Survey has come back and it's bad news :(

[CinnamonStix]

We've just had our Home Buyers Survey back and it's not looking good. We knew that the house needed work (installing GCH, new combi-boiler, new bath suite, guttering etc) but the survey has now listed the following, on top of that:

• New roof (they're original slates)
• Render (ie paint work. On the outside of the building needs alterations)
• Note of Asbestos Soffit boards
• Inspect timber for infestation (it's an old house, 1930s)
• Japanese knotweed in the shrubs out the back garden
• The house is sitting on subsoil (which might cause subsidence, although it's a terraced house, so not sure how likely this)

Obviously the report goes into more detail, which I haven't gone into. The amount agreed at the moment is £159,000, the surveyor has said at current market value it should be £150,000, and in his opinion (given the work that needs to be done) it should be £144,000.

I might be able to get money off the property, but is it realistic the vendor would sell it at £144k, bearing in mind it's a probate house? Does the amount that needs to be done outweigh the pros of having the house? How much will it cost to get each of those things fixed?

You won't know if the vendors will sell at £144,000 unless you offer at that level.

I would offer 144 based on the survey- then get some quotes for doing the work.

You might even find that the work isn't as expensive as you think.

Are you getting a mortgage and if so had the mortgage company valued the house? If they also think it is only worth £150,000 then that will affect what you can borrow.

Just seen Japanese knotweed, I wouldn't buy the house.

Presumably any other buyer will get a survey done with pretty much the same results and the same valuation? The seller needs to understand this. Just bear in mind that sometimes things escalate, make sure you have a big contingency. We have a big contingency and still won't have enough money to finish our house anytime soon

The mortgage company haven't done the survey yet - is it worth me putting things on hold whilst I decide what to do or just let them go ahead with their survey?

I was reading the other thread about Japanese knotweed and some did say that Japanese knotweed was common in the South East and can be treated. Obviously it could ruin the foundations of your house in the worst case scenario, but the Japanese knotweed at this property is in the shrubs away from the house. Am I just being naive?

Japanese knotweed?

Get them to pay to remove it or move on

if you are still going to offer, offer less than 144k

japanese knotweed is the main problem listed there (people round here have their asbestos soffits sorted for £3-4k, though of course you don't have to do anything with them unless they are bust)

and it might cost X, but it could cost more....that particular problem would even put developers off, especially as this is a terrace house and if the problem is in next doors as well, that could make sorting it recurrent..

Problem is, if each job is going to be £3-4k to sort out, then obviously it adds up.

You're right EdgarAllen, if we pay to get the Japanese knotweed removed, it's a waste of money if it's just going to come back again.

How reliable are these surveys anyway? I'm aware they're probably erring on the side of caution, just to cover their backs. I mean, they've noted that we need to change our doors to ones that automatically close to prevent fire spreading, and that's been given a rating of 3 (which is highest priority)

Presumably you will have to pay for the mortgage company survey? In which case I would hold off until I had done some more homework.

Is this just a basic home buyers survey? If so and you really want the house I would pay for a full structural survey. Mainly to look at the roof, render and the subsoil. The thing with the basic survey is it points out things that need further investigation, which may mean that once its looked into it is deemed ok, or obviously it may mean they find a problem.

WRT the Japanese knotweed...personally I wouldn't risk it. It takes years to kill it off, and even if it can be contained and doesn't affect the structure of the house, it will be a problem. I'm not sure where you stand if it affects a neighbouring house (and i'm guessing the neighbours are fairly close if its terraced). Can they sue you for damage to their property? I don't know but as I said before I wouldn't want to risk it.

"... The house is sitting on subsoil ..."

Not sure what this is supposed to mean?

Generally houses of that vintage will have very simple if any foundations which are inferior to modern ones however if

It's a terrace
It's 80 years old
There are no obvious sugns of distress or previous repairs
There are no trees close to the house
There are no obvious signs of broken drains / service pipes

then this comment is not of any great significance (still don't understand the wording)

All that list is fixable except Japanese Knotweed it would be a deal breaker for me.

Run for the hills, seriously.

Japanese Knotweed is treatable and doesn't have to be a deal breaker. All you need to do is know how and when to treat it. There is a thread on here giving all the info needed. You dont have to pay expensive experts as it is quite straightforward. It just takes time and patience to get rid of it.

The very presence of JKW might be a great bargining tool as it does scare people off a property.

"... "The house is sitting on subsoil" ..."

that pretty much says the house is sitting on the soil below the loam/topsoil.

"....which might cause subsidence...."

Among other things listed above it could mean that it is made up mainly of particles which pass a 6.3micron sieve (think that is 0.0063mm from memory) which gives it shrinkable properties.

Which means if you have trees nearby their roots might go under your house and suck water out of the soil causing it to shrink and make the house sink/subside.

However it might not!
So if there are no trees and no cracks then you have little to worry about on that score for the present!

Would ask your mortgage co what their policy is on the knotweed before spending on more surveys tho.

