Condition Rating 3 on Homebuyer's survey - what next?

Benn883

Hello all,

First time buyer and needing advice as per title.

We have had an offer accepted on a 2 bed terraced house built in 1975. The mortgage has been approved and formal offer rec'd. Solicitor is conducting local searches.

Upon viewing the property, things seemed to be in reasonable condition but the Homebuyer's report flagged several items as condition rating '3': "defects that are serious and/or requiring urgent repair, replacement or investigation." Please note that the surveyor's valuation was the same as the agreed purchase price.

E2 Roof coverings:

The roof is pitched and covered with concrete interlocking tiles laid over a lining on a timber frame.
The roof covering requires an overhaul to perished ridge tile benchings. Repairs should be carried out. Evidence of damp staining beneath the roof coverings and torn sections of felt were noted within the roof void. We believe that this may be due to leakage and therefore, we would recommend that further investigations and a closer inspection is carried out of this area.
There is a flat and felt roof covering to the front portion.
Defects were noted including moss growth, cracked and deteriorated sections and it is possible that the roof could leak at any time. Repairs should be carried out to extend the life of the covering.

F1 Roof structure:

Access to the roof void is from the landing.
The roof structure is formed of trussed rafter construction.
There is insufficient bracing to the roof framework which could allow movement of the trusses. Also, the party walls have not been properly restrained and are at risk of movement. Correct bracing and restraint should now be provided by a competent contractor in accordance with current Building Regulations.
The felt lining under the roof coverings is damaged in places. We suspect that this has contributed to the dampness noted within the roof void. The only way to carry out the repairs effectively is for the roof to be stripped and a new lining installed.
The main roof void does not appear to be sufficiently ventilated. Fixed air vents should now be installed to prevent moisture condensing on the timbers. In the long term, it is possible that timber decay could develop if correct ventilation is not installed.
Insufficient insulation is provided within the roof void. You should ensure that insulation is provided here to current standards and does not interfere with ventilation.

F5 Fireplaces, chimney breasts and flues:

A metal flue within the roof void has become disconnected and potentially allowing toxic gases to escape. This should be reconnected/replaced.

G1 Electricity:

Mains electricity is connected, with the meter and consumer unit located in an external services cupboard.
A considerable number of defects and deficiencies were noted to the electrical installation. It is likely that significant repairs will be required, if not complete replacement. You should now arrange for an appropriately qualified specialist contractor, registered with either NICEIC or similar approved body, to carry out a full investigation of the system prior to exchange of contracts to establish the full extent of the upgrading or replacement required.

G4 Heating:

The property has a conventional gas fired central heating system with a boiler which feeds a series of radiators within the various rooms. The heating system is dated and should be regarded as approaching the end of its useful life. Replacement should be anticipated and we recommend you budget for renewal. You should now arrange for a Gas Safe engineer to check and test the system prior to exchange of contracts.

G5 Water heating:

Hot water is provided by the main heating boiler and is stored in a hot water storage cylinder which is fitted with a supplementary electric immersion heater. See our comments in Section G4 above.
There are defects to the hot water system including associated pipework being stained and corroded. You should now arrange for a Gas Safe engineer to check and test the system prior to exchange of contracts.

What we would like to know:
1. How should we proceed with these advisories?
2. If NICEIC electrician and gas safe engineers attend to give quotations, who should pay for these (us or vendor)?
3. If the assessments and quotations reveal urgent work to be done, who should pay for this (us or vendor)?
4. If a negotiation in agreed purchase price is required, at what stage should this be done? (now, or after quotations)?

Your help and advice would be greatly appreciated!

Browntoa

backside covering by surveyor most of it

ACG

I do not necessarily disagree with the above, but I have seen a few Homebuyers/structural reports and there is usually a pattern in what gets raised as a potential problem.

Some of the things you mention I have never seen before or on rare occasions.

A boiler coming to the end of its useful life for instance could mean that it is likely to need repairs at some point, it does not always mean the boiler needs replacing. My grandad was telling me about his neighbours boiler which is getting on for 30 years old and has services it is only recently that the engineer has condemned it.

Electricity, is there an actual problem with it or is it just not up to todays building regs? Not being up to current building regs does not mean it is dangerous or there is an issue.

I would have a chat with the surveyor about his comments.

In terms of who should pay, there is no set answer to this. If the valuation has come back knowing about these issues then it is valued fairly for its condition. I can see that you would not want to pay for these improvements, but as a vendor would I want to pay for work on a property that I am not going to benefit from? Probably not. It is all a negotiation and will be dictated by your budget, you, the vendor, the local market etc. If there are 10 houses on the same street for a similar price then you stand a better chance of negotiation than if it is the only property up for sale.

Benn883

Thanks for the advice.

I spoke with the surveyor and the boiler is that from a visual inspection the unit appears to be quite old and may need repair/replacement in the near future. We realised that when we looked at the property so factored that in when negotiating price.

With regards to the electricity the issue is that the surveyor thinks it's the original electrics. My brother in law is a qualified electrician so will arrange for him take a look at it and advise me on what needs to be done, if anything.