Survey results.... damp

[Deleted User]

t1redmonkey said:

@Deleted_User what are the outside walls like?  Are they rendered?  Or stone/brick?  Could be the render has failed, or the outside walls need repointing.

The outside walls are the original red clay brick. No rendering present. The report did flag that areas of the brickwork were suffering from frost but these appeared to be at higher elevations. Wondering if it could be a contributing factor given the debonding found all over the property. That's another thing that needs to be addressed and it's recommend that those areas of bricks be replaced. diystarter7 said:

Hi OP

A 200 yr old property I'm good as 100% cert there was no original DPC

The house, does someone live in or lived in it recently and did they have the heating on etc?

What are the floors made of and if wood be prepared for a possible mass of woodworm or worse

Any air bricks and if so are they clear as this will show if air was circulating underside.

You state it sold several times - 3 possible scenarios - very rotten and or rotten neighbors/etc - 3rd scenario, not too much work required and neighbors like us,

No offence, but you've put me off from ever trying to buy it.

Either way, good luck where ever you move

PS: Even if there are warranties, check if the outfit is still around and what is their record on coming back

It's currently lived in. When we viewed it initially it did feel very cold and in the room where the damp is present had that clammy feeling. Second viewing all the heating was on and it felt better but I know with these houses it's as much about heating them as it is about ventilation so really don't know if it could be things they are doing which is creating/contributing to the problem. 

Floors are stone in places, majority is carpet elsewhere. The timbers have signs of woodworm, wanting to find out the true extent of this as could only see it in visible woodwork and like you say may be in other areas we can't see! 

Couldn't see any air bricks when we viewed and none were identifiable on the survey aside from one in the loft space. 

The more I think about it (head over heart) the more we think it's going to be too much work to get it right. A previous owner did try to apply to get planning to knock it down and build something new (was denied due to historic interest and all that) but that raises a red flag. 

Thank you! Having a look at some more this week, love older properties and get that there will be areas of consideration (currently in a 30s house which is like it's own living/breathing thing!) so fingers crossed we find somewhere with good bones to start with. 

TheJP said:

Have you tried negotiating and providing the relevant extracts? The other sale could have collapsed due to the survey but they may not have tried to negotiate the costs to bring the property back to spec as it can be a right task even with the funds.

We are trying this now. We've gone back with quotes from the survey to support our findings and with proposed next steps. We've tried to be constructive in doing this as it gives everyone a chance to get further information before we proceed. Just waiting to hear back 

FreeBear said

I'm in to year 7 with this place (late 1920s build), and still have a ton of work to do. Fortunately, no damp to sort. Just ~50 years of neglect and a program of insulating the heck out of it where I can. All on a budget of nothing.

Good luck! I know the feeling, we're in a 30s house at the moment and we've uncovered some 'quick fixes'. Takes time to get it to where it needs to be but it's very rewarding in the long run. Plus as you say, if it doesn't have an underlying problem like damp, it's definitely not as concerning!LegallyLandlord said:

How special is this house? 

Damp isn’t inevitable in a 200 year old house. We don’t have any in ours and it’s 18th C. But then it’s on high ground away from a river valley   My rentals are 1890 Victorian terraces and even their cellars are dry (I know mere youngsters at 130 years old, but still). 

It sounds to me like it will be a complete headache and unless this house is unique and the only place you could see yourself living in, and you get a big discount,  I’d keep looking for something that won’t turn into a money pit. 

For more tips on red flags to look for when buying, here’s a blog post. It’s aimed at landlords, but it’s useful for any buyers 

https://theindependentlandlord.com/red-flags-properties/

Thank you for this, I'll give this a read! It's a beautiful house, only one of its kind in that location and does have everything we were looking for. However, as you say, there needs to be some movement in price if we do proceed as it's going to be a big undertaking. 

We're looking at others this week to see what else is available. It's already proving to be a headache and that in itself puts me off. Just been researching ever since we got the survey and it seems to be one expensive fix after another!

Noneforit999 said:

I would double, possibly triple that £15k estimate.

From what you have described, it sounds like a money pit. It really depends on your appetite for having work done and the inconvenience its going to bring to your life.

Money aside, the upheaval of having that sort of work done when we were trying to live there just isn't worth it. We have recently had to have most of our walls skimmed which is a fairly straight forward job but its put me off buying anywhere again which needs plastering done. The dust, the mess, the moving of furniture, the having to be out of the house for days...

That's exactly what we have been thinking! The estimate was very conservative and that's based on a middle of the range quote. Now seen the cost for lime plaster and as you say it would be triple what we originally anticipated. I think you're right, the sellers are wanting to move quickly and that's made me think twice too. And trying to get us to proceed without a survey has really put me off as I knew they were trying to avoid this very situation!

If it was the odd wall, we wouldn't mind, but it is every single wall in the house needing some sort of repair. It's no wonder it hasn't been done before as the cost would be astronomical.

youth_leader

Good luck with your decision making and if you go for it, I hope you can find heritage experienced trades.  We had an 1847 listed II, and our efforts at 'renovation' were undone by a plasterer using modern plaster.  I still can't understand how our surveyor allowed it.  

[Deleted User]

youth_leader said:

Good luck with your decision making and if you go for it, I hope you can find heritage experienced trades.  We had an 1847 listed II, and our efforts at 'renovation' were undone by a plasterer using modern plaster.  I still can't understand how our surveyor allowed it.  

Thank you! We have a few contacts in mind already it's just the time it'll take to get these all rectified which is the real concern. I think is also the case with this property we are looking at.