long vertical cracks in outside brick wall

petekernewek

I have viewed a house (terrace, late 19th century) which I like in other respects but I noticed a long vertical crack in the back outside wall, close to its junction with the next door house, extending right up the wall. It's in the masonry not just the plaster. There's another one inside on same side. The house is not on a pronounced slope and the crack is in the main part of the house not the rear tenement. The vendors say the crack was there when they bought it in 2015 and has not extended since then. I didn't have a rule to measure it but it's not more than 3 mm wide.

How concerned should I be about this? I'm surprised they hadn't filled it in actually, but I think they've not bothered much with the place (they let it) because for instance they never replaced the back boiler. I'm a cash buyer but would it put a serious block on my reselling it at some future date if a surveyor saw it? And is it acceptable to do what I'm surprised the owners haven't done, i.e. fill it and plaster over? I mean I don't see what else one could do short of rebuilding the house! I don't want to shell out several hundred quid on a survey only to be told don't touch this with a bargepole. 

Slithery

Photos please, otherwise we're just guessing.

AdrianC

petekernewek said:

I don't want to shell out several hundred quid on a survey only to be told don't touch this with a bargepole. 

Seems to me that's the very definition of good value for money on a survey...