Homebuyers survey back! Help what do we do now?

Coodleme123

Hi all,

We have just had our survey done on a house we are planning to buy, it’s 1930’s so obviously we are not expecting it to be perfect but we just dont know what to do with the results, any advice would be much appreciated!

The report came back with the following Rating 3, which has now put doubts in our head!

he property has one chimney stacks built in brick. This has clay pots. The stack has lead flashings. The stack is shared with the neighbour.
I noted the following Condition Rating 3 items:
The chimney is weathered in a manner that is to be expected bearing in mind the age of the property but some works of repair are required as described below.
The flashing to the stack is pulling away from the masonry. This should be repaired or replaced.
The mortar pointing to the stack is weathered. Some repointing is required to reduce further deterioration and structural problems arising.
The need to provide a safe working platform and other difficulties associated with working at height makes repairs to chimneys relatively expensive.
Some unused flues are open and need capping. Where flues are no longer in use purpose made ventilated chimney pot caps should be fitted to prevent water ingress and nesting birds.
The chimney pot bedding mortar could not be properly seen but is very exposed and may have deteriorated. This should be checked as soon as the opportunity arises.
The owner of the neighbouring property will have rights (and responsibilities) with regard to the stack and you should check with your Legal Adviser before any work is undertaken. I refer you to my comment in Section I.
When carrying out remedial works, any hidden parts should be checked to ensure no additional disrepair has occurred.
3
E2 Roof coverings
The roof is pitched and covered with asbestos slates. There is no secondary lining installed (often called underfelt) to the roof. There is a valley to the intersection between the roof slopes.
I noted the following Condition Rating 3 items:
The roof is covered with slates that may contain asbestos fibres. These are a safety risk. I refer you to my comments in Section J. You should arrange for an appropriately qualified person to inspect and provide a quotation for replacing this roof covering. Due to the nature of this safety risk I have not entered the roof space.
There is moss growing on the roof covering and its roots might cause damage to the roof covering. If loosened by heavy rain, moss can roll into the guttering and cause blockages. It should be carefully removed.
Some of the mortar pointing to the hip tiles is starting to loosen and weathered and some repair is needed.
Without a roof under lining there is an increased risk of wind driven rain penetration and there is no secondary barrier should a tile or slate slip or break. It is not possible to install underfelt without removing the roof covering. As the roof covering is in serviceable condition and there are no signs of water penetration the cost of stripping.

Should we be getting quotes for the above? Should we pull out? Or is this the norm for a property of This age?

Thankyou!

cooltt

Coodleme123 wrote: »

Hi all,



Should we be getting quotes for the above? Should we pull out? Or is this the norm for a property of This age?

Thankyou!

It's absolutely the norm for a property of that age, the surveyor is just covering their butt. However for piece of mind ask a local roofer to go have a look.

SG27

Looks like just general maintenance. Maybe plan to get a roofer in to give a once over once you move in.

For me I would have no concerns if that is the worst of the survey.

ProDave

I would also want a second opinion of they really are asbestos slates, or concrete.

LandyAndy

Translates as 'The roof and chimney are a bit old and could well require some maintenance in the next three or four years, earlier if you feel so inclined'.

Nothing there that would put me off.

Incidentally 30's houses were not usually built with underfelt on the roof. My first house didn't have it and even though you could stand in the attic and see daylight under the tiles I never had any trouble with water getting in.

SmashedAvacado

Coodleme123 wrote: »

Hi all,


E2 Roof coverings
The roof is pitched and covered with asbestos slates. There is no secondary lining installed (often called underfelt) to the roof. There is a valley to the intersection between the roof slopes.
I noted the following Condition Rating 3 items:
The roof is covered with slates that may contain asbestos fibres. These are a safety risk. I refer you to my comments in Section J. You should arrange for an appropriately qualified person to inspect and provide a quotation for replacing this roof covering. Due to the nature of this safety risk I have not entered the roof space.

I don't agree with anyone above saying that these are just general issues. They probably havent read the wording you have posted and i have quoted carefully enough. Your surveyor has said that he did not go into the loft because he was concerned about asbestos.

You need to get the seller to have an asbestos survey done on the property and to identify whether there are loose fibres in the loft. You could end up with an expensive remedying cost if there is a problem. I had a flat i bought at auction once with one pipe in the loft that had asbestos lagging. One survey didnt catch it, but another did. It cost £12000 to remedy. That's one pipe. I would seriously think about getting further comfort as this is not a standard maintenance issue.

The seller should be obliged to get an asbestos survey at their cost and provide you with the outcome.

Davesnave

Coodleme123 wrote: »

As the roof covering is in serviceable condition and there are no signs of water penetration the cost of stripping.......

Quite usual, and he/she doesn't know the composition of the roof tiles or what risk they pose without specialist testing.

You have lost a bit, as quoted above, but just included the important part, which is that the roof is serviceable.

This is the sort of thing to expect if you go for an older house.

