Crack outside house. Should I place offer?

EddyBaloch

Cakeguts wrote: »

There is a wall missing in the kitchen of that house and in the living room. The living dining room goes all the way across the back of the house. The dining room leads to that bit on the back with the plastic roof. The kitchen is also open plan so what is supporting the chimney and the wall above the open plan kitchen ceiling?

From outside if you look at the picture ( or street view) all the houses in that line look the same. Also, if you look at this one only 2 houses further


you will see that it has exact same layout for living room. It doesn't appear to have been modifid.

jimbog

EddyBaloch wrote: »

Any suggestions where I can find a structural engineer who can go with me for a second viewing so he/she can visually assess the damage? I am struggling on the internet and also after fellow members have opened my eyes about trustatrader, I am not sure who to trust!

Why waste money for a survey - this house is pants. Wait for the right one to come along

G_M

EddyBaloch wrote: »

I just googled and this site trustatrader . com came up and I spoke to the one who had the best reviews. Have i approached it all wrong? Please suggest me. This house buying is very stressful.

If you mean https://www.trustatrader.com/, then that's a commercial site.

The 2 sites I linked above are not. Which? is an independant not-for-profit charitable organisation (part of the Consumer Association), and TS is part of government.

Doozergirl

EddyBaloch wrote: »

I am surprised to see the power of internet . You guys even tracked the house.

Any suggestions where I can find a structural engineer who can go with me for a second viewing so he/she can visually assess the damage? I am struggling on the internet and also after fellow members have opened my eyes about trustatrader, I am not sure who to trust!

http://www.findanengineer.com

It's also a site that engineers will pay to use, but structural engineers are all qualified and carry professional indemnity insurance.

You can ask them to come and look without producing a full report for you.

I personally think that a full building survey and a chat with the surveyor will reveal what the issue might be, but a quick squizz with an SE beforehand might put your mind at rest on this particular issue before you spend megabucks on a big survey. Forma quick look around, the SE probably won't charge more than that builder you found. Not that a builder isn't entitled to charge for his time either!

It is a bit of strange direction for subsidence. It could be a lack of wall ties causing a bit of a bulge. First thoughts go to a simple rendering problem but it is a bit wide and does go across the airbrick which should cause a break in the line.

(You should not leave bricks exposed after removing render. The most likely result is that they will look utterly dreadful and the removal removes more than just the face of the bricks anyway. Even if they don't look that awful, the bricks will not be unscathed and the frost proof face will be affected. You'll find bricks spall at a later date).

Gorecki

No judgement (everyone starts somewhere), but from the way you've been talking I'd recommend you do not buy this house, simply as you don't know enough about the procedure.

Buying a house for the first time is a MASSIVE undertaking, with many more complex things to know than how a surveyor works.

It feels like you're rushing into this as you're desperate to buy and have found a house you love, but there will ALWAYS be another house and you'll kick yourself if you buy one with problems you have to live with for the next few years.

Go through with the survey if you wish, but if it were me I'd pass on this one and try to do a lot of research over the next month or two re. the process of buying houses, including talking to friends who've already done it.

Out of interest however, this house looks suspicious to me.
If you look at the streetview over the last few years, the crack appears to be getting progressively worse, coinciding with a large tree growing right by the foundations.

This tree (and the neighbours), has been recently removed and at minimum I'd be asking the seller why the tree was removed and has it affected the foundations.

August 2008


May 2012


May 2014


October 2014


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Doozergirl

I hate typing a long reply and losing it.

Gorecki, the OP is perfectly sensible. Most people don't know a lot about house buying, even after they've done it. The OP has spotted what they think is a problem and are asking questions. Calling a builder isn't the most ridiculous idea.

Based on one post, I could also say that you don't know a lot about buildings and shouldn't be offering categorical and patronising advice to people on the cause of a crack in rendering.

The crack is clear on the 2008 photo. The tree is insignificant at that point and still isn't particularly large by the time it is cut down. Conifers have shallow root systems.

Structural cracks point to the source of the problem. The crack does not point to the tree at all. If there were something unsupported, then it looks to be something at highish level inside the extension. Perhaps a doorway, but again, it is a strange and wide angle for acute downward pressure.

I would not suspect subsidence from that photo. All houses move, render is particularly unforgiving. It needs at looking at because some sort of remedial work is required, even if it is just rendering. It could be more, hence it is absolutely worth looking at and the OP is following the right course.

david1951

Gorecki wrote: »

If you look at the streetview over the last few years, the crack appears to be getting progressively worse, coinciding with a large tree growing right by the foundations.

Thanks for providing the timeline of photos (I didn't know you could do that).

However, I disagree that the crack has been getting progressively worse. Seems to me that it is the same in each of the photos, but the wall is getting more dirty. I don't think the photos really give any clue as to the reason for the crack.

It could simply be the render dried too quickly when the air brick was installed. It could be something far more serious. The only way of knowing is for a professional to inspect the house on-site.

Gorecki

I'm surprised at this reaction, I think I've expressed myself poorly...

Gorecki, the OP is perfectly sensible. Most people don't know a lot about house buying, even after they've done it. The OP has spotted what they think is a problem and are asking questions. Calling a builder isn't the most ridiculous idea

Based on one post, I could also say that you don't know a lot about buildings and shouldn't be offering categorical and patronising advice to people on the cause of a crack in rendering.

I haven't tried to be patronising, and I've never said she/he isn't sensible?
I think this is one of those situations where typing things often doesn't convey the intention.

The poster sounds exactly like I was in my first purchase, his/her posts have been quite frantic and with limited knowledge on buying a house.
There's nothing wrong with this, hence my starting with

No judgement (everyone starts somewhere),

, I'm just trying to suggest if they don't know much about buying a house, consider not succumbing to the pressure the London market puts on you and take a step back, there's always another house.

I also didn't think I was providing any categorical advice other than suggesting (to a new buyer), if they did go ahead to check with the sellers why a 2 story tree directly beside the exterior wall has been removed and has it affected anything, surely that's sensible?

Doozergirl

Fair enough, Gorecki, perhaps I read differently but I thought recommending not buying a house because the person doesn't know enough was patronising. I still think it is You learn from experience, not chatting to people. I know plenty of people that have bought houses and I wouldn't take advice from them. You pay specialists to help you and advise. That is what they are there for.

Any house could have structural issues that are revealed during survey. Just because there is a crack on this house render, it doesn't make it a problem that means walking away. All houses need maintenance, very few are perfect.

You suggesred they didn't even bother with survey, left the house and spoke to friends.

The best thing to do is what the OP is doing.

stator

A builder won't have professional indemnity insurance.
If a surveyor tells you a crack is nothing to worry about and then the house falls down you can sue the surveyor / claim off his insurance.
If a builder tells you !!!!!!!! and your house falls down you have no claim against him.