Cracks on exterior wall

[MrRome]

I'm looking to buy a house and interested in the one that I have just seen. The major issue is that the front exterior wall has a big horizontal crack on the inside in the upstair bedroom. It is at the point where the wall and the ceiling meet. There are also some vertical cracks that run from the top of the windows (bay window) towards the ceiling. The wall doesn't look damp and the cracks are not visible from the outside of the house. However a different bedroom has got a damp wall. This is all upstairs. I didn't see any cracks on any of the downstairs walls. Does this seem like a structural issue? I am very concerned about this and finding it hard to decide about the offer. Thanks for your help.

I will post a picture once I figure out how to do it..

Hi There MrRome,

Thanks for posting and Welcome to Mumsnet!

We're no experts on this stuff but wanted to give your thread a bump to see if anyone else can shed any light on this for you.

Best of luck with it all.

Have you had a survey done? How wide are the cracks?

If the cracks are only internal it’s unlikely to be serious. There may have just been a little movement, which can be common in some areas. Where I live, the Victorian buildings that have been built on clay do this a lot and it’s normal for the area.

Only a surveyor will be able to tell you. How old is the house? Many older houses have cracked plaster work, from years of thermal expansion and contraction, plus settling of the building. If this is all going on above a bay window it could be that the window is falling away from the house, but it could equally be nothing. You’ll need a professional opinion to be sure

Sorry, posted too soon. But of course you should get a surveyor or structural engineer to inspect and give an opinion before you buy.