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Original poster

100 year old house survey feedback- keep going or avoid like the plague?

29 replies

tinkytot · 19/01/2015 17:49

Hello

In the process of buying an old house, had a survey completed today, surveyor been there all day as we paid for a big survey.

Feedback is electrics are fine, inside showing odd patches of damp therefore Roof needs some flashing/lead replacing and work to most of guttering. There has been no heating inside for two months as people have departed so that may have affected some of damp readings.

We really like the house, but as we have only lived in new builds, are worried what we may be taking on.

Surveyor advised the roof may need replacing in five or ten years as there have only been minor reparations/ patching and I guess it is 100 years old!

Advice or others experiences would be great! It is the top end of our budget so worried we over commit ourselves and are left with a nightmare!

Thanks in advance. X

OP posts:
titchy · 19/01/2015 17:54

Doesn't sound too bad tbh. Damp proof courses are fairly cheap, as is guttering. A new roof will be a few grand. Do you know any builders who could give you a rough cost? This is the point at which you go back and ask for a reduction in price by the way - you need it to work financially for you.

Cathpot · 19/01/2015 17:56

Both our houses have been Victorian and to be honest if that's all you got back on the survey that's pretty good. You could price the roof repairs and haggle on the price. The key with older buildings is ventilation, as soon as you start sealing them up with double glazing etc you can get issues, and the heating etc will probably be expensive. I love old houses myself but they can be expensive to run.

ihatethecold · 19/01/2015 17:59

We replaced our roof on our Victorian cottage 8 years ago for 3k.
I would imagine the price will be alot more now.

ireallydontlikemonday · 19/01/2015 18:01

Sounds fine, certainly not a reason to walk away.

Pantone363 · 19/01/2015 18:04

The cottage we rent (120 years old) has extensive woodworm in the loft and interior beams.

Damp
Sagging floors
Leaky single glazed window frames.

Yours sounds fine!

VivaLeBeaver · 19/01/2015 18:05

Sounds good to me.

Guttering and flashing won't be too expensive. The roof May last an awful lot longer. You have the option of patching it up for ever! We replaced our roof a couple of years ago and it was 3k for a big roof which was a lot cheaper than Id expected.

we have areas of slight damp in our old house but it's more to do with condensation/ventilation. Being u heated really won't have helped.

piggychops · 19/01/2015 18:06

You may also be able to get a grant towards the roof.

MoreBeta · 19/01/2015 18:09

Sounds fine. I bought a 200 year old house without a survey. I just walked round with a builder and roofer who do a lot of old Listed buildings.

We checked out the damp patches, dodgy slates, drooping drain pipes, sagging roof lines. No major cracks in walls. I knew it needed work outside and gutting inside. What else can a surveyor tell you than what you can see for yourself already.

violetwellies · 19/01/2015 18:12

My roof was a fortune, but a lot of timbers needed replacement and a new chimney, insulation all got done at the same time, massive area - effectively two houses, over 25k.
You need a couple of estimates and as said above, use this to haggle.

FunMitFlags · 19/01/2015 18:28

Sounds pretty good for a house of that age.

PigletJohn · 19/01/2015 18:49

if an old house is what you want, you have to accept that it will always need stuff doing to it, and it will be expensive to heat.

If you like it, I hope you will be able to retain or restore the original feel, though you can modernise plumbing, heating and electrical services, and improve insulation and draughtproofing.

ICantFindAFreeNickName · 19/01/2015 18:59

It really does not sound too bad for an old house. If you are keen on a old house with character, I would say go for it. If you are not too bothered by period character, I would say maybe think again.

Old houses can cost more to heat (insulation not as good) and often more to renovate/decorate (materials to match always seem o cost a lot more than modern materials0.

My house is over 130 years old and though I love it really, it has been a endless money pit, some days I dream of moving into a new build house, that's been designed with modern families in mind.

Bowlersarm · 19/01/2015 19:02

Sounds good for such an old house. There are bound to be things the survey brings up, but nothing sounds major.

A new roof would be expensive but there's no reason you can't keep patching it up if you need to.

Keep buying.

Apatite1 · 19/01/2015 19:04

Don't move forwards until you've factored in a new roof, even if they say it's ten years down the line. If that all still works financially then the rest sounds not too bad!

BlueBrightBlue · 19/01/2015 19:05

I would never buy another old house.

