How big of a job is this to fix?

[Escley]

Just been to look at a house we are interested in buying. It has a crack by a window in the outside wall. It looks to me like the bricks above the window are not supported enough which has created the crack.
Do you think this is a big expensive job or not too bad, trying to decide if its putting us off buying it.
There is a bit of damp around the bottom of the window inside but I couldn't see any internal cracks. It is wallpapered though.
Any advice appreciated.

I’d have to say that would worry me. Looks like the window has no lintel over it? A think a structural survey would be needed to be sure.

It looks like the lintel was removed or installed badly? The crack because of it would put me off but if that is the only thing and otherwise you really like the house might be worth a structural survey.

I'd certainly get the surveyor to have a good look at it. However, it has the hallmarks of a botched job somewhere along the line. That would be enough to make me concerned about the standard of work elsewhere in the house.

Can you see the window from the road? If so, you might be able to get a friendly builder to take a look at it, if you know one.

If you decide to buy make sure you get the full structural survey and not the cheaper version.

I don't think it would make me walk away but I'd certainly want to find out more. If there are other issues it could be useful in negotiation.

We have discovered similiar issue. It’s going to be about 2k.

Thanks everyone.
I don't think it has ever had a lintel by the looks of it.
We noticed the ceiling in the dormer bedroom was not very level, so we would also have to get the flat roof checked out.
With those two significant issues I think we are going to walk away. We liked the house but didn't love it, so not sure its worth going down the structural survey route.

Had a similar problem at my house the previous owners put a new lintel in before we moved. Didn’t ask for it but I think the surveyor must have flagged it to them as was resolved without asking

Sounds like a good idea. That looks like a window has been installed badly some time after the house was built.

Also very intrigued by the guttering that stops before the roof.

Yes I'm not sure why they never got it sorted, it looks like an old window too, other windows look to be newer generally.
That pipe isn't guttering its a waste pipe from the bathroom, that will just be the vent.

We've also been told there is an offer on the house now, so chances are we would not have time to have a structural engineer check if out before the owners have accepted the other offer. I don't want to be pressured into buying it before I'm satisfied we have a solution I'm happy with.

We have had an offer accepted on a house with a similar issue. I spoke to the vendors directly and informed them that my offer was dependent on a full survey carried out and it was deemed as minior my offer would stand, otherwise I would be adjusting my offer.

That was a month ago, I have now paid for an structural engineer and they went out to inspect last week and I'm currently waiting on the report, as soon as I have it I will speaking to the vendors. If I withdraw my offer and they have agreed to buy the survey off me anyway.

The standard of brickwork is terrible on the house. You can see the brickies did not measure the courses correctly. Professional bricklayers would not do that. Then the replacement window is too small and the cowboy window fitters seem to have used expanding foam to fill the gap.

As long as the cracks don't continue down below the window, it's more likely to be an issue caused by the window fitters. Probably not walk away bad but not just a 100 pound job.
Definitely make your offer with a clear condition that the survey will decide, and get the surveyor u check that particularly.
Or if you aren't that excited about the house anyway just walk away as it sounds like you're doing.

Looks like a brick has been taken out higher up at some stage to see what's going on in the cavity

Horizontal cracks are usually no problem - vertical ones are - there is a vertical crack higher up on the right

If you decide to go for it, I'd just make your offer - if vendor knows you've got concerns now, they might go with the other offer.

However, the vendor will know most people will have a survey carried out, you do not need to tell them it's a detailed structural survey. No survey is going to be 100% perfect, but it there are concerns, the vendor will be more willing to renegotiate if there are genuine.

I half wonder if it's a window installation issue to be honest. The crack someone mentioned could well be connected, but the crack goes through a brick - we had this on a property we ended up buying and we were told it was due to thermal movement and other than making sure it was water right (ie cement), we did not need to worry - we owned that house 16 years without a problem.