Home Buyers report - Bay Window Distorted and floor timbers

Flick182

[FONT=&quot]I've had the report back and I've been going over the issues. Most are minor and/or will be fixed with our planned extension.

The parts that are worrying me are: [/FONT]
The walls to the front bay centre section are timber framed and clad externally with tiles. Internally, the external walls have been plastered. The walls contain a bituminous felt damp-proof course supplemented by an injected chemical damp-proof course. [FONT=&quot][/FONT]
The bay window frames have distorted and do not appear to incorporate adequate reinforcements to support the weight of the structure above. [FONT=&quot][/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]

and [/FONT]
There has been extensive leakage from around the sanitary fittings in the bathroom and this has affected the adjacent floor and joinery timbers. The full extent of the decay to the floor is not known as the area could not be inspected due to the floor covering. [FONT=&quot][/FONT]
[FONT=&quot] [/FONT]
...[FONT=&quot][/FONT]
repairs are required to the joint between the floor and the walls to prevent further dampness affecting the skirting boards and wall plaster [FONT=&quot][/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]
The seller wont budge on the price (according to the estate agent), as the survey came back valued at what we offered.

Has anyone had any similar reports?
Has anyone had repairs done, costings?
Was it a big job?

Any information, advice or comments really!

Thank you in advance.[/FONT]

LittleMax

My parents have a 1930's semi with a large gable roof over the front bay windows. When they had the original timber windows replaced with upvc, inadequate supports were put in. The bay started to move (they noticed the movement when cracks started to appear in the inside of the upstairs bay).

After monitoring by stuctural surveyors from the insurance company, the remedy was for entire front of their house to be removed and the bay completely rebuilt and gallow brackets installed to take the weight of the gable roof.

This was all paid for by the insurance guarantee from the window company so I don't know the cost. But it was a week's work for a team of 3 and having seen it happen I would not buy a property that had this issue.

AnotherJoe

If its just a bay window that juts out its probably £2K or £3k to fix. If its structural, then "houston we have a problem"

If the bathroom is upstairs that could be very costly. You could need a whole new bathroom (because once you start ripping stuff out thats bad you'll often affect stuff that isnt, then you have the floor, and may have issues with the ceiling below.

I would want so much off that it sounds as if your buyers wouldnt cooperate anyway, so given this could be a money pit, I'd walk.

Cakeguts

Sometimes you have to take the whole bay window off and prop up the rest of the house while you repair it. The bathroom is a big job. It says that the damp may have affected the joists. If it has you will need to have the joists replaced so you will effectively have to take up the whole floor. This will mean removing the bathroom fittings and the floor. Unless you can afford to spend a lot of spare cash on major building works this is not the house for you.

Flick182

Thank you, So far



I was hoping that most would say that I just need to replace the bay windows and add/or replace the lintels

I knew I would need to put a new bathroom in as the existing one is terrible!

I'm definately going to get a builder to have a look at the windows before proceeding.

Flick182

[FONT=&quot]The house looks like a great buy, considering the market and the area it is in. There is a lot of competition for houses in the area.

It went on OIRO 230k, I offered 240k (according to the agent others offered more but I was in the best position). Another house a few doors down sold for 300k it has a small 2 x 2.5m single extension and wooden summerhouse with electric at the bottom of the garden, the garden is about 2/3 the size of the one I hope to purchase for 240k.

The house at the end, with a 3 x 2m single extension and garden half the size of "mine" sold for £250,000 Dec 2014, currently on the market for 285k[/FONT]


[FONT=&quot]Does this change opinions on whether its worth repairing?[/FONT]

kinger101

I wouldn't proceed without getting a quotation for the works. Any guarantees on windows may not be transferable.

AnotherJoe

I was going to say "unless you were planning to redo the bathroom anyway" so that takes a fair bit of the sting out if you've catered for that already.

So, depends how structural the window is and the big unknown, the joists.

Flick182

[FONT=&quot]I've asked the Conveyancer to find out if there are any guarantees on the Bay windows, they’re pretty slow.[/FONT]