Homebuyes report back - queries

OLS

Well we put an offer in on a 1900 mid terraced property which was accepted. It was on the market at £125k (others on the street are on at £130k, this was 125k as needs central heating added, new floors i.e carpets etc throughout and ceneral cosmetic improvement), we offered £122k and the offer was accepted. (we are in west yorkshire).

We opted to get the Homebuyers survey with it being an older property and thought it worth the extra £200 from the standard valuation the B/S do and I have just opened the report. There are various things in the report, some of which I am presuming are precautionary recommendations, some of which I am worried about, in relations to cost for repair. Below are the basics summary of the report - could anyone advise on any of them, i.e cost to fix / repair, if it is really as major problem as it sounds to me reading it etc

1) Timber defects : instruct a timber specalist to inspect all timber for and damage or infestation (they said on their inspection found nothing but due to walls plastered etc couldnt inspect fully - so is this something they say to cover themselves just incase)

2) Dampness- investigate wall for dampness. (said unlikley to contain damp proof course and they recorded high meter readings in front living room wall and basement and more detailed investigation neccessary - how much is a damp proof course, house is small is 2 up 2 down terraced with cellar and converted attic)

3) Get electrics and gas inspected by certified engineers

4) Heating / all storage tanks to be instpected by specilist and serviced (I take it as were getting GCH fitted straight away and these will all be removed its not needed)

5) ventalite the sealed fireplaces and improve insulation of the roof void and attic

6) undertake repairs to chimney stack, ventalite, cap redundant flues & check chimney pots

7) repoint / repair the maisonry

8) remove former rear entrance door and wall up in stone

9) carry out external redecoration (take it this means gardens?)

10) Carry out repairs / improvement to internal joinery (says the doors and frames are old in the report which we knew and were replacing anyway)

11) carry out repairsto plumming and sanitry fittings (were already getting a new bathroom suit)

these are the basic point in the summary the first 3 say need doing straight away the rest say soon after occupation. Also says as older property could be lead in any paint which is dangerous to healt (will this matter as were stripping everything anyway?) but also could be aspestos somewhere and just to becarefull if doing any alterations so how do I find out about aspestos??

Due to the above my plan is to ring the seller (dealing direct no E.A)and see if he is happy to me get someone in to quote on damp proof course, someone to quote on fixing chimney, sorting the fireplace ventalation and also bricking up the back door. Do any of these problem seem like problems that we could negoiate the price on?? (if he will even budge on the price, he was messed about with the previous person who offered and after 6 weeks told him to do one, we progressing quickly enough, so Im hoping he will see time as money and re negoiatea little!).

silvercar

Your buying an older property so have to accept that some things won't be up to today's standards.

I always think it is reasonable to negotiate on things that you couldn't be expected to expect (bad english!) from your initial inspections / property awareness.

Most of the items you've quoted are either things you could guess at or would have been aware of before the survey eg bricking up a door.

The most concerning point is the damp readings, particularly if there is a basement - you could end up having to tank it. These damp sppecialists are little more than salesmen so expect them to say that work is essential and pricey, but this is something important to investigate and cost.

Lead and asbestos are dangerous and you will need to take special precautions when removing them. External redecoration is the outside of the house.

Running_Horse

You can always try, but aren't these faults already reflected in a lower asking price? With such an old house in such a bad condition, it might have been prudent to invest a little extra in a full survey.

Doozergirl

This one is even better than the one posted the other day!

A damp proof course, talking with tongue in cheek, always seems to cost £1500 regardless of the property. Of course, you need to get someone out to quote. If the cellar is a bog standard grubby cellar then of course you don't need to tank it. The damp proof course sits below the ground floor boards, it doesn't matter if what is underneath is damp. The ground is damp! If there is no evidence of damp other than high readings, I don't really see the point of doing it. I'd live with it for a bit (without decorating or plastering anything) to see.

It's a period property. Are you going to reinstate the fireplace? Problem solved on ventilation front. Otherwise, all you need to do is get a special drill attachment, drill through the chimney breast and put a vent grill over it. Costs pennies.

Loft insulation saves you money!

The chimney thing will take no time at all. The pointing will have to be looked at and considered. It's probably in patches rather then the entire house.

Asbestos, well, he's covering his backside. You need to be careful if you are doing structural work, removing walls etc.

OLS

Doozergirl wrote: »

This one is even better than the one posted the other day!

What does this mean DG??

Doozergirl wrote: »

A damp proof course, talking with tongue in cheek, always seems to cost £1500 regardless of the property. Of course, you need to get someone out to quote. If the cellar is a bog standard grubby cellar then of course you don't need to tank it. The damp proof course sits below the ground floor boards, it doesn't matter if what is underneath is damp. The ground is damp! If there is no evidence of damp other than high readings, I don't really see the point of doing it. I'd live with it for a bit (without decorating or plastering anything) to see.

the rear cella room is tanked, the other is not. the one that is not is the one under the living room, which is where its states the readings were high. Its is what you say though, just readings, no actual evidence of damp, the exact wording is

''we recorded high damp meter readings in the front living room wall and rear basement which have been caused by the absence of an effective damp-proof course and a more detailed investigation is necessary'

Doozergirl wrote: »

It's a period property. Are you going to reinstate the fireplace? Problem solved on ventilation front. Otherwise, all you need to do is get a special drill attachment, drill through the chimney breast and put a vent grill over it. Costs pennies.

