Buyers and Chimney Options

NordicNoir

We currently have our house on the market but need to do something about our chimney stack. It is in very bad repair, causing damp on the chimney breast around the fireplace. We have some quotes and naturally would prefer to spend as little as possible to fix the problem. We seem to have two options:

1. Repair chimney stack, allowing existing living flame gas fire to stay. Cost approx £4k.
2. Remove the chimney stack to just under the roof tiles and remove gas fire. There would be no need to do any work to fireplace as it is just a ‘basket’ type fire. New buyer could then rebuild chimney stack if they wanted one. Cost about £2.5k just to take it down and tile over gap.

Would you, as a buyer, be put off not having a chimney stack? The house is about 110 years old but does not really have any original features.

buggy_boy

Why would it cost to much to remove the chimney stack to below the roofline. Should be a couple of days work, £1000 at the absolute max..

Most people don't use fireplaces and getting rid can actually make a room more usable. Ive done it to two properties, not an issue. Obviously though it depends on the property but im sure it will be fine.

martinthebandit

110 year old house without a working chimney? That would cause me to look elsewhere or factor in the cost of rebuilding the chimney into any offer I might make.

jimbog

You have a third option:

3. Admit to potential buyers what the problem is and negotiate accordingly

Slithery

MichelleUK wrote: »

We currently have our house on the market but need to do something about our chimney stack. It is in very bad repair, causing damp on the chimney breast around the fireplace...

You're doing things in the wrong order. You need to either fix the issues before marketing or price accordingly taking the issues into account. We're aways advising people on here to not accept work from their potential vendors as a condition of the sale process.

Doozergirl

I think £4k is a lot to sort the chimney too. How high is it? Scaffolding can be a major cost but £4k is steep. It doesn't take long to even rebuild a chimney from scratch.

A working chimney is a real bonus, especially if you've lost the other original features. People will want to put them back in many cases.

NordicNoir

Doozergirl wrote: »

I think £4k is a lot to sort the chimney too. How high is it? Scaffolding can be a major cost but £4k is steep. It doesn't take long to even rebuild a chimney from scratch.

It is quite high, I am guessing over 6ft. It is right at the end of a hip and starts just as the roof starts ending higher than the ridge.

They have quoted scaffolding as £800 plus VAT and I am in Buckinghamshire.

NordicNoir

Thanks everyone.... I shall have a further ponder!