And the survey says...

zeddy_2

Hi

I am a FTB and am in the process of buying an end of terrace property that has been renevated. We have just received the survey back and it states on it that the roof is original (1900) and has a limited life and that damp was found around the chimney breasts and to walls at low levels. It states that the DPC (?) has been bridged also and suggests 'considering suspect' any timber in contact with the damp before completion.

I know it must be hard for anyone to offer any advice, but I would still really appreciate some! Does this sound bad first of all? What should our next steps be?

You have all be so helpful in the past, so thank you to any advice/help that can be offered.
xx:T

TBeckett100

daveyjp

"I am a FTB and am in the process of buying an end of terrace property that has been renevated"

We live opposite a similar property - Victorian end of terrace. It has been rented to all and sundry in the 16 years we have lived here, last year the landlord appeared and started 'renovating'. No more than a lick of paint and some new doors. I could see the holes in the roof and water was getting in.

Someone bought it and all we have seen since is a procession of roofers going up to put slates back, repoint around chimney etc etc. Most of the others on the terrace have had new roofs in the last 10 years or so (most of them not done correctly!), this one is next.

I suggest yours hasn't been renovated, it's received a bit of new plaster and some paint, a kitchen and a bathroom all possibly covering up loads of problems. A proper renovation would have involved a new roof. If you want the house reduce the offer by at least £10,000 to cover the costs you will incur in sorting it out, if the seller won't play ball, walk.

Zammo

Yes it does sound bad. Not even taking account the fact that you are buying in a falling market you are going to be in for a lot of needless stress if you need to replace the roof and damp proof the walls...If you really must go ahead with this purchase get some quotes done for the work and negotiate the full cost of the roof (probably around 6-8k) and damp proofing (3k?) off the price of the house.

Personally if a survey showed up something like that in a house I was buying, I would and indeed have walked away.

Doozergirl

Renovating is what I do. There is no way on this earth that I would ever leave an original roof on a house.

Your property has not been renovated, it has been "renovated".

What type of survey did you have?

Meet the vendor at the property and ask them, before you spend a penny more, to run through exactly what they did to the house. They should be ticking all boxes or explaining why they are sound - The list goes a bit like this:
Roof; Guttering, fascias & soffits; electrics; plumbing; damp proofing & timber treatment; replastering; windows; repointing; structural work.

and that before we get to the obvious stuff like kitchens and bathrooms. Anyone can change those. The value is held in the bricks and mortar, not a cheap kitchen refit :mad: I'm getting the Boy down in a minute to make sure I've included the important stuff.

In fact, if you are anyway near me, I will gladly come and look this house over.

selectcase

I would go back and have a look yourself as surveyors always paint a bad picture to cover themselvs - also have a roofer look at what work needs doing

Doozergirl

selectcase wrote: »

I would go back and have a look yourself as surveyors always paint a bad picture to cover themselvs - also have a roofer look at what work needs doing

If that is a valuation survey, I'd wonder what else isn't new. If it's a full building survey and that was the only problem on the list, I'd wonder what drugs the developer was on when they decided not to do the roof.

Seriously, if you bought a renovated property, would you expect a 110 year old roof? Is that really the surveyor covering themselves? I'm the queen of "I'd expect that in a property of that age" but an original roof wouldn't be top of my list.

zeddy_2

Wow, thank you all so much for your comments - especially, Doozergirl for offering to have a look at the place; that is so kind of you!

We decided to give my boyf's bro-in-law a call as he is a builder and he has offered to come and have a look at the place for us, so hopefully that should help. Really like the advice of getting the vender over to talk us through exactly what has been done.

We had a homebuyers survey done and I realised late last night (whilst reading through the gumpf for the millionth time) that we should be receiving a more detailed report from the survey company soon - the one we have received seems to be the mortgage side of it. Hopefully when this eventually comes then we will have some more information.

We have been approved for all the money for the mortgage - does this mean that the house isn't going to fall down because of the 'issues'?

Doozergirl, would you be able to advice on how you would do a new roof for a house of that age? I mean, all the houses in the terrace are all slate and look original from the outside, but when a roof is re-done does this mean that the original slates are removed, felt put down and original slates put back on top?? Or should everything be new?

Also, one final question... if it turns out that this is serious and needs to be done, can anyone advise how we should try to renegotiate the price? Or should we ask the vender to have the work carried out and guaranteed and pay full price instead?

Thank you once again for all advice so far. xx

chappers

To reroof you will need to strip all slates and discard any perished ones (though to be honest I doubt it's worth it for a hundred year old roof).Strip all the battens and felt.
Reinstate the felt, preferably with a modern breathable sarking and rebatten followed by new slates/tiles. Also don't forget the new regs with regards to upgrading the insulation if you replace more than 25% of the roof.
Personally speaking I would charge (in Oxford) around £4.5K for a small victorian terrace and a bit more fore welsh slates