Homebuyers survey has thrown up some issues

wigwam

I'd be really grateful for some advice. 
We have had an offer accepted on a 3 bed 1930s semi for £475,000.  It is a house which is in our ideal location, but needs some love and attention. 
The valuation has come back spot on at £475,000.
However issues on the homebuyer survey with a 3 rating are:

Electrics: "deficincies in installation which would not meet modern regulations"

Damp:
Dampness was detected at low level to the main walls and further specialist investigation to the whole property is required prior to exchange of contracts. Any

structural floor timbers which are in contact with damp masonry are at risk from decay and you should instruct your specialist firm to check the sub-floor timbers

for defects and again carry out appropriate remedial treatment as required.

Conservatory - (very small rear porch approx .5m deep x 2m wide)

Defects to the conservatory were noted including single brickwork and dampness was detected. You are advised to obtain estimates for appropriate repairs prior to

exchange of contract.

The conservatory is thermally separate from the main property. This type of structure is typically exempt from Building Regulation approvals. Conservatories of

this type are not considered to be habitable rooms as they are less resistant to weather and allow relatively high levels of heat loss compared to the main house.

We can give no assurance concerning the long term durability of this structure and you should expect relatively high levels of ongoing maintenance.

The foundations to a conservatory are generally not to the same standard as the main property and can, therefore be prone to movement between the two structures. Some future repairs may be required.

Front Porch

The porch is built of dwarf brick walls with uPVC windows and doors. Porches tend to be prone to condensation and dampness. Dampness was

detected at low level in the brickwork.

Drainage:

It was not possible to lift the inspection chamber cover because it is set into the patio and could not be lifted safely without causing damage. The system must,

therefore, be expressly excluded from the scope of this report. There may be hidden defects requiring investigation and repair.
Garage:

We could not inspect the interior of the garage because keys were not provided and the

garage was locked. The property has a detached garage of concrete construction with a corrugated

asbestos roof.

We were expecting some issues, but not the damp which seems extensive. We also wanted the garage inspected as door seems very rusty and we will need to demolish and rebuild if it is not functional as a garage. Seeing there may be asbestos is a concern re cost of demolishing. 

The surveyor has recommended getting the electrics and gas checked for safety, which we will do. 
This report seems very unspecific regarding damp, which we were not expecting, we woud appreciate any advice of  the best way to move forward, a full structiral survey or damp survey?  We do love the house but worried more money than we have  will now be required to bring it up to a good state of repair. 
Thanks 

jam83

What have your mortgage company said?
When we were buying our house our survey said something similar about damp so our mortgage company asked us to get a damp and timber survey from a specialist company before they would go any further (I think it cost around £100). When they came out they said that the section behind TV that looked like damp was actually condensation due to poor air circulation, they then checked the vents which were blocked and said clean them out and it will go on its own in time. Our mortgage company were happy with this and so were we. 

Another thing to note is some surveyors (like the one who did our original survey) are extremely cautious and use lots of ‘could’ and ‘may’ type language to cover their back, our solicitor told us that this was common and was to avoid being sued in future if anything goes wrong. 

I’m not trying to say ignore the survey btw, just that I’d see what your mortgage company says and for the damp maybe get a damp company out to have a look (this is often free). I can’t give you any advice about the garage sorry.

wigwam

We haven't heard anything from the mortgage company yet, the report was sent to us 5pm yesterday and so I guess we will hear from them next week. 
Thanks for the advice. 

pramsay13

Most of that sounds very standard and not overly concerning.

As jam says there's a lot of backside covering. 

If there is anything that particularly worries you get a survey or quotes to get work done and take it from there.

MWT

Everything to be expected in a 1930's build, and re the garage roof, I'd say it wasn't 'may be asbestos' his report clearly says it is asbestos and that is exactly what you'd expect to find in a building of that age.

You will never get anything specific re the damp if it is not causing visible damage as his report is limited to what he can see. Probably worth getting a damp report and your lender is very likely to insist on it anyway...

clueless_but_curious

You might be better served putting this on the DIY forum. 
Regarding the rear conservatory, you will probably want to budget to pull this down and replace with proper extension if it is indeed single brick.  
You can always go with a damp meter and perform your own assessment of whether damp is a significant issue.  No point in straight away blowing a couple of grand on a damp survey

Thrugelmir

You are purchasing a property approaching being a hundred years old. Be prepared for maintenance issues. Part and parcel of owning an older property. 

wigwam

Thanks all, 
You have all allayed our fears and we will await instruction from the solicitor / mortgage company and have requested another viewing for Wednesday just to reassure ourselves this is "our house"