Should we be worried about these survey results...

sb03

Hi everyone,

Me and my boyfriend have placed an offer on an 1850s listed 2 bed terrace in a conservation area and just recently received the home buyers report. I know that surveyors want to cover their backs and that buying an old property will mean some problems, but I would really appreciate some advice about certain areas ( I realise we made a stupid mistake by not getting a full building survey considering the age of the property and it’s listed status. I mistakenly mistook the listed date as the date the property was built…. idiot )

A few areas that received a condition rating of 3 that I am concerned about are:

1.       Roof coverings: The main roof is pitched and covered with slates. The ridge tiles are clay with mortar pointing. There was a limited inspection of the roof coverings due to the angle of elevation and site restrictions. A few slates are damaged and slipping. The clay tiles are weathered/spalling. The internal roof lining has perished. Damp ingress was noted within the roof space due to the roof covering condition. Rot was noted to roof timbers.

2.       Chimney Breast: Part of the chimney breast in the kitchen has been removed. The remaining masonry above has not been adequately supported. Although there were no signs of distress or disrepair where the chimney masonry has been removed, it would be prudent to check the adequacy of support before exchange of contracts.

3.        Damp: Potentially less of an actual issue but high damp meter readings were recorded to walls throughout the ground floor. The main walls to the original part of the property are of solid stone construction. The extension has brick walls. The walls contain an injected chemical damp proof course. It is understood from the vendor that the twenty five year guarantee for the damp proofing works has now expired. The walls are plastered and plasterboard lined internally. ( I haven't read great things online about injected damp proof courses and gypsum plaster in older houses...)

Would any of this be cause for concern? 

Should we get a full building survey to address any structural aspects that may not have been checked in a home buyers report, or simply get specialists in to look at some of the issues brought up? Also, If any immediate repairs are required, I am assuming the costs would be a lot higher as only specific materials should/can be used on old listed buildings?

pramsay13

If you are looking for an old house and prepared for constant maintenance then the results wouldn't particularly worry me.

It sounds very similar to our report for a 1820s end terrace although it being listed makes it a bit more complicated.

If you are looking to continue it is worth getting specialists in to give you some idea of the work needed immediately / in 5 years / in 10 years and then negotiate from there.

sb03

pramsay13 said:

If you are looking for an old house and prepared for constant maintenance then the results wouldn't particularly worry me.

It sounds very similar to our report for a 1820s end terrace although it being listed makes it a bit more complicated.

If you are looking to continue it is worth getting specialists in to give you some idea of the work needed immediately / in 5 years / in 10 years and then negotiate from there.

Thanks for replying. We can accept paying more to maintain it over the years but didn't want to immediately have to pay for a major repair like the roof. We will get someone to take a further look. Did you have similar problems come up on the survey about the roof, what happened if so?

kasqueak

On a house that old I would get a full buildings survey done. 

The issues raised so far seem pretty normal for a house of that age. Sounds like the roof may need some attention and the damp proof course. 

A new roof could be a major expense so at this stage that would be the main thing I’d be wanting to get checked out further. 

sb03

kasqueak said:

On a house that old I would get a full buildings survey done. 

The issues raised so far seem pretty normal for a house of that age. Sounds like the roof may need some attention and the damp proof course. 

A new roof could be a major expense so at this stage that would be the main thing I’d be wanting to get checked out further. 

I am certainly regretting not getting a full building survey! 

We will definitely be getting a roofer in to determine the potential cost and disruption of a job like that.

FreeBear

sb03 said: 3.        Damp: Potentially less of an actual issue but high damp meter readings were recorded to walls throughout the ground floor. The main walls to the original part of the property are of solid stone construction. The extension has brick walls. The walls contain an injected chemical damp proof course. It is understood from the vendor that the twenty five year guarantee for the damp proofing works has now expired. The walls are plastered and plasterboard lined internally. ( I haven't read great things online about injected damp proof courses and gypsum plaster in older houses...)

Oh dear.... The "guarantee" would have been so full of cop out clauses to render it worthless even if it had been transferable. These "treatments" do nothing to cure any perceived damp problems and just mask them for a few years. Much of the time, these works end up causing further damage.

You say the property is G2 listed - Do you know when it was listed ?

If the listing predates the damp proofing works, was the proper consents applied for and granted ?

If not, you could find yourself with some very expensive remediation work - Some will say that it was done more than 4 years ago so the council will be out of time to take any enforcement action - For listed buildings, there is no time limit.

sb03

@FreeBear
 
The property was listed prior to the damp proof injections( which were carried out twice according to our solicitors information). I can’t seem to find any consent applications for either of these online, hopefully it wasn’t necessary?

FreeBear

sb03 said: The property was listed prior to the damp proof injections( which were carried out twice according to our solicitors information). I can’t seem to find any consent applications for either of these online, hopefully it wasn’t necessary?

All the proof you need to show that the work was a waste of time and money. Listed Building Consent (LBC) would have been required as it is not a "like for like" repair and affects the fabric of the building. Policies will vary from one area to another, but will be broadly similar. For example South Cambridgeshire Council have this document available - https://www.scambs.gov.uk/media/6690/adopted-listed-buildings-spd.pdf - Section 8.31

Installing a chemical or physical damp proofing will require Listed Building Consent and will need to be supported by an assessment and justification from a suitably qualified independent professional with experience of historic buildings taking this approach.

In addition, the use of plasterboard is a material change that would certainly have required LBC - Your solicitor needs conformation that the appropriate permissions had been granted and the work received final approval and sign off. If the work hasn't been approved, and you go ahead with the purchase, you may well find yourself having to fund some very expensive renovations and/or similar questions when you come to sell - Personally, I'd be running away from this property and look for something that isn't going to turn in to a major money pit.

AdrianC

I wouldn't be going near another generic surveyor. I'd be getting a specialist heritage builder to have a good look.

1. Might be an actual issue, might just be old age and historic issues.
2. Might be a major issue - especially if the work has been done without listed building consent. Potentially, you may have to reinstate the missing chimney...
3. It won't have a DPC. Ignore the injected goop. Damp towards the bottom of the walls is simply a fact of life. Breathable "heritage" paints and lime plasters and renders and mortars are the best solution - accept the moisture's getting in, then don't trap it there.

sb03

@FreeBear Thanks for this! I wasn't even aware that could potentially be an issue. We haven't paid our solicitors yet to begin searches, and I fear we could run into this issue and loose out on money, so I'm unsure on what to do as of yet... 

FreeBear

You could ask the vendor what works have had listed building consent applied for & granted. If they say "none" you need to reconsider the offer and if it is worth the hassle & cost of proceeding. If you do decide to go ahead, make sure your solicitor is conversant with the extra burdens that come with owning a listed building.