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Potential house purchase - ceiling cracks/ support beam costs..?

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  • 30-10-2017 10:49pm
    #1
    Ninja_Go
    Registered Users Posts: 78 ✭✭


    Hi,

    We have bid on a house and at the second viewing we noticed significant cracks in the ceiling of the kitchen. These cracks span the width of the room. There is a very small extension off the kitchen (accommodates a dining table only) and the cracks appear to be where the original wall may have been.

    We are currently the highest bidders and there is a lot of potential with this house so we are still interested in it, and I am wondering how much it could cost to install a supporting beam? Is it possible to give an estimate? Are we talking €1-2k or more like €10-20k?

    We will of course get a surveyor in if it gets that far with the vendor, but if it's going to cost huge money we may prefer to withdraw our bid than pay for a surveyor if it's inevitably going to be extremely expensive.


Comments

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    #2
    LirW
    Registered Users Posts: 4,825 ✭✭✭LirW


    Honestly you won't get around a structural survey anyway. Only the surveyor can tell you why they are there and if it's just a minor or a major job to get it fixed. Can be anything from hairline cracks to serious structural issues.

    Support beams are usually not that expensive, a good bid is around 1-2k but it depends on the job itself. Ring a few builders and ask to get an idea.


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    #3
    Ninja_Go
    Registered Users Posts: 78 ✭✭Ninja_Go


    LirW wrote: »
    Honestly you won't get around a structural survey anyway. Only the surveyor can tell you why they are there and if it's just a minor or a major job to get it fixed. Can be anything from hairline cracks to serious structural issues.

    Support beams are usually not that expensive, a good bid is around 1-2k but it depends on the job itself. Ring a few builders and ask to get an idea.

    OK thanks, not looking to get around a survey at all, would be getting one whether these cracks were there or not. My concern is that we don't want to pay out for surveys on every house we are interested in, so if this was going to be a majorly expensive job we'd dismiss the house now rather than pursuing it further. 1-2k is fine though considering the location and any house in our budget will need work of some level.


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    #4
    Gumbo
    Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 39,364 Mod ✭✭✭✭Gumbo


    The survey will not involve opening up works, once the cracks are noticed it will be worded that the cracks should be inspected by a structural engineer.


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    #5
    Ninja_Go
    Registered Users Posts: 78 ✭✭Ninja_Go


    kceire wrote: »
    The survey will not involve opening up works, once the cracks are noticed it will be worded that the cracks should be inspected by a structural engineer.

    Can the survey not be done by a structural engineer? I would have thought that one person would do it? Or are you distinguishing the structural engineer as separate to the bank's visual inspection?


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    #6
    Alkers
    Registered Users Posts: 6,832 ✭✭✭Alkers


    Most people get a surveyor to do a survey of the house once they get sale agreed. If you go down that route, the survey will note the presence of the cracking and recommend a structural engineers inspection. If you go sale agreed, you'd be as well to just go straight to a structural engineers inspection imo


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