Structural issues when buying a house

sunshine123

Hi everyone,

My partner and I are trying to buy a house, and last week we had a structural survey done on the property. But there are some problems and since this is our first house, I don't know whether it is worth it or not to go ahead with the purchase:
- Fireplaces need vents fitted
- House needs wiring checking by RECI registered electrician and will need some work
- Investigate and treat woodworm in the attic and check rest of house
- Weak or no insulation to the floors, walls and ceilings
- Improve the ventilation to the bedrooms, shower room and living room.
- Clarification over structural work done to support the first floor floors, walls and roof in the area of the original living room and kitchen.

Based on these issues, is there anyone who could advise me on how much roughly it would cost to fix all of the above? Or is it better to walk away from it?!

Thank for all of your help J

Cuddlesworth

sunshine123 wrote: »

Hi everyone,

My partner and I are trying to buy a house, and last week we had a structural survey done on the property. But there are some problems and since this is our first house, I don't know whether it is worth it or not to go ahead with the purchase:
- Fireplaces need vents fitted
- House needs wiring checking by RECI registered electrician and will need some work
- Investigate and treat woodworm in the attic and check rest of house
- Weak or no insulation to the floors, walls and ceilings
- Improve the ventilation to the bedrooms, shower room and living room.
- Clarification over structural work done to support the first floor floors, walls and roof in the area of the original living room and kitchen.

Based on these issues, is there anyone who could advise me on how much roughly it would cost to fix all of the above? Or is it better to walk away from it?!

Thank for all of your help J

Walk away. Woodworm in ceiling joists can cause serious repair bills and the clarification of structural work screams cowboy conversion.

gmisk

I think a structural survey should give you an estimation RE cost?
The last one would be seriously worrying for me........

L1011

How old is the property?

D3PO

gmisk wrote: »

I think a structural survey should give you an estimation RE cost?
The last one would be seriously worrying for me........

Id agree, there would be no need to clarify structural work either if it was a structural survey.

Doesn't sound like that's what it was to me. Sounds like a bog standard survey.

sunshine123

MYOB wrote: »

How old is the property?

The property was built c. later 1950s early 1960s...
Thanks

L1011

sunshine123 wrote: »

The property was built c. later 1950s early 1960s...
Thanks

Personally I'd run then. Woodworm and suspect structural work on a Victorian or older property you were expecting to be dear to upgrade is one thing but that is almost modern era.

The other items - electrical, insulation and ventilation - would be usual for a house >30 years or so old

banham

Vents can be fitted to blocked up chimneys to prevent them fom condensating . Cheaper to fit a vent in a boarded up chimney rather than a blocked up one.
-Get a qualified electrician to check wiring to give idea of extent of any work required.
-Get a timber treatment specialist to carry out a survey( usually free) to give idea if any treatment is required
-For house of that age. I would expect no insulation in floor, none in cavity walls if they exist- unless previous owners had them drylined or pumped with insulation. You can check in loft – something I would have expected a structural survey to do- to see what is there. 300mm thick required for present standards. BER cert should be available and give you idea of energy loss.
-Do the windows not open? Is there evidence of condensation. Ensuites need ventiation
-Structural survey should be advising you of this not asking you about supports to walls and ceilings!
-Is there cracking visible. Do the walls subside or ceilings bow? To suggest any work was not carried out properly- ask him!

Difficult to give idea of costs without knowing full extent of works, location etc

Could use extra costs of putting things right as a bargaining tool to reduce asking price.

thebourke

This is from the survery report
"There were originally three fireplaces in the house. These have all been closed up and the surround removed. There have been no vents fitted to the old opening. This is recommending so as to ensure that damp does not develop in the breast.There is one chimneybreast with this house. The breast would appear to have its original render and this is in poor condition with extensive signs of cracking above the roof line.- There is evidence of damp working its way down the chimneybreasts. I suspect that this is due the fact that there is no DPC (damp proof course) in the breast. Care should be taken here if you plan to convert the attic.
- The flashing around the chimneybreast is the original lead. This would appear weather tight, but should be watched into the future.

- There is a crack running from the path to the left hand side of the living room windowsill and then from the centre of its head to the centre of the landing windowsill above. This has been decorated over internally. This crack would appear to be approx. 1mm wide. Without further opening up and testing, one cannot be certain of cause. But this is a small amount of cracking.
- There is a crack along the joint between the rear extension and the side of the main house. This would appear to be closed at the bottom and quite large at the top. This has not been seal with mastic. It is not currently visible internally. Without further opening up and testing, one cannot be certain of cause. But I suspect that this is a combination of settlement and shrinkage in the extension.

The attic of the main house has 80 to 100mm glass fibre insulation fitted between the joists. In the extension there would appear to be 100mm glass fibre. The current recommended thickness is 300-mm laid between the joists and then over them. If this is fitted extra ventilation may be needed if roofing felt is fitted in the attic.
There is a higher level or moisture in some of the wall under the window boards in the original house, I suspect that this is due to the lack of DPC (damp proof course) around the windowsill when the houses were built.

There is a BER rating of d2 on this house..how is this possible...House had an extension built onto it about 9 years ago!

L1011

Ber ratings are easily gamed at the lower to middle range.