Homebuyers Survey - are these as bad as they sound?

Jmberry64

Hi all,
I have just received a homebuyers survey for a property I'm intending on buying, I don't have much knowledge or experience so at first glance the report seems pretty daunting however advice I've been given so far has been a lot of the points they raise might not necessarily be so bad, that being said I don't know which ones are bad and which ones not so bad so was hoping I could get some advice here.

This is a summary of the report; (risks 1-3: 3 being the worst)
J1 Risks to the building
E1: Chimney Stacks - damp within stack/s (3)
E3: Rainwater Pipes & Gutters - defective/leaking gutters & downpipe/s (2)
E4: Main Walls - damp present & facings in disrepair (3)
E8: Other Joinery & Finishes - presence of wet rot (2)
F1: Roof Structure - inadequate ventilation (2)
F3: Walls & Partitions - damp present (3)
F4: Floors - damp present (3)
G1: Electricity - no current test certificate (3)
G2: Gas/Oil - no current test certificate (3)
G4: Heating - no current test certificate - boiler (3)
G5: Water Heating - no current test certificate - boiler (3)
G6: Drainage - blocked (3)
H3: General - close proximity of tree/s

J2 Risks to the grounds
None

J3 Risks to people
E5: Windows - possible unsafe glazing (2)
E6: Outside Doors - possible unsafe glazing (2)
F8: Bathroom Fittings - possible unsafe glazing (2)
F9: Other - missing fire/smoke alarms & missing carbon monoxide alarms
G1: Electricity - no current test certificate (3)
G2: Gas/Oil - no current test certificate (3)
G4: Heating - no current test certificate - boiler (3)
G5: Water Heating - no current test certificate - boiler (3)

jamie_128

Sounds pretty bad in my opinion yes, areas of damp and poor ventilation not great.

Jmberry64

Hi, thanks for the response, it's worth noting that the heating wasn't on at the time of the survey, am I right in assuming this could contribute to the high damp readings, when I inspected there were no signs of mould (obviously the issue can be internally)

sillyhilly

Looking at what you have there, it doesn't look like there would be any difference with the heating being on. They haven't measured humidity. They have specifically said there's damp and wet rot present.

It looks like the roof / guttering has been neglected, which has led to the damp/rot issues.

need_an_answer

TBH...my gut view would be sort out the gutters,facias and downpipes and that will help the damp situation.

At present the gutters are leaking no doubt down walls where a higher level of damp is being reported.

Let everything dry out and the chances are the damp will subside.

The certifications can be easily overcome if you wish by getting in your own electrician and gas safe person to service/report as you see fit.

The decision is always yours of what to do,but its not a report that should scare you out of the purchase...you do have a bit of remedial work that needs doing but it shouldn't prove a dealbreaker

G_M

What kindof buyer are you? This is a property that willneed some tlc. You'll need to do some DIY or get in someone to fix things.


It's all doable provided your willing to get it done and have funds set aside for this.


Does the price reflect the conditionof the property?


are you someone who wants to move in, splash a bit of new paint on some walls, and then get on with life without worrying further about your property?

princeofpounds

Yeah it's not great.


The test certificate issues are not necessarily bad, despite being recorded as 3. Surveyors are not electricians or plumbers, so they don't actually look at these things in detail. Everything could be in perfect order, but you don't know that yet.


You may be able to get the surveyor to give you an informal verbal opinion on such issues (depending on the service you have paid for) but given how poorly-maintained the rest of the house is, I think you should be digging a bit deeper here by bringing in a plumber/electrician for a look anyway.


The drainage being blocked is somewhat ominous in that context, and it was good that it was looked at. You will need to find out what that means in practice, as we cannot tell from here.



The damp issues appear really widespread, although we don't have a clear idea of severity, and you also have rot. Damp isn't uncommon, but this gives the impression that the house has been chronically affected. Broken gutters, a bit of damp on a north wall, that's not necessarily a big deal. But when it gets to floors and internal walls, and joinery (window frames perhaps) rotting, that's potentially quite a bit to tackle and it tells you there is more to this than just a broken gutter.


As an average buyer, I wouldn't be keen to take this on. It's more of a renovation job, although how far you would have to go is hard to diagnose.

hazyjo

I'd be more worried about the drainage being blocked and would need further info. Do they mean the kitchen sink needs a cleaner down it as the water's taking a while to go down, or is it the drains outside where water is high and there may be a collapsed drain or blockage?

Jmberry64

Hi all, thanks for response, we are looking to put work in to the property. I guess the word damp always strikes fear, I have a calls scheduled with the surveyor to go in a bit more details but it looks like the bulk of the damp is ground floor. We love the look of the house and can see it has potential, I just don't think we could afford something that needs to be gutted and re-done. I guess the next step would be to get a damp professional over to inspect

G_M

Jmberry64 wrote: »

I guess the next step would be to get a damp professional over to inspect

Please pay for this.


Do not get a salesman [STRIKE]surveyor[/STRIKE] from a damp proofing company to give you a 'free suvey'. His job will be to convince you you need.... either a new dpc or chemical injection, or whatever the company specialises in providing!