House Buying Advice (7 Viewers)

[Nick]

Paid for a home buyers survey. they did a big report and sent it over with a few obvious bits in.

Mortgage company have been out and said there are signs of movement (a crack) so need a structural report to be able to give a valuation and therefore lend anything. No mention of that in the homebuyers report I paid for though?

It's 1960s so pretty old and hardly a new build.

"Old" Movement isn't that bad is it?

Annoying thing is the "sale" is now with the solicitors so I have paid them a fair chunk and for the homebuyers survey. Structural survey may say it's falling down and turn me down for a mortgage after all that.

 

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[SBAndy]

Paid for a home buyers survey. they did a big report and sent it over with a few obvious bits in.

Mortgage company have been out and said there are signs of movement (a crack) so need a structural report to be able to give a valuation and therefore lend anything. No mention of that in the homebuyers report I paid for though?

It's 1960s so pretty old and hardly a new build.

"Old" Movement isn't that bad is it?

Annoying thing is the "sale" is now with the solicitors so I have paid them a fair chunk and for the homebuyers survey. Structural survey may say it's falling down and turn me down for a mortgage after all that.

From the sounds of it, it’ll be an innocuous comment in the lender’s valuation report saying about a crack and needs exploring in greater detail. Probably 85% it’s nothing but equally, I’m sure you’d rather not spend a huge chunk of money only to find it might fall down in a year’s time.

 

[Nick]

Yeah it just said about a crack.

So I guess I need to get another survey?

 

[fernandopartridge]

It's a good idea to get a full survey anyway, home buyers reports are so heavily qualified that you might as well just get a full one done.

 

[Nick]

It's a good idea to get a full survey anyway, home buyers reports are so heavily qualified that you might as well just get a full one done.

Learnt the hard way now. They want full structural and repair costs

 

[chiefdave]

It's a good idea to get a full survey anyway, home buyers reports are so heavily qualified that you might as well just get a full one done.

I had a full survey done on mine by a company recommended by multiple people. Cost over £800 and was a complete waste of money. Only found one or two minor things, routine maintenance type things, but I ended up needing to do well over £10K of repairs before I could move in!

Day I got the keys and was supposed to move in there was a massive puddle of water on the floor in the lounge from a leak in the boiler. When someone came in to fix that they declared the gas unsafe and turned off the supply to the house! The leak caused damage to the lounge roof which couldn't be fixed and had to be replaced. Also caused the wallpaper to come off, when that was stripped to be painted found out the plaster was falling off so the whole lounge needed new plaster.

Then they found damp in one corner which turned out to be because the drainpipe wasn't connected so instead of going into the soakaway it was just dropping down and then soaking up into the wall. When they got into the loft to sort out the gas supply they noticed holes in the roof and ended up replacing the whole roof. Bathroom suite wasn't even plumped in, the toilet wasn't even bolted to the floor or wall!

Been an absolute nightmare, so stressful and its destroyed my finances. Spoke to the solicitor to see if there was any action I could take against the seller or surveyor but you're screwed. She said to have any chance you'd have had to ask a specific question and be lied to.

 

[Marty]

I had 'settlement', had to get a structural engineer to have a look at the house, and have a camera sent down the drains to check for damage. Cost about £500 in total. Basically said everything was fine but recommended I have some metal rods inserted into the walls with resin, he gave a ball park figure which I sent to the sellers and negotiated a reduction in price to accommodate the issues and spent maybe an afternoon doing the work myself for next to nothing.

 

[fatso]

Homebuyers reports arnt worth the paper they are typed up on, they are notoriously useless.
Your far better off asking a builder you know to spend 30 minutes looking at the property and giving you his honest opinion.

As far as the crack is concerned, if it's from old settlement is not usually a problem unless there is damp ingress. But a builder will soon tell you.
Your mortgage lender may well insist its sorted before lending, or may hold back some of the funds until its repaired (called a retention)

 

[Nick]

Cheers, yeah they want a full structural survey to be able to complete the valuation.

 

[Sky Blue Pete]

I had 'settlement', had to get a structural engineer to have a look at the house, and have a camera sent down the drains to check for damage. Cost about £500 in total. Basically said everything was fine but recommended I have some metal rods inserted into the walls with resin, he gave a ball park figure which I sent to the sellers and negotiated a reduction in price to accommodate the issues and spent maybe an afternoon doing the work myself for next to nothing.