Original poster
tinkytot · 19/01/2015 19:50

It's such a tricky decision! We had a fuller survey so we knew what we were buying and see it as a way of knowing what needs doing with a view to getting it done over time after moving in.

The electrics and heating are modern as is the kitchen. It is the damp patches caused by leaks with flashing, fascias and guttering which would need addressing according to the surveyor.

Your replies are very helpful!

OP posts:
VivaLeBeaver · 19/01/2015 20:08

Remember a surveyor will always be the voice of doom and gloom IMO. They don't want the risk of you coming back in five years time and complaining that they didn't tell you about x and y.

RaphaellaTheSpanishWaterDog · 19/01/2015 21:57

Sounds ok to me too - but then we bought our last three houses (Tudor rebuild, Georgian and early Victorian respectively) without having a survey done as we feel that all old houses are going to have issues and most are fairly apparent once you know what to look for......

Surveyors are experts on covering their own backsides imho (understandably so in this sue-all age) and are only the GPs of house-buying, not the consultants.....ie, they can give a general opinion but not an indepth, expert diagnosis.

I'd keep on buying!

greenbanana · 20/01/2015 09:57

If the damp patches have been identified as caused by roof flashing etc then I think it's actually a good thing. It's the unidentified stuff that gets annoying!

If you're worried I'd get a roofer round to look at what needs fixing and quote - it shouldn't cost a lot. Don't be tempted to wait before fixing - it will affect plaster and then you're paying for plasterer as well as roofer.

We're buying a very similar house - Victorian, been empty for 4 months. Our survey was worse (new roof needed soon, some damp not caused by roof so possible damp proof course issue). We've had some specialists to look at things so we know the costs and we're going ahead with the purchase.

sugarhoops · 20/01/2015 12:50

We live in a 1910 house and yes, there is an element of continual upkeep to it (re-doing woodwork around original sash windows, sorting bits on the roof, insulation issues, the list goes on!), but we ADORE period properties over newer builds.

I think you have to really be in love with period properties and features for it to work for you - if you don't really care much for original floorboards, big fat skirting boards, bay windows, picture rails, other original features, then you might find yourself just feeling peed off with spending money on upkeep of your period property. So don't just consider the survey, but consider the overall period package too.

FWIW, the survey sounds fine - ask a friendly roofer to walk past and take a look at the house. Then haggle with the buyer for a reduction to meet the costs. Good luck!

TheCountessofFitzdotterel · 20/01/2015 12:57

Our survey claimed to have found damp everywhere - turned out to be utter nonsense, he didn't know the difference between damp and condensation (house had been empty for a year).

I'm assuming your house isn't listed and you'll be able to use plastic guttering - metal guttering is very expensive.

Leadwork is also a bit expensive so I would at least get some quotes. Overall, though, I think your survey sounds pretty good and would definitely not stop me buying somewhere.

wonkylegs · 20/01/2015 14:17

Sounds fine to me. Factor in a planned roof replacement in your costs before it leaks. In our experience 1910 slate roofed terrace, may not be too expensive and if planned in the summer can be quick & not too messy.
DH & I are fans of older properties current one is from 1870 and although we have had to do work to it (we've completely renovated this one through choice) it's been a lot less trouble than my dad's (1960s) or my mums (2005) houses which seem to continually have unexpected problems. The modern one is the worst because frankly the build quality of our shed is higher, how mums house passed building regs I'll never know.

Original poster
tinkytot · 20/01/2015 14:53

Thanks for replies and advice, having slept on it I am feeling a little happier than I was when we first heard the news!

I am arranging for a couple of folk to come and have a look at the house to get a better idea of price.

Keep the views coming it is really helpful xxxx

OP posts:
peggyundercrackers · 20/01/2015 15:00

I wouldn't worry too much about the roof, I think all surveyors say that about roofs on old houses. ours said the same however 7 yrs on its just in the same state as it was when we bought it and no it doesn't need replaced or any other work on it.

MaliceInWinterWonderland78 · 20/01/2015 15:04

I've never read a survey that's been anything other than negative.

This doesn't sound too bad, though I would say (living in an old (ish) property myself) that you're in for a shock going from new-build to old. It's alot more work and the bills are much higher. There are many benefits of course, but they're actually harder to live in. It's analogous to driving a classic car really.