Survey report - what to do next

retailtherapist

Hello!

I’ve just got my building survey report back and it lists all sorts of things wrong including damp, potential asbestos, repointing etc. My conveyancer said he doesn’t get involved in the details of the report and only looks at the legals. Its fully refurbed but now realising it’s mostly cosmetic. I’m not sure next steps in terms of do I get more surveys done (as per surveyors recommendations) or get tradesmen in to get quotes to fix the issues and renegotiate to cover the costs. I’m paying a premium for the “renovations”. To fix the damp I’d have to take out the plasterwork and redo all the work they’ve done on plastering and painting the walls. As for repointing work is that something I just take on the nose as a buyer or can these costs be passed to the seller?

Richiem1987

You can try and bring the price down, but remember, it is a sellers market, and there is nothing stopping them either re-listing it or contacting another bidder. The chances are they will not budge on the price. I will have to do a re-wire on the house I am buying, but they will not budge on price, so its something I have to stump up myself. 

movilogo

It is a decision only you can make. The question if you you can negotiation £x reduction with seller. If seller refuses to reduce anything are you happy to walk away from this house? 

Slithery

retailtherapist said:

To fix the damp I’d have to take out the plasterwork and redo all the work they’ve done on plastering and painting the walls.

Are you sure about that?
https://www.heritage-house.org/damp-and-condensation/the-fraud-of-rising-damp.html

FreeBear

retailtherapist said: I’m paying a premium for the “renovations”. To fix the damp I’d have to take out the plasterwork and redo all the work they’ve done on plastering and painting the walls.

If they had the damp proofing wallies in from a PCA registered contractor, I'd seriously consider walking away. These damp "cures" only mask the problem for a few years until it pops up again. In the meantime, there is often hidden damage being caused within the walls which makes remedial work even more expensive.

If there is damp in a property, it needs fixing at source and not just covered over.

mark_cycling00

Agree with above. Damp doesn't necessarily mean repairs. It means that their fancy machine picked up moisture in a few places and therefore they had to report it to you.
Surveyors can't advise on anything they are not 100% confident about (so don't get sued). Because they can't peel off plaster or check what's behind the paint/plaster they will default to you buying in more investigations. 

Every beautiful period home that you see on TV property shows will have a survey that reads like a horror story but after 100s of years of "damp" and they are still fine.

In terms of the asbestos, your should be able to contact them and find out a little more. Is it that they couldn't see something and this is just a warning that there is a possibility? Or did they actually see something that looked like asbestos. For reference, we had a survey on a house where the kitchen roof was asbestos tiles; this statement was very clear. 

retailtherapist

Slithery said:

retailtherapist said:

To fix the damp I’d have to take out the plasterwork and redo all the work they’ve done on plastering and painting the walls.

Are you sure about that?
https://www.heritage-house.org/damp-and-condensation/the-fraud-of-rising-damp.html

Its what the surveyor wrote to budget for replaster and paint work after fixing the damp. Personally I’m not interested in damp proofing course and rather find the cause and fix that. There are patches on a newly plastered and painted wall and immediately the surveyor said it was damp.  I guess it would be advisable to get an independent damp surveyor to take a look. One that isn’t going to sell me something

retailtherapist

FreeBear said:

retailtherapist said: I’m paying a premium for the “renovations”. To fix the damp I’d have to take out the plasterwork and redo all the work they’ve done on plastering and painting the walls.

If they had the damp proofing wallies in from a PCA registered contractor, I'd seriously consider walking away. These damp "cures" only mask the problem for a few years until it pops up again. In the meantime, there is often hidden damage being caused within the walls which makes remedial work even more expensive.

If there is damp in a property, it needs fixing at source and not just covered over.

The sellers did not acknowledge the damp and claimed to not know what the patches on the walls were. 

retailtherapist

mark_cycling00 said:

Agree with above. Damp doesn't necessarily mean repairs. It means that their fancy machine picked up moisture in a few places and therefore they had to report it to you.
Surveyors can't advise on anything they are not 100% confident about (so don't get sued). Because they can't peel off plaster or check what's behind the paint/plaster they will default to you buying in more investigations. 

Every beautiful period home that you see on TV property shows will have a survey that reads like a horror story but after 100s of years of "damp" and they are still fine.

In terms of the asbestos, your should be able to contact them and find out a little more. Is it that they couldn't see something and this is just a warning that there is a possibility? Or did they actually see something that looked like asbestos. For reference, we had a survey on a house where the kitchen roof was asbestos tiles; this statement was very clear. 

There were damp patches on the newly painted walls that had been replastered before painting. They said potential asbestos was the roof due to material used that would typically have had asbestos and an external pipe and recommended an asbestos survey. Apparently not an issue unless I disturbed them by, saying having a loft conversion… surely asbestos is not considered safe?

user1977

retailtherapist said:

mark_cycling00 said:

Agree with above. Damp doesn't necessarily mean repairs. It means that their fancy machine picked up moisture in a few places and therefore they had to report it to you.
Surveyors can't advise on anything they are not 100% confident about (so don't get sued). Because they can't peel off plaster or check what's behind the paint/plaster they will default to you buying in more investigations. 

Every beautiful period home that you see on TV property shows will have a survey that reads like a horror story but after 100s of years of "damp" and they are still fine.

In terms of the asbestos, your should be able to contact them and find out a little more. Is it that they couldn't see something and this is just a warning that there is a possibility? Or did they actually see something that looked like asbestos. For reference, we had a survey on a house where the kitchen roof was asbestos tiles; this statement was very clear. 

surely asbestos is not considered safe?

It's not considered safe if you inhale it in dust form. If it's solid or embedded inside something else, it's not going to harm you.

Almost all asbestos-related illnesses are among those who worked with the stuff day in and day out (in shipyards etc), not people who have merely had some in their house. It's sensible to know where it is (in case you start e.g. drilling through it) but generally safe to leave it rather than try to rip it out.

Slithery

retailtherapist said:
… surely asbestos is not considered safe?

It's perfectly safe unless you decide to grind it into a powder a snort lines of the stuff. If it exists undisturbed in your property then there is nothing to worry about.
Simply breathing outside in a city is more of a risk factor.