Would you buy ?

[FunPinkSwan]

A chalet bungalow built 1967-75 that needs renovations but the issue is Abestos .

I'm assuming (before I get a professional over ) that it’s almost certain the property will contain some due to its age. I’ve read if left undisturbed it will be fine but as I want to knock down walls and change things this is a potential issue

I'm a FTB so not sure if I’m panicking over something that will be fine and just looking for advice really if anyone has bought an older property with Abestos, was it an expense to get it removed and a lot of hassle ?

TIA

Yes I have

No it wasn’t.

Any property of a certain age will contain asbestos is some shape or form, the trick is to be aware and act accordingly (I have owned three houses where I knew asbestos was present).
No need to dismiss the property out of hand or make it a bigger issue than it is, just deal with it correctly and all will be fine.

There are lots of things you can worry over if you let it, for example lead based paint in older properties?

@FunPinkSwan It is not a given there is asbestos in a house. Wholly depends on materials used. I’ve owned houses that age and nothing came to light. Where were you expecting to find asbestos? How would you know it was in a 50 year old building product?

@TizerorFizz from what I read online , it can be found in ceilings, tiles, around pipes , garages, etc but again that’s only from my research online which made me go into slight panic mode , I think I’m just concerned but you’re quite right until I get survey I won’t know for sure. When I googled a chalet bungalow with that year frame It was almost a definite yes from online forums so I’m jumping to conclusions I guess. There’s also cladding on the property. Hope I don’t need to be worried about that too 🤣

thanks all for comments - it’s helped me realise not to worry too much about it and manage it if it is there

Please note that you will only know for sure from a specialist asbestos survey. A standard surveyor will pull up much of what you have identified yourself from an online search and advise you get a specialist survey into those areas. So, for instance, if there is textured paintwork/artex, the surveyor will note the presence of something that MIGHT have asbestos and recommend a specialist survey for more detail. Surveyors can help, or put the fear of God into you, depending on your attitude. They will know the products that typically could have contained asbestos and draw your attention to them - so if you are ready for it and want the list narrowed down from "Oh, God, there could be asbestos in EVERYTHING!" you should find it helpful. But for anyone who isn't prepared and doesn't really understand what "could" and "might" mean, then the surveyor's report can lead to wild panic.

If/when you get a specialist survey then they only look at what you specifically ask for - so if you ask them to sample and test the artex, that's what they do. As with any survey, they won't be able to tell you about things they can't see, so if it's fully carpeted, no-one will be able to tell you if there are tiles with asbestos in below the carpet until the carpet is ripped up and the tiles exposed.

The key point about asbestos is that it is inhaling the dust that is dangerous, so (as you note) undisturbed, it won't hurt you. If you need to remove asbestos as part of building work, you get a specialist company in to clear it safely.

There are vast numbers of houses with undisturbed asbestos as part of the product used. There might be none. There might be artex or not. We had artex ceilings in our first house but they are not a risk. Many houses didn’t have them. Or tiles. DM had an asbestos cement garage and that was removed by a specialist. You only need to worry if there’s damage and dust.

Thank you everyone. Really appreciate all your comments