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Worrying report, repair estimates and what to do next
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StarX_2
Posts: 63 Forumite
Hello everybody,
I have received a homebuyers survey (which cost nearly £500! Ouch!) on a house I intend to purchase.
I don’t know how to judge the report and would like your opinion on it. I don’t know if all these problems are “normal” and to be expected, or if I should be really concerned and perhaps move on, or take other steps (which ones? For a start, I read I should get my own estimates rather than relying on the Estate agent-commissioned ones, but that’s all I know)
I am pasting here the sections I am more concerned about (category 2 and 3 which according to the report would need estimates; it’s a heck of a lot of estimates!) (please note the Estate Agents has already obtained estimates on the damp-proof course issues, which are regarded as most serious).
I really don’t understand what people do in these situations. I am thinking about forgetting about this entire house buying process, save a lot of money, wait until I earn a lot of money and buy a NEW house.
Thanks in advance for any inputs, REALLY appreciated.
HOMEBUYERS REPORT
Structural movement:
Repair Category: 1
The cracks located above kitchen window and door openings, distortion to window cills and sloping floors internally, is evidence that the property has suffered previous movement, probably as a result of ground movement, but I saw no movement to suggest this is ongoing.
Dampness, rot & infestation:
Repair category: 3
Dampness is affecting lower wall areas throughout the flat. I suspect this is due to a failure in the original damp proof course. Concealed timbers may be defective and the lower wall areas affected by damp which adjoin a timber floor should be opened up and fully investigated.
You now need to instruct a damp proofing/timber treatment contractor to carry out an investigation to identify the fully extent of the problem and the necessary repairs required, together with an estimate of the cost.
Chimney stacks:
Repair category: 2
Defective bricks to the main stack should be cut out and replaced.
Chimney pots on the back addition stack which are deteriorating should be replaced.
Rainwater fittings:
Repair:2
The older metal gutters are showing signs of deterioring, staining and rust, indicated that they may be defective and should be repaired or replaced
Main walls:
Repair category: 2
As I have already reported there is some old cracking to the back addition walls and distortion to window cills which is an indication of previous structural movement.
Defective render at the base of the back addition walls should be hacked off and replaced.
Defective mortar joints to the brick lintel above the front side kitchen/diner window should be raked out and repointed.
Windows, external doors & joinery:
Repair category: 2
The window are showing signs of deterioration which includes some rot, peeling paintwork and softening in places, there should be overhauled and repaired, particularly rotting frames including the front bay window and window adjacent to the back door.
Gaps around the window frames should be filled to prevent dampness.
Cracked glazing to the bathroom window should be replaced.
External decorations:
Repair category: 2
Outside areas & boundaries:
Repair category: 2
The front boundary wall is not stable and should be re-built. You now need to instruct a contractor to provide an estimate for the necessary work.
The concrete path to the rear garden is cracked and uneven in places and should be repaired or taken up and re-laid.
Although I saw no evidence of damage, the deciduous trees (believed to be Maple trees) located on neighbouring land to the rear could cause problems to the property.
Chain link and timber fencing to the rear is leaning or damaged and should be repaired or replaced.
The brick wall to the rear has missing bricks and will also require repair or replacement.
The rear concrete bridges the damp proof course which could cause dampness problems. As I have already reported there is dampness within the kitchen/diner and bathroom, which may have been cause/exacerbated by bridging of the damp proof course.
Drainage:
Repair category: 2
Waste pipe from the bathroom has a loose joint and should be repaired or replaced.
The soil stack should be fitted with a wire balloon or similar to comply with current regulation.
Ceilings:
Repair category: 2
Lath and plaster ceilings throughout the property have a limited life and future renewal will be required.
Cracks and loose plaster may become apparent when you strip off covering, particularly to the (rear) bedroom, where there has been considerable disruption to decorations.
Internal walls:
Repair category: 2
I saw no evidence of defects to the internal walls during my inspection although cracks and loose plaster may become apparent when you remove wall covering, and this may well become necessary following repair work to lower wall areas due to dampness.
Floors including sub floors:
Repair category: 2
As I have already reported there is dampness to lower wall areas to the ground floor which may have caused damage to concealed structural floor timbers.
