Home buyers Survey - All Red?

Jonesj33

Hi,

I'm looking to purchase a property 108k (I went full asking as seemed a good price) & have a mortgage set up. However, the home buyers survey came back today and it's almost universally red (which is bad). But it feels vague, and overly cautious.

As red means urgent care needed I'm obviously concerned as to what I should do. Continue on, bin it off or reduce my offer. Report detailed below and help massively appreciated.

Damp outside.
"The horizontal DPC to the base of the main walls appears to be made of bitumen.Dampness was detected at low level to the main walls and further specialistinvestigation to the whole property is required prior to exchange of contracts. PC'sshould ideally be 150mm above external ground level. In this case, ground levelsare high in some positions and this could lead to bridging, causing dampness tothe interior of the building. External levels should now be reduced as a precaution."

Asbestos in ceiling (textured paint)
"A textured finish has been applied to some ceilings. It is now known that suchfinishes may contain low levels of asbestos. These appear to be in satisfactorycondition at present and should present no health risk if undisturbed"

Internal damp
"Internal walls and partitions are of solid construction. These appear to be ingenerally satisfactory condition with no signs of significant distortion or movement. Dampness was detected at low level to the main walls and further specialistinvestigation to the whole property is required prior to exchange of contracts

All of these now seem like H&S over cautiousness.

Electrical deficiencies
"Mains electricity is connected, with the meter and consumer unit located in theunderstairs cupboard. Deficiencies within the electrical installation were notedduring our inspection and the installation is unlikely to comply with modernregulations. The installation should now be checked by an appropriate specialistregistered with either the NICEIC or similar approved body prior to exchange ofcontracts. Some repair work or upgrading is likely to be necessary"

Gas
"Mains gas supply is connected, with a meter located in an external box. In view ofthe guidance above and as a matter of safety, you should now arrange for theinstallation and all gas appliances to be inspected and tested by a Gas Safeengineer prior to exchange of contracts"

Water stop valve
"Mains water is supplied. The external stop valve could not be located and youshould make enquiries of the local water company to ascertain its location. Wecannot confirm whether the property has a water meter. We were unable to locatean internal stop valve and further enquiries of the seller are recommended. If onedoes not exist you should arrange for one to be fitted"

Gas heating (old.radiators)
"The property has a conventional gas fired central heating system with a boilerwhich feeds a series of radiators in the various rooms. Whilst apparentlyserviceable, you should now arrange for a Gas Safe engineer to check and testthe system prior to exchange of contracts as a matter of safety."


Drainage blocked outside / corrosion
"DrainageThe property has a combination of PVC and cast iron waste pipes. These allappear to be in generally serviceable condition, although there is some corrosion to the older cast iron goods. These will require ongoing maintenance andeventually, renewal with modern PVC sections may prove to be a more economic option. There are some defects including blocked gulley to rear and general repairor maintenance is needed"

These were all the Reds (3s) we should sprt immediatley.
So, thoughts, is this a write off, fine, or worth renegotiating over ?

P.s thanks for reading this and helping I've had the fear of God put into me at this point.

Davesnave

To me, it looks like a typically vague Homebuyer's Report on an older, but basically sound building. Most of the stuff there you'd find on any 20th century house report.

The surveyor isn't qualified to evaluate electrics or gas installations, so bottom-covering phrases are used, and the fact that artex might contain asbestos is something dicoverable in 20 seconds of Googling.

There might be high damp readings, but if the house doesn't look or feel damp, this could be due to a number of things, not a failure of the DPC, which clearly exists. High ground levels are a likely source, but it could also be the lifestyle of the occupants or, conversely, standing empty and unventilated. You don't give us any clues there!

You also omit whether the surveyor said the house was worth the agreed price. Assuming he/she did, there's nothing to suggest renegotiation is appropriate. These 'defects' are all pretty standard.

It's an older house, so things need periodic maintenance and replacement/renewal. If you want to avoid that for some years, you must buy new or totally renovated and pay the premium for doing so. What are local comparables selling for? That's the real question. Rightmove sold prices are your friend.

Doozergirl

It's not a write off at all.

People seem to think that surveys are a definitive report on the state of a house. They aren't, they are a working document making recommendations and signposting you to other professionals. What you choose to do with it is your decision. Houses need ongoing maintenance and expenditure.

The report says that the ground level outside the house is too high against your damp proof course. You should lower the ground level so that it is 150mm below it. They say to have a damp survey, but you'd be better off addressing the problem that they've highlighted and living with it. It probably isn't even a problem right now but you can see over time if it is.

A typical damp survey will diagnose damp and recommend all sorts of invasive treatment inside. What is the point of putting in a new DPC if you've already been told that the problem is that the ground level is too high and compromising it. Reduce the ground level - it's cheaper!

Everything else you should check. I'd expect to see most of it on the survey of a period house but if you're expecting perfect then it all needs further looking into so you know what maintenance is required over time.

Surveyors aren't qualified tomcheck the gas and electric installations, so you will always see that. It doesn't mean you should ignore it, it's telling you they haven't been tested. If you want them tested, get them tested.

Your choice on whether to renegotiate.

Smodlet

Ask the vendor if/when the place was re-wired. If it was before Easter this year, it probably does not conform to current regs because they change like the weather. If it has never been re-wired and the consumer unit looks really old (post a piccie of it if you can) it may need doing.

Ditto the gas appliances. If the vendor can prove they have been serviced and found to be satisfactory within the last year, you are likely to be OK but I would still have certainly the boiler and any gas fires serviced myself for my own peace of mind.

The damp issues have been addressed in Davesnave's and Doozergirls's posts. Men with spades (unless you can find women with spades, before anyone accuses me of sexism) should prove cheaper and probably more effective than expensive DPC treatment unless the ground levels are rectified first.

Asbestos possibly in artex? Yeah, it is in artex. Unless you are going to start drilling through the ceilings (or an electrician is) a couple of coats of paint should be protection enough. There must be millions of properties thus affected in this country.

I would certainly follow Davesnave's suggestion to check out RM sold prices for similar houses in your immediate area. If yours is significantly cheaper than the average, you may now know why. If not, it may mean they are all in the same state as yours or it may mean merely that this is the price for your area.

I know it is a very scary process, buying your first home but hope the information you receive on here or elsewhere will assist you through it. Good luck and I wish you happiness in your new home.