In love with a falling down house

nimbo

So. I’ve found the house I want to buy it’s over priced. And they won’t budge enough on price. 

The thing that I cannot get past is the cracked lintel. Is a stone house. Built 1900. One stone looking lintel is basically looking snapped. The window under this has cracks in the mortar. 

Tell me it’s terminal and will cost a bomb to fix. 

Everything else I’ve viewed is either awful. Sold before i get there or has stairs so bloody steep I need to place ropes to get up them. 

I realise no one has seen it and it’s not been surveyed or structurally engineered. But please tell me it’s falling down so I don’t try to buy it. 

ilikewatch2

It doesn't sound like it's falling down - sounds more like a cracked lintel to me.

AdrianC

It's not terminal...
It's not the end of the world to fix - but it's not a happy Saturday's DIY...
Let's see pics.

As for steep stairs... Unless you have a physical disability, you'll get used to them quickly.

nimbo

The ones with steep stairs rule the houses out as my mum wouldn’t be able to pop in for tea followed by a pee. It’s sad but lockdown has made me value that a lot. 

I’ll have to take pics tomorrow. It’s too dark now. And I’m fairly certain the neighbours already think I’m stalking someone there. 

How much is a lintel (with appropriate people to install said lintel)? 

Slithery

nimbo said:

How much is a lintel (with appropriate people to install said lintel)? 

Impossible to say without pictures.
Is it visible on the sales pictures? You could post a link.

AdrianC

nimbo said:

The ones with steep stairs rule the houses out as my mum wouldn’t be able to pop in for tea followed by a pee. It’s sad but lockdown has made me value that a lot.

Scope for a downstairs loo?

(You could, of course, pop to hers)

How much is a lintel (with appropriate people to install said lintel)? 

How long is a piece of string...?

Thrugelmir

nimbo said:

So. I’ve found the house I want to buy it’s over priced. And they won’t budge enough on price. 

How far apart are you?

nimbo

It’s not letting me post a pic. I’d marked on the window where the cracks were. 🤯

Justonemorecupoftea

Get a structural engineer out to give you an assessment of cost.

nimbo

Thrugelmir said:

nimbo said:

So. I’ve found the house I want to buy it’s over priced. And they won’t budge enough on price. 

How far apart are you?

So I’ve offered £112.750

They want £120. 

it’s been on the market since November. This was my second offer. No one else has made an offer for it. It’s a pretty thing  house. But in a not very nice village. It’s attached to a shop. No drive. Opens straight off the pavement. The bed. They’ve said it’s semi. It more like an end terrace that turns a corner. It’s just off a main road. Needs double glazing. And due to age needs expensive double glazing and the windows are HUGE. 🥰

In the same village you can get a three bed semi With a drive and a garage for £105. In the nice bits of the village. Done up. With glazing sorted. 

NatNat77

So why on earth aren't you buying on one of those?!