Uneven flooring in the kitchen diner and (rear) bedrooms should be levelled. However, as I have already reported there is evidence of past structural movement which can often be seen in distortion to floors and it is not uncommon to find this in properties of this type and age.
Internal decorations:
Repair category: 2
The majority of the property is reasonably decorated although wall areas will require attention, following remedial work to the dampness issue, and attention is required to the (rear) bedroom ceiling.
Gas:
Repair category: 2
Although I have not carried out any tests I saw no evidence to suggest defects within the scope of my inspection and report, though the broken door to the white cabinet housing the gas meter should be replaced.
Water, plumbing, & bathroom fittings:
Repair category: 2
Although I have not carried out any tests I saw no evidence of defects to the water and plumbing systems within the scope of my inspection and report. However, the sanitary fitting are worn and dated.
Seals around the bath are defective. This may have caused damage to concealed parts of the structure, which may need repair.
I have received a homebuyers survey (which cost nearly £500! Ouch!) on a house I intend to purchase.
I don’t know how to judge the report and would like your opinion on it. I don’t know if all these problems are “normal” and to be expected, or if I should be really concerned and perhaps move on, or take other steps (which ones? For a start, I read I should get my own estimates rather than relying on the Estate agent-commissioned ones, but that’s all I know)
I am pasting here the sections I am more concerned about (category 2 and 3 which according to the report would need estimates; it’s a heck of a lot of estimates!) (please note the Estate Agents has already obtained estimates on the damp-proof course issues, which are regarded as most serious).
I really don’t understand what people do in these situations. I am thinking about forgetting about this entire house buying process, save a lot of money, wait until I earn a lot of money and buy a NEW house.
Thanks in advance for any inputs, REALLY appreciated.
HOMEBUYERS REPORT
Structural movement:
Repair Category: 1
The cracks located above kitchen window and door openings, distortion to window cills and sloping floors internally, is evidence that the property has suffered previous movement, probably as a result of ground movement, but I saw no movement to suggest this is ongoing.
Dampness, rot & infestation:
Repair category: 3
Dampness is affecting lower wall areas throughout the flat. I suspect this is due to a failure in the original damp proof course. Concealed timbers may be defective and the lower wall areas affected by damp which adjoin a timber floor should be opened up and fully investigated.
You now need to instruct a damp proofing/timber treatment contractor to carry out an investigation to identify the fully extent of the problem and the necessary repairs required, together with an estimate of the cost.
Chimney stacks:
Repair category: 2
Defective bricks to the main stack should be cut out and replaced.
Chimney pots on the back addition stack which are deteriorating should be replaced.
Rainwater fittings:
Repair:2
The older metal gutters are showing signs of deterioring, staining and rust, indicated that they may be defective and should be repaired or replaced
Main walls:
Repair category: 2
As I have already reported there is some old cracking to the back addition walls and distortion to window cills which is an indication of previous structural movement.
Defective render at the base of the back addition walls should be hacked off and replaced.
Defective mortar joints to the brick lintel above the front side kitchen/diner window should be raked out and repointed.
Windows, external doors & joinery:
Repair category: 2
The window are showing signs of deterioration which includes some rot, peeling paintwork and softening in places, there should be overhauled and repaired, particularly rotting frames including the front bay window and window adjacent to the back door.
Gaps around the window frames should be filled to prevent dampness.
Cracked glazing to the bathroom window should be replaced.
External decorations:
Repair category: 2
Outside areas & boundaries:
Repair category: 2
The front boundary wall is not stable and should be re-built. You now need to instruct a contractor to provide an estimate for the necessary work.
The concrete path to the rear garden is cracked and uneven in places and should be repaired or taken up and re-laid.
Although I saw no evidence of damage, the deciduous trees (believed to be Maple trees) located on neighbouring land to the rear could cause problems to the property.
Chain link and timber fencing to the rear is leaning or damaged and should be repaired or replaced.
The brick wall to the rear has missing bricks and will also require repair or replacement.
The rear concrete bridges the damp proof course which could cause dampness problems. As I have already reported there is dampness within the kitchen/diner and bathroom, which may have been cause/exacerbated by bridging of the damp proof course.
