Home Buyer Report - Opinion please...

tennyalad

Hi Everyone,

We are FTB and received our homebuyer report this week. The bank okayed the valuation, so we think if the bank is happy with the condition, we should be happy as well lol.

There are a few things, we would like to clarify hence, this post, can someone please shed light on the exempts below.

Main Walls:
Electric moisture meter readings were taken around the base of the internal walls and evidence of high moisture was gained within the front reception room wall as well as to the internal partition which separates the kitchen and bathroom.

Condensation is a significant problem within the property as evidenced through black spot mould to wall and ceiling surfaces, especially to the front reception room, rear bathroom, and first floor rear bedrooms.

It is unclear whether the dampness detected within the front reception room wall is as a result of a defective damp proof course or, indeed, simply due to condensation. In addition, the damp readings gained within the partition wall separating the kitchen and bathroom could, again, be a plumbing leak as opposed
to a defective damp proof course. As a result it is recommended that you consider having a further inspection by a damp proofing specialist.

The height of the rear patio, flower bed, and debris along the enclosed side wall, mean that the damp proof course is bridged within areas. The bathroom has been tiled internally, thus preventing accurate damp meter readings from being taken although it is thought highly likely that damp proof course has been bridged which
will inevitably cause dampness behind the tiles. As a result, wherever possible, the external ground levels should be lowered and any debris / soil piled up against the walls should be removed.

Question: Any idea/advise on how to proceed with this comment and what is the best way to treat condensation?

Floors:
The front sections of ground floor are of timber suspended type. Airbricks to the front and rear elevation have been provided, some of which appear to have been newly installed. Undertaken heel-toe vibration tests of the floors revealed a slight spring and unevenness. Moisture meter readings carried out through the floor coverings also revealed high moisture levels within the boards beneath. It is, as a result, strongly recommended that you arrange for a sub-floor inspection to be carried out by a builder to determine the condition of the floor joists and whether any additional ventilation is required.
The rear sections of ground floor are of solid concrete construction and these were found to be generally dry, firm and even underfoot.
The upper floors are of timber suspended type and their overall condition was considered to be acceptable.

Question: Do we need a sub-floor inspection, if yes, who would that be, a builder or structural engineer?

Thank you all for your input

staffie1

I would say that the survey you paid for has answered your question:


1. "..it is recommended that you consider having a further inspection by a damp proofing specialist"

2. "..strongly recommended that you arrange for a sub-floor inspection to be carried out by a builder to determine the condition of the floor joists and whether any additional ventilation is required"

Lionel_Thinkbag

What staffie1 said.

The lenders valuation isn't really worth much to you - except in terms of knowing if they agree with the price you've offered. So don't rely on it for anything.

In short it is definitely worth getting the checks suggested by the homebuyers report - that way, if there is a problem you can get an idea of how much it would cost and whether or not to renegotiate your offer, or budget for repair works.

I sympathise with you, because buying a house - especially for a FTB like we are in todays climate, seems like such an uphill struggle, and the costs keep mounting up, but when you know it's the most expensive financial commitment you're likely to make, it makes sense to get things thoroughly checked out.

We had to get an additional damp and timber report on our house, and were given an estimate of around 2k in total to treat woodworm, replace a few joists and some other thing to do with insulation. We looked at our finances and it's do-able though we might have to save up for a month or two. But forewarned is forearmed, and it's always better to know these things.

I imagine a damp and timber specialist would be able to look at both issues for you, so you'd only have to pay for one report.

tennyalad

Thanks for your input. Point noted.

tennyalad

Good idea. We will look to get an independent survey on that. Thank you for your input!

hopetodream

I agree with the independant survey.
But.... a few points on the condesation and mold. Has the property been vacant for a period of time? If so and there is a lack of heating this woud lead to a condensation build up. Moist air travels to the coolest point, usually the wall and windows in unheated houses.
You need to have a look at the ventialtion in the property? Usually condensation issues are brought about by poor heating and in adequate ventilation. I.e are the fans in the bathrooms actually on and used, not switched off but the isolator? People do this often to avoid noise disturbance but dont understand the impact on condensation issues.
Get them to check out your ventilation and heating. So many comapnies make money out of issues that can actually be solved by putting on the heating and ensuring your use the fans installed in wet areas.
But get an independant survey!

Davesnave

hopetodream wrote: »

I agree with the independant survey.

