am i really being that difficult?

cookie_monster_2

I will copy and past what it says about the cavity walls - could be quite boring mind.


The cavity walls on the off shoot are formed in two leaves which are usually held


together with metal wall ties. The metal ties used in properties built before the


early 1980s were prone to corrosion which, if significant, could lead to structural


movement. Whilst the condition of these ties cannot be properly ascertained


without opening up the structure, when considering the properties construction,


age and exposure, and the horizontal cracks on the two storey off shoot a more


detailed inspection is recommended. We also refer you to our comments in


Section J. Further investigations are required and these should be concluded


before exchange of contracts.


Localised repair is needed where masonry has weathered excessively on the


gable. The render on the gable and parts of the rear of the property is badly


weathered and has cracked and needs localised repair. This work will stop any


further deterioration and decay. This work will also reduce the risk of rain


penetrating the masonry causing damp internally. This is not considered to be


either serious or urgent and can be dealt with soon after taking ownership.


The render on the rear of the property has been taken down to ground level which


will encourage damp to enter the property. The render should be cut back at least


150mm above the damp-proof course and finished with a proper bell-cast detail to


throw water clear on the wall.

Gordon_Hose

I don't see anything wrong with either of those. The bit about metal ties is in there purely because he cannot physically see them, there is nothing to suggest they are corroded.... which is backed up with lots of 'mights' and 'coulds'. He's purely covering his behind.

Sorting out the render is straightforward.

Jason74

cookie_monster_2 wrote: »

No, we definitely want to buy - I'm sick of moving all of the time due to renting. We want to buy and maybe start having babies in five years or so.


I'm not a big commitment person - never have been. The biggest financial commitment I have ever made is a mobile contract. It's daunting.

And in the nicest posible way, therin lies the problem.
Buying a house is a huge commitment, and one that most of us make only a few times in our life. It is scary, especially first time around. But the truth is, in the context of what can go wrong with houses, a £2,000 bill is not that big a deal. The surveyor hasn’t down valued it, based (in my opinion, with the huge caveat that I haven’t read the report and am not an expert) probably on the fact that the job being described is within the realms of natural things that go wrong with houses. For perspective, one of my closest friends is a chartered surveyor, and he says it’s possible to go through a brand new house and find things that need doing if you look hard enough.

Of course, if you want to make a lower offer based on the survey, you can (and I’d ignore the EA on that point, they work for the vendor, not you). But if I was the vendor, I would want to see the survey before entertaining it, and based on what you’ve said here, I would say no to one. I suspect you have to decide whether the house is for you based on what you now know, and go from there. But, I’d be very surprised if any house you look at didn’t come up with something that will cost a couple of £k to put right at survey stage. . . . . . . . . . . for what it’s worth (and the only person who can decide what’s right for you is you), this sounds like a classic case of (understandable) first time buyer panic.

cookie_monster_2

we've had an inspection done which declares that work needs to be doing and there is a clear evidence of wall tie corrosion, this is what is resulting in the £2,000 worth of work. we've got another company going in because we're hoping they can say it's not urgent whereas the first one has said it is.

cookie_monster_2

Jason, you're totally right. I'm naturally a worrier and I have made many mistakes in the past and don't want this to be a mistake too so I am really going through everything so carefully and diligently.


Does everyone get first time nerves?


My partner isn't, he's totally yeah yeah let's just do it man!

Gordon_Hose

Do you have £2000 to do the work?

If not save up £2000 and get the work done when you have the money.

You can, of course, lower you offer. However, your own survey values it at the price you offered, and to negotiate the price down you're going to have to show the vendor/EA your survey. Any seller in their right mind would refuse any lower offer, especially if the buyers survey backs the price up!

Your choices are to get the work done yourself, or walk away

cookie_monster_2

No, all of our money is going towards stamp duty etc, plus furniture for new place as we've always been in rented furnished.


We will save - we won't be walking away.


We might still lower our offer though as we paid full asking price and that was subject to survey.

Jason74

cookie_monster_2 wrote: »

Jason, you're totally right. I'm naturally a worrier and I have made many mistakes in the past and don't want this to be a mistake too so I am really going through everything so carefully and diligently.


Does everyone get first time nerves?


My partner isn't, he's totally yeah yeah let's just do it man!

And going through it carefully and diligently is exactly the right thing to do. we occassionally get threads on here where people come a cropper precisely because they don't do that.But it's also important to go through it proportionatly . In this isntance, it sounds from what you've said that a £2k job solves the biggest problem with the house (if this isn't the case, then that's something else entirely). In the context of buying a house, that's not really a biggie, and something that you'll probably get one way or another on any house you buy.

And yes, first time nerves are the most natural thing in the world. But you need to try and keep a cool head and make the decision that's right for used based on the facts, not on panic.

AdrianC

cookie_monster_2 wrote: »

we've had an inspection done which declares that work needs to be doing and there is a clear evidence of wall tie corrosion

OK, fine - but that isn't what the bit you pasted says. The bit you pasted is standard backside-covering which says "Well, there _might_ be, but I have no way of knowing."

As far as the render goes... A happy hour or two up a ladder with a tube of exterior-quality filler and a pallet knife. If you find anything loose, then pull it out and patch the render up in those areas. If it's badly blown (loose), then you might need to get a plasterer in. Then, once that's done, re-paint it all. That's it. £25 in materials and a pleasant Saturday morning of DIY.

If you're not prepared to get stuck in to learning and doing that kind of DIY, then you're going to find home ownership VERY expensive...

cookie_monster_2 wrote: »

We might still lower our offer though as we paid full asking price and that was subject to survey.

So far, the survey hasn't given you any reasonable grounds to do so. And you know it - which is why you're so reluctant to give the vendor a copy...

ampersand

I do hope you'll be very mse and use local auctions, ebay, local-ish vintage/antique fairs for your furniture and other add-ons/cosmetic touches. Much more fun this way and will add to the story of your home/nestbuilding.

Bit confused by this: 'as we paid full asking price and that was subject to survey.'
Does this mean you said[to who? - vendor or agent?] you would pay f.a.p. ONLY if survey was clear?

Well done for working and saving to achieve that firm mortgage offer. Good advice with little real conflict on here, so another well done for posting.

Enjoy this exciting stage of your new Life and job.
#
-and the DIY learning curve will, as Adrian implies, become a great part of that new life you're building. Take plenty of pics as you go. The children will want to see and hear one day:-)