Survey advice

[Mamadoes]

Hello, looking for wise advice regarding a survey. My mum is hoping to move but as a lady in her 80s she's now having wobbles. The survey doesn't look awful to me but I want her to make the right informed decision rather than a rash one. If any of you know about surveys and if these points look particularly bad or ok, that would help. And who do you ask to see if she should proceed

• I've suggested we get a builder to look and tell her what needs to be done and potential cost - is that a good idea?

• building regs certificate for chimney work needed

• structural work and evidence of remedial work, evidence needed of what and when. No evidence of recent cracking but if work then is it covered by insurance

• ventilation needed to roof space

• strengthening of the rafters where chimney removed

• new rainwater goods and external ground levels reduced

• under floor should be checked for rot

• if felt roof needs recovering

• check if there is asbestos

• lintel above garage door replaced (she'd want this converted into a room with window anyway)

• fire doors added

• damp at base of ground walls near drainpipes

Thank you so much

Usually on a survey the issues are colour coded - amber or red in our case. This gives you a good idea of what must be done and what is just not to current regs or would be a good idea to budget for in the future.

Oh that's interesting- maybe she needs to go back to the surveyor and ask for a schedule to be drawn up?

If I were your mum, I’d want a property that didn’t require a lot of remedial work.

Lots of these 'check this' warnings from surveyors are there for all properties.

But sounds like there are issues to be sorted- does your mum want that hassle? eg would assume the rafters/ chimney work and damp will need sorting asap- personally I would want this checked before purchase. However as @Fallulah says most surveyors colour code, or if she can speak to the surveyor that should clarify.

What level of survey did she have done? You can often call the surveyor who did the survey for an office the record chat to better understand it

If I were in my 80s I'd want something pristine and not requiring any work at all.

This isnt a property for an 80 year old. Why on earth would she want to oversee remedial works?

I’d isolate the reds and take it from there. They might be something that the vendor is happy to sort out before exchange to save her the ball ache of dealing with it.

I suppose it depends as well on whether her heart is set on this property. If she fell in love and it really feels like her next home, she may be prepared to deal with the disruption especially if her health is ok currently.

I'm not surprised she is having wobbles. None of it looks desperate or dangerous but its still lots of faffing around and putting things right and some of them could turn out to be costly when further explored.

Does she really want to do this or be bothered by this?

Is there not something out there less 'high maintenance' that she could buy?

I think you're all right. She wants to move but I think she's starting to realise what a big thing is it and her capacity to cope with these things isn't what it was. I've suggested another property that she could just move into but she says it's too big. I reckon she may just stay put in the end! Pity cos she has a great buyer

I do hate these surveys they don’t really say anything beyond the surveyor covering their own backside just in case

•building regs certificate for chimney work needed

Local council can issue retrospective Building Regs. Doesn’t mean anything untoward has gone on

•structural work and evidence of remedial work, evidence needed of what and when. No evidence of recent cracking but if work then is it covered by insurance

Does that mean that the property has had structural problems what work was carried out on it. Or does it mean that

IF the property has had structural problems what work was carried out on it.

•ventilation needed to roof space

so an air brick or a battery operated expelair Very easy and cheap.

•strengthening of the rafters where chimney removed

Refer to the building regs. If you can get building regs then there would be no need for this or the fix is simple just sistering extra wood along the rafters

•new rainwater goods and external ground levels reduced

Soak away or French drain put in. Check external pipework for holes and clear guttering if needed
Again an easy fix

•under floor should be checked for rot

So no rot was found. Just the suveyor covering his own behind

•if felt roof needs recovering

ditto

•check if there is asbestos

ditto

•lintel above garage door replaced (she'd want this converted into a room with window anyway)

This is just a statement. It doesn’t say that there is anything wrong.

•fire doors added

Does that mean fire doors were added or the house needs fire doors
Only certain doors need to be fire doors. I would look up which ones are needed

•damp at base of ground walls near drainpipes

If it was rainy or winter time then obviously the walls would be wet. Just to be on the safe side you could check the pipe hasn’t got a hole in it or the guttering is cleared but nothing really too onerous. Repetition of previous comment regarding rain water

On the whole it isn’t that bad a survey.

My own house had a surveyor come round and declared that the house without any foundations was structurally unsound and could collapse at any minute. He really couldn’t get him mind round the fact it had been built with no planning permission

He really couldn’t get his mind round the fact that there was no such thing as planning permission (or foundations) in the 18th century

Agree with this. We used a locally known surveyor for our purchase who I was able to speak to. He said ‘for a property of this age (parts 16th century) it’s in good nick and a good price’. I don’t think your property sounds suitable for an 80 year old.