* Full structural survey results are in* Advice please

Jonbvn

nobblyned wrote: »

The surveyor advised to check for the presence of asbestos, not that there was asbestos present. They always say this whenever there is artexing on the ceilings.

A very small amount of old artexing contains asbestos. A vast majority doesn't.

Overall looks like a pretty normal full survey for an older property.

That's why I said depending on the extent of the asbestos.

That aside, I still hate flat roofs, which IMHO is more than a "usual" problem

Taadaa

I'm no expert, (I just work with some lol) but I have picked up that flat roofs that haven't been constructed properly + rain = pain in the proverbial

CharleneUK

The surveyor was very very helpful and explained a few things in more detail.

He said although the floor was springy, there was no other evidence e.g. a dip in the floor or floorboards gaps etc to suggest it wasn't properly supported. We just need confirmation. He also said we defo need to get the damp inspected and that in his opinion there are four things that need addressing now.

He also included the rendering because some of it has crumbled off and needs doing now now now.

He said I could contact him if I need anymore help. Called the EA's yesterday who asked for a copy of the summary, so I've posted that off. Now it lies with them and the vendor. Lots of builders have got back to me stating they cannot provide quotes unless I'm the actual owner!?!

ono_no_komachi

CharleneUK wrote: »

The surveyor was very very helpful and explained a few things in more detail.

He said although the floor was springy, there was no other evidence e.g. a dip in the floor or floorboards gaps etc to suggest it wasn't properly supported. We just need confirmation. He also said we defo need to get the damp inspected and that in his opinion there are four things that need addressing now.

He also included the rendering because some of it has crumbled off and needs doing now now now.

When we bought our current house (about 100 years old) we had some comparable things on our report to what you had on yours. They seemed to think there was a chance the floorboards were dodgy but couldn't inspect because there were carpets down. We later had a timber inspection which inspected all the accessible structural timbers and as there were no visible problems with these we took a chance that the rest would be OK too.

The thing which scared us was a suggestion that the walls were early examples of cavity walls with cast iron ties which would be stretching and/or corroding. We had a specialist inspection for this and it turned out that new wall ties were needed. It was about £6K worth of work but we wanted the house enough to be prepared to do it.

Your surveyor sounds like a good guy who has given you a good idea of the things that really really need doing. There are always issues with older properties and you need to weigh up the character etc. that you are getting with the fact that more repairs and maintenance will be needed, not just after you move in, but down the years as well. Yes that flat roof could be problematic, but if you are prepared to do necessary repairs and are resigned that it might take quite a bit of maintenance - well, forewarned is forearmed, as they say!

CharleneUK wrote: »

He said I could contact him if I need anymore help. Called the EA's yesterday who asked for a copy of the summary, so I've posted that off. Now it lies with them and the vendor. Lots of builders have got back to me stating they cannot provide quotes unless I'm the actual owner!?!

If local builders are reluctant to quote, your surveyor, being a helpful kind of chap, might know of some larger firms who will inspect for you. These types of firms often charge for the inspection but then discount work they take on for you afterwards by the amount you have paid for the inspection. The overall cost tends to be towards the top end too, but they generally have a reputation to maintain, so you should get a decent job out of them.

CharleneUK

Thank you ono no komachi for your post and experiences!! They've been really helpful! I think I may ask surveyor if he can recommend someone. Doesn't hurt to ask!

Did you have your property valued? The surveyor said, because I didn't specifically request it, it wasn't included. I stupidly assumed it was standard!

ono_no_komachi

CharleneUK wrote: »

Did you have your property valued? The surveyor said, because I didn't specifically request it, it wasn't included. I stupidly assumed it was standard!

That seems really odd! On our recent survey, we didn't go with the default surveyor suggested by the lender because they couldn't do the survey for number of weeks, and we wanted to reduce any delays as much as possible. The lender then provided us with a list of surveyors roughly in our area that they would approve of, and we chose one who could do it at about a week and a half's notice.

We had a bit of a shock when the quotation arrived at £995 + VAT because we had already paid £500 for the valuation, and were worried that the charge for the survey was on top of the valuation. But when we spoke to the surveyor, he said no, the valuation was included in the quote so we only needed to pay the difference.

Was your survey part of your mortgage arrangements or did you have it done completely separately? I would have thought if any part of it was provided to the lender, they would have had to do some kind of valuation.

Maybe you could be a bit disingenuous and suggest that since they have done the detailed survey, would it not be too much trouble to provide you with a written valuation at a small additional cost? Having done all that work, they must have a pretty good idea what the property is worth!

CharleneUK

ono_no_komachi wrote: »

That seems really odd! On our recent survey, we didn't go with the default surveyor suggested by the lender because they couldn't do the survey for number of weeks, and we wanted to reduce any delays as much as possible. The lender then provided us with a list of surveyors roughly in our area that they would approve of, and we chose one who could do it at about a week and a half's notice.

We had a bit of a shock when the quotation arrived at £995 + VAT because we had already paid £500 for the valuation, and were worried that the charge for the survey was on top of the valuation. But when we spoke to the surveyor, he said no, the valuation was included in the quote so we only needed to pay the difference.

Was your survey part of your mortgage arrangements or did you have it done completely separately? I would have thought if any part of it was provided to the lender, they would have had to do some kind of valuation.

Maybe you could be a bit disingenuous and suggest that since they have done the detailed survey, would it not be too much trouble to provide you with a written valuation at a small additional cost? Having done all that work, they must have a pretty good idea what the property is worth!

That's the thing!! Abbey's mortgage valuation had an actual valuation on it, but even they suggested Abbey retain £1,500 for works to be carried out, and valued it for £212,500 but £214,000 if the works are done.

I just thought it was naturally a part of the survey! Will give him a ring or an email to ask if he can provide it for an additional fee.

We decided not to take out the survey through Abbey, as they only have 3 on the panel, and they may not all carry out the full building survey which may leave you with only one, plus, our valuation was free with the product.

Maybe the valuation Abbey's surveyors provided is enough?

marybishop

Charlene - Im intrigued to know who carried out the full structural survey for you and why they are saying you need to seek advice from a Chartered Building Surveyor or Structural Engineer - what on earth were your surveyor's qualifications? Or am I missing something?

CharleneUK

Hi Mary, thanks for your post.

The guy who carried out the survey is the director of the company (not sure if I'm allowed to name here?)

I was told that it's basic to say these things so that they are covering themselves? Maybe not? Can you tell me your thoughts?? Is it not standard to say that on things they can't investigate further on?

nick22abdn

Hi,

Wouldn't be overly concerned about the flat roof. Just having one replace at the moment (20ft x 12ft ish) and its only costing just over a thousand for a fully insulated 5 layer one - £800 without insulation.

To get a decent and realistic idea of costs your best chanel is probably through a quantity surveyor. This is what they do all day long and will be able to accurately estimate what the repairs are likely to be. Might cost you a small amount but should save you money in the long run. Good luck