Help! Survey results - do I need to pull out?

[ReadAllOver]

Hi all,

Sold our house and put an offer on a 1930s semi. Just had survey results, would you say any of these a major red flags or just arse covering/non urgent work?

1.The damp-proof course to the external walls has been bridged. Work is required to cut back the overlying render to provide the required clearance
2.Blown windows
3.High damp readings on ground floor
4.It was noted that the roof has been replaced and overloaded, evidenced by the movement in
the strut & split timbers in internal roof structure

Some of these sound scary and I will seek some guidance next week, has anyone come across anything similar in a survey or had similar issues with your property?

3 & 4 both need further investigation, these are potentially very serious.

1 & 2 sound like they can be quoted for and deducted from your offer?

4 I would be worried about, and would ask the surveyor exactly what this means.

I assume 3 is due to 1. 2 just means you need new windows, which presumably you knew from viewing.

Damp and a dodgy roof
i wouldn’t proceed

Thank you all.

4 is the concern.
3 will be resolved by properly sorting 1, but depending upon how damp the walls are you are likely to need to strip back plaster and let the walls dry out for 6-12 months. Get people in that have experience working with period properties, not somebody that says they get it or is selling you something.
2 new glass in the frames. an expense but not urgent.

2 you could see at viewing so shouldn't have been a suprise. Damp course you can get a quote, roof I would be worried about

Depends what you're paying for it relative to other nearby properties.

1, 2 and 3 are likely linked. High damp readings can be cause by bridging a damp proof course, lack of internal ventilation, not heating the property adequately.

4 sounds like you might need a structural engineer to assess whether the roof can be reinforced or whether it needs taking off entirely and redoing. I wouldn't bother doing this pre purchase but I would ask a couple of local roofers for a ballpark of how much a complete new roof (including timbers) would be and factor that into what I'd offer.

Also consider whether you're happy to do work on the property or live in it whilst others do so. If you aren't then this isn't the place for you.

Agree with PP, 1 and 3 are linked

Sounds like someone put render in an area they shouldn't.

That can be fixed pretty easily but it's likely it will take some time to dry out & you might need some new plaster & redecorating.

2 you would have been able to see on viewing so that's just something to fix when you have the money.

4 I would be concerned about.

Thank you, the property is perfect in every other aspect so considering doing this.

We had a very similar list on our 1930s place (been happily living here for 6 years now!), and honestly none of these would make me walk away. Surveyors are paid to point out every potential issue in the scariest wording possible! Especially if it was a level 3 survey? They read like suicide notes!

The bridged DPC is incredibly common on older houses and is often sorted by lowering ground levels or cutting back render rather than anything catastrophic. We did it here.

Blown windows are more of a maintenance issue than a structural one. Plenty of people live with them for years before replacing them.

High damp readings don’t automatically mean serious damp. Moisture meters are notorious for giving high readings in old houses because of salts, plaster, or even condensation. If there is no Mould growth / lifting plaster etc I wouldn’t panic. All houses have damp to varying degrees!

Roof loading and some timber movement sounds alarming, but many 1930s roofs have had replacement coverings and show historic movement.

Every older house comes with a list of “needs attention” items. I’d be looking for major structural failure, active subsidence or widespread rot, and nothing you’ve listed would scream that to me. From what you’ve posted it sounds much more like the usual joys of buying a 90 year old house than a disaster. Plus I had a mini panic on our level 3 survey, spoke to many people who all had similar stories with level 3’s and I spoke to a surveyor subsequently who said that actually new builds can sometimes be way worse!!
Try not to let the survey wording panic you!

I would’ve hated not to be living where we are because of the survey when practically we’ve done a few bits and the house is just perfect for us! And remember: surveyors are professionals who have to arse cover and list everything they see!