survey results

Almo

Hello all, just after a little bit of advice really.

We're looking to buy a house as first time buyers and I've just been to the house with the building inspector/surveyor. He will be emailing the full report to me later today but I went round with him and he pointed things out to me as we went.

The house is a 3 bed weatherboard with fake brick cadding (we've emigrated to Australia and here these weatherboards are the norm). The house was extended to provide a bigger kitchen, a sunroom and a laundry. The surveyor told me that the building will need to be restumped, initially just under the extension, which was done by the owner's brother and isn't top quality. Longer term the whole house will need restumping at a cost of around $300 (140 quid) per stump with roughly 30 stumps. The extension has sunk, and this is clearly evident in the window frames and door frames.

The brick cladding is more than likely asbestos based (again, as is common here with brick cladding) and is not in great condition. While I was there he called for a quote which came back as just under $4000 to remove the lot. This is less than both he and I had expected - I was thinking more like $8000! Underneath are weatherboards and from what he could see they were in good condition. Other than that, there is timber cladding in 4 rooms which needs removing, the roof is in good condition and the wiring is fine. The safety switch for the electricals and the box need to be moved inside at a cost of around $1200 (550 quid).

This is all a long winded background to my question. To what degree should I listen to him? He told me privately that he wouldn't live in the neighbourhood and that we shouldn't rush into things. He thinks the house is too expensive, but said if we could get it for $25k under the bottom end of the asking price, it would be a good deal. The house is on the market at an estimate of $285 - $315k. I didn't feel like he was telling me any of this for his own gain but perhaps I'm a little naive. Should I listen to him when he says don't buy in the area?

There's just so much going round in my head and I don't know what to do!

Snooze

So the house is on at $300k and basically needs completely new foundations and the asbestos walls ripping out and you're still thinking of buying it ???????? Is this some sort of wind-up ???? :rolleyes: :rolleyes: :rolleyes:

Rob.

Almo

:rolleyes:

Snooze wrote: »

So the house is on at $300k and basically needs completely new foundations and the asbestos walls ripping out and you're still thinking of buying it ???????? Is this some sort of wind-up ???? :rolleyes: :rolleyes: :rolleyes:

Rob.

I asked for advice, why do you feel the need to mock me? Stumping is not quite the same as foundations. Is that some kind of wind-up???? :rolleyes: :rolleyes: :rolleyes:

It needs the cladding removed not the walls :rolleyes: :rolleyes: :rolleyes:

LillyJ

Don't worry some people just laugh at anyone who suggests buying a house. They don't have a clue about the market in Australia so I don't know how they can make judgements. I hope someone will be along to help you. Doozergirl is usually good at survey stuff.

Almo

Thanks LillyJ

I know there won't be many people out there with specific knowledge about the Aussie market, it's more how far to trust the surveyor's opinion on the overall purchase that I'm wondering about.

I can't see how he'd benefit in me not buying the house, so I assume he's being honest but there's so much I don't seem to know about buying a house that I thought I'd check! I was a little taken aback that he said he wouldn't buy it. Thought it was quite blunt - but that does seem to be the Aussie way!

Doozergirl

If a surveyor told me not to buy in an area or said a property was overpriced, I think that I would listen to them Same with my solicitor.

When they work in areas for years, they literally know the movement of the ground, what is affected and where. I was talking to a structural engineer who was doing some calcs for a family member, I just had to let them in to the house. He told me all about the land around the house I was buying which was really interesting.

If you are prepared for the work, then that's fine, but no-one wants to pay over the odds.

Snooze

Almo wrote: »

:rolleyes:

I asked for advice, why do you feel the need to mock me? Stumping is not quite the same as foundations. Is that some kind of wind-up???? :rolleyes: :rolleyes: :rolleyes:

It needs the cladding removed not the walls :rolleyes: :rolleyes: :rolleyes:

You asked for advice and you got it. If you only wanted people to tell you what you wanted to hear then you should've said. :rolleyes:

I know exactly what a weatherboard house is and whichever way you want to dress it up, the stumps the house sits on are in effect the foundations. Knackered stumps = your house collapses and from what you've said it sounds like it's well on its way there already. It is the Aussie equivalent of a typical UK house having a severe case of subsidence or ground heave and you wouldn't buy one of those unless you were mad so I don't see what's different about the Aussie market unless the house is on for pennies (which $300k is not).

Furthermore, like dozergirl says, if the agent has warned you about buying in that area then you'd be crazy to ignore the advice as they'll know far more about it than you will!

Rob

Almo

I'm more than happy to receive negative opinions but I think it's misleading to say stumps are the same as foundations - they typically need replacing in ALL older properties which is not the case with UK properties. Yes, they serve the same purpose but replacing them is MUCH more common here.

I objected to the way you replied, not the fact that you don't think I should buy the house. I also didn't want others to think from your post that stumps = UK foundations and cladding = walls.

If you've never asked a question that others think is silly then congratulations to you. Personally I find it the best way to learn.

I would like to add though that if you thought my paragraph in the reply to LillyJ about people not knowing the Aussie market was a dig at you, it wasn't and I apologise if that's what you thought. I assumed that people on a UK board wouldn't have much knowledge of the Aussie market.

Doozergirl, thanks for your response. The works are not an issue if we can get the house cheap enough but after what you and Snooze have said I will check the crime figures that he quoted and then walk away if they match what he said.

Doozergirl

It's certainly a reason to delve deeper