is it reasonable of us to ask vendor to treat woodboring beetle before we move in or does anyone have experience of having it done?

[CrapBag]

Survey flagged up a woodboring beetle infestation. On speaking to the surveyor he said it needs treating ASAP.

We are waiting for a quote to find out the extent and the cost of treating it. This has been arranged by the vendors EA.

I have asked our solicitors to ask the vendors solicitors if she will be willing to get it treated before we move in. There are a few things we will need to do to the property and money to pay out so we would prefer this was taken care of. I'm not sure the vendor is going to agree though. She is elderly and thinks a lot of her home but there have been issues flagged up on the survey.

The surveyor said the treatment would require us vacating the property for 3 days. This would be a really difficult thing for us all to do which is another reason why we have asked if it can be done before we move in.

If they don't agree to do it, has anyone had it done and what does it entail?

I've had it done in three houses. Two had exposed floors and only minor areas of infestation. One had extensive infestation.

In the ones with minor infestation we had the work done between exchange and completion, both properties were vacant and empty. They had been unheated and become damp which is idea conditions for infestation to take place.

In the one with significant infestation we had to throw all carpets, removed door trims and skirtings, got rid of various sections of floorboard, some beams, pulled down all the ceilings to expose room timbers, sandblasted the fireplaces/ ceiling beams/ windowsills so that the treatment could penetrate. It took several weeks to strip back the house ready for treatment. The treatment was not that high in comparison to the preparation and replacement costs.

We had significant damp issues (another long term empty house) that also needed treating.

Has damp been raised as an issue?

weused timberwise last time for extensive infestation they have some info about treatment on their web

Thanks.

Damp hasn't been raised apart from a patch in the kitchen floor that is likely a tear in the damp proofing membrane or sweating between concrete and vinyl. Roof does need replacing within the next few years and there is a ripmin the felt. The surveyor has seen it in the roof timbers. The specialists have looked but we haven't heard back yet. The EAs did say they can't be expected to take flooring up though and would just roll back the edge of the carrpets. I did say we need to know the actual extent.

Hope its not to the extent of yours! House isn't empty but it would be far easier for the vendor to stay with one of her children who are helping with the sale, than the 4 of us trying to find somewhere to stay.

Can I ask how much it cost? Looked at that link and they have a branch where I live so will bear it in mind if the vendor won't sort the problem.

Treatment in my first house, which was patch treatment really - limited to one room (almost twenty years ago - eek that makes me feel old) was £200. The most recent treatment was five years ago and combined with damp treatment to walls. It came in around £2k for a 2500 sqm house plus roof structure.

Second house which we had treated was over ten years ago but again was low hundreds.

I'm no expert but I thought that a house needed to be damp for beetle to thrive. But I guess there are different sorts.

3 days? Any reason you can't go to a hotel or similar?

find out the costs, get it knocked off the price.

Where is the woodworm? Ours is just in the loft. Quote is about 500 quid and he can do it while we live there. The stuff they use has a one hour re-entry time.

As somebody selling their house I would rather negotiate on price that do the work myself. With small kids, work etc, I just could not be bothered with doing the work. If it's something small that isn't going to cost me a sale I wouldn't do it.

special there are no hotels around where we live and we live by the school and nursery. It would be very difficult (and more costly) to have to go off to a hotel for 3 days.

The surveyor has seen it in the loft and it is being looked at to see if it has spread to the floorboards upstairs as he didn't lift the carpets up. Whilst we live there would be fine but after things like a new roof and fuse box among other things came up on the survey, it is another cost I don't want to have to pay for if we can avoid it.

There is no way she will negotiate on the cost (I don't think). She turned down our first offer (expected) and originally turned down our second, which the EAs said was a good offer and only 5k under asking. She spoke to her daughter and then changed her mind. The surveyor said she followed him around telling him exactly what her home is worth and thinks it is perfect (it isn't). I don't think she would budge on the price but if she won't agree to treat it first then we may have to ask.

It is much less hassle for her to get it done. She is a single lady and has adult children around who she could stay with (they are the ones dealing with the sale for her but they don't live with her) and we are a family of 4, 2 young children. Far more hassle for us to have to move out before we have moved in. I know its not her hassle but given the survey, we don't feel it is too much to ask tbh.

You've asked your solicitor to enquire about this so perhaps wait for a response before you make a decision on what to do next. I agree the vendor should probably get the work done but it's all about negotiation, how desperate you are to have this house and how desperate the vendor is to sell.

Well we really want it and know its likely we'll have to suck it up but I know the vendor is also really keen to sell. Especially as she now has some elderly council accommodation thing which she couldn't get until she sold her house. Still waiting for the bloody report that was done a week ago!

I would get quote, negotiate price off the house price + cost of hassle of 3 days homeless, or give them option to fix it themselves. No other choices. You cannot sell a house with faults and expect the survey to not kick them up and result in price deductions or work. She will cave. God luck!!

Well they have agreed to deduct half the cost off the price and have the work done before we move in. We are happy with that but now the company can't fit us in for the treatment before we have to complete. Our buyer is saying it has to be before the 29th August because he has to leave his rented flat but the solicitors are all saying its too tight and unlikely. Timber company are saying they can't fit us in until the first week of September at the moment.