Bad survey, structural issues - should i pull out?

tzer

Hi and welcome all. It's my first post here.

I've just put an offer on a semi-detached house in Western London.

Yesterday I received a results of a construction survey (level 3), which are pretty harsh:

1) The property appears to be in poor condition which is inconsistent with its type and age, with serious structural defects that require attention. 

2) Front: There is diagonal cracking to the wall below the bathroom window that is likely to be caused by faulty drainage. (...) 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.

3) Back: The condition of this part of the property is similar to the front elevation, with crackings caused by defective drainage. The cracking on the subject building was repaired in the past with cement pointing and these cracks have open indicating progressive movement therefore the underground drainage pipes should be inspected and the foundation's of the building should be checked.

4) There is what appears to be sand and cement pointed mortar joints to the brickwork. This material is not ideal and is likely to cause damage over time. Water becomes trapped in the edge of the masonry and when there are freezing conditions, the water expands, which can cause the face of the masonry to perish

5) The DPC (Damp Proof Course) is low due to the raised ground height. This could lead

to dampness and damage internally. We, therefore, recommend that a ventilated box drain gully be installed at the base of the wall to help remove moisture away

6) Living room: Significant distortion was observed throughout the ceiling which has been caused by the alterations to the roof structure in the roof void. The load path from the roof has been changed where the ceiling timbers are under significant stress resulting in cracking.

7) Bedrooms: Significant cracks were observed in the front double room and rear double room. This has been caused by the alteration to the roof structure. 

8) There are cracks in the bathroom, living room and kitchen that could be associated with drains leaking below ground externally or plumbing leaks below the floors. Faulty drainage or plumbing can cause movement and buildings can often be found to have defective drains.

9) Significant cracking was observed to the dining wall. This appears to be caused by the removal of a portion of the wall from the kitchen. There is no possible support above the void therefore the area is stripped back to identify the support. If no support is in place then we recommend a lintel is installed above to sustain the movement.

10) Evidence of penetrating dampness was found in the rear elevation wall.

11) There was serious distortion noted to the roof where the main supporting timbers struts and hangers have been removed from the original configuration of the roof design. The structural integrity/functionality of the roof now appears to be compromised. Strengthening work should be carried out by a reputable and experienced joinery contractor, ideally with a specification drawn up by a structural engineer, to ensure the correct method is implemented. 

12) The secondary covering has been covered with thermal foil backing. There are thought to be associated risks with this type of covering causing condensation and this could lead to rotting of the roof timbers. Modern roof covering consist of the main covering with a breathable secondary covering therefore you should allocate an allowance for the replacement in the coming years.

Is it even worth negotiating price in such case or is it enough to just give up and search something else?
My biggest concerns are the cracks and issues with the roof. It seems that previous owner created some kind of DYI loft storage, altering construction of the roof.

Doozergirl

Why would you want it?   That's as bad a survey as you'll ever read.  

Do you need a mortgage?  I don't anyone will be offering you one on it! 

TheJP

Yes i would pull out of that asap!

Owleyes00

Did you not notice all these cracks when you went to view and run a mile?

koalakoala

Withdraw now !

NQManchester

I’d also be running a mile 

warwick2001

I have just been through the exact same thing.

Pull out, its a headache you don't need. It sounds like the house will need many £000's to sort.

Run, run for the hills!!!!!

justwhat

pull out ...(well i say pull out. i have not seen the property. you could be purchasing a property in central london for buttons. Could be worth it just for the plot of land lol )

Out of interest was there NO tell tail signs ?

(it sounds bad. i am imagining a property advertised as a renovation project...any chance of a link to the original advert?) 

Section62

tzer said:

Yesterday I received a results of a construction survey (level 3), which are pretty harsh:

Have you copied the text of the survey exactly word for word, or are you paraphrasing?

I ask because some of the wording isn't written as I'd expect a surveyor to write, but some is.

If it is a word for word copy I'd check the credentials of the surveyor - make sure they are a member of a recognised professional body.


If I didn't know better I'd suspect the person who wrote that document was deliberately trying to put you off buying the property for some reason... it is so bad (in terms of defects, and terminology/phrasing) it doesn't seem credible.

babyblade41

This is slightly odd... firstly the problems that have been noted would have all been pretty visible on viewing and I would imagine it was listed as complete renovation project suitable for someone in the trade 

The price will reflect the problems so it really does depend on so many factors .

It could be a right bargain even with all those problems but only if you are qualified in total renovations from top to bottom.
Not a project for even an enthusiastic DIY'er  especially if you hadn't noticed the defects on viewing 

In short without seeing it I can't really add 

aoleks

we're talking hundreds of thousands to sort this out properly, probably cheaper to rebuild the house. run, really, it's not worth it, unless you get it for a symbolic price, which you won't...