Renegotiate price after survey?

Daniellac

I'm a first time buyer buying a property in Brighton which is in good decorative order and when viewing it there were no visible problems. I've just had the survey back which states;

The property is in acceptable condition for lending purposes.
Pitched roof requires repair or replacement
Aspects of the electrical installation give cause for concern and you should obtain specialist advice.
Parts of the property are thought to contain asbestos material.
The outbuilding should be overhauled and repaired.

I'm not naive and was expecting some issues back, but my question is do you think these are significant and is it worth renegotiating the price?

davidmcn

No, they all sound perfectly normal things.

marksoton

Daniellac wrote: »

Pitched roof requires repair or replacement

Well which is it? It can't be both....

Daniellac

That's exactly as the survey states 'repair or replacment'

AnotherJoe

marksoton wrote: »

Well which is it? It can't be both....

Who says its both? Thats why the word "or" is there Most likely this means its borderline if its worth repairing or better to replace and that could be a question of opinion not fact I'd say its not "normal" and could be an expensive job.

I'd find out what the aspects of the electrical work are and also get a quote for that work.

marksoton

AnotherJoe wrote: »

Who says its both? Thats why the word "or" is there Most likely this means its borderline if its worth repairing or better to replace and that could be a question of opinion not fact I'd say its not "normal" and could be an expensive job.

I'd find out what the aspects of the electrical work are and also get a quote for that work.

Agreed, but it's annoying in a report. Either explain the extent of the work or don't.

I feel sorry for FTB and how they have to inteprete these reports.

Daniellac

Thanks for all your replies

keith969

Daniellac wrote: »

Pitched roof requires repair or replacement

First flat I bought had the usual lender's survey which said the roof was 'in need of constant maintenance or replacement'. It was welsh slate probably 100 years old.

That was thirty years ago, I happened to drive past it recently and noticed the roof was still the same...

EdwardS033

Many things can be missed on the first and even second viewing. The property being in generally good order often puts people off their guard.

Go to the street the property is in and have a look at the neighbouring properties roofs. If they have been replaced there is a good chance yours will need to be sooner rather than later assuming the houses were all built at the same time. If they have been ask a roofing company to have a look and quote for the job.

Ask a local electrician to quote for an electrical safety check and a quote for any remedial works. It may just be there is an old fuse board that is not up to modern standards or it may be a full rewire. Best let an expert check.

Most older properties may contain asbestos, if not disturbed should be fine but be very careful when drilling holes or doing any refurbishment works. There are companies that can do an asbestos check if you wish to get one.

If the outbuilding needs a little work is it DIY style or if not get a local builder to quote.

Best to arm yourself with the facts rather than get stung for a big bill in the future. The price negotiations will depend on how much the quotes are and how much the seller needs to sell and if there has been much other interest or if the property was competitively priced.