Heritage builder

[River Don]

This is a long shot.

We are considering buying a turn of the (last) century property, not a fancy house, an old terrace, however the surveyors report does not make good reading.

Basically it needs a lot of restoration to get rid of a significant damp problem. Lime renders, traditional materials, new pointing with lime based stuff. Clay based paints that breath. Basically nothing impermeable and modern. No gypsum. No plastic based stuff.

Does anyone know of a business that could undertake this sort of thing?

[auckleyflyer]

Ours is the same, 1806 stone and cob, no damp proofing, lime render and rattling sash windows. Loads of local specialists but it is Cornwall. Bought paints online myself though. There's plenty out there.
Good luck. "One step forward two back" these properties. Windows need painting twice a yr, (close to the sea)
Labour of love but worth it!!!!

[River Don]

Yeah Aukley,

I'm starting to think this is going to be too much of a problem. Basically it looks like the vendor doesn't want to accept our survey.

He's insisting what is required is to inject the lower bricks with an water based DPC system... Which will do more harm than good. They are also talking about applying tanking, which should nicely seal the damp problem in!

But he has some survey from a Damp Proofing business that in all likelihood don't know the first thing about old houses.

I doubt there is much we can do to make them accept the findings of a properly qualified surveyor and heritage house specialist. It seems wrong that they can put the property back on the market. It's misselling as far as I can see.

[drfchound]

RD, in my experience, lots of builders wouldn’t want to get involved in renovating the house you talk about because there are far too many banana skins involved.

[BobG]

I had some experience years back. Whatever you do will be expensive. Cut corners and the expense comes back again pretty damn quick. And if the place had any sort of listing, the costs will double, treble and more.

Don't do anything until you really are bloody positive you know what is involved, and, even more important, that the guys doing the work do too!

BobG

[auckleyflyer]

Ours is listed and in a world heritage site. everything has been expensive but the random sizes ment it would have always been built to fit! Many have sealed the exterior before English heritage got too keen in the 90's with concrete screed. They do appear to be holding up well and you can use normal paints, they don't breath though so there's lots of black mould and decorating every spring!
Ours took 3years I reckon to dry out once we removed the black tar-like undercoating on all downstairs interior walls!

[wilts rover]

There are quite a few near me although I doubt many would want to travel up to Nottingham. I did google Lime Plasterers, Nottingham and 3 came up - might be worth contacting them?

Mine is slightly younger than Auckley's, 1824, ashlar stone walls 14" thick, and I did it up myself as thats my background. I chopped the dpc in.

I did up a cottage in Ludgvan many years ago, (working with granite stone was fun!), that anywhere near you Auckley?

[auckleyflyer]

Wilts, ours is in Charlestown it still has no dpc. digging out walls for waste pipes was fun enough! No gas so good old storage heaters (good actually,never go wrong or need servicing and cheeper than gas at the moment, just need to plan a day ahead!?) Were on a hill and so next doors garden is 3foot up against two rooms, (they are our only problem area's) it's just part of life with these old houses?

[wilts rover]

Walls about two feet thick so excellent insulation once you have warmed the place up. I built two fireplaces and lined the chimney in the one in Ludgvan, they should be laughing with a wood stove if they are still there.

[River Don]

The house isn't listed, there are no particular unique features about, it's just an old house in a nice location.

Luckily I have found a decent builder who understands the situation, he's given me a good idea of what will be involved. He's worked on other houses in the street. I paid a lot for the surveyor who also specialises in this kind of work and my builder is still coming back and questioning things. I'm pretty confident in him.

There's no getting away from it, it's going to be an expensive job if the seller won't accept that, then I will have to walk away from it. Disappointing because I've already invested a couple of thousand in it but sometimes you have to cut your losses.

[bahrain rover]

Maybe you just hit the issue on the head RD.
The seller knows your serious by the fact you have sinked a few thousand in already, so holding out!! Maybe a time for a game of call your bluff. How’s your poker face?

[River Don]

Maybe you just hit the issue on the head RD.
The seller knows your serious by the fact you have sinked a few thousand in already, so holding out!! Maybe a time for a game of call your bluff. How’s your poker face?

Sort of. In my own mind I'm resigned to having to walk away really now.

It's up to him. If he wants to put it back on the market, try and find another buyer and trust they won't get a surveyor who picks up on the same issues, then that's his choice. Or he could just be reasonable and deal with us now.

I'll see if the estate agent will offer our survey to other prospective buyers. They sometimes do that and I might make a little money back.

[BobG]

Lol!! That'll please the seller no end.

If the survey is full of expensive problems no estate agent is gonna go anywhere near it are they? They wanna sell the place....

And if I was the seller and my estate agent actually was dishing out discounted surveys pointing out problems I'd have his guts for garters.

BobG

[River Don]

Lol!! That'll please the seller no end.

If the survey is full of expensive problems no estate agent is gonna go anywhere near it are they? They wanna sell the place....

And if I was the seller and my estate agent actually was dishing out discounted surveys pointing out problems I'd have his guts for garters.

BobG

I must admit I'm very dubious about it too but a friend told me he's done it with a survey revealing nasty surprises.

An estate agent is supposed to be impartial... Yeah, right. Maybe some are?

I've since discovered talking to a neighbour this property had been sold, then a few weeks later the for sale board came back up. It's looking like this might be a reoccurring thing.

[BobG]

Estate Agents are right at the very, very top of my list of who goes up against the wall when I take control of Planet Earth. Awful, unprincipled, ill educated people. Not that I'm generalising...

But having a bad report doesn't sound to me like something  either the Agent or the seller would welcome. But it's  no skin off your nose RD so give it a go. They can only say no.

BobG

[River Don]

Well, we shall see Bob. I'll post the outcome.

[BobG]

Good luck!!!

BobG