1st house with problems in survey

[NoviceBuyer2022]

Hi we are buying our 1st house so really novice , also new to UK. The home buyers survey has shown some problems. Cracke in door over patio ( at rear of house) and front door and window - saying lintel flex in both places ( not sure if it means lintel failed )
Also saying flat roof over garage and extension is at end of life and needs replacing in short term
I paid a very good price for the property to take it off the market yet the survey says reasonable price
The house has some work for modernisation as well in kitchen , to install two bathrooms
I am wondering what is a good idea to buy the property at all or back off or get price reduced - slightly scared since this might be my last house or let’s say house where I age so do not want to get stuck in house if it’s not worth it
Plz advise

Your survey should have a valuation on too. If what you have offered is near the valuation then you probably won’t get a reduction.

You might have some leverage on the windows if they have been replaced since 2002, they require a FENSA certificate, if this has not been done, it might account for the fact that the lintels were not addressed at the time. If they were FENSA certified, there may be a claim on the associated insurance, but this is likely to be only for 10 years.. I think you said the new windows were between 7 and 10 years so this line of enquiry is potentially worth pursuing.

Less so, the roof as they are deemed to have a useful life of 15 to 25 years.. so it is reasonable that you might expect a flat roof to require work at some stage in the relatively near future. Depending on the condition, it is possible to patch, maintain and repair to extend it's life.

@Whattochoosenow the survey valuation is exactly the same amount - down to the hundreds same as our price - though it’s my first one but I am not sure if they did any effort to value - how can it be same to xxx,xxxx?

It means the offer you have made is right for the condition of the house. I don’t think you’ll get a lower offer accepted.

The survey does however mention that the price estimated can get impacted by the quote required for repair
Or this is a generic line that has no value and I am just emphasising on this due to it being in my favour !
2 contractors visited property
The total of all expenses is around 16 to 17 k ( without VAT)which now we are not able to accommodate since there are repairs we saw at the time of viewing at around 24 k ( again without VAT) like total bathroom replace , total kitchen replace and entire painting since survey has correctly mentioned property has not been maintained
The property ad says ready for updating but does not mention in need of modernisation
Now our dilemma is that we offered 23500 more than asking price ( it was asking above a minimum price) but we did mention while offering that it’s subject to no major finding in survey
Now what should be our next steps as in how to approach the vendor so that we don’t lose the money already spent on level 2 survey and solicitor, conveyancer etc.
any advice would be very helpful .

I think the quote for putting in lintels is too low. It will make a mess and you will need to redecorate. It’s shoddy not to have them. Flat roof quote seems cheap too. They are largely horrible things. Could it have a tiled roof instead? Costs more but lasts far longer!

I wouldn’t be keen if this was the standard of workmanship at a house I was buying. Updating and modernisation are the same thing for me. Both mean bringing the horse up to a modern standard. The lintels are an omission which affects the structure (are the windows cracked?) and the roof is lack of maintenance. I would want £10,000 off at least.

If the estate agent has more people queuing to buy it, I might call their bluff. No lintels is not a minor problem and if will be disruptive.

So one of the contractors has quoted 3500 for adding lintels for 5 windows leaving patio door and 1 front window and 1 small stair window
For flat roof the same contractor has quoted 3500 to 4000 again
All without VAT
Yes the windows are cracked inside as well as outside hope the pic helps
Do you mean the quote is low for a good work?
The property in general has several blown plaster
So cost of redecorating is higher as well

If I am honest I am indecisive about the condition of the property after the survey .. does it make sense to get the price reduced for a good home if you see the pics here

Few more

And

Ah! I didn’t see the without VAT but what are you going to do about cracked windows? Doesn’t the patio window need a lintel!? It must be a wide opening and the window is supporting the wall. Not what l would expect.
The roof price seems cheap. There is a real need to get a slope on the roof to stop water ponding. You need drainage for it if it doesn’t have it. If you don’t want to move again I would go for a really good solution, not a cheaper one that won’t last.

I took my detailed survey on my 1860's house as my advised maintenance plan for the next few years.

The patio door (2nd photo) and one front window (1st photo) have lintel but are flexed
This is where I am novice
Adding lintel and repainting to conceal cracks
Is it enough to make me feel house is good and structurally sound now ?

