In the Meantime

doingitanyway

jwil said:

Helping out family is a lovely thing to do.

Glad you enjoyed the massage, and sounds positive about the creative venture as well

I need to join you on getting back to walking.

Thank you @jwil I actually did the walk. And I enjoyed it 

Thank you @savingholmes I'm also hoping the written report doesn't deviate too much from what has been said...

jwil

Well done on the walking

WelshmansDaughter

Sounds like you have perked up, the massage sounds lovely. 

I bought a relatively inexpensive bp machine for Dad in 2022. The most recent is 24.99.

MovingForwards

Do what you want to do, you'll be more passionate and it'll reflect when you speak about it too.

Keep up the walking, it's hard when there's so much taking brain power but your body and mind will appreciate the effort.

doingitanyway

So, the survey is back. It doesn't make pretty reading, but then they never do.
The surveyor has committed to absolutely nothing as far as I can see.
It makes for an anxiety provoking read. That said, the more times I read it the less scary it becomes.

I think some of my anxiety relates to having so little in savings in case something goes wrong within a short timeframe.

I have tried to be positive and take steps forward so I have

• requested a hard copy to be sent to me
• requested a digital copy be sent to my solicitor so the legal section can be acted on

I have broken the report down and identified what is making me particularly anxious...

ANGST
There are 8 elements considered RED DANGER TO THE HOUSE

ANGST
1 ELECTRICITY

ACTION
I've seen an electrical report (it was partly newly rewired and the rest was considered good) both for the past year

ANGST
2 GAS/OIL
3 WATER HEATING
4 HEATING

ACTION
I've seen a gas boiler installation certificate
I have a plumber contact who can check water/heating?

This leaves me with 5-8 reds

5 DRAINS
ANGST
ACTION
Surveyor checked and it looked fine but they suggest a CCTV drains report. I am tempted to talk to the neighbour 2 doors away to see if there are any drainage issues? 
Check drain lines are correct for ensuite, building control approval (solicitor)
Shared drainage surveyor to check obligations (solicitor)


6 DRAINPIPES and GUTTERS
ANGST
Drainpipe coming away from the wall at back of house and needs re-securing
Could not check drainage flow/gutters or pipe joins

ACTION
Request pipe at back reattached
Cannot know state of drainage gutters until it rains! Not worried as I can rectify this if there is an issue
Check drain lines are correct for ensuite, building control approval
Shared drainage surveyor to check obligations 

7 WINDOWS
ANGST
Window meeting in water with elevated water reading and lacks sufficient weather proofing
ACTION
Weather proof above window

8 FIREPLACES/CHIMNEY BREASTS and FLUES
ANGST
There may be an issue with supports in place
ACTION
Refer to solicitor for building regs

Ok, now I've listed them out it is much less scary. Tomorrow I will look at all the 2 issues 

Don't feel a need to comment. I think I just need to externalise all this stuff so I can feel more settled.
I hope everyone is ok 

savingholmes

Electric - could be an issue anywhere. What I will say here is that some of the sockets here weren't attached to the wall which is a danger for littlies - so if there are any sockets like that they are a priority to resolve... I still don't have electric to my garage but it hasn't been an issue so far - but is probably part of why I don't use it. I do need to resolve that in my house - but 6 months in - it's not been a deal braker.

I asked for up to date electrical certificate as he said he'd done work which I got - but felt was fraudulent. My handyman recommended that I replaced my switch box but not done that yet. 

The gas / oil - I'd ask for a copy of the heating servicing certificate & any installation certificates  - and if it is oil - any evidence that it is bunded etc. Has it ever been condemned (sometimes it is if the bund fails or it's an old type of tank?) If it was in the main structure of the house (the tank) I'd be more concerned than if it was in the garden (fire risk). New tanks can be quite expensive - so might be worth costing a replacement task to understand how much it is worth exploring. If it has recently been refilled - chances are it's in working order...

Mine also suggested I got a plumber to look at stuff - but I didn't bother - and luckily even though the plumbing is amateurish - and parts aren't lagged - it works. Only you can decide how much further investigation to do.

