To pull out of house purchase for this? Or am I crazy

[Newhome25]

This is causing huge amounts of stress with me and DH. I am six months pregnant and I do have anxiety so I realise this could be playing into my fears. We found a great house in the area we want. There’s barely any for sale and it’s not a forever home but a great start and perfect for life for the three of us for now. We have got to the stage where searches are happening and I said I wanted a damp survey and asbestos survey as the house was built in 70s.

Damp survey really reassuring but the asbestos one says there’s asbestos on the roof (described as sheets) and on the garage and on the plan it looks like also around where the guttering sits. These are all apparently stable and the roof is in ok condition generally. However, this still makes me feel sick with anxiety. The worst one is that parts of the loft have been filled in with filler that contains asbestos. We’ve been advised that these should be covered and the sellers have said they will sort this before the sale goes through. But… I’ve been reading into it and now I’m in full panic mode that if the areas haven’t been covered previously then little bits could have come off and be inside the house now. I’ve read even one bit could be dangerous. I can’t get it out of my head and want to pull out of the sale. DH is saying I’m crazy and he can’t proceed with it if im going to be like this but equally he feels we’ve spend hundreds on surveys and should just take the advice to get the problem areas covered and then get on with our lives. The surveyor has been re assuring but he’s not the one going to live there.

I have been worrying so much and just don’t feel comfortable exposing our baby to this. Am I being crazy? Is this a pregnancy induced panic that I will regret if we pull out? Please help!

I wouldn’t touch it with a barge pole. Not least because it will be impossible to sell on once buyers see the word on the survey reports. They will have the same misgivings as you have now.

It is, actually. I worked in a Building Society/Bank for 40 years. It's fine buying a property but it needs to be resaleable without a potential hassle in the future if possible. People need to balance the risks and decide, I suppose

I wouldn't buy it personally. As others have said, you'll possibly struggle to sell on & you've already said it isn't your forever home.
There will be other houses.

I wouldnt touch it - not for the possible health risks but for the selling it on later.

My mum needs a new roof and we have been looking at equity release. Because the roof is asbestos it has been an absolute nightmare as so many lenders refuse because of the asbestos roof. After 6 months we have found someone but the interest rate is so much higher.

And the cost of having the roof replaced is more than double what it would be if it were not asbestos.

Pull out, OP. Nothing can guarantee that what you fear about small bits of asbestos flaking off has not happened. It’ll be too stressful.

I'd pull out of the sale due to a) worrying about it b) worrying about the cost of removing it /affect on resale value

Get an asbestos company to carry out an air test.

There is asbestos in nearly every house - even artex contained asbestos until 2000!

The loft asbestos needs sorting. The seller will need to use a specialist contractor and provide you with assurance that it has all been removed and appropriately disposed of - ask the seller for this in writing.

Before moving your stuff in, clean the house thoroughly. Make sure if you're using a contractor they wear face masks for dust (minimum FFP2). I doubt there will be any asbestos, but it's nice to start with a dust free home.

The asbestos roofing would be something I'd cost to replace - its a financial liability. IMO it needs replacing now otherwise youre storing up a financial prpblem that might cost a small fortune to manage. Could you ask the sellers to sort it if theyre getting a spevialist in to do necessary works? You will need to offer money towards this because it's not legally necessary but see what they say. If they want you to buy the property you could insist it's a condition of the purchase.

We had asbestos in a house. Not picked up by the surveyor. We sued him and won, however 27 years ago it cost £13k to have it safely removed.

Walk away, there’s always a better house round the corner.

My house was built in 1961 and I'm quite sure it has/had both asbestos and lead paint in multiple places, although I didn't have any official testing done. Some materials were encapsulated during renovations but I'm quite sure other materials were removed with little protection. Am I worried about it? Nope, not one bit.

However, you are pregnant and this is causing you a lot of distress. You'll be constantly worrying about your baby. I think you'd be much happier with a newer house. If you can possibly pass on this one and find a newer house, I think you should do so.

