How big of an external wall crack is a BAD crack?

purplebutterfly

UPDATE:  we have decided to let this one go and keep looking. I have removed the photos from the post just because I feel that is the right thing to do now we are no longer seriously interested.    Thank you so much for all your help- you are all amazing 

About to offer on a property and need a bit of advice about external cracks.    I know it will show up in a survey but if it is obvious that it is a big deal, I won't even both offering let alone paying for a survey.

The cracks are showing under the window on an external wall which is a first floor bathroom extension.  Vendors can't say for sure when it was erected but at least 10 years ago.  It has a flat roof but the guttering currently appears fine.  The worry is that the cracks appears to form a sort of square under the UPVC window and we have no idea how wide they are

The front of the property has crumbling brickwork/pointing under both corners of one of the windowsills (original 1940s brickwork, not an extension at the front) but elsewhere on the building it appears to be surface rendering that has cracked.  

We're going back next Wednesday for our third viewing to get more photos and do more investigating but we know nothing about building work so would like some advice.  If there's anything we should look for in particular, please let me know!

Thanks in advance
  

Rosa_Damascena

I'm no expert but understand that if you can fit a £1 coin into an internal crack that spells trouble. External brickwork I'm not so sure about. Doozer?

purplebutterfly

Thanks, it's really hard with it being so high up.  I just don't want to waste the seller's time by offering on the house if there's a chance it needs immediate reparatory work costing thousands.  

If there's anything I should look for lower down when I go back, it would be great to know.  The bottom half interior of that wall is tiled so it's not possible to tell if there is interior damage.  The plaster around the inside of the window frame is perfect though, not damp or flaky

grumbler

IMO it does need such work. It looks like it's splitting apart without any obvious reason (like subsidence, extreme load, ...). Like the roof pushes the walls apart god knows why.

greyteam1959

I wouldn't waste my time on a property like that.
Awf.

gener8or

If you are willing to demolish that eye sore extension then offer low.

Doozergirl

Rosa_Damascena said:

I'm no expert but understand that if you can fit a £1 coin into an internal crack that spells trouble. External brickwork I'm not so sure about. Doozer?

Yes, as a guide. 

I'm really not sure what that is, nor what it's clad with, imprinted render? (begging the question why it has been clad - previous movement?), but it doesn't instill confidence in me.  It's got an air of dodgy DIY/overexcited tradesperson about it.  😕  

Slate roof replaced with concrete tiles, it looks like it's deflecting a bit.   There won't be much or any insulation under that flat roof.  If it's a bathroom, it's going to be a mould magnet.  

Not for me. 

Rosa_Damascena

Doozergirl said:

Slate roof replaced with concrete tiles, it looks like it's deflecting a bit.   There won't be much or any insulation under that flat roof.  If it's a bathroom, it's going to be a mould magnet.  

Not for me. 

With a window like that, it must be a bathroom.

stuart45

Looks like brick effect render as Doozergirl said, although the bricks are too big, and poorly done. I have seen some really nice jobs. 
The cracks could be the render losing it's bond. Sometimes happens when done over a timber frame

purplebutterfly

Thanks everyone,  it is a bathroom.  I don't know why they extended the bathroom but it's bigger than the two double bedrooms.  

Does anyone have any idea how much it would cost if the brickwork was okay underneath and it just needed re-rendering?

It may be a monstrosity but I really am not bothered about how my property will look from the outside as long as the inside works for my needs.  This is the first house we've seen in 8 months that gives us the downstairs space we require. 

You have all really really helped me though - the seller is already asking about £15k more than comparable properties in the area! 

 

Doozergirl

Get a proper buildings survey on it.  Do not scrimp!