As you share a chimney and might want to do some repairs to it in due course, it could be worth talking to the neighbour, not about the chimney, but just to see what they're like. If their house is up-together and they seem pleasant enough, that's about as much as you can hope for!

Davesnave

SmashedAvacado wrote: »

I had a flat i bought at auction once with one pipe in the loft that had asbestos lagging. One survey didnt catch it, but another did. It cost £12000 to remedy. That's one pipe. I would seriously think about getting further comfort as this is not a standard maintenance issue.

The seller should be obliged to get an asbestos survey at their cost and provide you with the outcome.

Pipe lagging and roofing tiles pose very different levels of risk.


No harm in arranging for a test, but as a seller I might not wish to pay for it, considering the number of composition slates still in existence and doing a good job.

Cakeguts

None of this would bother me. We have just had work done to our chimney and that too is shared with a neighbour. We talked to our neighbour and agreed what needed to be done.



Our house was built in 1925 and still has its original roof with no underfelt. The rain does not get in. It will only get in if the tiles are damaged.


So the report is just normal house maintenance issues.

SmashedAvacado

I am paraphrasing but the surveyor is saying "i am too concerned to go into the loft because of concerns relating to asbestos". So when you move in, will you store your suitcases in the loft, or your children's toys, or perhaps have a model railway up there or convert it, but in the meantime in the ignorance of whether there are fibres there that could seriously damage your health. Its completely reasonable to get to the bottom of this, but i would want an expert to consider whether they were in good condition from the inside, their lifespan (noting that removal would be much more expensive than with a conventional roof), and a clean bill of health as regards airborne particles in the loft. The survey costs a couple of hundred quid and really it ought to be the seller providing it.

Rambosmum

Coodleme123 wrote: »

Hi all,

We have just had our survey done on a house we are planning to buy, it’s 1930’s so obviously we are not expecting it to be perfect but we just dont know what to do with the results, any advice would be much appreciated!

The report came back with the following Rating 3, which has now put doubts in our head!

he property has one chimney stacks built in brick. This has clay pots. The stack has lead flashings. The stack is shared with the neighbour.
I noted the following Condition Rating 3 items:
The chimney is weathered in a manner that is to be expected bearing in mind the age of the property but some works of repair are required as described below.
The flashing to the stack is pulling away from the masonry. This should be repaired or replaced.
The mortar pointing to the stack is weathered. Some repointing is required to reduce further deterioration and structural problems arising.
The need to provide a safe working platform and other difficulties associated with working at height makes repairs to chimneys relatively expensive. - recently had a quote for exactly the same work by an experienced chimney sweep who also does minor repairs and rebuild - £250 + materials.
Some unused flues are open and need capping. Where flues are no longer in use purpose made ventilated chimney pot caps should be fitted to prevent water ingress and nesting birds.
The chimney pot bedding mortar could not be properly seen but is very exposed and may have deteriorated. This should be checked as soon as the opportunity arises. - again, can be done at the same times as above.
The owner of the neighbouring property will have rights (and responsibilities) with regard to the stack and you should check with your Legal Adviser before any work is undertaken. I refer you to my comment in Section I. - speak nicely to the neighbour, they may split the cost, they may not, but they need to be informed the work is happening.
When carrying out remedial works, any hidden parts should be checked to ensure no additional disrepair has occurred.
3
E2 Roof coverings
The roof is pitched and covered with asbestos slates. There is no secondary lining installed (often called underfelt) to the roof. There is a valley to the intersection between the roof slopes.
I noted the following Condition Rating 3 items:
The roof is covered with slates that may contain asbestos fibres. These are a safety risk. I refer you to my comments in Section J. You should arrange for an appropriately qualified person to inspect and provide a quotation for replacing this roof covering. Due to the nature of this safety risk I have not entered the roof space. - looks like you may need a new roof. get some quotes. We had ours redone at a cost of £2500 for a small 3 bed semi, but didn't have the issue with asbestos. But if it isn't leaking, personally I wouldn't bother.
There is moss growing on the roof covering and its roots might cause damage to the roof covering. If loosened by heavy rain, moss can roll into the guttering and cause blockages. It should be carefully removed. - It'll get removed when the roof is redone. I wouldn't worry about this.
Some of the mortar pointing to the hip tiles is starting to loosen and weathered and some repair is needed. If it isn't leaking, I wouldn't worry.
Without a roof under lining there is an increased risk of wind driven rain penetration and there is no secondary barrier should a tile or slate slip or break. It is not possible to install underfelt without removing the roof covering. As the roof covering is in serviceable condition and there are no signs of water penetration the cost of stripping. Again, if it isn't leaking I wouldn't worry.

Should we be getting quotes for the above? Should we pull out? Or is this the norm for a property of This age?

Thankyou!

I wouldn't pull out. I wouldn't really worry to be honest.


The chimney is probably fine and can almost certainly wait until next year, if not longer.


Get quotes for a new roof and see if you can negotiate for 50% of the cost off the price of the house, but if you can't I wouldn't pull out.


Sounds reasonable for a house that's 50+ years old.