And me - got the survey payment back for them missing a cracked window over the kitchen that leaked when we moved in

 

[skybluesam66]

we sold a house, and just because it was v v old, the mortgage company put a zero value on it subject to a full structural report, after the housebuyer report said it was falling down!!
The structural report came back clean and as such, the mortgage company lent on it
Basically they are covering their own backs, and therefore want a professional view

 

[Nick]

we sold a house, and just because it was v v old, the mortgage company put a zero value on it subject to a full structural report, after the housebuyer report said it was falling down!!
The structural report came back clean and as such, the mortgage company lent on it
Basically they are covering their own backs, and therefore want a professional view

Yeah that's pretty much what the feedback from the mortgage company is that I have had.

 

[Adge]

There is always a get out clause regarding “surveys” or “home buyers report” etc. If you look at the small print there is always sections that specify “from what can be seen”
For example-
“Due to floor coverings and furniture, ground floor joists/timber could only be partially inspected. From what was seen these seemed in reasonable condition for a house of this age”
Think Fatso said to get a reasonable/recommended tradesmen around and give him £100 to have a good look around for a couple of hours-that is sound advice.
Any mortgage company will want their own “surveyor” to go round but in reality all that is happening is they are just making sure that the house you are purchasing with their mortgage is worth the money.
I’m quite lucky as I’m a tradesman who is relatively experienced in knowing what to look for and several times in the past when buying houses have just gave a collegue (another tradesmen) a couple of hundred quid as a second opinion before purchasing, as we can all get carried away and a neutral voice is sometimes required for balance.
Don’t be thinking of the money you have paid out already (it’s hard not too I know) to solicitors/mortgages fees/searches etc etc and are maybe halfway down the road with things, cut your loses as if you end up with a money pit you could really come unstuck for years to come instead of the £1000 or so you may have spent already.
There will always be another house squire.

 

[skybluetony176]

Where’s the crack, inside or out? Does it go straight up and down or is it on the diagonal?
Very typical for a house of that era when the original windows went in the frame was the lintel and when they’re replaced with modern UPVC windows the frames don’t have the same strength and therefore don’t act as a lintel. Was a really common problem when UPVC windows first came out, any good window installer is wise to it now and fits an appropriately strengthened window frame but it doesn’t mean that the damage wasn’t done in a previous installation.
If the crack is internal and on the diagonal draw a mental line at 90 degrees from where it stops and starts, if either of those lines is pointing to a window, especially a corner of a window, I’d almost guarantee that’s the issue.

 

[Nick]

Where’s the crack, inside or out? Does it go straight up and down or is it on the diagonal?
Very typical for a house of that era when the original windows went in the frame was the lintel and when they’re replaced with modern UPVC windows the frames don’t have the same strength and therefore don’t act as a lintel. Was a really common problem when UPVC windows first came out, any good window installer is wise to it now and fits an appropriately strengthened window frame but it doesn’t mean that the damage wasn’t done in a previous installation.
If the crack is internal and on the diagonal draw a mental line at 90 degrees from where it stops and starts, if either of those lines is pointing to a window, especially a corner of a window, I’d almost guarantee that’s the issue.

It doesn't actually say where it is. I had a good look round inside and didn't notice anything obvious.

I have spoken to the agent today and they have spoken to the seller and he thinks it is a crack in the plaster.

Have got somebody going out to do a structural and costing report.

It has had newish UPVC windows so it could have been something like that.

 

[Nick]

There is always a get out clause regarding “surveys” or “home buyers report” etc. If you look at the small print there is always sections that specify “from what can be seen”
For example-
“Due to floor coverings and furniture, ground floor joists/timber could only be partially inspected. From what was seen these seemed in reasonable condition for a house of this age”
Think Fatso said to get a reasonable/recommended tradesmen around and give him £100 to have a good look around for a couple of hours-that is sound advice.
Any mortgage company will want their own “surveyor” to go round but in reality all that is happening is they are just making sure that the house you are purchasing with their mortgage is worth the money.
I’m quite lucky as I’m a tradesman who is relatively experienced in knowing what to look for and several times in the past when buying houses have just gave a collegue (another tradesmen) a couple of hundred quid as a second opinion before purchasing, as we can all get carried away and a neutral voice is sometimes required for balance.
Don’t be thinking of the money you have paid out already (it’s hard not too I know) to solicitors/mortgages fees/searches etc etc and are maybe halfway down the road with things, cut your loses as if you end up with a money pit you could really come unstuck for years to come instead of the £1000 or so you may have spent already.
There will always be another house squire.

Cheers!

Yeah the mortgage surveyor who was valuing it pointed out the "crack" from movement and they have said they need me to get a structural report with repair costings.

Will see what they say.

 

[Nick]

I'm wondering if they have an issue with some of the plaster being cracked or a crack at the other side of the building? This is from the homebuyers but the mortgage company are going on like it's falling down.





As @skybluetony176 has said though it could be the "settlement" above some of the openings / windows.

