Tile cladding

Davesnave

In 2008 companies building houses using some pre-fabricated wooden units had become relatively common. We have one such firm in my small town and it receives plenty of orders for new builds and refurbs. A friend used their modular construction to extend upstairs without overloading the foundations. The properties this company builds are mortgageable and I'd expect others to be similar.

Yes, there will definitely be a board or block wall behind the tiles to which the battens are affixed

mininoel

Davesnave said:

In 2008 companies building houses using some pre-fabricated wooden units had become relatively common. We have one such firm in my small town and it receives plenty of orders for new builds and refurbs. A friend used their modular construction to extend upstairs without overloading the foundations. The properties this company builds are mortgageable and I'd expect others to be similar.

Yes, there will definitely be a board or block wall behind the tiles to which the battens are affixed

Sorry I think I’ve explained it badly, it wasn’t the other floors were built in 2008, it was built around 1970/71 but the three storey town house was converted to two maisonettes in 2008 but had building regs certificate all signed off.

stuart45

mininoel said:

stuart45 said:

Using 6 inch AAC blockwork was popular in the later 70's for the upper floors under the tile hanging.

Would there definitely be something under the tiling hanging...surely a board or something? I don’t know I’m just trying to think through my logic but I am totally clueless. 

You don't board blockwork out. For dense concrete blocks they would normally counter batten the walls, for AAC the horizontal battens were nailed straight to the wall. There was a breather membrane, or back then felt under the battens.

Davesnave

You've explained it fine now. We've told you if it was acceptable to Building Control in 2008 it will be up to modern insulation and construction standards, so the exact method used isn't an issue.

We had a 1930s house where the upstairs bay below the window seemed extremely thin and not insulated. I didn't investigate this but I suspect something like expanded metal on a wood frame with ply behind. I knew the insulation was poor because the wall would get very cold and mould would form in winter from condensation behind furniture there. The house was still mortgageable however.

Your maisonette sounds OK so I'd not worry.

mininoel

Can anyone confirm or point me in the direction of where to look if my property is timber frame single skin and therefore i unmortgageable as an estate agent has been round to do a valuation and is suggesting if I want to sell I would need to do a ‘modern day auction’ because of this but none of the other agents I’ve had out have mentioned that and they are local where as this was a big chain.

Davesnave

This is really getting to you, isn't it?

Look, this person is an estate agent; often one of the lowest forms of life on the planet. They're not a surveyor and if they're suggesting going with a 'modern method of auction' they're taking you for a mug, regardless of how your property's constructed.

You're on the wrong board for discussing methods of sale, but people on the House Buying, Renting and Selling forum regard 'modern method' as a scam that benefits agents more than anyone else. Buyers are supposed pay a premium to the agent for the privilege of purchasing, so you can guess how popular that is and why many of us would discount any property marketed in that way.

None of us  can assess your property remotely, nor is it likely anything we say would settle your mind. If you want to know how mortgageable your maisonette is, get a RICS registered surveyor to value it.

mininoel

Thanks for the advice Davesnave, my apologies I am just very confused and trying to sort all this out in my head when I don’t really understand it and everything I read is just confusing me. 

Davesnave

mininoel said:

 I am just very confused and trying to sort all this out in my head when I don’t really understand it and everything I read is just confusing me. 

This is why I suggested getting someone professional without a conflicting interest to advise you. At least you will then have a realistic estimate of what your property is worth to go forward with.

FreeBear

mininoel said: an estate agent has been round to do a valuation and is suggesting if I want to sell I would need to do a ‘modern day auction’

Go for a reputable estate agent that does traditional auctions. Have the property listed with a reserve price that you are happy with - Yes, it will incur a fee from yourself, but you will attract a far wider range of potential buyers than this "modern day" thing.

Davesnave

If the maisonette is mortgageable, I'd only consider auctioning  it if it was proving hard to sell for some reason.