Drainage:
Repair category: 2
Waste pipe from the bathroom has a loose joint and should be repaired or replaced.
The soil stack should be fitted with a wire balloon or similar to comply with current regulation.
Ceilings:
Repair category: 2
Lath and plaster ceilings throughout the property have a limited life and future renewal will be required.
Cracks and loose plaster may become apparent when you strip off covering, particularly to the (rear) bedroom, where there has been considerable disruption to decorations.
Internal walls:
Repair category: 2
I saw no evidence of defects to the internal walls during my inspection although cracks and loose plaster may become apparent when you remove wall covering, and this may well become necessary following repair work to lower wall areas due to dampness.
Floors including sub floors:
Repair category: 2
As I have already reported there is dampness to lower wall areas to the ground floor which may have caused damage to concealed structural floor timbers.
Uneven flooring in the kitchen diner and (rear) bedrooms should be levelled. However, as I have already reported there is evidence of past structural movement which can often be seen in distortion to floors and it is not uncommon to find this in properties of this type and age.
Internal decorations:
Repair category: 2
The majority of the property is reasonably decorated although wall areas will require attention, following remedial work to the dampness issue, and attention is required to the (rear) bedroom ceiling.
Gas:
Repair category: 2
Although I have not carried out any tests I saw no evidence to suggest defects within the scope of my inspection and report, though the broken door to the white cabinet housing the gas meter should be replaced.
Water, plumbing, & bathroom fittings:
Repair category: 2
Although I have not carried out any tests I saw no evidence of defects to the water and plumbing systems within the scope of my inspection and report. However, the sanitary fitting are worn and dated.
Seals around the bath are defective. This may have caused damage to concealed parts of the structure, which may need repair.
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Comments
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I wouldnt be overly worried. looks pretty standard stuff. cat 1 and 2 arent serious. its the 4 and 5s! remember you paid £500 so you expect something and the surveyor will know that. In addition, its their job to pick things and cover themselves.
I would look at Dampness, rot & infestation."enough is a feast"...old Buddist proverb0 -
theGrinch wrote:I wouldnt be overly worried. looks pretty standard stuff. cat 1 and 2 arent serious. its the 4 and 5s!
There's only 1-3, so i suspect I shall pay attention to 3s only?
But then wht's the survey for then/ i am not sure about what they say, and they don't take esponsibility about anything!theGrinch wrote:remember you paid £500 so you expect something and the surveyor will know that. In addition, its their job to pick things and cover themselves.theGrinch wrote:I would look at Dampness, rot & infestation.
What shall i do? send my own contractors for th;e estimates? some problems with this:
- I can only refer them to the Estate Agents, so i am not sure what He is goinlg to instruct them to do (i.e. water down problems, keep estimates on the low side etc.)
- It will require floors lifting, moving furniture etc that cannot be down, so estimate will ave the usual disclaimers of what could not be inspected etc. shal i just swallow and prey? I don't like it!
-Is it possible to get FIXED work estimates?
Thanks again...0 -
I'm in the same boat as you, my Homebuyers report looks pretty similar. I am sending a damp and timber specialist (it's costing me £100 + VAT) to assess the damage (which my report says is the main problem), the estate agent is also sending one of their specialist so we can have a second opinion and we'll take it from there. I guess I'll end up charging 1/2 the costs of the repairs to my Vendor. This is my third house BTW and the problems you listed are pretty common in old houses. It wouldn't put me off, I recommend that you send a specialsit or a trusted builder in to give you quotes on the jobs you need to do first and try and get some money off the purchase price.0
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I'm going through this too at the mo... Hope you don't mind me asking, but did the report say that the market
valuation of the house was less than when you'd agreed upon before the survey?
Surely the market value of the house is how it is in its current state with all the problems mentioned above, so if the work is done and you charge the vendor for part of the work, then once its done then it'll be worth more than what you paid for the house. How do you get round this problem??0 -
I think they have a pick list of standard things to say on these reports. One of the most difficult problems to rectify can be damp. Search the forums as there was a post saying there is no such thing as rising damp - only penatrating damp.
