Sigh. Thought this thread died out. I’ve read most reponses, will try address what I can in one go.
I was trying not to make my first post too long, by just listing a few things that were mentioned. The list in total was 23 items that I saw at first. When I got the report, there where 26 items. 2 of which highlighting potential issues with electricity and gas supply.
I have arranged for a roofer to go round and also an electrician and gas engineer. I have since also had back some budget costings most of the other issues (came to around £25k - and we don't have any intention of asking for everything thing on that list at all, we know most will be for us to do).
Unlike the every other single person on mumsnet, I had ZERO clue what any of these things would cost to fix. And did not notice/know to look out for most of the issues raised - we used a couple of lists we found on the internet to help us know what to ask/look for when viewing properties - based on this thread, I might even create a blog post to help others like us who could have used very detailed advice on what to watch for (maybe). The house looked “shiny”, freshly painted inside and at the front outside too (though not painted at the side or the back. Nicely staged etc. Clearly our lack of experience has shown.
To a pp - kindly note I said we were unaware of 99% not aware.
The way the house sits, it’s a hipped roof (another new term I’ve learned) and whilst from the bottom of the garden (looking at a picture of it again), I can definitely see something is awry, because the colours are uneven/differ, I still even now could tell if that was actual damage and I can’t really see the roof at either side because of the properties on either side being so close.
The statement that concerned me was that it may be more economical to replace than repair. To me that sounded like the costs would be pretty similar. However, the surveyor’s budget cost list has the (external) roof repairs at around £5,500 and a total replacement at £25k. So even I don’t think it’s beyond economical repair on those figures. But if it’s going to be needing money spent on it every year to keep it together, then that would be a different consideration.
Someone mentioned the cylinders- thank you! I’d been meaning to look up what they even were really/why they were needed and I forgot. I’ve only ever lived in places with combis / didn’t know this was some sort of (old-fashioned?) alternative. We will definitely be replacing the boiler for a normal one.
As previously mentioned (a few times) , the survey undertaken was a level 3 survey (a structural survey, in old money).
Again, apologies, but I haven’t gone back to double check names and tag people. But at least one person said that the report was actually quite positive in some ways - clearly there are more things we could have read that didn’t get mentioned as you say, so happy to think of it in that context now also.
The surveyor specifically said to us that he isn’t about a million disclaimers and cover your a** type statements. He made clear calls, to the extent possible. I think the only thing he didn’t go into detail on were the state of the floorboards under carpet (because he couldn’t of course rip that up), so I’m very happy with the work he has done.
He has categorically said the movement was not caused by subsidence - so presumably if that ever turned out to be untrue, this is where his public liability insurance would have to kick in. Because we would of course sue. I’m happy to take the word of a very experienced chartered surveyor on that and put the Mather to bed.
To the weirdo that I’ve already responded to once but who has posted the same question a bunch of times - why are you so invested personally invested the timeline? The owners have emigrated. They are not in a chain/waiting on the sale of this house for an onward purchases. As I have already said, from acceptance of offer to now it’s been a matter of weeks. We are still waiting for their responses to our solicitors enquiries. So do please untwist your knickers.
On the budget - I’ve set us a budget. We are are over it BUT even with interest rate rises on the horizon and a bunch of traits to do, it’s will still be affordable (although we have taken a 5 year fix). I’m very cautious - which is why we bought the house we live in now. Because I wanted to keep costs comfortably below our means (we were newly married with no kids at the time) whilst we figured out life as “grownups”. Whilst the property we have now isn’t awful, there are a few issues that we simply can’t do anything about, which means it doesn’t work for the family we have now. Otherwise we would have extended it and stayed here. Now the bigger houses we could have afforded if we stretched ourselves back then cost silly money. And our present home hasn’t gone up by nearly as much. So this time, I’m trying to take that into account and buy a house we know our family will be comfortable in in the long term.
I called it a forever home not because I love it - I am really not the type to get all sentimental about bricks and mortar, but because it’s the home we plan to stay in until our children are grown. Perhaps the better phrase was “long term”. New build versus old was less important to me. What I wanted was good square footage and consistently the new builds we viewed fell short on that front - on the bedrooms especially.
PIL himself has now said trying to get £150k off was more of a CF move - based on the fact he knows how agents overprice things on purpose. He didn’t actually base that figure on what he thought the repairs would cost. This particular agent is well known for that (is. overvaluing), which is why the house I’m sure sat on the market for a while and was reduced twice before we went to view it (and even then, was still priced on the high side). Had they priced it right in the first place, I’m sure it would have flown like everything else was, at the time.
Anyway, I am grateful for all that I have learned from this post, but I've had enough of it now. So I'm out and won’t be checking any further posts. We will be requesting a reduction - it won’t be 12, probably in the 2-3% range at this point. But don’t yet have all the information I need to make a final decision on all that.
Thanks to all those who were kind and helpful with your responses (sorry if I didn’t reply to you directly). And even to those of you who were not as kind, but still helpful I guess I’m somewhat thankful to you too.