Mine suggested a similar drains report - but I didn't do it. I wonder if this is fairly standard? Mine was concerned as no manholes were on the property - but there is one literally the other side of my garden wall in next door's garden. They just test with coloured dye quite often to see if it comes out in the manhole okay. Not sure whether many would do more... I think asking the neighbours is a great place to start.

The solicitor is likely to at most ask/offer an indemnity - but that tends to be against you being sued for building regs - not the danger of it being wrong and any cost of rectification on the drains, bathroom, building regs etc if they can't produce a certificate. To replace all my drains, soffits, fascias was around £3K - so drains on their own would probably have been half that if it helps - on a 3 bed detached house.

No idea on the window or the chimney. @Cheery_Daff may know more as it sounds like the kind of thing she may have had to do on their property.

The way they write the report is so that you have no come back on them later... not much consolation. i wish I'd taken his roof comments more seriously and his comments about repointing. But I can't say I regret buying it - even if I did pay over £10K straight after moving in. Also replaced a patio door. I knew about the patio, soffits, fascias and guttering pre move (£4.6K) - what surprised me despite the report was the need to re-felt and batton the roof, the lack of mortar on the ridge tiles and therefore their replacement and the need for urgent repointing.

jwil

Glad you've got the survey back,  remember they are covering their rears, so will be asking you to get things checked where they aren't qualified to do so.  I hope you feel better about it today, and good to pass things on to the solicitor where you can.

You've got the electrical report which can hopefully tick off that concern.  Drainpipes and gutters are one of those things that need doing periodically anyway.  There doesn't sound like there are any huge horror stories, particularly if you can get building regs for the chimneys etc.

redofromstart

A lot of that sounds like a cut and paste bottom covering exercise to me and are mostly things that will come up on any house more than a few years old. 

For example, We had a frightening one about our electrics but the chap we got in to check said it was just the surveyor being picky and that none of it was risky, just not to current standards. 

WelshmansDaughter

I think that you have learned enough now to have confidence in your abilities to problem solve if you need to. You’ve shown you can put things in context so its just the initial shock of things that is the problem. 

doingitanyway

jwil said:

Glad you've got the survey back,  remember they are covering their rears, so will be asking you to get things checked where they aren't qualified to do so.  I hope you feel better about it today, and good to pass things on to the solicitor where you can.

You've got the electrical report which can hopefully tick off that concern.  Drainpipes and gutters are one of those things that need doing periodically anyway.  There doesn't sound like there are any huge horror stories, particularly if you can get building regs for the chimneys etc.

Thank you  I agree. I do have an electrical report.
I'm not too concerned about drainpipes and gutters. I am concerned about the building regs but solicitor will deal with these

redofromstart said:

A lot of that sounds like a cut and paste bottom covering exercise to me and are mostly things that will come up on any house more than a few years old. 

For example, We had a frightening one about our electrics but the chap we got in to check said it was just the surveyor being picky and that none of it was risky, just not to current standards. 

Thank you  I totally agree about bottom covering. It also fills the report up with things I care little about and fails to address the things that matter 'I couldn't see it, check it, touch it, inspect it..' 

WelshmansDaughter said:

I think that you have learned enough now to have confidence in your abilities to problem solve if you need to. You’ve shown you can put things in context so it's just the initial shock of things that is the problem. 

It was the initial shock! You are right as I've worked my way through and problem solved. Thank you 

@savingholmes thank you for taking the time to post:
electrics  sockets look fine and appear to be safe. I have an electrical certificate (hopefully not fraudulent) 
boiler was put in a year ago and certificate provided
drains I've spoken to a few people all who had the comment about carrying out a drains survey, none of them did one. I think you are right and it is cut and pasted into every survey as a to quote @redofromstart 'a bottom covering exercise' I will speak to neighbours however before completion
window will ask for leak to be rectified
chimney building regs so with solicitor

There are many other issues and like you I also have a rubbish patio door that I will change in time