Negotiation tips - vendor refusing to pay for surveyor's essential repairs

ypapandr

anselld wrote: »

Difficult to see how they can have caused 10k of damage to those items. Surveyors can be overly pessimistic. What are the actual problems?

The valuation is 5 k less, the repairs are 5,500. The brickwork, pointing and flashings for the chimney are in poor order (2,500). The mono pitched on the back is in poor order and some tiles need to be replaced (300), airbricks need to be installed for the ground floor (no ventilation - 500). This together are about 3 grand. On top, there is a glass partition which is not compliant and will need to be either replaced or sprinklers will need to be installed. He assessed the cost for this at 2,000.

G_M

Given the problems with the property, and the seller's intransigence,and the probable involvement of cowboy builders, why on earth have you not already walked away?

Alan2020

The vendor is in a very strong position. If it was so bad why are you still waiting for a discount? You would have walked away. Sadly as a buyer myself in London it’s very hard to get a good house and you can literally sell a pile of rubble at full market value as the land cost is much much larger than the house cost.

Typical houses like these can be built in the £100k mark to a very high standard, so it’s a hard call. I think you need to look around and if it ticks your boxes pay what you feel is worth or walk away!!

Cakeguts

anselld wrote: »

Difficult to see how they can have caused 10k of damage to those items. Surveyors can be overly pessimistic. What are the actual problems?

It isn't just that. The house has been "interior designed" by someone probably with a view to making money on it but without any knowledge of building regulations or fire regulations so to make it fire safe and structurally safe it needs a lot of work done to it. But the vendor is deluded into thinking that the "interior design" makes the house worth more money not what it actually is worth which is less.



The whole house could turn into a building site because of the bodges that you can see and the fact that there may be many that you can't see.



I personally wouldn't buy it because I can see that it could quite easily turn into a money pit.

anselld

Cakeguts wrote: »

It isn't just that. The house has been "interior designed" by someone probably with a view to making money on it but without any knowledge of building regulations or fire regulations so to make it fire safe and structurally safe it needs a lot of work done to it. But the vendor is deluded into thinking that the "interior design" makes the house worth more money not what it actually is worth which is less.

The whole house could turn into a building site because of the bodges that you can see and the fact that there may be many that you can't see.

I personally wouldn't buy it because I can see that it could quite easily turn into a money pit.

OK, I see now from the RM link on the other thread. The pointing, flashing and tiling issues are trivial compared to the work to make the loft room habitable. A triumph of style over substance.

Cakeguts

anselld wrote: »

OK, I see now from the RM link on the other thread. The pointing, flashing and tiling issues are trivial compared to the work to make the loft room habitable. A triumph of style over substance.

There is also a problem with the glass panels and fire regs and as I understand it the stairs to the first floor as well as the non loft room and the chimneys etc. Once you get started on that house it could go on for ever but the vendor thinks they have improved it.

FreeBear

Three bed semi not that far away for just £585,000 - https://www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-81253019.html


I know London prices are silly, but £600,000 for a two bed terrace....:eek:

anselld

Cakeguts wrote: »

There is also a problem with the glass panels and fire regs and as I understand it the stairs to the first floor as well.

Yes indeed. That is what I meant by make loft habitable. There would need to be a fire protected escape route so all the glass would need to go. There is no way the loft conversion could have been signed off by Building Control as it stands.

AdrianC

So the vendor is being unreasonable and intransigent in refusing to budge over only £3k...

Takes two to tango, doesn't it?

ypapandr

FreeBear wrote: »

Three bed semi not that far away for just £585,000 - https://www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-81253019.html


I know London prices are silly, but £600,000 for a two bed terrace....:eek:

thanks a lot, though further from the "outstanding" school and from the other "good school" for what's worth and also further from the station. I guess she knows that. Agreed re taking the glass out, my main worry though is whether the builder she used did put some steel support when he knocked that wall down. I would think so at it would be reckless to do otherwise.