Impossible to get quotes for gutter replacement?

[Politico27]

Hello,

I’m buying a property (share of freehold) where the survey has flagged gutters need replacing (and probably scaffolding as it’s a two-storey property).

I need to get an idea of how much this is going to cost so I can go back to the vendor about a price reduction/ask him to sort it. However, I’m finding it nearly impossible to get a quote!

I’ve approached nearly ten firms and after giving them information about the type of property, what’s required, and even sharing the relevant pages from the survey with pictures, they all say they would need to charge a call-out fee to come look at it.

Seeing as the other freeholders would also need to foot part of the bill and I don’t own it yet, I’m really not in a position to pay £150 myself for them to come look at it in order to be able to get a quote. I’m really not that fussed about getting it 100% accurate at this stage, I just want a vague idea.

Is this normal? Any thoughts on how I might be able to get a ballpark figure? It’s driving me nuts!

Very normal.

The contractor won't come out and work for free, and the seller doesn't have to pay anything for a survey/inspection you want done. You'll need to pay, is the size of it. Most contractors will take that £150 off the bill if you then use them for the work once you move in, which is something.

£150 isn't much in the grand scheme of property purchasing, odd things you need to pay out for will inevitably come up.

Edited to say- you say you just want a vague idea, but the seller will be unlikely to go taking money off the purchase price without an actual quote for the work.

I would firstly ask via your conveyancer to ask the freeholder when the gutters were last checked and cleaned, is there a maintenance fund and are there any plans to have the gutters replaced. You don't want to spend money on having them checked if the other owners don't want or cannot pay. Our gutters were cleaned and a small piece replaced without scaffolding in a 2 storey house, the biggest cost would be the scaffolding. Has your conveyancer or you shared the survey with the vendor? I wouldn't expect anyone else to contribute unless the work is essential, affects the entire property or if its in the lease that it needs maintaining and everyone needs to pay.

“£150 isn't much in the grand scheme of property purchasing, odd things you need to pay out for will inevitably come up.”

Yes, this. Are you a first time buyer? If you don’t have £150 to spare then how will you handle it when you inevitably need to repair something?

It's because you don't own the house, so there's less chance of the quote leading to actual work.

I had 6 quotes on a small roof repair and replacement guttering and none charged a call out fee. They also didn't use scaffolding, just ladders, when the work was carried out.

Gutters is an incredibly minor job to be talking about reducing price over or expecting to be sorted before purchase - especially if it would be a job that would be shared with other freeholders. As above, it's a ladder rather than a scaffolding job, and look at the Wickes site - basic plastic guttering is under £2.50 a metre. Honestly I'd just worry about other things until I'd moved in and could liaise with the other freeholders.