Homebuyer survey results (structural movement, new roof) should we pull out? FTB

WDW2010

Hi 
This is my first post and I was hoping for some help and advice. My fiancee and I are FTB and we put in an offer for a property just over a month ago we got the property for 8k under the asking price although we did have to go to the very top of our budget to get the house. Everything has been going smoothly theres no chain on either side so proceeding relatively quickly however, last week we got the results of our homebuyers survey which has caused us concern. The property is a victorian 2 bed semi detached house with a cellar the survey gave all of the property ones apart from the gas and electrics etc which got 3's this is because we haven't received the certificates to confirm they were tested last year plus building reg cert for new consumer unit. Our solicitor has asked for these and the surveyor confirmed once we had them they would become ones and not an issue. It is the sections that got 2's that is concerning us mainly the following (quoted from survey report);
Chimney stacks and roof covering
"The condition of the chimney stacks is generally fair, in keeping with the age and overall condition of the property, but the there is a large gap between the stepped flashing and the soakers on the front stack. Repairs are required to avoid the water damage to the brickwork and roof timbers. Condition rating 2. We had a restricted view of the rear stack and so this should also be checked by a roofer."

"The property's duo-pitched main roof has slate coverings laid directly on timber battens, to which ridge tiles and roof tiles were generally level and secure. The condition of the roof covering is generally fair, but we noticed some slipped/ cracked tiles on the rear roof slope and missing mortar from under the ridge tiles and at the verge. Condition rating 2. Repairs are required soon. There was some slight sagging of the roof covering at the front, but this was not excessive."

Main walls
"There are signs of historic structural movement which include leaning walls, sloping floors, and cracks over the window and door openings. There are also a few very slight cracks (BRE category 1, <2mm) in areas that have been filled, which indicate seasonal or differential movement across the structure in these areas of weakness. We do not believe that the movement is currently a cause for concern, but slight cracks may occur from general seasonal ground movement. The cracking should be monitored and if there is a significant worsening then further advice should be sought. Condition rating 2. The cracking should be filled and repointed."
Roof structure (this got a 1 but I am still concerned)
"We saw slight bowing of the front roof purlin, but no cracks or splits were seen. On the whole, the roof structure appeared to be performing adequately, with no major defects or repair items noted at the time of inspection. Some of the timber battens were showing signs of dampness/ deterioration which can affect the nail fixings of the slates making them unsecure. General maintenance is currently required, as noted in section E2, however, the roof covering is near the end of its lifespan and will need replacing in the future"

I spoke to the surveyor who said we should budget for replacing the whole roof in the medium term (3-5 years) but it would be preferable to do it now as it is likely repairs will be ongoing he also said the current cracked tiles should be replaced and the roof should be slate - I also spoke to our solicitor who recommended revising our offer.  I got in touch with the Estate Agent and expressed our concerns and said we wanted the vendor to undertake the repairs for the works highlighted. After various negotiation the vendor agreed to repair the chimneys, do the repointing and knock £2k off the price, I came back to the Estate Agent and said we are happy for him to do the repairs as long as they were done professionally but as a new slate roof would be very costly and we need to replace the cracked tiles we wanted more off the asking price. He has refused to go any lower and will not fix the roof as he doesnt think it needs replacing.. My question(s) is are we right to be worried about the survey results? It is hard to sift through all the information and pinpoint what is a concern. We are very conflicted about whether to go ahead with the purchase or pull out as we do not want to end up with a money pit of a house. We cannot afford a new roof now and although we could save over the next few years we will still need to repair the cracked tiles. We are very nervous about it all being first time buyers and would really appreciate some advice. Apologies for the long post
Thanks!

pramsay13

If you are looking for an old house you will get this kind of report and should expect ongoing maintenance.
There is nothing there that would overly concern me although you could explore further for peace of mind, e.g. structural survey, quotes from roofing companies etc.

SootySweep1

Hi
There are always pros & cons to buying an older house ! It is inevitable that an older house will need some maintenance to it unless it's already been done but you'll then pay for it in the asking price.
One of the mistakes we made was that we got the vendor to sort out the issues on the survey as we didn't want to deal with the mess.The issue we had was regarding the electrics so he did what he needed to do to satisfy the survey however with hindsight we should have simply negotiated some money off & we sorted the electrics to our needs I.e. more than one double socket in each room !
I'm no expert but I'd suggest that a house of that age that hasn't already been re-roofed would be showing those issues.
I'd suggest that you get some quotes to actually understand what the cost would be to get the house re-roofed. If it was re-roofed then you'd be able to get the roof felted under the tiles & possibly upgrade insulation which would help with fuel bills. I'd also expect a re-roof to include pointing around chimneys because that would probably be damaged by the re-roofing.
I'd also enquire with estate agent to understand what affect a new roof would have on the property value.
Good Luck whatever you decide.
Jen

Doozergirl

You're buying an older house.  You're unlikely to get a better survey unless you're paying for a fully restored property, which, to be frank, are as rare as hens teeth.  

You have to expect that repairs and maintenance will be needed on a house, although this one doesn't sound too bad. 

It wouldn't put me off. 

Presuming this isn't a conservation area, the new roof, when you choose to do it, needs to be lightweight.  That's why he said slate.  It could also be cement fibre slates which aren't slate but are a very good imitation and don't cost very much.  That £2k will go a good way towards a new roof covering.  

Your choice on the repairs.  Is there any leaking because we've just had a LOT of bad weather?  It's a good idea to do the mortar and fix the flashing, but the cracked and slipped ones I might be tempted to leave until ready to do the whole thing.    