Yes we are having a fire place put back in in the living room, the one in the kitchen will remain covered, so my dad said same as you about drilling and venting it, then the one in the bedroom do the same as the kitchen.

Doozergirl wrote: »

Loft insulation saves you money!

Take it you mean on central heating? Wonder how much it costs to do

Doozergirl wrote: »

The chimney thing will take no time at all. The pointing will have to be looked at and considered. It's probably in patches rather then the entire house.

From what Ive read, in the main report the only repointed he refers to Is the actual chimney not anywhere else in the property so this shouldnt be to bad cost wise I would hope!

Doozergirl wrote: »

Asbestos, well, he's covering his backside. You need to be careful if you are doing structural work, removing walls etc.

Yeah were not doing anything like that, just replace floors, bathroom suite, internal doors, one fire place to open up, then stip to paint / paper all the rooms.

As for it being dangerous removing lead paint can it not just be blasted off like normal paint then, so long as we keep our faces covered?

Also regarding your post silvercar, yes I agree the price was based on the property as we saw it but we could not see the chimney so didnt know problems there, did not see any signs of damp and didnt know the door would need bricking up as figured some point in the future we may have opened it back up and put steps down to the rear garden instead of having to get to it via the basement (as you do now) so the 3 points I would use to try a negoiate a few thou cheaper if at all possible are the 3 things I would not have known.

Doozergirl

Someone posted their survey results the other day. I think yours reads better than theirs.

The back door doesn't need bricking up then! You are allowed doors! If the door is not used, then you will be letting valuable heat out so it makes sense for the surveyor to suggest you brick it up. If you want to use the door, use the door!!

These are all totally normal issues in an old house. The only way you wouldn't get these things would if you bought a new house. So, you could go next door to one on at £130,000 and you will more than likely find exactly the same sorts of issues. That is the nature of old houses and the things people have done or not done over the years.

With the exception of a DPC which may or may not be required, it's just the chimney then which won't cost more than a couple of hundred pounds

benood

Have you thought about giving the surveyor a call they're much more forthcoming on the phone I find.

Other than that it really sounds like he was scratching around to find things to write about and I'd be inclined to go ahead without much further haggling with the vendor - but the market is weak they'll be eager to sell so you could suggest a further £2k reduction and see what happens.

OLS

Doozergirl wrote: »

Someone posted their survey results the other day. I think yours reads better than theirs.

Oh ok, he he well good news for me then , not so much them though!!

Doozergirl wrote: »

The back door doesn't need bricking up then! You are allowed doors! If the door is not used, then you will be letting valuable heat out so it makes sense for the surveyor to suggest you brick it up. If you want to use the door, use the door!!

What it is with the back door is, it was never supposed to be there, its been put in after, none of the other properties ave it, so if you go round the back it just looks like a door susspended in the middle of the house which looks really funny, but on the inside, it must have been covered over with perhaps plaster board or something as its all coverd up and kitchen units all around the area so from the inside you wouldnt even know it was there. I didnt actually think it ''needed'' bricking up, but with them putting that it should be done I got a little worried!

Doozergirl wrote: »

These are all totally normal issues in an old house. The only way you wouldn't get these things would if you bought a new house. So, you could go next door to one on at £130,000 and you will more than likely find exactly the same sorts of issues. That is the nature of old houses and the things people have done or not done over the years.

Yes I agree and will have to say this to me OH. He is a jumpy person and will panik and no doubt suggest pulling out till I explain to him there will always be issues in the survey no matter what property we offer on! My dad says you sound very sensible and how come I didnt listen to him when he just told me that but I listen to a stranger on a forum :rotfl:

Doozergirl wrote: »

With the exception of a DPC which may or may not be required, it's just the chimney then which won't cost more than a couple of hundred pounds

Oh thats ok for the chimney then I was imaging more than that, perhaps in the £1000 area - I know nothing of these things as you can see. Is it just a normal bricky I would get in to fix / quote for that then? re the DPC, Im really confused as to wether to get this done now. Like the report says there is no actual damp, just readings, but then we want to decorate and get everything done before we move in (we have a young baby) so we cant really ''wait and see''. perhaps we should remove all paper etc first and see if anything is there and take if from there, as accord to one of the other posts there like DG sales men and will tell me I need it anyway!

Oh of interest DG, do you know how much it would cost to tank the 2nd cella room approx (I have no idea on cost so just looking for a rough guide!) its about 12ft x 12ft.

Thanks for your advise benhood, im scared to haggle tbh, I dont want to sound rude, or like Im trying to mess him about as I know he has been messed about before!

jonewer

OK, what does "tanking" a cellar mean?

OLS

jonewer wrote: »

OK, what does "tanking" a cellar mean?

well im no expert as you can see from ^^ but I thought it meant basically ''doing it up'' so leveling the brickwork, insulating, putting board up (plaster board or something) then plastering, also doing something similar to the floor and something with the beamed ceiling. I only knew it was called tanked or tanking as when we viewed the owner said ''as you can see this cella room has already been tanked but that one hasn't''so I picked up the phrase!

jonewer

OLS wrote: »

well im no expert as you can see from ^^ but I thought it meant basically ''doing it up'' so leveling the brickwork, insulating, putting board up (plaster board or something) then plastering, also doing something similar to the floor and something with the beamed ceiling. I only knew it was called tanked or tanking as when we viewed the owner said ''as you can see this cella room has already been tanked but that one hasn't''so I picked up the phrase!

Tanks OLS,