FTB - Homebuyers Report Worries

Leigh507

Hi all, My name is Leigh and this is my first post on MSE

We are currently in the process of buying our first home. A 2 up 3 down Victorian mid terrace. We have just had the homebuyers report back and a few things are worrying us, I was hoping people could provide some insight into the report and hopefully ease our worries.

1) - This was a 3 on the report
Roof coverings The roof is covered with natural slates.
Some neighbouring properties have been re-covered which is indicative that this property may well need attention in the near future.
The coverings are in need of some repairs. Several slates have slipped out of place and are broken and need refixing or replacing.
Some slates are held in place with tingles (metal retaining straps) which is indicative that the original fixing nails are reaching the end of their useful life. As further corrosion takes place, slate coverings will continue to slip and require refixing with such straps.
Whilst expensive and comprehensive re-covering may not yet be justified, ongoing maintenance costs will be higher than normal.
Roof lining
The roof has been lined with felt to act as a secondary barrier to rain. The roof lining where visible, is in satisfactory condition. It would be prudent prior to exchange of contracts to determine the cost of recovering the roof. You should instruct a reputable and experienced contractor to inspect and quote for the work before exchange of contracts.


2) - This was a 2 on the report.
Chimney stacks The property has one chimney stack which is built in brick masonry.
The stack is shared with a neighbour.The stack is in fair structural order but some repairs are needed. It is weathered and in need of localised repointing to prevent further decay and disrepair. A number of bricks have also spalled (eroded) and these should be replaced. One pot is cracked and should be replaced. When this work is done, all pots, mortar beddings (flaunchings) and flashings/fillets (weatherproofing details) should be checked for any disrepair. Chimney flashings/fillets (weatherproofing details)
Where visible, these are in acceptable condition with no significant defects.

3) - was a 3 on the report.
Safety warning: The Electrical Safety Council recommends that you should get a registered electrician to check the property
and its electrical fittings at least every ten years, or on change of occupancy. All electrical installation work undertaken after
1 January 2005 should have appropriate certification. For more advice contact the Electrical Safety Council. The meter and consumer unit can be found within the hall. 3 Where visible, the installation has been wired in plastic covered cable. When considering the lack of a test within the last 10 years you should have the system checked and tested thoroughly before occupation and use.

4) Heating Central heating is provided by the gas fired boiler which is located in the kitchen. It is an old unit and will therefore require more frequent repair than a modern one. There may also be difficulty in obtaining spares. If it is to be replaced, then in order
to comply with modern regulations, a condensing type boiler will need to be fitted.
The system was not operating at the time of inspection and we therefore cannot comment on its effectiveness.
Several radiators are rusting and should be repaired or replaced. The plastic feed tank in the roof space, which serves the central heating boiler like the main storage tank, is covered by insulation and could not be clearly seen. We are not aware of any service agreement for the central heating system and your legal adviser should check the service records with the present owner. We refer you to our advice in Section I. If no servicing has been carried out within the last 12 months then this should be undertaken prior to occupation and use.

We have a quote of around 7K to get the roof redone. He said going up there and repairing single slates would cause more damage than good. Where do we stand with the vendor about that>

THe report also gives a 3 to all woodwork that is not visible, the pluming and the Gas but they are fairly generic we believe.

Any help or advice on the above items would be massively appreciated.

Leigh

cattie

As this is an older property rather than a fairly new/modern one then the comments in the survey are pretty common.

Although often a surveyor will comment on a roof, you have to remember he hasn't actually examined it, he has just stood in the street or the garden & looked up at it. What he has mentioned doesn't mean the roof needs replacing or in dire need of expensive repairs. However, it will be prudent to get a recommended roofer to look at it & give you an estimate for any repairs required. It will also be useful to try to renegotiate the price of the house to try to offset any repairs that the roof might need.

To be honest, I'm shocked by the roof quote you've been given! Where is the property located (ie, London). I'd be wanting to get a couple more quotes before deciding who I wanted to work on my roof.

Again, the comments on the chimney stack is pretty common & if any work is required, it will be minimal cost & should be able to be done by the roofer if you are having repairs done to the roof.

The electrics comment again is very common & doesn't mean a thing. All the surveyor is doing is covering his back. Because he isn't qualified to comment on the condition of the electrics, gas etc. standard warnings are issued to any person having a survey done. The main thing to watch with the electrics is if it has an up to date consumer unit or one of the old type. If old, then get it replace asap & get an electrician's opinion of the electrics whilst you're at it.

Again the comment on the boiler is pretty standard, but see if you can get some money off towards having a new boiler & ch installed.

The last property I bought had an ancient boiler, but it worked fine as had been serviced each year. However, whenever I buy a property, I always have a new boiler installed if not a whole new ch system for my own peace of mind.

True it can be more difficult to get parts for very old boilers, but if it's working fine & been regularly serviced it should hopefully last you until you are ready to update the whole system.

Usually when renegotiating on an agreed purchase price, it is quite common to agree to a 50/50 split on the cost of required works between vendor & buyer. It's great if you can get the whole cost knocked off, but if not you should at least try for a 50% contribution.

For an older property I don't think it's too bad as far as surveys go. Hope this helps & you can get a decent sum of money knocked off.