£10k of repairs needed on a 1930s semi - par for the course?

[tinklycat]

We just had the building survey report for the 1930s 4-bed semi we're buying and it has identified around £10k of repairs needed, including remedial work for damp. AIBU to not be shocked? Disappointed, yes, but the current owners have lived there a long time and we knew from the interior that they don't seem the type to carry out regular maintenance. The property was on the market for several months, and we negotiated them down in price by 6% on the asking price, which had already been dropped a couple of times before that. My instinct is to take it on the chin, and do the repairs - I'm pretty sure we won't get them to drop the price any more, and we can probably cover the costs.

Am I right in thinking most properties of this age will have a similar story?

Well of the price reflects the need for repairs then fair enough I suppose.

My house is 30's, had literally zero maintenance done to it as far as I could tell apart from being rewired at some point in the late 70's.

Didn't need 10k of repairs when I bought it, just another rewire.

It did need a new kitchen and bathroom (had the originals from the 30's!) And redecorating throughout though...

Were in the middle of carrying out more expensive work than that to fix our 1930s semi that had a dodgy extension put on it in the 60s. But as we got the bargain of the year in our local area I'm ok with it. Just make sure you get enough off the price to make it worth it.

Or that it's a fair price in the first place

If the listing price reflects the condition then yeah suck it up and do the works on buying.

I think you can usually expect some maintenance when buying a house. We bought a 1930s house and survey identified damp problems. I feel they blew it out I'd proportion saying we needed plaster off, damp proof course, leave 6 months before replastering. In reality, it's a utility room which gets a bit of damp in the cold weather but we recently found that a certificate to say a damp proof course had been done and it's still covered by the guarantee.

Almost everyone I know who's bought a house gets hit with some damp warning.

£10k seems par for the course. You could be lucky and that is it, or you could move in and find drafts and leaks everywhere. It is a (nearly) 90 year old house so expect to spend some money

Every time we’ve moved the house has ended up needing work doing. It’s rarely as “urgent” as the survey makes out mind you especially if someone else is already living there.

Property of that age you expect it. Thank your lucky stars you aren’t buying a period property now that’s a money pit.

We’ve lived in ours for 5years and our survey had all sorts of red flags. We haven’t done any of it yet and it is still ok. I think surveys are very careful to make sure you cannot sue them for something so are extra extra cautious.

Is all of it actually needed or more “recommendation” surveyors tend to take a pragmatic view

Firstly surveyors will throw anything in with the slightest possibility of being a problem without knowing that it is, just so that you don't come back later and sue them.

Damp? that old chestnut! Most so called damp is actually lack of ventilation.

Sounds fairly normal. We spent not far short of the on replacing the roof of ours and we've not even started on any of the damp patches downstate, mostly caused by said leaky roof.

We have a 1930s house. Our survey threw up a similar sum of works. But having lived here for 15 years, we’ve not spent anything near that amount!

If you’ve already negotiated the price down, I’d take it on the chin. Presumably the works are “recommended” and not “urgent”?

We bought a 1930s semi 18 months ago and have spent that much. It needed a new roof, including joists, new ceilings upstairs, a rewire, central heating and still needs a new bathroom, new conservatory and new flooring. 10k sounds VERY reasonable.

I hope you do find droughts and lots of air bricks to circulate the air through the property, that alleviates most damp.

The problem with these houses is people expect to live a modern lifestyle in a house designed for life in the past.
They block up vents because of drought, they have loft insulation and worst still cavity wall insulation, double glazing.
They weren't built or designed to be sealed units, like new builds.