First time cash buyer level 2 survey has issues

[Froob]

Hi everyone,
So excited to join mumsnet and doing my first post!

I'm a FTB, cash buyer. House is a 3 bed, 2 reception. I got the level 2 survey results today and worried about quite a few issues given a red rating.

Please can someone advise whether these are red flags and I should walk away or how much you would renegotiate with the seller?

I am happy with the house overall, and it's the only affordable one and I've been looking for over a year. I'm buying it with multiple people so just want to see if anyone can advise.

Thank you

How old is the house op? It sounds like it might be a period property that hasn't been upgraded or had much maintenance. None of it sounds horrendous but I'd want a second opinion on the cracks about whether it could be subsidence. Are you planning to have a budget for modernisation?

None of it would worry me, however I can understand your concerns as a first time buyer.

Firstly, as the PP has says, I am presuming this is an older property. Understand, all houses will come with ongoing maintenance, so make sure you are aware of it and make financial provisions.

Secondly, surveyors will always cover their backsides which is why surveys are full of, you should get further tests, this may happen, possibly etc etc.

FInally, understand that things like electrics may be perfectly safe but will not meet the current regulations, that is very normal.

So what to do, before purchase on the results of the survey - ask an electrician to do a electric check probable cost about £100 - this will tell you the electrics are fine.

Get a structural engineer to have a look at the roof purlins in the loft - cost ish, depending on where you are in the country about £500.

Have a roofer look at the chimney and the lead flashings.

The last thing I will say, if it is an older age, remember they need to breathe to ensure there is no damp. Never get damp companies to have a look at a house, they will tell you the world is going to end in order to sell you expensive damp treatments which do more harm than good.

Good luck and enjoy your first home, both a daunting and exciting time in equal measure.

The failing lintels would concern me. The electrics meh - hardly anything will be up to code in most houses.and probably a good idea to brace the roof trusses but in time. I'd get a structural engineer to look at the roof and lintels.

I’d be concerned to be honest. Seems like a lot of red flags. Even getting them investigated would be costly. Having said that, surveys do often sound doom and gloom and issues being raised is normal. Just not sure this many is common. However, it’s all down to whether you have the funds to sort them.

The only thing that would really be a concern for me would be the cracked lintel. I'd be worried about subsidence like a PP said and further structural issues down the line. It might not be anything to worry about, but even if it doesn't shift/crack any further, it could make it hard to sell on. With visible diagonal cracks, it could also make it difficult to get a mortgage on it. I know you're a cash buyer luckily, but if you sell to someone who needs a mortgage and their lender rejects it in the basis of these cracks, you could be in trouble.

For an older property, I'd say the comments about electrics, the roof and damp are fairly standard. I second the above and would be very cautious if any kind of impermeable damp treatment, the house will need to breathe. Also a lot of old houses have some damp unfortunately, it wouldn't be a deal breaker. I'd seek to get the roof checked out professionally to confirm the extent of the works required and get an idea of price before proceeding.

These types of threads will bring out those who have purchased a lot,of property and those who have never purchased property which is already evident by one poster saying the would be worried as lots of red flags (there really isn't) and others saying its no issue.

Electrics - i purchased a new build and got 3's for most of the electrical section as he wasn't an electrician so they always put down 3's.

The rest is concerning at face value but when you have an old house its quirks are to be expected. If you are concerned ring the surveyor and speak to them. You will probably find that everything is actually good and he is just arse covering in writing.

Im buying a house currently and it read like the apocalypse from the RAG/123 ratings they use but they are all little things that can be fixed over time.

Does it have subsidence? I would look to get a builder or engineer to look at the cracks. Wooden lintels do fail if caught early they are cheap to replace but if they have damaged the wall that can be expensive. Our 1998 build has one that has failed which is this summers job. We are also a mining area so minor cracks are normal.

Our house was rewired 2 years ago it would be a 2/3 due to decisions we made and changing regulations.

I would ask the surveyor to talk through the results with you. We felt overwhelmed by the survey on our first house (a period terrace) and the surveyor really helped to put our mind at rest by explaining the results, what would be expected in an older house and also a couple of issues that did need further investigation/urgent work.

Do you have the money to sort these issues and has it been factored into the price?

A new dpc is a few thousand for a start.

Thank you everyone for your replies, really helpful and most appreciated!

Buying a house is so stressful, but I have learnt so much from this one survey!

I'm going to speak to the surveyor today and ask for more info. They didn't provide any photos. Will then ask someone to come out to inspect the roof and lintel and see where to go from there.

It's an old house, 1950s housing association home so knew it would have some issues. Just concerned to what degree and how much to fix them and if they are urgent and need to be before moving in.

Will update on here.

Thanks @WonderingWanda.
It's a 1950s housing association house, end terrace.

I'm hoping to spend around £20k on it but that was for modernisation and interior stuff. Not if it has any major issues as can't afford that at all.

Will see how it goes with the surveyor and roof inspection

Hopefully nothing too major!

You can't renegotiate on this as it doesn't prove anything.

You need to get surveys and/or quotes from professionals as recommended and then renegotiate.

ALL surveys say the electrics need checking because RICS surveyors are not electricians and thats not included.

The have noticed possible structure issues and told you to have a structural investigation.

If the electrical survey or structural investigation find issues (like needed rewiring or needing a new roof or needing underpinning) then you need to obtain quotes for that work from contractors... then you take the quotes and the proof to the seller to try and negotiate.

Lintel damage is not subsidence, they are entirely different types of crack.

Lintels are important as the hold up significant weight, many older houses suffer lintel damage when wood windows where switched to UPVC windows.

If its a wood or solid lintel it may need replacing if its linteless brick then it may need lifting or helical bars can be used to reinforce the brickwork.

Sounds as though it may need re-pointing to the exterior brickwork, or at least in some areas. We bought a 50's ex local authority property and it's great, very solid and spacious compared to modern properties but did need repointing as soon as we moved in. We negotiated money off the buying price for half of that as it had been neglected.

I'd also check the guttering costs to have that sorted as it's clearly causing damp on the outer wall.

Generally speaking (in Scotland at least) if it’s an ex-council house that has been transferred to a HA, the build quality will be good.