Would you have a survey done on a dilapidated old house?

[Popsy321]

I'm buying a derelict cottage. It's a project. Needs everything doing. New roof etc. Alternatively, it has planning for a replacement dwelling. Risk of flooding etc is all documented in the plannjng docs. Is there actually any point in having one done? Just looking for a bit of guidance.

@harknesswitch

Just to give you an idea, I've been looking at a similar house, the chap who lived in it hasn't done anything to it for at least 50 years. The house itself is about 150 yrs old

I worked out I'd need about 70k to spend on it, and that's before I've put a lick of paint on it.

I'd be replacing
Roof - just batons, felt and a few tiles
Windows
Heating
Electrics
Kitchen
Bathroom
Fitting an en-suite
Damp course

I'd probably also need to replace some of the upstairs ceilings, due to roof leakage, and some of the plaster downstairs as it's got rising damp.

If it needed structural work then it would run to 100s of 1000s

It wouldn't run to 100s of 1000s though cos if it was structural, I'd just knock it down and live in a static caravan forever until I could do a rebuild.

There is absolutely no point getting a homebuyers survey on a wreck. You might want to get a structural engineer to have a look, to make sure anything you’re planning on retaining of the existing structure is sound though.

A homebuyers survey would be next to useless - full of caveats and stuff covering their back and it won’t tel you anything about the structural integrity or anything important.

Ps sounds totally exciting. I love a project.

Have you checked how much a structural costs in your area? It seems to vary a great deal. Mine cost 750 so didn't break the bank; I know someone who was charged closer to 2k!

It's usually cheaper and more straightforward to demolish and rebuild