Leaking shower

[justgivein]

We have a shower into bath that I've tried to fix but not successful.It has affected the floor next to the bath that has resulted in cracked tiles which I've taken up to expose the rotting floor . We are planning to get valuations soon.We have a 6ft 4 son that causes the water to flood the top of the bath which I think is causing the occasional leak.I've tried to re grout the edge at the top but i think the bath may actually be tilting .Should i just leave the tiles up for the pictures and just be honest about the leak because the surveyor will find it anyway.
Also planning to buy a house near Reigate centre.Do EA's keep houses and send details to buyers registered to them and not put them on Rightmove because they receive offers straight away?

I'd get some quotes to fix the leak and make good first, and then decide if the cost will be lower than the drop in price you'd get if you sell with it in situ.
As a buyer I would be wary of it, as it could indicate poor maintenance and wonder what else would need fixing?

Thanks for your reply. Unfortunately we cannot afford to have it fixed.Should I just put the cracked tiles back because the ensuite shower also has a slight leak anyway.Other parts of the house need work/updating also so EA may put this on listing.We haven't sold for a long time so not sure how to approach it.

Firstly if you can’t afford to fix it, you need to be honest and not look like you’re hiding it, as the floor is rotted that’s going to be a major job.

Secondly have you tried your house insurance? If it’s been leaking for a long time and you habe all just continued to let it get worse then they will be able to see this snd they won’t pay out. Insurers pay out if you fix it as soon as you realise.

Thirdly yes some houses do get sent to buyers before they go on right move, but it’s a few hours or a days difference, it’s just timing of website updates.

Also I’d say op it’s going to substantially reduce the value of the property. The bathroom will need to be ripped out and the floor totally replaced. As well as checking for what other damage it’s done structurally. Letting water leakage get so bad it breaks tiles and rots the floorboards and the floor starts to give way (tilting bath) is really dangerous.

If you don’t get it fixed you need to understand the property will be devalued massively,

Ok thanks for your help.I think the buyer will probably get a new bathroom fitted anyway because all sorts of issues cracked wall tiles aswell because of heavy use since refitted five years ago.Will have to take the hit on the value.

We had a similar issue with our shower (cracked tiles and rotten floorboard underneath) in our bathroom. I did tackle it myself - it was hard work but it was achievable. I won’t talk you through it but I read guidance online and managed to replace the damaged area of floorboards and fit completely new flooring throughout for under £500 which also included a bit of wall tiling and a circular saw too (if you can find matching tiles it will be significantly less than this - mine ended up being the whole 4 x 3m floor).

The moral of the story is that I’m a 40-something accountant with four kids and I managed it with a bit of research and hard work. It was much cheaper and quicker than waiting months for somebody to come in.

If the leak is from a cracked pipe or any part of the plumbing then the damage may well be covered by your house insurance. You would need a plumber to write you a report. If its just from water overspill, or not using the shower screen properly, then unfortunately not.

It will impact on the valuation of your property. So buyers will get a smaller mortgage to buy it and need their own capital kicking about to fix it, as well as their cash deposit for the mortgage.

I think you are making a mistake not getting the floorboards fixed. The property could be valued at £10k less than you expect.

Thanks so much for the advice.No pipes are leaking it is overflow unfortunately. As much as I'd like to fix the floorboards and the bath ,and the bath will have to be taken up too. The inconvenience of not having a bath and shower to use for my family , my job hours and the valuations hopefully to take place soon it wouldn't really be possible.So probably best to leave as is because I don't want to try and conceal any problems. A friend said seal the rotting floorboards with bitumen and relay the tiles but this sounds like a bodge job and the bath is higher in the middle than both ends ,has a slight curve to it now.I' m hopeful that all the plus points of the house,between two stations 10 minutes walking distance ,large rooms,detached and in a good location with good local village shops will help sell . At the price the buyers will hopefully overlook the bathroom and put in good offers even if they have to factor a new bathroom in.Best let the surveyor see it ,not hide it ,but hang out for a good offer.As I said not that experienced at selling but good time to sell if we have a good house....hopefully. But great advice has really helped for when we let the EA in for valuation.