No house is perfect.
The next house will have damp and the next one knotweed etc, etc.
Contained asbestos is everywhere.

Agree

Um, pretty much all houses built before about 1995 have asbestos. Ceilings garages, outhouse roofs artex or similar on walls. It's unavoidable unfortunately.

OP, you might need to consider your anxiety about asbestos. Pay attention to the detail of the survey rather than reacting to the presence of undisturbed material.

For information and as PPs have alluded to, it was banned from UK building materials in 1999? and the materials were heavily discounted by wholesalers just before the ban so many builders stocked up on building/maintenance/repair materials, stored large quantities and took advantage of their profitable use for many years afterwards by billing at post-1999 prices. Every house built before 1999 may have been constructed using asbestos-containing materials and/or repaired using such materials. Good luck.

Some people would be ok with this, but importantly, you are not. Pull out as you may always feel uneasy about this and you need to feel happy and comfortable in your own home.

My uncle also died from asbestos caused cancer, he was 54. The exposure happened in his 20s, lay dormant for decades, then suddenly turned into a horrifically aggressive cancer. Personally I wouldn't touch the house with a barge pole if it's got asbestos. You'll never stop worrying about it, it's not worth it.

Look at it the other way round, the few hundred pounds you invested in a decent survey has saved you from worry, more expense and the possibility of a tricky future sale. Put it behind you, enjoy your pregnancy and baby, and keep looking. Maybe there’s a reason that not many houses are for sale in your area, but this one is?

I hate saying this as in life I am a huge pragmatist but in your current situation I do not see how you could complete this purchase and then live in this house with your DC and not be constantly terrified. Even if nothing ever happened you would spend the next 50 years waiting for the news that one of you was ill due to the asbestos. You could die knowing your fears were never realised, but is that a life?

For the sake of all your family, including your husband, find another house.

OP- asbestos was used up until the year 2000- you can find it anywhere, if you’re concerned ask what type of asbestos it is.
unless damaged- asbestos is perfectly fine, it will be in the lead piping and corrugated roof-
mid removing the corrugated roof yourselves dampen it down and the asbestos fibres will stay in place- there are really reasonably priced asbestos removers- Big decision.
they say MDF and Scillica dust is the new asbestos now. Would you not buy somewhere with MDF kitchens etc- I think you’ll be ok!
good luck!

It would be a no from me. I'd want a cost of how much to remove and that deducted from house price

Personally I would pass on this house and look for something else.

It's perfectly fine. Just don't drill holes in it

@Newhome25 my dad died of mesothelioma. this is the cancer caused by asbestos. one speck of asbestos dust is enough to do it. do not touch this house with a bargepole/. there are only a few specialist companies in uk allowed to remove asbestos and it costs £k's to be removed. you cannot tamper with it so that would mean absolutely no diy! no renovations either. just paper and paint for ever!

To avoid it entirely you'd need to buy a property built in the last two years or so.

If you're not willing or able to do that, then you're going to need to find a way to understand what it is, where it is, and be ok with it, or have it removed.

If you've had a survey done, then you've already begun that process, and if the survey says its safe, then it is - as long as you don't go meddling with it (ie, up in the loft, hacking it out!), I really wouldn't worry about it.

Where do you live and why do you think there is no asbestos in your house? You are very lucky if that is the case and I hope you never have to move! Even an asbestos survey makes no guarantee that there is no asbestos. My Dad and his friends used to love it when the dust from the asbestos factory used to blow into their street. They built snow men out of it! Many have died and Dad was a witness in many of their compensation cases so I do know the fear, but they were regularly literally playing in the flakes and lots then went on to work in the factory. Not Dad who is still alive and well aged 88. But the risks of asbestos in situ are just not comparable and we are all surrounded by it. It's unavoidable and just not a fear we should let rule our lives.