How much is too much on a full survey?

[NosyJosey]

We have had our full survey back on a new house with 8 grade 3s and 9 grade 2s. Some of the work is big stuff like replace flat roof, and re-render whole building. Both currently causing damage to bricks and consequently damp. Three significant areas of damp, which I think (based on zero knowledge) could be resolved by said works, plus removing raised concrete patio, and repair to gutters and drainpipes amongst other stuff. We expected this, however it is more urgent than anticipated, and we will have zero cash to compete it. We planned on saving for a couple of years before doing any work.

What irritates me, is that this is supposedly a renovated house, however other damp contributors are poorly tiled showers, visible holes in original roof tiles, flues not ventilated properly. The seller informed us there would be nothing we needed to do. Wrong.

There are also ongoing issues with the house being registered as one property along with its adjoining semi (once knocked through to be a care home, and now back to being two houses). The land registry also shows as one plot on the deeds I got through. I'm kind of wondering if this is a mistake or it just hasn't been addressed. I'm having nightmares about lost post, council tax and credit scores

We have asked her to either consider reducing the price or preferably doing some work. We will get quotes if she she is willing to negotiate. Some of the work excites me as I'd love to have the satisfaction of bringing it back to life, but I'm neither financed for it or magic.

So where would you all, or have you all cut your losses and walked away after a survey?

Sounds like if you don't want to do the work it's a cut your losses. However first speak to the surveyor. Our survey was a list of disasters (only the garage, which we plan to demolish, didn't have any major issue) however when we called the surveyor he was like "oh glad I didn't put you off" then went on to tell is what was really important and what would wait. It was a lot less scary then.

Yep I agree...talk to surveyor. We had same where survey made property sound bad then chat with surveyor made light of a lot of the issues.

Depending on state of flat roof it might be able to be temporarily patched to buy a few more years.

Rendering might also be able to have patch jobs to buy time?

The issue with the registration would bother me enormously and i would want it sorted before buying.
We just bought a house that needs updating and slight renovation and it costs a lot more than you'd think, would be very wary if you already think you don't have the budget.

Yes we are planning to speak to the surveyor on Monday. I'm very impressed actually. He didn't leave any stone unturned judging by the angle of some of the photos.

Part of me is still naive optimistic, but then I remember we have no money after the sale, I'm on maternity, and I don't want to be living in a damp draughty house all winter with a baby and a three year old. Oh doesn't want to 'waste' the survey money by not buying.

And yes, the registry along with the surprise shared drive causes me nightmares. Asda online still considers it to be one house, and between them they have been known by several names. The paperwork for the sale even has different names on it. Rectifying all this could take longer than starting a fresh, but we're desperate not to lose our buyer. Today I'm more confused than yesterday

Bodged jobs are worse than no maintenance. What else has been screwed up?

What did the survey cost, a few hundred? How many thousands will it take to fix all this?

Specialsubject it was a full survey so pricey but worth every penny to me. For a recently renovated house there far too many blemishes on the surface for me to get any other sort of survey.

Panic stations that we will lose our buyer now

I think its a definite "walk away".

Are you getting a mortgage because if so I am surprised they haven't insisted on a retention bearing in mind the work needed?

Don't get me wrong, I entirely agree the survey was well worth it. If you walk you lose that money but look what it might have saved.

To keep the buyer, consider rental. Yes, a pain , but you have to sell.

Mmm I wouldn't be keen from what you've said. Our first house looked OK on the surface. In actual fact, we inherited a lot of botched jobs. We have rectified most of it, done a bit more and now sold it on. But I would be very wary of buying another house like this. It is 1920's and we only got a homebuyers report. It wasn't extortionate to fix, just irritating because it was lots of small things that you couldn't ignore if wanting to do other improvements.

We have just bought our next house, and got a full building survey on that. It is a victorian property, and will always need quite a bit of maintenance. It has been owned by people who have loved it and looked after it though, we feel a lot less concerned about what we are inheriting with this one. We had 4 x Grade 3's, 3 x Grade 2's and 13 x Grade 1's. The detail does matter, eg. two of our Grade 3's were because the electrics and gas hadn't been tested, but that's quite usual to flag up on most properties.

Do you think you can find somewhere else to buy? Our sale nearly fell through, and I think we would have stayed put...there is just nothing else about for us at the moment.

Florence there is very little about, but we've decided it's definitely an option to get a 3 bed and convert the garage to a 4th bedroom next summer when I'm back to work and have been able to save. It opens up our search a little bit. It ma be possible to stay with the in laws for a very short time if completion dates don't match, or I can very maybe take the little two to see my parents for a few nights too (100 miles away).

Thanks everyone, it's really helpful to hear your opinions.

It's a real shame, but the alarm bells are getting louder, hope I'm wrong. It's taken her 4 weeks to return the sellers papers, and it turns out she completed them in November and the solicitor has had them all this time. Doesn't bode well that she can divvy up the land quickly does it.

Also, does anyone know if it's common for a 1920s house to have the stopcock under next doors sink?!

And yes the mortgage has been approved

I can't imagine that's normal about stopcock!

Boundary/ownership disputes are one of the biggest things you need to avoid as they can become an expensive nightmare. The blurred boundaries and ownership of that property would make me look elsewhere. We have a situation with a potential 'flying freehold' on our current house we're buying and I have had it made clear not to sign any contract until it's all checked and agreed else I could suddenly have a dispute and lose areas of my extension!

Definitely consider selling and going into rented. Don't tell agency you are looking short term, just sign for the 6 month contract then go rolling after that. By the time you've got yourself straight and found a house you'd like and gone through all the buying rigmarole your 6 months will be long finished

Our's was 1920's and stopcock in our house under kitchen cupboards and there is an external reader.

I am gradually coming round to this listen to your gut business. If your's is being hesitant I think you're right to listen out for what it's saying.

Housebuying is a nightmare isn't it

If nobody has even bothered to fit a stopcock it isn't good.

And yes, I rented on what was allegedly a short term and it was six months to exchange. Took a while to find a place and then we got the seller going into rental oh-not-really thing. It is worth the hassle.

Sil's BIL (I know) does this work for a living and his response to the survey contained the words barge pole. Decision made there I think. Have an idea the seller is expecting us to not go ahead due to a text she sent about our survey being carried out, and her taking weeks to get the solicitor to send off the papers. Have some interesting calls to make in the morning. Wish me luck

Phew!!