 

[Deleted member 5849]

I'm wondering if they have an issue with some of the plaster being cracked or a crack at the other side of the building? This is from the homebuyers but the mortgage company are going on like it's falling down.

View attachment 18947

View attachment 18948

As @skybluetony176 has said though it could be the "settlement" above some of the openings / windows.

My big question is, where are you moving to? Going to buddy up with shmmeee?

 

[Nick]

My bog question is, where are you moving to? Going to buddy up with shmmeee?

Bunk Beds

 

[shmmeee]

Bagsy top bunk

 

[Adge]

I'm wondering if they have an issue with some of the plaster being cracked or a crack at the other side of the building? This is from the homebuyers but the mortgage company are going on like it's falling down.

View attachment 18947

View attachment 18948

As @skybluetony176 has said though it could be the "settlement" above some of the openings / windows.

Sounds like from the report that there is some sort of management/maintainance in place for the external upkeep of the building? If so you may (although probably have) want to find out what the annual charge is. Also, usually flats (I think that is what this is) are leasehold and might be worth seeing how much of the lease is remaining as it can be a hefty sum to renew a lease that has to be renewed in the future. Doesn’t sound like there is too much wrong from that snippet?

 

[Nick]

Sounds like from the report that there is some sort of management/maintainance in place for the external upkeep of the building? If so you may (although probably have) want to find out what the annual charge is. Also, usually flats (I think that is what this is) are leasehold and might be worth seeing how much of the lease is remaining as it can be a hefty sum to renew a lease that has to be renewed in the future. Doesn’t sound like there is too much wrong from that snippet?

Yep, I know about the ground rent but just waiting for Solicitors to tell me who is to pay for management stuff as there's no service charge.

Leasehold has been extended so it is pretty long term (110 years).

Heard back today and @skybluetony176 had it in one. It is the lintels around the Windows they had beef with. Currently getting the report done with a quote on repair to send to the mortgage company and either way I think the seller is going to get it sorted.

 

[Adge]

Yep, I know about the ground rent but just waiting for Solicitors to tell me who is to pay for management stuff as there's no service charge.

Leasehold has been extended so it is pretty long term (110 years).

Heard back today and @skybluetony176 had it in one. It is the lintels around the Windows they had beef with. Currently getting the report done with a quote on repair to send to the mortgage company and either way I think the seller is going to get it sorted.

Ah that’s good then. Just make sure you get a receipt or it in writing for the works carried out. I’m sure your solicitor will do that for you anyway

 

[Nick]

Had some of the report back, suggesting to have helibars installed on the main door and some of the windows.

Now just need to wait on a builder's quote.

 

[Marty]

Had some of the report back, suggesting to have helibars installed on the main door and some of the windows.

Now just need to wait on a builder's quote.

Helibars, thats it, completely forgot what they were called in my earlier post. I fitted the bars myself. Took an afternoon to do fit them in about 8 places. Quite an easy job really, just chisel out about half the mortar, squirt some resin stuff in, fit the bar, squirt some more in then finish with mortar. I got a kit offline for about £100.

 

[Nick]

Helibars, thats it, completely forgot what they were called in my earlier post. I fitted the bars myself. Took an afternoon to do fit them in about 8 places. Quite an easy job really, just chisel out about half the mortar, squirt some resin stuff in, fit the bar, squirt some more in then finish with mortar. I got a kit offline for about £100.

In terms of Helibars they are mostly above or below windows as Tony has said

1 x 1m helibar
2 x 2m helibar
3 x 2.5m helibar
2 x 3m helibar

Just need to see if the seller will get it sorted.

 

[BodicoteSkyBlue]

Sorry to take this off topic, what’s the Stoney Stanton road area like?
My lad has just been released from prison and has got himself a temporary bed sit there, before moving nearer home.

 

[Nick]

Sorry to take this off topic, what’s the Stoney Stanton road area like?
My lad has just been released from prison and has got himself a temporary bed sit there, before moving nearer home.

Do you know where abouts?

 

[BodicoteSkyBlue]

Not yet, he’s visiting us tomorrow, so will get some more info then.

 

[Nick]

If its down towards Gallagher it's not too bad, the closer to town the more ghetto it is.

 

[Adge]

Sorry to take this off topic, what’s the Stoney Stanton road area like?
My lad has just been released from prison and has got himself a temporary bed sit there, before moving nearer home.

Faulkner House?

 

[BodicoteSkyBlue]

Still not too sure, definitely opposite end to Gallagher. He says it’s not too bad & has lived in worst!! kids, who’d have ‘em??

 

[skybluesam66]

i think thats the one by the police station, so on that basis you should be ok