Surveyor has come back with some items related to roof and foundation, what to do next?

okhajut

I got the survey report a few days ago. This is related to a 3 bedroom house being bought in Gloucestershire. Among the things that have been highlighted by the surveyor, there are a few that need further investigation. The agreed price at time of offer is 243,000£. The surveyor has said that the all repair work shall need about 15,000£. I am a first time buyer so am not sure what to do next.

The first one is related to something called sarking felt. Here is the quote:

"There are stains on the fascia boards. This could indicate that the sarking felt between the tiles and fascia boards has perished. In worst cases, the timber battens and other components of the roof that are not visible, can be affected by consequent rot; this may only be found by removing some of the roof tiles. It is, therefore, recommended that some of the roof tiles are removed by an appropriately qualified person, so that the hidden components can be seen and the likely cost of any necessary repair work can be quantified. Felt can contain asbestos and therefore any work to the roof should be carried out by a reputable contractor that is qualified in asbestos awareness."

The second is very complex and here is the quote, the discharge pipes are in the backside of the house:

"There is downpipe and grey water pipe discharging into the drain to the left elevation which discharge either side of the drain. Rather than directly into the drain itself. This has caused the ground surrounding drain to collapse and may also lead to structural movement within the building yes the substrata beneath the foundations has been affected. Alterations to the pipework should be made so that the pipes discharge directly into the drain. We also recommend that a specialist drainage contractor report is undertaken, which should involve a water retention test, possibly followed by a CCTV inspection. The local water company may be responsible for drainage repairs if necessary and this should be confirmed by your legal advisors. If defects are found, it is likely that the drains will be able to be sleeved but some excavations may be necessary as the subsoil/substrata beneath the foundations may have eroded away, creating voids. If drains are found to be damaged close to the location of the cracking, trial inspection pits will need to be dug to ensure that the matrix of the earth is stable beneath the foundations. If the soil is found to be unstable, further work to support the property may be required. The drainage inspection and trial pits will need to be supervised by a structural engineer, who will then be able to provide you with a document to prove structural adequacy of the foundations; this could be required for your buildings insurance and future sale of the property. Once the drains are repaired, and/or the foundations are confirmed as stable, the cracks can be repointed and the ground surrounding the drain releveled. All cracks should be raked out to a depth of around 2cm to ensure a good key for the new mortar. Lime mortar (not cement) should be used to allow the brickwork to
breathe."

Now who are the people that can check if the roof felt has become damaged and give further advice? Also, who do I hire to make checks on the soil at the foundation of the building? Since these appear to be critical issues, is it reasonable to ask the seller to make these checks via reputed contractors?

okhajut

Here are the images provided by the surveyor.

And:

AdrianC

okhajut said:

The first one is related to something called sarking felt. Here is the quote:

"There are stains on the fascia boards. This could indicate that the sarking felt between the tiles and fascia boards has perished..."

It COULD indicate that, or it might just be the boards need repainting...

A roofer will be able to tell you.

The second is very complex and here is the quote, the discharge pipes are in the backside of the house:

"There is downpipe and grey water pipe discharging into the drain to the left elevation which discharge either side of the drain. Rather than directly into the drain itself. This has caused the ground surrounding drain to collapse and may also lead to structural movement within the building

It MAY lead to it... or it may be just fine.

The pipes need rejigging so they actually go into the drain, not onto the ground next to it.

Surveys spell out absolute worst-case scenarios.

NSG666

A roofer.

A drain specialist. As Adrian C has said surveys show worst case scenarios. I'm not sure how he knows the drain has collapsed but it seems to read that if the drains are ok no further investigation is required but if a leak is found near to the house then further investigation should be carried out to check the foundations of the house.

The surveyor needs to cover himself against being sued - if he misses a potential problem he's liable but if he flags up a potential problem that turns out not to be a problem he is not liable. For this reason you should instruct and pay for your own surveys as I believe (and I may be wrong here) that if the vendor instructs and pays for the surveys and later down the line when you've bought the house it turns out they missed a fault in the drains that they had been asked to survey then you cannot sue them as you have no contract with them. If I am wrong on this please be gentle with me.

okhajut

Is it reasonable to request the seller to make those checks on the roof and the ground near the drains rather than hire my own roofer and drains specialist?

okhajut

Also, there is one more item that we are wondering about.

"There is dampness at low-level in the left flank wall to the living room, dining room, kitchen and utility room and cloakroom. The dampness appears to be originating from/caused by a combination of the defective and bridged damp proof course which has been covered in render which is deteriorating and cracking. It is likely that the joinery is/could become affected by rot and/or woodworm and require treating/repairing. A PCA (Property Care Association) registered damp proofing contractor should be employed to carry out remedial work. They should then provide you with an insurance backed guarantee. The affected areas have been highlighted on the floor plan above. A significant budget needs to be set aside to carry out appropriate rectification of the dampness within the property. Improving the fixed ventilation can also help to alleviate the issues."

Here are the pictures:

Now my question is, is 5000£ cost for the whole house or that small section of wall where the boiler is connected? 5000£ seems like a lot of money to me actually. He also said that " joinery is/could become affected by rot and/or woodworm", like really? Wow.

FreeBear

okhajut said: "There is dampness at low-level in the left flank wall to the living room, dining room, kitchen and utility room and cloakroom. The dampness appears to be originating from/caused by a combination of the defective and bridged damp proof course which has been covered in render which is deteriorating and cracking. It is likely that the joinery is/could become affected by rot and/or woodworm and require treating/repairing. A PCA (Property Care Association) registered damp proofing contractor should be employed to carry out remedial work. They should then provide you with an insurance backed guarantee. ..."

It looks like some rust staining coming through the paint & plaster where your surveyor is sticking his meter. Anyone with an ounce of common sense would realise that there is a galvaised steel corner bead in there that will throw the meter reading out (those things are only intended for use on untreated timber and can not give a true reading when stuck in to anything else). The last bunch of wallys you want in is a PCA registered "contractor". All they will do is inject some chemicals in to the wall, slap some waterproof render/plaster on the walls and charge you a pretty penny. The guarantee will be so full of get-out clauses that it is worthless.. In five years or so, you'll be calling them back to "fix" the problem again.

Fix the outside ground levels, ensuring that it is at least 75mm below the DPC (150mm is better). It looks like the wall at ground level is solid brick, so there won't be a cavity - Ideally, you want lime plaster on the inside of that wall as it can cope better should there be any residual damp present.

michael1234

okhajut said:

Is it reasonable to request the seller to make those checks on the roof and the ground near the drains rather than hire my own roofer and drains specialist?

I'm about to put my main house on the market. If a few weeks after offer accepted stage  I received such a request from my prospective buyer, I would immediately put it back on the market.

Obviously that is only what I would do. Other sellers may behave differently.

Carrot007

okhajut said:

Is it reasonable to request the seller to make those checks on the roof and the ground near the drains rather than hire my own roofer and drains specialist?

Yes.

Is it also reasonable to except the seller to get someone biased to support the fact there is nothing wrong? Also yes.

Irishpearce26

okhajut said:

Is it reasonable to request the seller to make those checks on the roof and the ground near the drains rather than hire my own roofer and drains specialist?

No in my opinion. This is your role in carrying out your due diligence for your purchase.

okhajut

Now who exactly do I contact to get more clarity on the issues with the roof tiles, fascia board, felt under the tiles? I mean what are they called and how can I get hold of someone reliable?