no access to flank wall - risk?

sarah759365

we are in the process of buying a house and the survey has raised the risk of not having access to our flank wall.


It's an end of terrace which is built very close to a detached property next door. The surveyor has suggested that this is a big risk as if repairs were needed to the wall, there is no way to access it. If it had damp, it could only be addressed internally and if it needed repointing, this would be impossible as this can't be done from inside.
My question is how much of a risk is this? We've seen many properties like this in London, especially from the victorian period which this is. Should we be walking away?

bigfreddiel

If you feel uncomfortable about this lack of access walk!

moneyistooshorttomention

What about the "Access to Neighbouring Properties Act"?

Could you invoke this if need be?

sarah759365

moneyistooshorttomention wrote: »

What about the "Access to Neighbouring Properties Act"?

Could you invoke this if need be?

No, as it's their wall that is right next to ours

stator

I'm sure if there was a serious problem someone could come up with a solution! It might be expensive though.

Do you have a mortgage involved?

camptownraces

If these are two brick walls, a bricklayer must have been able to get between the two walls, somehow, when the second one were built.

If work was neeeded you'd have to find a tradesman who was physically suited to the job.

If not stated in his written report, call your surveyor to ask whether lime mortar or cement mortar was used for pointing the wall, and the observable condition of the wall.

Ithaca

camptownraces wrote: »

If these are two brick walls, a bricklayer must have been able to get between the two walls, somehow, when the second one were built.

The flank wall could have been built from the inside.

Take URL="http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2269694/Find-gap-The-detached-home-Northenden-Manchester-thats-just-14ft-wide-squeezed-semis--inches-spare.html"]this as an example[/URL... if any repointing work were needed on the neighbouring homes it would not be an easy job, and I doubt there's a builder alive who could squeeze down there and get work done.

Davesnave

A Victorian property without access to a flank wall is something I'd not be buying, but why listen to me, when your surveyor's saying it's a significant risk?

All houses come with problems, or have aspects of their position or construction which represent degrees of compromise, but only you can decide your tolerance to these.

It's a known unknown. If there are no current issues, someone might live in the house for 20 years without problems. Alternatively, they might not. Something that would otherwise be straightforward could, potentially, become expensive and/or affect value.

So, in the words of Clint Eastwood, "Do you feel lucky....?" Also, do you feel it's well- priced and are there likely to be alternatives you could afford without this issue?

moneyistooshorttomention

Ithaca wrote: »

The flank wall could have been built from the inside.

Take URL="http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2269694/Find-gap-The-detached-home-Northenden-Manchester-thats-just-14ft-wide-squeezed-semis--inches-spare.html"]this as an example[/URL... if any repointing work were needed on the neighbouring homes it would not be an easy job, and I doubt there's a builder alive who could squeeze down there and get work done.

Whew! I see what you mean now....

Basically - a "worst of all possible worlds" scenario - for everyone concerned.