AdrianC

WDW2010 said:

last week we got the results of our homebuyers survey which has caused us concern. The property is a victorian 2 bed semi detached house with a cellar the survey gave all of the property ones apart from the gas and electrics etc which got 3's this is because we haven't received the certificates to confirm they were tested last year plus building reg cert for new consumer unit. Our solicitor has asked for these and the surveyor confirmed once we had them they would become ones and not an issue.

No, it's simply generic backside covering. Unless the property was tenanted, there's no requirement for any gas safety certificates. Even if it was, there's no requirement for electrical ones. If you want those, pay for them yourself.

It is the sections that got 2's that is concerning us mainly the following (quoted from survey report);
Chimney stacks and roof covering
"The condition of the chimney stacks is generally fair, in keeping with the age and overall condition of the property, but the there is a large gap between the stepped flashing and the soakers on the front stack. Repairs are required to avoid the water damage to the brickwork and roof timbers. Condition rating 2. We had a restricted view of the rear stack and so this should also be checked by a roofer."

The flashing is fairly trivial - a bit of preventative maintenance. Half a day for a guy up there.

"The property's duo-pitched main roof has slate coverings laid directly on timber battens, to which ridge tiles and roof tiles were generally level and secure. The condition of the roof covering is generally fair, but we noticed some slipped/ cracked tiles on the rear roof slope and missing mortar from under the ridge tiles and at the verge. Condition rating 2. Repairs are required soon. There was some slight sagging of the roof covering at the front, but this was not excessive."

Standard old property stuff. While the guy's doing the flashing, make it a full day, and he can do those tiles.

Main walls
"There are signs of historic structural movement which include leaning walls, sloping floors, and cracks over the window and door openings. There are also a few very slight cracks (BRE category 1, <2mm) in areas that have been filled, which indicate seasonal or differential movement across the structure in these areas of weakness. We do not believe that the movement is currently a cause for concern, but slight cracks may occur from general seasonal ground movement. The cracking should be monitored and if there is a significant worsening then further advice should be sought. Condition rating 2. The cracking should be filled and repointed."

HISTORIC movement. It's not moving now. Stop worrying.

Roof structure (this got a 1 but I am still concerned)
"We saw slight bowing of the front roof purlin, but no cracks or splits were seen. On the whole, the roof structure appeared to be performing adequately, with no major defects or repair items noted at the time of inspection. Some of the timber battens were showing signs of dampness/ deterioration which can affect the nail fixings of the slates making them unsecure. General maintenance is currently required, as noted in section E2, however, the roof covering is near the end of its lifespan and will need replacing in the future"

I spoke to the surveyor who said we should budget for replacing the whole roof in the medium term (3-5 years) but it would be preferable to do it now as it is likely repairs will be ongoing he also said the current cracked tiles should be replaced and the roof should be slate

Backside covering, standard old roof stuff.

I also spoke to our solicitor who recommended revising our offer.

What did the survey say about valuation, relative to your offer?

I got in touch with the Estate Agent and expressed our concerns and said we wanted the vendor to undertake the repairs for the works highlighted. After various negotiation the vendor agreed to repair the chimneys, do the repointing and knock £2k off the price, I came back to the Estate Agent and said we are happy for him to do the repairs as long as they were done professionally but as a new slate roof would be very costly and we need to replace the cracked tiles we wanted more off the asking price. He has refused to go any lower and will not fix the roof as he doesnt think it needs replacing..

I'm surprised he's gone as far as he has.

My question(s) is are we right to be worried about the survey results?

No, you're massively over-reacting.

It is hard to sift through all the information and pinpoint what is a concern. We are very conflicted about whether to go ahead with the purchase or pull out as we do not want to end up with a money pit of a house. We cannot afford a new roof now and although we could save over the next few years we will still need to repair the cracked tiles. We are very nervous about it all being first time buyers and would really appreciate some advice.

FTB...? There's a surprise... Not.

If you want a house that's going to require zero maintenance for the foreseeable, the new-build estates are that-a-way... --->

Except, of course, they've got plenty of issues in other areas, and I presume you actually want to live in a characterful, solidly-built, tasteful Victorian semi... The surveyor has just told you there's a little bit of maintenance needed now, and in the medium term there might perhaps be a bit more to some standard old-building stuff, just as there's been in the past. Stop fretting, bite the vendor's hand off, and get on with life.

SameOldRoundabout

To be fair in comparison to the horror that was our survey you’re buying a dream there. Victorian houses will always need work. Always. They come with multiple issues, need special attention in the way things are repaired and are generally a bit of a pain. More than worth it in my opinion for the beauty of them, the features and the room size. I really wouldn’t worry, you’ve got a good deal from your vendor. The house we are purchasing needs bow ties, which means immediately gutting a perfectly useable bathroom and removing a conservatory to get access, we got no reduction at all as we were already 8k under offer price. If I’d had your survey results I’d have been jumping for joy, relax and enjoy. 

Chilli6

Compared to my recent survey yours sounds great! I got 10 threes, 10 Twos. And still considering going ahead once I find out a bit more 

FreeBear

SameOldRoundabout said: Victorian houses will always need work. Always. They come with multiple issues, need special attention in the way things are repaired and are generally a bit of a pain.

Special attention to the type of materials used in the repairs. e.g. Repointing the walls - If lime mortar was used originally, use lime mortar for the repairs. It costs a little more than regular cement, but is much more forgiving and won't crack & fall out like cement will. A bucket of mortar mixed from lime putty and sand (no cement, lime mortar does NOT contain cement), if kept in a bucket with a lid will be usable for years.

If you are buying a Victorian property, look for things like injected DPC and "waterproof plaster" damp remedies - Leave well alone as you have no idea what else will have been done to bµgger up the building... Old properties need to be treated with respect and appropriate materials used for repairs.