HomeBuyer Survey Recommends Sub-floor Timber Survey

Ben1989

Hi all,

Just had our HomeBuyers survey back from a house we're close to buying. It is a 3-bed semi with a suspended timber floor on the ground floor. It struck up concern with a rating 3 (most severe) on the floor.

The survey says this:
"Floors to the hall, lounge and dining room are of suspend timber with air space
below. The floors are unduly springy and the lack of adequate sub-floor ventilation
means that there could have been some decay particularly to the joist ends. It is
recommended that you obtain a sub-floor inspection by a timber specialist. See
Section J1.

Suspended timber ground floors should be adequately ventilated to reduce the risk
of rot occurring to the floor timbers. Air bricks should be kept clear of obstructions
and periodically cleaned as part of normal maintenance.
The floor to the kitchen is of solid construction. This appears to be firm with no
evidence of settlement.

The upper floors are timber and board. There was evidence of creaking and slight
spring/deflection to the floors but this was not considered to be significant and can
be typical of this type of flooring."

What do people think? It's our first house so we're very naive to everything. Steer clear? Could also be something small? Just get an inspection done?

Would appreciate any advice.

Cheers, Ben

need_an_answer

Have you actually discussed your concerns with the surveyor,picked up the phone and asked them for some more insight into what you should do?

That's what they are there for...to highlight issues and help you make a decision how to proceed going forward.

How much will the survey cost?Is it invasive to the coverings that are presently on the floor,in which case the vendor may be reluctant to allow you to lift the coverings.

You can easily discuss ballpark figures with those that have seen the areas concerned and then make a decision based on those discussions whether to continue with the purchase,renegotiate or walk away.

Ultimately the decision is yours and whilst you may consider yourselves not knowledgable,you are by the sheer nature of what you are doing with buying a property about to enter a very steep learning curve.

hazyjo

When they can't test something themselves (like electrics,
gas, etc), they are likely to give a 3. So when something like this crops up, they will recommend you get someone else to look at it as they can't look under the floorboards. Basic backside-covering.


However, saying that, there could be a bigger problem, hence the recommendation.


In your shoes, I'd prob get it checked out. In my shoes, I may ignore it (or may re-visit to judge it for myself).


As above, ring the surveyor.

SmashedAvacado

what you should do should also depend on the condition of the property generally. Is it being sold as a shiny newly refurbished property - or something in need of renovation. If the latter then you'll be able to deal with issues as you go along. If sold as a mover inner with no work needed then perhaps look into getting a more detailed view on what can be done / the likelihood of there actually being an issue, and what that issue might actually mean for your property

G_M

Few vendors will be happy about an inspection that involves liftimg timbers of the floor. And/or pulling up fitted carpets or laminate flooring.So that's your first hurdle.No point instructing a survey if the surveyor can't look beneath the floor.


Inadequate ventilation is easy/cheap to resolve once you are in. The issueis whether inadequate ventilation over a prolonged period of years has caused damp and damaged the hidden joists. To be honest it's rare - but not unknown.


If you can't inspect, you can't really re-negotiate price, so the best thing to do is mentally put £2K aside just in case you need to restore some timber, and then investigate after you buy. If all is well, there's your holiday money!

Ben1989

Thanks everyone.

It is a probate sale (so it is vacant) and I believe it's the (ex)owner's son dealing with it. The house is in need of modernising throughout so I can't imagine the owner would be too fussed about lifting some carpets.

I can deal with inadequate ventilation in the short term however i need to be sure that the floor joists are okay as that can be pricey from what I've read!

Silly question but do you go through your solicitors or the estate agents for things like this?

need_an_answer

But if its a renovation project then you should expect potential work and as GM says sorting this out should be part of that budget.

With regards to who you go through its probably something that you do via the agent.

As I said earlier your best person to speak to initially would be the surveyor,he's got first hand knowledge of this not the people who write the things you have read online!

G_M

Estate agent to gain access for your contractors.

Don't instruct a free [STRIKE]survey [/STRIKE]sales visit from a damp proofing company; they will always find and recommend work they can do. Pay an independant specialist.

Ben1989

Yes I will speak to the surveyor just having network issues with my phone currently!

My wife and I have about £14k to renovate the place after all legal fees, deposit etc. With the floor being new to us, and assuming worst case scenario of dry rot on all the floor, then this would completely consume this money and would make us stop buying the house.

With it being a specialist job I'm at a loss on where to go to inquire for contractors.

FreeBear

G_M wrote: »

Inadequate ventilation is easy/cheap to resolve once you are in.

Can be cheap. However, if an extension has been built with a solid concrete floor that has blocked off some of the original vents, it starts to get expensive. If the surveyor has noted excessive bounce in the ground floor, then it certainly needs further investigation.

Ben1989

Rear ventilation has been blocked with a conservatory