To pull out?

[Whatinthedoopla]

I am in the process of buying a home, first time buyer, we really like this house, but... It may have asbestos.

The surveyor will check this week, but I'm pretty sure the entire ceiling (in whole house) is artex, and I saw in one room that some of the ceiling had a crack, therefore some fibres may already be coming out.

If I get the house, I would want it professionally removed, but I still have anxiety about it.

What would you do?

How old is the house? Artex hasnt contained asbestos for 40 years

I guess it depends how much you love the house, what else is available and if the price reflects the state of the house.

If you love it, there’s nothing else you like and the current owners will cover the cost of getting it properly removed then go for it.

If not, then don’t.

Can’t you get the survey done then see? If the survey reveals expensive work needs doing, negotiate.

I suppose it depends on your budget. If all the houses you like and that you can afford are over a certain age, the survey will potentially bring up possible asbestos for all of them. It’s not massively uncommon. And some houses will have just plastered over artex and then you wouldn’t know.

When you say the surveyor will check, what do you mean? Because I don’t think surveys generally test for asbestos, and not all artex contains it. So they’ll probably just say “potentially asbestos”. You need a specialist company to test for it I think.

When we sold our house, our buyers’ survey said potential asbestos (not artex related), but it had actually all been removed.

Get the Artex checked for asbestos.I think homes built after approximately 1985 will have no asbestos in Artex. The test is straightforward,must be done by an expert, (Google for one or ask Estate Agent what specialists they know) Results in 24 hours. Cost about £300. Well spent.You could ask the Vendor to get it done.It would be in their favour to be able to show the property is asbestos free.

I’d get the survey and if it is there, I would negotiate the price of the house to cover this work. Unless you have an abundance of similar houses in the area it’s not a big deal.

buying a house can be quite nerve wracking but this is an easy solve and not something you have to pay for if it is found. (Or at least can negotiate to a point)

You don’t need to have it removed. Just overboard it and skim. A hell of a lot of houses contain asbestos and it’s perfectly manageable.

This is what I’d do. If it is asbestos you might as well get rid of it when you move in so if you sell in the future you don’t have the hassle of having to negotiate with potential buyers over it.

When I was having my floor tested for asbestos the guy who came said the ceiling almost certainly has it. If it was mentioned during survey as a FTB I would’ve run a mile thinking it means certain death, but loads of houses have it somewhere. He said as long as you’re not drilling into it then it’s fine as it’s under layers of paint. Most people get their textured ceilings skimmed instead of removing it

This. It’s incredibly common. If there are cracks and it’s currently presenting a health issue then you could feasible negotiate on price. Otherwise simply its existence wouldn’t be enough to offer lower as so many houses have it and undisturbed it’s fine.

Unless you're disturbing the asbestos and then breathing it in, it's really no big deal. Asbestos used in domestic housing was generally the least bad kind and there's about 2 million homes with it in the UK. Particles don't "leak" or float around unless you're drilling into it.

If there's a particularly bad ceiling then just get that done, it wont cost that much. Then leave the rest be. Most of us probably spent our childhood in schools with asbestos and have been to plenty of houses with asbestos.

Just skim over the artex. Most old houses have it

You can have it tested by a specialist. Most cases are fine if left undisturbed. However if you are likely to be anxious regardless, maybe this is not the house for you

You can buy a testing kit, complete with protective kit for £50 online.
Look at your local councils and Hse website for advice on removal and disposal. Some councils give free bags, some dont. Some allow disposal at waste sites, some don't.
Have an idea of how much professional removal will cost you and negotiate with the vendor.

Not sure my ceilings had asbestos in, done late 70s early 80s I think. I just had the ceilings skimmed and painted, no issues

Apparently it was built late 70s early 80s

You can plaster over Artex to seal it in. Which is a mercy as it’s terribly ugly and tricky to clean.

We had loads of artex but just plastered over it. It’s perfectly manageable

If it’s asbestos I would pull out.

I grew up around asbestos. It was in our homes, in our schools, in our pipes and in our fences.

I was looking at a brand new home many years ago and asked the builder if the fence was asbestos. He said it was but it’s fine. It was not fine. The fence was cracked and had holes in it and little white fibres blowing in the wind.

Just pull out if it’s asbestos. It’s not worth it.