Lots of older houses have no foundations so that isn't necessarily something to worry about.

Asbestos boards aren't a problem unless you want to remove them. Even then, it's not a difficult job just a bit more expensive than removing normal boards.

Inspect timber - why? Are there signs of insects? If not you don't need to bother.

New roof and render repairs - price up the work and decide if you want to reduce the price.

Knotweed - This is the only one that worries me. It's expensive and time consuming to eradicate it. I would be investigating the costs and impact with some experts.

The subsoil thing means the house is founded on clay soil (like most houses in London and quite a lot elsewhere). That's different to saying there is actually any evidence of subsidence having happened or that it happened previously and has been underpinned. As tricot said, if there are no trees and no cracks then it's probably been OK and is unlikely to suddenly develop a problem after 80 years, unless you build an extra floor or plant an oak tree outside the front window. Ask the surveyor to clarify.

The knotweed on the other hand could be a PITA if it has been in a neglected garden and run riot/gone into neighbouring gardens. If it's just a small bit you could probably catch it early and get it sprayed to death over a few seasons.

Unless the japanese knotweed is right up against the house then it is really treatable. Please don't feel that you can't buy the house because of it.

It might be that the vendors need to get a Japanese knotweed management plan drawn up and the treatment underway before you can get a mortgage on the house, but this isn't a big deal - there are loads of companies that treat it and will give you a no obligation quote.

Just read the thread more carefully. Yes, you can definitely treat it yourself, but you may need an external report for the mortgage

Okay thanks everyone! Have read through the comments and will ask my mortgage advisor about whether this would affect the mortgage.

We saw DH's friend who is a surveyor (on an industrial scale, not residential) and he said Japanese knotweed is a deal breaker for the company he works for.

We're going to visit the house again on Saturday, the estate agents have released the keys to us for getting quotes from a plumber - haven't told them about the results of the survey yet. I might see if I can get a specialist in to identify the plant, because to be honest, a plant just looks like a plant to me..

What worries me about treating the knotweed is I'll end up spending lots to get rid of it, when there is a high chance it could just come back either through regrowth, or from the neighbour's garden. And if I can't get rid of it, I'll end up pouring money into fixing the roof, installing GCH etc, spending thousands, for the house not to sell because no one wants to buy a house with Japanese knotweed.

I guess I'll have better judgment when I see for myself on Saturday. I'm going to ask the solicitors/mortgage advisor to put everything on hold until we make our decision... AHHHH really didn't need this

Various interpretations have assumed "sub soil" means clay however this is not quite correct - millions of houses are founded on clay but at a suitable depth for the design and soil conditions - the minimim dimensions are set as per Table 10 Part A of the Building Regulations.

All buildings are founded on sub soil to a greater or lesser extent (except where there is rock) so IMO your surveyor has been sloppy in her / his wording.

Knotweed - you're probably talking 3 - 5 years to get rid of this, during which time you'll have to be very careful not to cut it off or dig it up as that will make it more likely to spread and more difficult to kill.

Subsoil - well, most houses do. Depends, however, whether this was meant to suggest that it was built straight onto the soil without any foundations, which is not completely out of the question but fairly unlikely for 1930s construction.

There is loads of knotweed in several parts of Swansea West - virtually impossible to get a mortgage on properties in JKW areas according to several estate agents I know.

EAs have told me that both Lloyds and Santander automatically turn down mortages for JKW in the area and most of the others usually do likewise. I heard of one buyer who is now trying his SIXTH bank to try and get a mortgage for a house that has JKW in the back garden. That is 6 surveys he has paid for!!!

So best to find out what your mortgage company's views are on JKW before you pay out any more money IMPO.

From what I have made out you offered 159K and the surveyor now thinks the house is only worth 144K with that LONNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNG list of things that need correcting.

My first thought was regarding the roof to be frank - are new replacement roofs really cheap in your part of the world? I mean, with all those things that the house needs having done on it for that 15K drop means that a new roof in your part of the world must be VERY cheap?

Have you got any prices from builders for a new roof - you might be shocked how much they cost?

Best of luck on what you decide. Personally, I would run a mile after reading of what needs done.

There was a big thread on MN last month on jkw, search for that.

Is there a problem with the roof? Original slates aren't a problem in themselves. My house is 1901, a semi with slate roof. We had it re roofed last year, only cos the neighbours decided to do theirs and it made sense to do them together. We've kept the same slates, a few needed replacing as they broke. But they have been renailed on and also a membrane, sheet thingy put under the slates which we didn't have before. So attic is less mucky now. Roofer said it will last another 100plus years. The only probes we'd had prior to the work was the odd slipped slate. Did it two years ago and it cost 2k. Maybe 3k.

The timber needs inspecting but may be fine.

The house is unlikely to subside if it hasn't in the last 80 years.

Soffit boards can be changed but the asbestos won't cause a problem. It's fine as long as it's not disturbed. I guess if you change the boards it will cost more to get them taken down maybe?