I posted a couple of months ago (www.mumsnet.com/talk/property/5542376-mad-to-buy-a-two-bed-bungalow?reply=152920629) about a two bed bungalow we were considering. Well, we made the offer and it was accepted. I have now (finally after nearly 7 weeks of waiting!) had the level 3 survey report back.
There are a few main issues:
The roof: The original roof was built without sarking felt. A previous owner added a layer of cardboard and plastic/bitumen from inside the loft, which has led to trapped moisture. They also found signs of active woodworm. The roof timbers were dry when tested and there was no significant decay. The cardboard layer needs moving and woodworm treated. Surveyor recommends taking out the cardboard and plastic, treating woodworm, and within 10 years reroofing with proper felting.
Electrics: The electrical installation is quite old. The consumer unit appears to date from around the 1950s/60s, although some parts have been upgraded. The surveyor recommends a full electrical inspection. There isn't currently evidence that the electrics are unsafe, as far as I understand it. If a rewire was needed we could potentially do this before moving in.
Bamboo: One length of the garden is planting with bamboo for screening. The surveyor says there is a possibility it is running bamboo. It comes right up to a large garden shed which I would want to rip out and replace with a proper cabin, but are we going to run into issues with this plan?
Our original plan was to extend, but if I am honest I am falling out of love with the idea of forking out 100k (probably more given the increasing costs of building works) and the stress of it all. In which case we'd outgrow the house in five years or so.
The house is also 200m away from a golf course and I have this week been reading about the link between golf course pesticides and Parkinson's and worrying myself silly about it. I fully admit my anxiety is probably out of proportion - I am six months postpartum and a v anxious mum. The research is US based and UK regulations are a lot stricter, but even so I can't help but worry about it.
We can afford the work needed, but I am concerned we are going to be spending the next five years pouring money into a house that isn't even a long term home for us and won't be able to fully enjoy it because I'll constantly be dealing with bamboo sprouting up everywhere and worried about pesticide exposure!
Would this combination of issues make you walk away from a house? It's a great location and a wonderful town, and to be frank our current living situation is wearing very thin. We are living with my MIL (who is fantastic, but we are craving our own space), living in limbo for the last nine months in a town we dislike. We also really need to be settled by January as I have to register my 3yo for school by then.
I don't want to miss out on a great house just because of my stupid anxious postpartum brain! Am I worrying about nothing? DH says he could go either way, so basically it's up to me!