Buyer want to check for asbestos in skimmed plastered ceilings and walls

[windyWillo]

Hello, May I please ask your opinion please. Our buyers did a home buyers survey and an asbestos check on the artex ceiling of the downstairs toilet ( this is the only place left with artex). The asbestos check came back positive. Now the buyers want to check the rest of the walls and ceilings saying skimming over is just covering the problem. When I googled the advice on artex is to skim it over or leave it as it is. To check the other ceilings that are already plastered it needs to drill holes. We like to sell our house but I think this is bit too much and thinking of refusing the further checks on already smooth plastered ceilings and walls. Please what do you think?

What was the interest in your property? If you had other options I'd refuse and relist.

There were 3 offers and we selected these buyers as they were chain free.

What do they intend to do if the walls have been skimmed over artex? Are they seriously going to taken them all back to brick? Or are they after a reduction? I’d refuse.!

If refuse and relist.

I’d*

FTB by any chance?

Yeah I'd refuse. We once had to cut a hole in our parquet laid living room floor to satisfy some random survey query - never again!

Refuse and if you have to relist. They are just after a reduction. Old houses have asbestos in them. If you have plastered walls that's fine, dont go drilling into them. The home buyers report shouldbe sufficient. They sound like first time buyers who are trying to be super thorough.

Cervinia: exactly our point it is bit strange isn’t it. It looks like they are after a reduction. Why would you try to buy a house built in late 70’s if you are this worried about artex. I am not sure how much to reduce for an artex ceiling of 1.2m x 2.5m.

Puppylucky That sounds awful. Your lovely floor.

Thing is if they want to put new lights in etc then they will want to know if asbestos underneath as drilling disturbs
Why personally i think skimming over is a bad idea as it actually hides the asbestos which is worse as people then drill in unknowingly and with no precautions

Well is it skimmed over artex?
Also are the buyers asking or the bank?

I would nt agree but it affects what you do do I think.

If you or a previous owner skimmed and left the asbestos in place inform your buyer that they do not need to test further, as the bathroom is an accurate representation of the original surfaces.

If this is the case they know they are buying a house with asbestos and that they will be limited in the remodel oppertunites or will have to pay the specialist premium for the asbestos removal.

If you believe that the bathroom is not an accurate representation of the original surfaces you could look for a non-refundable deposit which would cover the test and repairs.

The estate agent valued the house with the obvious artex and others offered on it. So I wouldn’t be offering any reduction! It’s a sellers market, if they don’t want it I’d offer it to the other interested parties then relist if necessary.

We had one potential buyer who wanted us to pull up all of the wall-to-wall carpets so that they could inspect the floors underneath. We said no.

We don’t know if it is skimmed over artex but by the looks of it it is as when we bought the house kitchen, hall way and bathroom had artex. We got them plastered. It is buyers asking not the their bank.

Wait depending on the fitting can't you just pull out the light fitting, stick the sensor in the hole, and put it back?

MissConductUS Omg no words. I am glad so many of you are agreeing that I am not being unreasonable with their requests.

If you had them skimmed over then you do know that its artex underneath
In my opinion this should always be declared so people are aware of what is underneath , I wouldn't be reducing etc though just saying yes we skimmed over and never had tested but as bathroom is asbestos containing artex , high chance hall and kitchen are too

@TamSamLam but they may want to put lights elsewhere or led lights etc, they may want to replace ceilings for some reason and therefore want to know what they are dealing with

The thing is until this test results came in we never knew that artex has asbestos. So we didn’t think about declaring it at all. We said we have skimmed over the kitchen and hallway

All the houses we have looked at to buy had artex too. Does that mean all those houses needs to have all their ceilings replaced?

You don't need to replace anything with presumed/confirmed asbestos, it just needs to be managed I.e don't do any works that will disturb it and release the fibres.

Amichelle84 That is what I thought after reading lots of Google.

we won’t offer a reduction to be honest they didn’t ask for it but will refuse further testing. If they pull out we will resist. We will lose our solicitor cost but I guess the buyers will too.