Issues on building regulation before exchange contract. Should we proceed???

Smodlet wrote: »

Maybe you just assumed cost was not the issue because to you, it is not.

There were no assumptions. Your post was very clear and in response to a question of risk.

Smodlet wrote: »

Worst case scenario with chimney breast, if unsupported? It could come crashing down at any time and take your roof with it, plus what/whoever is underneath... worth the risk? Not to us; we walked away from a beautiful house for precisely this reason. It did have other issues, too but that was the biggie.

I don't do psychic. You made no mention of money. My response to that was absolutely in context to your statement. The only assumptions in our conversation were both of your rude assertions of my financial status. As a building professional, I speak from the point of experience and knowledge, not the ability to throw money at problems.

I stand by my comments which are quite general. An unsupported chimney breast is not a huge deal in the grand scheme of house purchase. All houses hide secrets, some of which are discovered (or simply questioned) at survey. An unsupported chimney breast often looks the same as a supported one. The issue is not that the chimney was actually unsupported, more the missing paperwork to prove it was. It is mising because
a) the work was sufficient and pre-dates 1986 (present) building regs
b) the work was sufficient but performed without applying for building regs post 1986
c) carried out incorrectly and without applying (regardless of building regs in force at time)

I would expect the vendor to pay for the investigation as it is not something that could be known before survey. Surveys are there to highlight potential issues, some of which don't even exist. The likelihood is that it has been supported in some manner that does not make it an immediate risk.

All surveys carry with them advice to make further investigations - at additional cost. No survey advises on the condition of gas or electrical items. And deciding to buy a different house also carries additional cost - more surveys!

All to be balanced in a balanced argument. If you don't make one, don't expect people to assume anything other than what you say when you walked away for "precisely (the) reason" of risk.

Smodlet wrote: »

DG, how would I know you are a "building professional"? Your user name hardly suggests it, not that there's any reason why a girl should not be a builder but, as far as I know, not many are.

Of course, no problem is a biggie if it is one you can fix yourself; most of us are not "building professionals" so have to pay someone who is and factor in the costs of so doing when making decisions.

Your first instinct may be to fix problems which, were I in a position to buy a "perfect period property", might also be mine. As it is, it made infinitely more sense to walk away. We did ask for a reduction; the answer was, "no" so why on earth would we not walk away from a property which had issues which were obvious, as well as the missing chimney breast which may or may not have been supported? Given the standard of the other work which had been done, I doubt it was.

Moving on, now.

Good idea for you to move on. This thread isn't about you and you are out of your depth.

Still wondering how you know my bank balance but can't check my posting history.

As for the quality of work, I refer you back to my previous post about the chimney breast where the same three options apply to all work carried out. The initial problem for most of that list is missing paperwork, either for good reason or not.

A garage conversion can have a single skin and meet building regs, a shower room built onto that, ditto. Many outbuilding conversions are such. Standing for 25-30 years does not suggest particularly poor or dangerous quality.

Not enough information provided to know, but certainly not enough information to *assume* poor quality. The house you turned down would have been built without building control sign off, as was probably the one you bought! That wasn't a problem or risk to you. That's fair enough. We're here to learn.

The lack of support for the chimney breast can be very dangerous, a builder didnt put supports in my daughters house and the council took builder to court for endangering life. It was expensive to put right with rsj, gallow brackets were not acceptable by the council. the builder who sorted this out couldn't believe how dangerous it had been left.