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Would you buy this house?

2 replies

BlueBrolly · 30/05/2021 19:48

I've found an almost perfect house, right within the tiny catchment for a primary school we like. Houses in this area don't come up often as people tend to settle for a few years. It's a large pebbledash 1930s semi with everything we want. There is one fly in the ointment though, the kitchen is built in an extension across the back of the house over-looking the garden. The issue is with the rear pebbledash wall. The wall has been built solidly (with no air gap) and the celotex foam insulation on the exterior, covered with wire mesh & pebbledashed. This means that to fix anything to the outside wall would need screws longer than 6 inches. The extension has full planning permission & building control certificates. The vendor explained that just as the build started, he was taken to hospital with a life-threatening illness & was away for the whole build. A friend stepped-in to keep an eye on things as the back wall had already been removed at this point. The friend pointed out the anomaly with the back wall but the builder showed him the architects plans which specified this solid wall. The back wall is not load bearing from above & no beams sit on it. The ground is totally clear & quite low below the bottom of the wall so no moisture can puddle around the foam & it's decked-over to bring the back garden level with the house. There is a trench-type metal drain across the whole back wall. What d'you think? I really really want it but I'm a bit worried about the non-standard construction.

OP posts:
Neptunesgiraffe · 30/05/2021 21:18

If you really want it, I'd see what the survey brings up. My survey had a remedy for every problem. And I got a quotes for each remedy. Or, if you don't want to offer and to do a survey yet, you could still find a surveyor or builder (or whoever is most appropriate) to come with you on a viewing to look specifically at the wall.

notangelinajolie · 31/05/2021 15:52

Homebuyers Surveyors Report will flag it up and recommend you seek the advice of a structural surveyor. I'd skip the building survey if you haven't already had it done and pay for a structural surveyor to look at it. No point paying twice.

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