What type of tradesperson do we need?

pokarekareana

We're buying a maisonette, and the current owner had the washing machine moved a couple of years ago. It used to be in the kitchen, but is now under the stairs in the hallway - he had a dishwasher installed in the empty spot in the kitchen.

After four-and-a-half months of poor communication between the two sets of solicitors about a noise dispute with the downstairs neighbours, we eventually got to meet said downstairs neighbours a few days ago to find out what the problem actually is. They explained that, since the washing machine was moved, they've been experiencing lots of noise disturbance in their bedroom. When the washing machine is run, their pictures fall off the walls. They also noted that they were hearing a lot more general noise (footsteps, voices, etc) from upstairs after the machine was moved. They'd spoken to the seller's dad, who apparently told them that in the course of the washing machine being moved, the plumbing had to be rerouted, and some joists had been cut through in order to accommodate this.

Both the seller and the downstairs neighbours have apparently had soundproofing work done, but the downstairs neighbours are still unhappy with the noise. We've said to them that we'll get the joists and floorboards looked at by a professional to see what work needs doing to fix it, and how much it might cost. We've already had a full structural survey done, which turned up no problems, but that didn't include someone pulling up the floorboards to look at the joists.

I'm now a bit stuck on how to go about looking for the right kind of tradesperson to do this investigation - basically, I don't know what to Google! :rotfl: Is it some kind of specialist surveyor, or a builder, or...?

G_M

There are two possibilities:

1) the washing machine vibrates (esp on spin) and this disturbes the bedroom beneath. Ideally move the w/machine back to the kitchen, or place lots of carpet/insulation beneath it.

2) the pipework vibrates as water passes through. Get a plumber in to inspect the pipes, clip them firmly to joists if they are loose and insulate.

You could also post here:

http://www.diynot.com/diy/forums/plumbing/

D_M_E

I'd leave it - if the joists have been cut through or away then it could be a major job to get them repaired/reinstated.

Also, did they have the freeholder's permission for such radical alterations?

G_M

D_M_E wrote: »

I'd leave it - if the joists have been cut through or away then it could be a major job to get them repaired/reinstated.

Also, did they have the freeholder's permission for such radical alterations?

Me - I'd investigate.

Normally a hole would be drilled for the pipe to pass through the joist, or a small section cut to allow the pipe to lie on top. But without looking it's impossible to know. Maybe the entire joist was cut through..... :eek:

pokarekareana

We did think about pulling out, but we do like the property a lot so we've decided to push on and find out some more about what's been done, and how it might be sorted out. Obviously if it is a massive job, or if there are legal issues about how it was done (including if the freeholder gave permission) we'll think about whether we want to proceed. There's also been a mention from the seller's solicitor about him contributing up to £5000 towards any work needed, so that might be helpful.

I'll check out that DIY forum, too - thanks!

xylophone

If you approach a local building firm, the plumber/carpenter combo might be available through its workforce/contacts.

Has the problem actually been demonstrated to you/the vendor ( allowed downstairs when the machine was in operation)?

pokarekareana

xylophone wrote: »

Has the problem actually been demonstrated to you/the vendor ( allowed downstairs when the machine was in operation)?

No, it hasn't. We only had a proper explanation of the issues a few days ago, and the property is currently empty so the washing machine hasn't been used for a while. It is something we might think about asking for, though.

G_M

Ah - sorry - I misunderstood.

I thought you were planning to buy (or had already bought) and wanted to get it fixed.

If this investigation is part of the decision-making process on your sale: forget it! I doubt the seller will permit you to raise floorboards (and lift fitted carpet?). I certainly wouldn't as a seller!

And the issue is not a show-stopper.

If you like the property and are happy with the price, then buy it. Once you own, get a plumber in as part of your settling in process.

pokarekareana

Thanks! We're just a bit concerned - the communication from the seller's solicitor has been so crap that we don't know exactly what work needs doing, as we don't know exactly what happened when the washing machine was moved.

If we knew for certain that it was just a case of loose pipework that needs fixing to stop rattling, that's fine and we'd have no qualms about sorting that once we've bought it. However, some of the Chinese whispers has implied that the joints might have been cut through (as you said earlier) in which case major alarm bells are ringing - we'd want to know before the sale goes through whether that can be fixed, how much it would cost, and to what extent the seller would contribute to that cost (either through the retained cash, or by reducing our purchase price). It sounds expensive and messy!

Anyhow, I've now asked our solicitor to try and get a straight answer out of the seller's solicitor before I try and send either a plumber or a builder round there and start ripping the floors up!

G_M

pokarekareana wrote: »

Thanks! We're just a bit concerned - the communication from the seller's solicitor has been so crap that we don't know exactly what work needs doing, as we don't know exactly what happened when the washing machine was moved.

If we knew for certain that it was just a case of loose pipework that needs fixing to stop rattling, that's fine and we'd have no qualms about sorting that once we've bought it. However, some of the Chinese whispers has implied that the joints might have been cut through (as you said earlier) in which case major alarm bells are ringing - we'd want to know before the sale goes through whether that can be fixed, how much it would cost, and to what extent the seller would contribute to that cost (either through the retained cash, or by reducing our purchase price). It sounds expensive and messy!

Anyhow, I've now asked our solicitor to try and get a straight answer out of the seller's solicitor before I try and send either a plumber or a builder round there and start ripping the floors up!

Tell your solicitor to take no further action till your investigations are complete. That puts him on hold and stops ongoing costs (in case you pull out).

Your solicitor is not the best person to sort this out.

Is an estate agent involved? If yes, tell him you that you've told your solicitor to go on hold as you are not currently satisfied. Get the EA to contact the sellers requesting their permission for a contractor to visit and undertake the investigations you need. Make sure the sellers understand the contractor will need to lift floorboards.

The seller will either agree, in order to keep his sale on track, or he'll refuse as he does not want his property damaged with no guarantee the sale will Complete.

pokarekareana

We've had no problems with our solicitor - it is on the seller's side that the issues have been. There are other issues that our solicitor is talking to them about, so telling our solicitor to hold fire at this stage really wouldn't be helpful. Also, they're on a fixed fee with clear instructions from us not to do anything that would incur additional charges to what we originally agreed, so I don't have any particular concerns in that area.

The estate agents don't seem to be particularly on the ball either, as whenever I speak to them, they seem to be about a week behind the rest of us in terms of knowing what's going on. I'm feeling a bit fed up with all the middlemen! I guess we'll just have to wait and see what they come back with.