Yes, and pay for it; don't take a 'free' one from a company that specialises in damp and rot treatment, because there would be a conflict of interest and the temptation to find & do more than necessary.

tennyalad

hopetodream wrote: »

I agree with the independant survey.
But.... a few points on the condesation and mold. Has the property been vacant for a period of time? If so and there is a lack of heating this woud lead to a condensation build up. Moist air travels to the coolest point, usually the wall and windows in unheated houses.
You need to have a look at the ventialtion in the property? Usually condensation issues are brought about by poor heating and in adequate ventilation. I.e are the fans in the bathrooms actually on and used, not switched off but the isolator? People do this often to avoid noise disturbance but dont understand the impact on condensation issues.
Get them to check out your ventilation and heating. So many comapnies make money out of issues that can actually be solved by putting on the heating and ensuring your use the fans installed in wet areas.
But get an independant survey!

The property is currently let out, but there are quite a few people living there and It definitely looks like poor heating is one of the reason for the condensation, because the property is currently on prepaid gas and electric heater.

Davesnave wrote: »

Yes, and pay for it; don't take a 'free' one from a company that specialises in damp and rot treatment, because there would be a conflict of interest and the temptation to find & do more than necessary.

We are definitely going for independent quote. Will be calling around on Monday to get a quote. Saw somewhere online that Combined Damp & Timber Survey will cost from £200, hopefully it's cheaper than that.

System

tennyalad wrote: »

The property is currently let out, but there are quite a few people living there and It definitely looks like poor heating is one of the reason for the condensation, because the property is currently on prepaid gas and electric heater.

Ouch; isn't that a rather large drip feed of info? Alarm bells begin to ring.... are you (I'm sure you are - you want it for yourselves) depending on vacant possession? When are the vendor's tenants ('quite a few') leaving, en mass or severally? Have you guarantees of this?

tennyalad

uselessaver wrote: »

tennyalad wrote: »

The property is currently let out, but there are quite a few people living there and It definitely looks like poor heating is one of the reason for the condensation, because the property is currently on prepaid gas and electric heater.

Ouch; isn't that a rather large drip feed of info? Alarm bells begin to ring.... are you (I'm sure you are - you want it for yourselves) depending on vacant possession? When are the vendor's tenants ('quite a few') leaving, en mass or severally? Have you guarantees of this?

Our solicitor said they've been served notice and really that's all they can do at this point in time. The selling agent said he is sure they will move as they have deposit and all that so won't want to mess about because of that.

System

Ah, right; the vendor has a deposit from his tenants, which, of course, they'll want back (I'm sure they'll want the whole original deposit returned!), so in theory they won't 'mess about' (I misunderstood what you meant first time around). By the way, the deposit is more-or-less sacrosanct; the vendor/ landlord must return the (hopefully protected!) deposit, regardless of "messing about", or dispute the amount if there's damage, but that's by the way.


Not wanting to pour on cold water, I nonetheless include posts from a previous buyer of tenanted property for your reference. Don't worry - it's the last thing I'll be posting on this subject and is only included here because I'm concerned you may not have considered all the possible pitfalls:

How long will it take for current tenants to leave property I’m buying?

1. “Court dates can take 6-8 weeks, assuming they issued s.21 (viz notice) correctly and protected the deposit.

If bailiffs are required then a further 6-8 weeks is not uncommon”.


2. “Anything up to 6 months.

Especially if they haven't filled in paperwork correctly before applying to court.
Section 21 needs 2 months.
Then court application.
Wait for court date.
Eviction notice & date given.
Wait for date to pass to see if tenants move voluntarily before or on the date.
Apply for bailiff
Wait for bailiff date.
Or, the vendor and LL could offer to compensate them for their troubles and reward a swifter move.”


Finally:
3. “* Is the tenancy in the Fixed Term? If so, when does it end? Ending the tenancy before then is only possible if the tenants agree.
* Has a S21 Notice been served? If not, that means 2 calendar months before a court date can even be applied for.
* court date can take 2-6 weeks
* Court may give tenants a couple more weeks
* tenants may still not leave- so another 3 - 6 weeks for bailiffs

And any mistakes can put the process back to square one....

Personally, I would never spend money on my purchase (mortgage fee, survey, solicitor etc) till the tenants were actually out.”

Buyer: “OK, thanks.

I guess I should double check how long my mortgage offer is valid for then.”