survey on house I'm selling has found a problem

[GalaxyInMyPants]

I'm selling my dad's old house after inheriting it. Dad only bought it five years ago and would have had a survey done which I'm trying to find.

basically some time ago someone has knocked the chimney breasts out the dining room and bedroom above it. It's an old terrace.

However there is still a chimney. In the loft is a chimney breast which at the bottom is resting on some sort of concrete lintel. Which in turn is resting on the wooden joists.

I'm guess ing the buyer won't be happy. Is it a problem. I would guess it's been like it for decades.

I think you will have to get a quote to see how much it will cost to rectify and then either get the works done or deduct the estimated cost of works from your asking price.

You need a structural engineer to check the support otherwise a steel will need to go in but that isn't a huge problem

If I can find who did the last survey have I cause for complaint. He would have had at least a mid range survey.

DH was a structural engineer

Oh Pesto sorry :( How are you? xx

Hi Noddy, am OK most of the time and then sometimes it is all a bit too much! Sorry I haven't seen you as I haven't been to any MN meet-ups for a while. How's things with you?

I'm sorry Pesto.

Pesto nor have I. But I am fine atm. Maybe we can meet for a coffee when I get back from holiday early Sept with M. I always think of you when I pass on my jaunts to R'dean xx

Thanks Galaxy, I just wish he was here still - to ask. He would have loved giving you advice on this thread (via me!)

Sounds like he was a nice guy Pesto.

Some lovely conversation here.

The weight of one level of chimney breast (in the loft) shouldn't be too heavy and if the builder/engineer did a proper job there to install a adequate lintel and strengthened the joists (deeper and doubled) then you should be fine although thats not the best practice structurally. Unless there is sign of crack on the chimney breast then I don't know why this was flagged in the report, considering it's been there at least a few yrs?

Thanks Hong. The surveyor has said something about checking if it meets current building regs.

I'm just a bit suspicious that sometimes a survey throws up things they charge you for which aren't actually a problem.

Years ago I sold a 100 year old terrace. Standard design round here is to share a passageway and the front doors for each house are in the middle of the house down the side opposite each other. So the passageway has the houses meeting over the top of the passage.

I was told when selling to pay something like £200 as an insurance policy against the other house disputing access. Stupidly I paid it, this was many years ago. And looking back I think it was almost a scam. No way could anyone dispute access.

I am wondering if the concrete lintel was installed at the time if it was it may have met regs then

That's what I wondered Noddy. So I'll be hacked off if I have to pay for something now just to ensure it meets current regs.

I didn't think you had to meet current regs? I thought it was over 1 year for building regs and 4 for planning that makes it unenforceable

That's interesting. Thanks.

Buyer is going round with a builder on Friday.

Doesn't sound like a massive issue. We have the same in our house with one chimney. We should either get the support strengthened our have the chimney removed but not urgent. Your only problem may be if you get the sort of buyer who panics at anything in a survey