Survey AFTER buying house

velvetti

Thanks all, but I’m a bit confused now. Should I just wait until something serious happens? 

Here’s my concern: I feel that there’s a slope in the floor and the rear side is slightly higher than the front. I want to have it measured to check if the slope is within limits. Also, does a sloping floor make my house more vulnerable to cracks in walls etc? We have noticed that a couple of room doors tend to open towards the front of the house, as if they are being pushed open. 

Also, we can see some slight hairline cracks in ceiling plasterboards in our bedroom and want to get it checked. The attic above is plastered and has been used as home office by previous owners (although it’s not officially classed as habitable because it doesn’t have permanent stairs). I wonder if this usage has exceeded the weight limits of the attic floor causing cracks jn the plasterboard below.
I just want peace of mind that we are not ignoring a progressive issue. My main concern is that I want to be able to sell the house in a few years.

TroubledTarts

You sound like a very nervous purchaser.

If it gives you peace of mind get a well recommended builder round for their opinion or a structural engineer if you want to go down that route with your concern on loads and cracks and levels.

How old is the property and the construction?

housebuyer143

velvetti said:

Thanks all, but I’m a bit confused now. Should I just wait until something serious happens? 

Here’s my concern: I feel that there’s a slope in the floor and the rear side is slightly higher than the front. I want to have it measured to check if the slope is within limits. Also, does a sloping floor make my house more vulnerable to cracks in walls etc? We have noticed that a couple of room doors tend to open towards the front of the house, as if they are being pushed open. 

Also, we can see some slight hairline cracks in ceiling plasterboards in our bedroom and want to get it checked. The attic above is plastered and has been used as home office by previous owners (although it’s not officially classed as habitable because it doesn’t have permanent stairs). I wonder if this usage has exceeded the weight limits of the attic floor causing cracks jn the plasterboard below.
I just want peace of mind that we are not ignoring a progressive issue. My main concern is that I want to be able to sell the house in a few years.

You sound like you purchased the house and are now nervous about everything that could be. I didn't get a survey and I felt a little like this for a few weeks. Everything is fine 3 years on btw.

I would say it doesn't matter. The floor slopes a little... Okay, that's isn't uncommon (my mums doors all open on there own and there are distinctive slopes, but the house is old) as are hairline cracks. If you live there and they don't turn into anything else then no problem. The chances are high they won't. My ceilings are covered in hairline cracks and it's because my son slams doors, not because the ceiling is going to fall in.

Don't go looking for problems that probably don't exist. You will spend loads of unnecessary money. You had a building survey and it didn't say that house was falling down right? I would assume h surveyor did his job correctly and you don't have anything to be worried about. 

youth_leader

When my husband died I was very anxious about house maintenance.  I was sleeping in my daughter's old bedroom and could actually hear the ceiling cracking during the night.  Eventually got a handyman in and he reassured me all was well, and gave me the choice of having a false ceiling installed. 

He then went into the loft and said my water tank was not supported properly ... and it was over the room I was sleeping in.  He gave me a price I agreed to but he never came back, I must have phoned him ten times.  When I saw him in the street he pretended to be his twin brother? 

I told the kids I'd have to sell, it was a huge house and I couldn't face this sort of palaver every time I had a maintenance issue.