I will try to find tomorrow for you.
~Laugh and the world laughs with you, weep and you weep alone.~:)
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Jazzking wrote:I'm going through this too at the mo... Hope you don't mind me asking, but did the report say that the market
valuation of the house was less than when you'd agreed upon before the survey?
Exactly!!
147000 is what I agreed, and they valued it at 145000.Jazzking wrote:Surely the market value of the house is how it is in its current state with all the problems mentioned above, so if the work is done and you charge the vendor for part of the work, then once its done then it'll be worth more than what you paid for the house. How do you get round this problem??
That's another thing that's at the back of my mind1 Are you a mind reader?
I think they should pay for works up to the difference between what we agreed and what was valued. I.e. they do 1500 work, the house is then valued at 146500, but it's till below the 147000 I agreed to pay, so i culd still theretically reegotiate £500.
But I don't really know... Also I don't see why we shoud "share" these costs? At the end of the day the price we agreed was for a house without a failing damp proof course!
What really worries me is if I find out more problems once I buy the house. Of course the work can be carried out only after the seller has left the house i.e. after I exchange contracts), so at that point any additional "discovery" is for me to solve...
That's why I am trying to get FIXED costs rather than estimate but they don't seem to be doing that so easily or for free. And forking out mor money for a hous I don't know if I am going to buy it's just non-sense.
Plus I don't trust the estate agent... at all.
Any other inputs/ideas?
StarX0 -
Van1971 wrote:I'm in the same boat as you, my Homebuyers report looks pretty similar. I am sending a damp and timber specialist (it's costing me £100 + VAT)
Are you forking out more money so easily? You can get quotes for free. I am not sure if paying ensures a better treatment though, maybe someone can expand?Van1971 wrote:to assess the damage (which my report says is the main problem), the estate agent is also sending one of their specialist so we can have a second opinion and we'll take it from there. I guess I'll end up charging 1/2 the costs of the repairs to my Vendor.
How does it work? do you pay a reduced purchase price for the house? Do you need to modify all your mortgage and conveyancing agreements?Van1971 wrote:This is my third house BTW and the problems you listed are pretty common in old houses. It wouldn't put me off, I recommend that you send a specialsit or a trusted builder in to give you quotes on the jobs you need to do first and try and get some money off the purchase price.
Third house for me as well... It's costing an awful lot of money (1000+) in valuations.
That's why I am thinking about buying a new one. Is there anything like a service from some form of agencies (not estates) providing a service that takes all these risks and hassles off you, and ensures a smooth transaction ...somehow?
I wouldn't mind paying 1000 upfront just to be sure there are no surprises i.e. the house has been vetted and it's garanteed.
StarX0 -
These Homebuyer Reports are really bog standard. Looks money for jam as they use the same words in every report esp if house is over 75 years old.
the damp could be a problem. it came up on my report a few years back, but all that was needed was ventilation... ie windows and airing.
never be afraid to tell the agent you want to visit the property or have your builder accompany you. you are spending a lot of money and if you dont look after your interests, who will? In addition the report should have the contact details of the surveyor...call him/her and discuss the report you paid for. ask for more information on the damp and even an approx for cost."enough is a feast"...old Buddist proverb0 -
Are you forking out more money so easily? You can get quotes for free. I am not sure if paying ensures a better treatment though, maybe someone can expand?
Yes I am loaded
j/k the fee is refunded if they are instructed to do the job. This is a very reliable company which has been recommended to me and they are members of BWPDA and wil provide me with a written detailed report. The ea is sending along another specialist who is giving us a free quote but won't put anything in writing and I don't like that, besides I don't really believe in anything 'free' these days. So I'd rather fork out £100.How does it work? do you pay a reduced purchase price for the house? Do you need to modify all your mortgage and conveyancing agreements?
Well, the idea is that if they confirm that there is a damp/rot problem I can knock some money off the purchase price of the house. I have informed my solicitor about this and she aid it is not a problem, she'll amend my contract no problem. Of course I'd need to let the bank now the the purchase price has changed, which won't be a problem since I'll be borrowing less.
Let me know how you get on.
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