Do the photos help to understand the situation?

But surely you could see all the cracks when you viewed? Why would you offer so far above asking when you were planning new kitcken/ bathrooms and full decorating?

I think you could offer 5k less to account for the lintel issue but everyone knows flat roofs aren't permanent. Every survey I've ever had mentions flat roof needs replacing if there is one.

The cracks also don't look too bad, just aesthetic. Waaay less than I have in my house but yours is a much newer build.

Retrospectively thinking it’s the general area price in Stratford upon avon
And some properties we lost where asking price was 325 and offers 350+ just 0.2 miles away though in immaculate condition
We did put price subject to survey clause in offer to be able to reduce in case survey comes up with finding or cancel offer altogether if needed
All those Cracks were not much visible due to few reasons like 15 mins of viewing in late evening and the inside cracks we were not sure of the reason whether plaster or structural
So it might be safe to say we did offer under market pressure but did put a clause to help us in offer mail indeed
Now the question I am struggling with is after all repairs done lintel and flat / pitched roof , is the house gonna be ok or the cracks due to lintel will keep coming ( I.e. structure now no longer good enough)
Please if you have experience to guide do so

1. All houses (even new) can and do have faults due to ageing and lack of maintenance.
2. Faults vary and those you have mentioned are not catastrophic.
3. There are other important considerations when buying a property, eg. neighbours, neighbourhood, location, etc.
4. Can you afford the 'improvements' if the seller refuses to lower the price. After all it is a 'used' property you are buying and as such the faults may be costed in.

Now the good news. The Agent wants someone to buy this property, anyone, that way they get paid. So be super sweet to them , explain the faults, cost, your lack of additional budget to fix the problem and ask them to negotiate a price that will allow you to proceed.

Whether you are willing to walk away is something I don't know, but don't entertain the 'there is another potential buyer' in the wings. That potential buyer even if they exist will not magic away the works that are required.

That's my practical take on a very emotional decision.

@BurgerOnTheOrientExpress thank you very much for the practical advice
Think that is what I need to know how to take it ahead from here

@NoviceBuyer2022
I cannot see where the windows are out of shape.

Concrete lintels are cheaper than steel ones. If you look around, you see very few of them in decent houses. Mainly because they are too ugly for residential dwellings. I’ve rarely seen them. This builder/owner saved money. Lintels are usually set into the wall and faced with bricks so you don’t see them. The concrete ones are reinforced with steel but are just ugly. They do the job though. I’m assuming this is a cavity wall and I’m really surprised anyone used concrete lintels. Are they the same age as the house? Is this a newer extension?

If they are failing, it might be due to water ingress affecting the rigidity of the concrete. What we the case, they are horrible. I would factor in replacing them as the survey says they are flexing (concrete doesn’t flex!) and that means they are not doing the job they should be doing.

When were the windows replaced? If in the past 15 years or not so long ago it should have a FENCA certificate. It is very important, seller can not just tell you or any other body how good the installation is, it needs to have the FENCA certificate. it could potentially fall or damage property, if the current owner can not provide the certificate, they should call out the FENCA people (£50...). It is a mandatory certificate to have when seing, so you don't have to pay for it they should. If they fail , you need to concider this in cost... as the windows might need huge work to be done to comply with rules and regs and be able to be registered. You can not sell a house without FENCA , so i would investigate this with your solicitor right now.

Thanks @MaternityNurse007
It good to know it’s seller’s obligation to provide FENCA certification
I don’t know when windows were replaced but can ask surely now the survey mentions unavailability of other certificates as well like gas , electricity
Is that also seller’s obligation to provide if not available as in is he supposed to get them tested to be able to sell ?

It’s FENSA and they have an on line guide. When were the windows replaced?

Here is some info that might help.

The rest!

How long was the house on the market for? To be honest, those are not huge issues and depending on the property location/popularity then the seller might just pull out if you keep asking for reductions. Surveys are meant to tell you the property condition and what you might need to do over the coming months/years after you move in - they do not have the sole purpose of renegotiating. Also, gas and electrical certs are only required if letting.