Structural engineer report - retaining wall at back of garden

[Needtorelax1]

Hi everyone, another post re purchase of a bungalow I’m on the verge of signing for!

After a structural engineer report..he has mentioned the below:

‘We observed cracked and damaged blockwork retaining wall towards the rear of the
bungalow. This damage was showing frequently stepped cracks in the mortar bed
joints of the blockwork retaining wall’

i have attached a picture for reference! This is right at the back of the property in the garden.

Can I ask if this is something that I should be concerned about majorly? Would it be a huge costly job to fix or even a sale stopper?

I’m new to buying on my own so please don’t judge if it’s a stupid question! I really have no idea about retaining walls so any advice would be lovely!

Eek yes, that could be a total pain in the arse and expensive as you'll be liable if it collapses and hurts someone. You definitely need some follow up quotes for repair.

Just to add it is only approximately 2.5-3ft tall

If a structural engineer has reported it as a problem, then it will be a problem at some point and needs to be fixed. Get a quote and ask for a reduction on the purchase price

I will do thankyou very much!

Retaining boundary walls are often (but not always) the responsibility of the person who benefits from the retained soil. So it is likely if it is a boundary wall that this is the neighbours issue and not the house owner. However. It would be a lot easier for them to start the process of getting it sorted out before they move rather than you doing it. It looks like it needs repointing. Not sure how big the wall it but it looks like stone so will probably need to be done with lime pointing.