Buying house with Structural & Damp Problem

ishi

We are FTB & in process of buying a 3bed semi-detached house(built in 1935).
We had full building survey which highlighted two main problems. The exact wording are:
"""
SUBSIDENCE:
There is no indication that the building is suffering from, or has suffered from, subsidence or other fundamental structural defect.

However the right-hand flank wall lacks lateral stability and further outward movement could occur if the wall is not tied back to the remainder of the structure or buttressed by the construction of an extension against the affected wall.

DAMPNESS:

We saw localised indications of damage caused by damp.....
...In view of our observations we would, suggest that a more specialist survey would be useful to establish the extent, nature and cost of remedial works as the dampness is such as to lead to deterioration of decorations and surface finishes.
"""

- Should be buy this house or not? My main concerns are:
- Future sale: Does I get problem when selling the house?
- House insurance: Will it be higher because of above two problems and even if problems are rectified**?

**If buy this house, our plan will be to build extension against flank wall(as suggested in Survey report) & apply Damp proof course.

AdrianC

The house will have been built with a DPC. The cause of the damp is far more likely to be simple lack of maintenance - high ground levels, leaky gutters, failed pointing.

There's no reason why the problem with that wall should cause an insurance hike, since the surveyor is clear that it's not subsidence. It's just a wall that's bulging.

Strebor123

Depends on you really. I'm just about to complete on a house purchase myself and it has rinsed my finances. I wouldn't have enough money to fix anything major, so there's that to consider.

With regards to home insurance, you're supposed to declare that the house is in a good state of repair and it would be lying if you did when you know this information. This will mean many companies won't insure you and those that do are likely to both A. Exclude any damage caused by the known issues from any claims and B. Make the premium a lot higher.

The problem with damp is that sometimes it's a fairly cheap fix (damp proof course) but other times the cause of the damp can be a lot harder to ascertain and you could end up begrudging having to spend a lot of money finding the real source of the problem and then fixing it.

All that said I don't know anything about your financial position, so if you're in a position where you can afford to remedy these problems and the house is a really good fit for you then by all means go ahead. You could always negotiate a price reduction to help cover the cost of the works.

Cakeguts

Do you want to replace the flank wall? You need to do this if the extension is going to be sometime in the future rather than straight away.

Doozergirl

Strebor123 wrote: »

Depends on you really. I'm just about to complete on a house purchase myself and it has rinsed my finances. I wouldn't have enough money to fix anything major, so there's that to consider.

With regards to home insurance, you're supposed to declare that the house is in a good state of repair and it would be lying if you did when you know this information. This will mean many companies won't insure you and those that do are likely to both A. Exclude any damage caused by the known issues from any claims and B. Make the premium a lot higher.

The problem with damp is that sometimes it's a fairly cheap fix (damp proof course) but other times the cause of the damp can be a lot harder to ascertain and you could end up begrudging having to spend a lot of money finding the real source of the problem and then fixing it.

All that said I don't know anything about your financial position, so if you're in a position where you can afford to remedy these problems and the house is a really good fit for you then by all means go ahead. You could always negotiate a price reduction to help cover the cost of the works.

I'm sure this is well meaning, but a damp proof course is the expensive way to deal with 'damp'. Most other remedies, with the exception of a new roof (which I'd expect to be highlight if it were a problem) are much cheaper and less intrusive. Find the source, stop it, let it dry out.

The wall needs a few wall ties which can be done when the extension is built, which will reduce cost and inconvenience.

99% of houses come with some sort of issue attached. If the survey doesn't highlight anything, it's usually just a case that they didn't find one on the day.

ishi

Thanks for your replies.

Regarding wall: yes, wall is bulge out slightly. Reasoning given by Surveyor is:
"The right-hand wall of the house is built of solid 9” brickwork and the staircase runs against
it. The wall is tall, very slender and has little to connect it to the internal walls and floor
structure (the rear wall of the landing is built of studwork and therefore provides no stiffening
or buttressing to the flank wall. It is common in properties of this type for lateral instability to
lead to outward bulging as seen in this building."

The survey result came yesterday & I m planning to consult builder & damp proofing company.
But before taking all these hassle, I would like to check with experience people on this forum- Is it worth to go ahead?

Will these problem come back to me when I will be on seller position? Will I get my money back invested on damp course, wall ties or extension?
The main plus point with house is location. It's 10mins walk from town centre.

ishi

Cakeguts wrote: »

Do you want to replace the flank wall? You need to do this if the extension is going to be sometime in the future rather than straight away.

@Cakeguts: Do you mean we can't build the extension until flank wall is replaced? The wall is bulged out by 20mm

We will need extension sooner or later as there is no toilet or bathroom on first floor...and no space to build in existing layout

AdrianC

ishi wrote: »

We will need extension sooner or later as there is no toilet or bathroom on first floor...and no space to build in existing layout

There are other houses out there, y'know.

It very much depends on what sort of extension you'd be building. If it incorporates that existing wall, then you'll want to sort the problem. Get your architect to have a look. At least it should help your case with your PP application.

Doozergirl

Cakeguts wrote: »

Do you want to replace the flank wall? You need to do this if the extension is going to be sometime in the future rather than straight away.

Oh my. How did I miss this post! What experience is this advice based on?!

It's just wrong. Scaremongering, wrong. It just needs wall ties! The extension is the perfect time to do it.

Doozergirl

ishi wrote: »

@Cakeguts: Do you mean we can't build the extension until flank wall is replaced? The wall is bulged out by 20mm

We will need extension sooner or later as there is no toilet or bathroom on first floor...and no space to build in existing layout

Please take your questions to the "In My Home" board. The experienced builders are there and will give more qualified advice

Cakeguts

Doozergirl wrote: »

Oh my. How did I miss this post! What experience is this advice based on?!

It's just wrong. Scaremongering, wrong. It just needs wall ties! The extension is the perfect time to do it.

It is a solid wall not a cavity it isn't tied onto the frame of the house which is why it is bulging. The back wall is also not helping because it is not strong enough. This isn't a case of a few wall ties.