L3 survey came out full of problems, unsure what to do

KeepOnKnitting

Sounds very similar to the house I am currently buying. 1930's build, survey says damp walls, tiled roof approaching end of useable life, asbestos garage roof, doom and gloom. I viewed a second time to reassure myself, but I was correct on my first assessment. There is no damp in the property. It does not smell, there is no damage to the walls, no flaking plaster, no visible mildew. I will probably drop the external ground level to protect the property, but I do not have any concerns. Equally the asbestos roof can stay as long as it remains waterproof.

pieroabcd

deeboy12 said:

Sadly, it's clear that your surveyor knows little about damp, so be very cautious about anything he says on this.

It's very unlikely your house does not have a DPC; take any of his 'humidity meter' readings with a pinch of salt; and do not under any circumstances commission a chemical injection.

You can take this further (with a paid-for, independent damp expert's survey) and it may not be as bad as your surveyor is reporting. Did you actually see evidence of damp on viewing? 

Not at all. I've been there twice, the second for an hour. I've looked everywhere and I haven't seen any stain nor I smelled any odour.
The only thing that I noticed was some unevenness in a spot of the pavement at the first floor, but replacing all pavements  in the house is assumed because I don't like them.

pieroabcd

Other defects that are highlighted are
- spalled brickwork around the chimney stack
- bridged render of the damp proof course (this is wjhere they questions "if there is actually one, it's not visible"). Basically it's a 20cm high black strip protruding by something like 2-3 cm from the side of the external wall. Some of the bricks above this render are spalled
- the pebbledash has blown in some places of the front elevation and at the rear
- some of the windows need servicing. In the conservatory the double glazing has failed due to broken seal
- replacing canopy (it's reported as defective without detailing)
- there's a crack in the boundary wall between the 2 parking spaces
- insufficient ventilation in the loft
- a couple of spots in the loft need relaying the insulating material, that is uneven
- loose treads in the staircase and loose floorboards
- no ventilation of the former fireplace (now closed and plastered) to the chimney breast

canaldumidi

pieroabcd said:

Other defects that are highlighted are
- spalled brickwork around the chimney stack
- bridged render of the damp proof course (this is wjhere they questions "if there is actually one, it's not visible"). Basically it's a 20cm high black strip protruding by something like 2-3 cm from the side of the external wall. Some of the bricks above this render are spalled
- the pebbledash has blown in some places of the front elevation and at the rear
- some of the windows need servicing. In the conservatory the double glazing has failed due to broken seal
- replacing canopy (it's reported as defective without detailing)
- there's a crack in the boundary wall between the 2 parking spaces
- insufficient ventilation in the loft
- a couple of spots in the loft need relaying the insulating material, that is uneven
- loose treads in the staircase and loose floorboards
- no ventilation of the former fireplace (now closed and plastered) to the chimney breast

These are all useful minor issues that you put on your 'to do' lis and fix over the first 12-24 months after you buy.

FreeBear

Cracked & blown render is not that uncommon on a 1930s property. Depending on accessibility (i.e. scaffolding required over a conservatory), it is relatively easy to deal with. Getting a good match with the texture, not so easy - Got areas of my render that need patching/repairing - Opting to get rid of the pebbledash and putting a smooth coat on instead.

Spalled bricks shouldn't be too difficult to fix - The house will have been built with a lime mortar which makes removing of bricks to be very easy - Shove a pad saw in the mortar, and out pops the brick. Getting hold of a matching brick is not so easy. It will be an imperial size - There are a few companies out there that still make odd sized bricks for a price, or you could try to find some reclaims.

Ventilation of the fireplace - Easy enough to drill a couple of 12-16mm holes through the wall and cover with a vent. Just make sure the pot on top of the chimney is capped to stop rain & birds getting in.

Loft - As long as it doesn't have any spray foam insulation between the rafters, I wouldn't get too hung up on lack of ventilation up there.

Loose treads on the stairs - If there is easy access to the underneath, there should be some wedges visible. Just give these a tap and the treads shouldn't move. Floorboards have probably been lifted in the past for wiring/plumbing. A few screws will sort them out. Just be careful not to put a screw through a pipe or cable.