £5000 on new double glazing with all new windows and doors.
The list and costs went on and on but we were happy with the standard of work and end result.
Good Luck

more_money_for_me

You don't actually need a detailed quote at this stage (I guess you know this, not trying to teach you suck eggs). You just need a list of big jobs that need doing, and a figure within a grand or so of what it will cost. You can then add them up to know your basic costs. Obviously the finish you choose will determine final cost, but this is separate to essential work. As has been suggested you probably need a slightly larger builder who can manage all your trades. If you don't have a personal recommendation, just look for someone local with a range of trade accreditations ( not a guarantee that they are a good builder but offers some reassurance). You only want a quote at this stage so you don't need to be too picky, and can follow up references and get more quotes to compare after purchase. If they seem loathe to quote on a property you don't own a crisp £20 that they can declare for tax purposes should suffice.

somethingcorporate

All properties are bought on a buyer-beware basis. This is the purpose of your solicitor to check out the legals, the survey to (as a minimum) satisfy the bank etc etc.

It's fine to get builders in prior to exchange of contracts. We have sold ours recently and they have had electrician, roofer, builder all come round to provide quotes. When we bought this place 2 years ago we did the same and used the quotes to negotiate some more money off.