Grade II listed - revised offer after survey

[badgerread]

I had an offer accepted on a property on the 1st December. It is a Grade II listed semi detached cottage, been on the market 15 months with no offers therefore hasn't gone to survey before. It was on at OIEO £400k and I got it for £410k.

Full building survey done (which I KNOW brings up everything). Significant issues raised are the roof which needs repointing at a cost of between £10 and £12k, 7 windows need restoring/repairing at (worse case) £800 each, front and back door needs repairing, shiplapping at front needs replacing, potential drainage problem at rear (need to have CCTV survey done to find out what is blocking the rear gulley) and plastic rainwater fittings need replacing at rear with metal ones.

I'm looking for a reduction of £25k. Vendor admitted to my surveyor 'the property was in really good condition when we moved in 16 years ago, we haven't done a thing to it)'

I appreciate it's an old building and needs maintenance but I offered before knowing what needed doing. What do you think my chances are?

Nothing to lose in trying.

Sounds like things you’d expect to replace update on an old property. Particularly windows.

The fact that it needed updating (ie that they have not done any work to it) should be recognisable as presumably nothing looked new?

The windows are inoperable apparently, I did notice they needed some tlc but didn't realise they were inoperable as I didn't try and open them. I'll give it a go and see what happens. I'm just not in a position to take these additional costs (that I didn't know about) on unfortunately...

I dont understand how you repoint a roof? Its normally walls? You might not have to replace the windows - a lot of companies can renovate and repair old windows which would be cheaper. Could the windows have been painted shut? £25k is a lot to ask for. Could you have another viewing and take round a builder experienced in old properties to get their opinion?

You could probably getaway with not replacing the guttering at the back - particularly if its not visible from the road, or do it sometime in the future rather than straight away.

How about a link to the property - would love to see it!

That's what I thought about repointing but apparently that's the term roofers use 😃
www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-98573222.html

That's beautiful. No harm in asking for a bit off - but £25K sounds like a lot.

Do you need a mortgage?

What a lovely house. You could try, but it seems a big reduction though.

Ok i understand now - sounds like just the ridge needs doing? I would get a roofer to double check and quote. Surveyors often suggest things to cover themselves but jobs dont always need doing when you look properly.

Its a gorgeous cottage. If this is the type of property you are looking for there are always going to be issues like this so i would just double check everything mentioned.

Have you spoken to the surveyor at all because they are normally happy to discuss the survey and will be able to explain some of the things they have put in the report. They may tell you that a lot of things they have mentioned are fine and to be expected but they have to mention it all in the written report to cover themselves.

Have you asked the owners if the windows open - they've possibly swelled in the damp winter weather and might be much better in summer?

I have had a roofer round to have a look and thats what he's quoted. That's to take off the tiles on the front of the roof, make good the mortar, put the tiles back and replace the missing tiles at the back. The price for the windows is for repair not replacement.

I've spoken to the surveyor in depth and also another family member who is a retired surveyor.

I do have to get a mortgage yes, for approx. 40% of the value.

I think i would try to get £10k off if you can afford to do that and see how it goes. Good luck!

Thanks so much, I'll let you know how it goes 😊

I think it's unreasonable to expect the vendors to cover the cost of all the repairs. I think it's fair enough to ask for a reduction towards unseen problems but you would have got a general impression of the condition from your viewings.

Oh my goodness OP, how weird, I was lusting after that very house on RM for a while last year! I as even willing to overlook the downstairs bathroom

We are not in the position to move just yet but I thought it was the perfect location, budget and style for us. It's a gorgeous house and I hope you have many, many happy years in it. No real advice to give but best of luck with your negotiations.

I would put in a revised offer 25k below. It was on the market for 15 months and yours was the first offer. You can't afford the repairs if current price stands, so they would lose the sale. What's to lose? You can always decide if you want to increase your offer if it's refused. You have genuine reasons for reducing your offer.

hens ahhhhh thanks that's a lovely thing to say! fingers crossed it goes ahead 🤞

asit my thoughts exactly 😊 thank you

bea I have no idea about roofing or whether the pulley has broken in a sash so these are unseen problems?

bilbodog Tue 05-Jan-21 11:57:14
I dont understand how you repoint a roof.

In a lot of older properties the roof slates/tiles were originally 'back-pointed', ie. mortar was used to seal the gaps between the slates/tiles, on the underside of the roof.

I would look for a reduction towards the roof, but not the other bits. Not being able to open the window won't be a real issue immediately and they can be done bit by bit later.

its not like you are negotiating downwards for a new kitchen...roof and windows are damned dear esp when you are dealing with listed buildings

this is going to come up for every survey, so I am with Asitgoes on the whole.

And if they said they have done nothing structurally with the property for the last 16 years then they cannot be surprised that some niggles have escalated into more pressing issues.

You certainly should ask for a reduction regarding the windows. This cottage is grade 2 listed and you will almost certainly be expected to keep and repair the windows or replace them with virtually identical ones. Off the shelf they won’t be. Expensive it will be!

So many people don’t realise listed buildings cost lots to repair due to the Historic buildings officers being involved at every turn and standards have to be maintained to preserve the building. You cannot just do what you want.

It’s a huge shame the present owners have not maintained it properly and scrimped. They should lose out now. However why did you offer £10,000 above the minimum when it had been unsold for 15 months? I do think that if the vendors pushed you on price, they are wanting their cake and eat it people. They gave saved on not maintaining it and now want top $.

You can see that the roof is in a bad way - the very fact that they've let it get like that and not even bothered to clear moss and ivy from it! And the lead looks like has but missing and might need replacing in parts?
But then they might argue that you must have seen that when you made the offer.
I would definitely drop the offer and see where it goes.

Bear in mind too that if you need the roof doing it will have to be done with sympathetic materials etc and you may need to get planning permission to do (we did for our new roof and windows, also G2)

As @PresentingPercy said, you can't buy off-the-shelf windows. We had to have ours hand made (no double glazing either), and they even specified the wood we could use and the colour they had to be painted. We were pretty fed up as we wanted natural oak windows.

presenting I originally offered £390k but they rejected it, then £400k then £410k. In hindsight maybe I should have left it. However I didn't ☹

I sent an email to the agent last night outlining my reasons for my revised offer, they came back this morning asking for a copy of the survey. I sent through the pages from the survey relevant to the issues in my email and reduced my offer by £24,100.

We'll see......

The windows and roof is basically nearly £18k of the reduced offer which includes restoring/repairing all the windows and replacing/repairing the whole roof..

Lovely house but you can definitely see it needs work, especially the roof!