Grade II recommendations post survey

[SpringGlow50]

I've bought and loved two Grade II listed buildings in the past so 'know' that a full structural survey always looks awful!

I'm trying to buy another. Their potential buyer pulled out due to the survey. I have a copy of the survey and I spoke to the Surveyor who told me never to buy a Grade II (!). He said as long as this was my 'forever' house (which it will be) then it won't fall down but sounded 'shady' and rather diplomatic. Now, I'm fairly relaxed about these things but just wondered if anyone has had any experience with the following.

1. The survey said 'the single skin masonry walls, 'if afforded appropriate lateral restraint by joists and wallplate straps are sufficient to meet the structural requirements of BS5628'. I've been told 'strapping' is fairly inexpensive. Has anyone ever had any done?
2. 'We would recommend that the cracked brickwork on the gable elevation of the kitchen extension be remedied by installation of Helifix crack-stitching bars in the mortar beds'. Again, anyone had this done and is it expensive?

Many thanks in advance for any experience with the above.

Rachel

Don’t
just don’t
money pit
Listen to the surveyor

Why did you move from your last two grade 2 listed properties?

Thanks Queeneel. I moved because I wanted to, not due to problems.

Rachel

i doubt you’re going to get many with more experience of buying and selling grade 2 homes than yourself Op!

If you're not in it already, join the FB group 'your old house uk - repair and conservation'. Lots of expertise there.

I'd only listen to the surveyor if they were experienced in listed buildings.

A surveyor who told me not to buy a Grade II before even looking at a specific building wouldn't get hired.

I'd get my own survey done by a specialist. Mine was quite sweet as he kept getting over excited by historic features which weren't really relevant to the survey. Everything he said, right down to 'ignore this damp' has been correct.

Are there signs of significant structural failure?

We live in a listed house, constructed in 1620. I am a surveyor. There is no lateral restraint in our house either, but nothing concerning, No bulging, bowing or cracks. Well, there are cracks but they’ve not worsened and they’re not indicative of movement.

You can do the second one yourself. You just angle grind out the mortar and bed in a helibar with the appropriate adhesive or mortar. If you need a builder to do it, depending on access it would probably be a days job so maybe £300 - £500 Inc consumables.

Strapping is similar but you need to drill through and work out what you are fixing to what. Depends how much strapping is needed. Most expensive bit will be scaffolding if you need it.

Selling a Grade II currently. Its not at all easy. I am starting to realise that it may have to be my forever home or I might have to rent it out and rent elsewhere.

People can look at these houses in two ways - through the eyes of someone who appreciates the beauty and quirks of a historic home or through the lens of a negative/bone-headed survey that will advise potential buyers to add 270mm thick loft insulation so the house can't breath or to replace the late Georgian slates with something 'better' that the council won't allow.

People can quake at the ongoing maintenance costs or see them as an investment in something unique and lovely that will pay them back two-fold as long as the next buyer of the house is similarly minded. They can accept they'll not be able to add a dormer to the loft or reconfigure the steep stairs, or otherwise get cross about that.

If all houses had to be 100% risk free and survey proof we'd only have Barratt and Redrow estates all over the country. The experience of living in a heritage home is much nicer than that, but cannot be easily quantified into cost-investment-resale assumptions.

Brilliant, thanks so much, I will :)

Thanks Anna. I'm thinking this will be the way to go. He was so very negative.

Rachel

Hi there

Your house sounds similar to the one I'm trying to buy. He says there's no sign of movement, no cracks suggestive of that. Its a single skin 2 storey extension on the back of a 3 story town house. He says we need it strapping 'just in case'.

My mortgage depends on his recommendations so I think we have to have it done.

Rachel

This is really helpful, thank you so much. Don't think I'll be doing it myself!

Rachel

Your message hits the nail on the head perfectly, pardon the pun. It's so hard weighing up what's risky and what's reasonable isn't it?

I have just eventually managed to get through buyers' survey anxiety on my grade II listed house and get it sold by paying for two full full further inspections. I got one from a 'heritage' specialist and one from a generalist builder.

They both laid out exactly what might need fixing - nothing currently - within five years minimum and confirmed there were no urgent problems, with the only difference being that the heritage firm's quote was a bit more pricey.

I knew this already but it was a case of getting specialists to independently deal with each 'potential' problem the survey raised.

This was a pain. It cost me almost 1k. But on the other hand it nixed all potential claims for further discounts from the house sold-as-is and showed the buyers what their future maintenance costs were likely to be. As the value of this upkeep would accrue to them, I was not expected to contribute.

If this sale falls through this documents will be very useful for relisting the property. I'm wondering if it would have been worth it to have them done at the outset, but then you never know what someone's surveyor is going to come out with and how buyers will respond.