Buying Victoria property?

[notsosoftanymore]

We've just had an initial verbal report from the surveyor, he said 'mainly the sort of problems you would expect from a property of this age' (1860) plus some damp and reservations about the chimney which he'll put in his written report. It's a semi detached on the side of a not very steep hill.
We like the house and expect some problems but it looked to us in OK condition and we're a bit freaked out by what he said.
Any comments would be welcome. Thanks.

Sounds totally normal and like there is nothing major to worry about.

We live in an early Victorian property and we've had everything from sash windows to bomb damage but it's all fixable and they were built to last.

My advice is to look at his report and cost it out, remember not everything has to be done immediately, but on the face of it it sounds OK.

Do not get an injectable damp course put in. Old buildings are built differently and need to breathe. Surveyors often say damp but don't diagnose it. Don't get a free company around to look at it.

What's the issue with the chimney?

I have a Georgian house and I knew it would have problems before the survey said so. I allowed a bit more in the budget for when they became pressing. I'd have been put off by subsidence, but not by much else. Damp is to be expected.

Thanks for the comments. We have only lived in 1980/1990s houses before and we've certainly done those up and added loft extensions, new kitchens etc but we've never bought something of this age. We don't really want loads of expensive work and it's the 'what you'd expect for a house of this age' that's alarming us because we don't know what to expect!

It doesn’t sound massively alarming. Older properties will naturally have more issues such as damp, roof issues etc. the full report should give you a lot more detail and don’t forget you can call the surveyor to ask questions on the report of you have any additional questions once you’ve read it.

a Victorian property will be very different to a 1980’s/1990’s house but it doesn’t have to be scary

It’s 160 years old. By now should have had at least 2 full renovations, make sure you’re not buying it on the cusp of its third.

Thanks @C4tastrophe that's what I'm a bit scared of. The current owner is an architect who hasn't been there long (relationship breakdown) and she has renovated the kitchen and created a nice open-plan area. I don't know whether an architect is trustworthy or not! The house has flagstones throughout the ground floor rather than wooden floors which seems odd.

Actually sounds quite promising if an architect bought it, as long as she didn’t buy it as a ‘project’.
Solid floors are ok, I prefer them downstairs.
What are the plumbing and electrics like? And the water pressure upstairs?
Is the external brickwork in good order? And is it cavity wall or colder solid wall?
Wait for the report and post the worrying bits here and talk it over with the surveyor.

I'd be very surprised if a Victorian house didn't have damp.
I echo what the others have said about avoiding damp proof injections. Old houses need to breathe, so lots of air flow and bare bricks where possible.

Thanks, I'm really grateful for these comments and a bit nervous about the damp question because I get mild asthma and the climate is definitely getting damper. Hmm.
@C4tastrophe thanks again for the useful questions, the bathroom and kitchen have been recently replaced so I imagine that the plumbing and electrics will have been done as part of that but it's going to come up in the surveyor's report which will come this week.

I’ve bought three old properties now (one at a time!) and all of them have had surveys that basically say “My God! A hovel! To be expected for its age but barely habitable and only a fool would do this”. It’s the survey’s job to put the wind up you.

You want to take each red flag in turn and weight it up: our current house is 1900 and red flags included “gas hob in the kitchen, untested” – because it’s not the surveyor’s job to test it so they have to red flag it. Versus real red flags like “a literal hole in the roof and a bucket underneath it to catch the water”.

As pp said about damp course injections (a con!), old houses have specific ways they were built and need maintenance to match. Damp in my old houses has been from:

Blocked chimneys, fixed by clearing them out, capping the chimney, etc
Rotten window frames
Too-small drainage pipe on flat bay roof so it got clogged and puddled
Missing lead flashing on the roof
Fireplaces removed and chimney breast closed up without ventilation thingy (old houses like to air!)
Blocked air bricks
Paving built too high outside or sloping against the house – old houses tend to have air bricks that vent under the floorboards, these need to be kept clear, not built over, and create a through draught from one end of the building to another, under the floorboards. They’ll also likely have a piece of slate or similar a few bricks high on the outside: often people pave up and over these and the damp begins; can be solved with a French drain - cutting away 4” of paving nearest the house, digging down and filling with gravel
Condensation – new, non-draughty windows installed, fireplaces closed up, floors covered in wall-to-wall, shiny latex paint on walls, and lots of tumble drying. Solved by removing all that stuff and opening a window!
Mysteries! My parents have lived in their Victorian house for 35 years, solved all of the above and more, and there is still one small patch of damp below the bay window in the dining room. Never figured it out but the house is still standing at 140 years old and tiny patches of Mystery Damp, once all causes have been ruled out, can be solved with some Ronseal Damp Paint and an emulsion top coat

I'm an architect with a house that age (it's not mine though as I'm never going to sell)
Things to check would be
When were the electrics last checked - were they fully redone or partially? Check it has adequate plug sockets - when we moved in ours several rooms only had 1 single socket.
Plumbing - age and type of boiler? Age of radiators - check the bottom seams for signs of leaks. Weirdly older rads are better than ones replaced in the 80's 90s because the quality is often better.
Have the lead pipes been replaced on the water, what is the water pressure like? Not a massive issue but old pipes can furr and cause pressure issues, it's relatively easy and not too expensive to replace and get fab pressure with a new water main connection to the house.
What is the condition of the roof like? When was it last replaced or repaired?
Are there any problems with the roof?
Gutters & drains - have the gutters been replaced or repaired or are they the originals - if so what condition are they in.
Windows - condition? Type?
Original sashes - single or double glazed, will you need to budget for new ones
Insulation - has any insulation been fitted?
Damp - what's causing the damp - does it need repointing? Blocked gutters or cracked drains? Leaks in roof? Blocked air vents? Condensation from inadequate ventilation or insulation? Has the ground around the house been raised and is blocking air bricks?
As others have said beware of 'injectable damp proof companies' pretty much always the wrong solution.
Do the chimneys need repointing/capping or are there structural issues?
Have the chimneys been swept?
In a 160yrs there are bound to have been some bodges by previous owners and you won't necessarily find those until after moving in, however if the current owner has started refurbishing hopefully they have found some of them and corrected them already. Most of ours were in the kitchen and bathrooms and are now sorted. Having to live with bodged conservatory whilst we save up to replace.

If aspestos has been flagged up in a Victorian house mainly in the artex ceilings is it ok to move in without a specialist checking it out?

This is a great post. I laughed at the "hovel", as that's what my survey said (though I could already tell just by looking 😬)

@SurreyHillsinspring it's fine as long as it's not damaged. The principal danger comes from breaking up or damaging it when removing it as this releases the fibres.
HSE (health & safety executive) guidance on it. www.hse.gov.uk/asbestos/essentials/coatings.htm
Worksheets on how to deal with artex /textured ceilings here if doing maintenance or removal

www.hse.gov.uk/asbestos/essentials/index.htm#a4 scroll down for ceiling coverings

It's not usually a problem unless you are doing works to the ceiling. It can be encapsulated if you wish to get rid of the texture or removed both are safe options.

Sounds completely normal for a Victorian property. If you buy a period house, you have to expect general wear and tear - it would be really rare not to have these issues. Just cost it out and ask for the money (or half the money) off the asking price

Thanks so much for this hopefully will put my mind at rest as long as it's not disturbed I won't have to sit in a hazmat suit in the lounge and it will be ok to paint the ceiling including the cracks in the coving,but obviously not drilling.