Homebuyer Survey - Opinions Please :)

TXC

cracks in question (second floor under sill) all houses in the terrace appear to have cracks in the same places to more noticeable degrees

weeg

There's a limited amount you can tell from a photo, but that doesn't look worrying. Clearly longstanding (it's been repaired at least once - you can tell from the mortar). Cracking around windows is common, as there are higher stresses there than elsewhere. 

It's not something that screams red flag to me. If you like the house, get an engineer out.

stuart45

They look like they could be Calcium Silicate bricks, which often suffer from shrinkage cracking in long runs. As weeg said the frames are the weak link in the wall. Nowadays movement joints are closer together with this kind of brick. 
This is not a serious structural problem though. 

JJR45

TXC said:

cracks in question (second floor under sill) all houses in the terrace appear to have cracks in the same places to more noticeable degrees

That is a  stair step crack and can be a sign of foundation movement.
Looks as though it has been repaired and happened again.(you can see the cut marks on the bricks where the mortar has been ground out from the brick above)
Google stair step cracks on buildings, you will then get an idea.
I think you may have found why it fell through last time, definitely been repaired and gone again.

Circles are where the cut marks are on the lower bricks, you can see the gap & excess mortar to fill it.
Also you can see the mortar is a different colour on closeup.

TXC

Thanks all

Feels like it could be nothing, but equally could be an expensive something

Pressing ahead with the survey at the end of the month so will let you know ! 

stuart45

You could have a read through this article. Calcium silicate bricks Archives - Building Defect Analysis
 Does the cracking stop at the DPC?

leosummer

It would be interesting to know the story afterwards.
 TXC said:

Thanks all

Feels like it could be nothing, but equally could be an expensive something

Pressing ahead with the survey at the end of the month so will let you know ! 

TXC

stuart45 said:

You could have a read through this article. Calcium silicate bricks Archives - Building Defect Analysis
 Does the cracking stop at the DPC?

I'm going to show my naivety here but - dpc?

babyblade41

TXC said:

stuart45 said:

You could have a read through this article. Calcium silicate bricks Archives - Building Defect Analysis
 Does the cracking stop at the DPC?

I'm going to show my naivety here but - dpc?

Damp proof course

TXC

babyblade41 said:

TXC said:

stuart45 said:

You could have a read through this article. Calcium silicate bricks Archives - Building Defect Analysis
 Does the cracking stop at the DPC?

I'm going to show my naivety here but - dpc?

Damp proof course

ah! yes I believe so - all the cracks they're referencing are on second floor