Survey back - would you take money off?

[ohsurelynot]

Survey on the house we want to buy came back today, said that staircase didn't meet health and safety requirements and not suitable for small children or the elderly. Now I don't remember thinking the staircase was unsuitable when we viewed it 3 times but then of course I'm not a small child so didn't have problems going up and down it...

Really love the house, its in a great location so should I just pay the price we've agreed (15k less than the asking price) or try and negotiate money off so we can replace staircase? Not really sure of house buying etiquette. My instinct says no-ones forcing us to buy the house so we should just replace staircase when we can afford it rather than reduce the price further.

Thoughts would be appreciated

I would want to know why it did not meet health and safety regs. Was there no bannister or are the posts too far apart?
If it was me, I would arrange a viewing so I could go and look at it for myself. Then decide whether it is ok or worth asking for a reduction in the price to cover the cost or repair/replacement. Or give the vendor the option of meeting the cost or your could meet them halfway.

i would go back and see it again and also hask the surveyor what he meant. then go from there. were they steep?? we live in an old cottage and our stairs a v steep, but we moved in when kids were 6mths and 18mths and now they are 5 and 6 and we have never had a problem with them going up and down.

I think you need to clarify why it's unsafe.

We're buying and the surveyor said stairs were unsafe for children but this is becausw there is no rail but a rope swagged on the wall. We factored in sorting this out and have not renegotiated.

It could just be, if it is a period house, that the stairs aren't all an even height or depth or that they turn in an incorrect manner - the surveyor could just be pointing out that they would not conform to current building regs not that they are unsafe per se. If they are open and have large gaps between the treads, you can have wooden batons fixed underneath each step to stop a child slipping through. It's unlikely that they are genuinely dangerous unless they are coming away from the wall and you don't need to be a surveyor to notice that

Did the survey valuation meet what you are paying? Your mortgage providers may be interested in this

I'm interested in why the stairs are unsafe too - we are looking at buying a house with an open-tread staircase too, and the bannisters are quite spaced apart as well. It's one of the things we have to replace if we buy.