Viewing a house tomorrow

[tlogic]

I am going to view a house tomorrow, which has been unoccupied for 30 years. It;s a lovely house with 3 double bedrooms and a drive with a large garden at the back.
The seller wants to get rid quick so he has put the house up for sale for about 230k, The houses on this road are valued for around 280k to 300k mark. Seeing that the property has been untouched for decades , I'd like some tips on what to look out for during the viewing. Basically the house will need to be stripped completely, re wired, windows replaced , new roof, kitchen, bathroom and final finishes. he reckons everything will cost 12-16k, I reackon it will cost around £30-40k minimum which is more realistic. I was thinking of offering £215 subject to a full survey, is that reasonable? Also what potential problems would you expect from a house which has been un occupied for 30 years.

 

[FocuS]

@tlogic hey, could we have some pics ? love the sound of a good project just bought another house my self which needs work not as run down as the one your looking into but all the same exciting i would say start at 200k he can only say no, if your going to spend 30-40k on it, then you will hopefully have some equity in the house just my thoughts

FocuS

 

[miggy]

Check for rising damp? and the central heating will probably need replacing if it has any. You have already stated that it needs rewiring the chances are there could be some old lead piping in there that needs replacing. As stated start with a low offer and feel your way. goodluck.

 

[grafter1]

Off the top of my head... Wall ties may need replacing, if you're getting a mortgage they may insist on it as part of the agreement. Any trees in the garden, check for the possibility of root damage to any drainage pipes. Re-pointing if it's brickwork, any tell tale signs of subsidence, under pinning isn't cheap. Has it got gas installed, if you want it and it hasn't it could cost a few quid for the supplier to connect you to the mains. 12-16K sound totally unrealistic to me unless you are doing all the work yourself and even then you might struggle.

 

[nara]

Damp, subsidence, roof, services.


12-15k is a joke figure for a house unoccupied for that long. Your 30-40k figure is more realistic. As suggested 200k would be a better starting point. You're not just taking on the expense, you're taking on all the hassle, so the final total spend should be a good way short of the average 280-300k selling price in the area.

 

[Mick]

Some really good advice here mate.

Yes check the roof straight away mate, that would be a min of 8K (MINIMUM) if its fooked!

Check all rooms for damp especially basement, cracks bigger than 5mm could potentially be an issue, house slants, what is behind the house... houses that back onto rail tracks are notorious for subsidence.

He estimates 12k-16k - well depends really on what you are doing, and the quality of your tradesmen... but I would think that is way too low.

You really need to pay the outlay for a structural engineer survey at the very minimum mate!

When something is a bargain, and believe me that sounds a great bargain we can get caught up in the speed things need to move... you don't want to lose out, the guy might find another buyer, all these things can make your normally sound judgement cloudy, take a step back and air on the side of caution. Also speak to the neighbours you have read the threads about dodgy neighbours on here lol!

Also, on a positive note - if you do buy and you are doing up the house and have your plans, send them to me I will help you out with any AV or Electrical design mate (if you need any help that is ).

Regards
Mick

 

[Him Her]

I am going to view a house tomorrow, which has been unoccupied for 30 years. It;s a lovely house with 3 double bedrooms and a drive with a large garden at the back.
The seller wants to get rid quick so he has put the house up for sale for about 230k, The houses on this road are valued for around 280k to 300k mark. Seeing that the property has been untouched for decades , I'd like some tips on what to look out for during the viewing. Basically the house will need to be stripped completely, re wired, windows replaced , new roof, kitchen, bathroom and final finishes. he reckons everything will cost 12-16k, I reackon it will cost around £30-40k minimum which is more realistic. I was thinking of offering £215 subject to a full survey, is that reasonable? Also what potential problems would you expect from a house which has been un occupied for 30 years.

First question - how old is it? That would give a better idea what to look for i.e. if it's 40 years old you probably won't need a full rewire, just a partial and consumer unit change plus accessories (new sockets etc.) If it's 100 years old there'll be no DPC (Damp Proof Course).

Whatever age check for damage due to length of time unoccupied i.e. water leaks, vandalism, damp, mould (look especially in the wet spots (bathroom behind toilets/sinks/showers, kitchen wall behind sink units). Check low and high points of walls (low downstairs, high upstairs). Check for bowing/staining on ceilings.

Why do you think it will need a new roof? Often a roof just needs repairs - replace damaged tiles, reseat ridges and flashing.

Finger in the air costs

Rewire - £2.5k
Kitchen - £6k
Bathroom - £6k
Windows - £8-10k
Roof (repairs) - £4k
New boiler - £2.5k
New radiators - £1k (forget you ever heard 'powerflush')
New skirts, architrave and decor - £2k

That comes out at £32k so bung £8k in contingency. Of course, figures depend on what you choose, how much you can do yourself and local price variations.

I'm with @FocuS - go in at £200k, look for the things others have mentioned. When checking whether it needs pointing check for new looking mortar and query anything found. Check for known issues in the area - ask the neighbours. Also, ask the neighbours for any history they are aware of regarding the property. I would be particularly interested to know why it's been empty for so long.

Oh, take a spirit level and a tape with you when viewing. Look for dropped floors up and down - good give-away will be big gaps under skirts, check for unusual flexing of floors and whack the level on walls and floors.

Apologies for the 'War & Peace' length post - if I think of anything else I'll do Chapter 2

 

[little_pob]

As well as the above, you may encounter such invisible nasties as lead paint, asbestos (used in Artex up to the mid-80s), and anthrax (in lath and plaster).

 

[tlogic]

Thank you guys for the useful posts, I will deffinatley bear the things mentioned in mind. And thanks mick for offer on the m&E will keep this in mind. Im going to view the house 7pm so I will have a better understanding on its current condition. Not sure the house could be 1920s or slghtley earlier. Here is a picture of it below I will update this post later.

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[Spectre]

As well as the above, you may encounter such invisible nasties as lead paint, asbestos (used in Artex up to the mid-80s), and anthrax (in lath and plaster).

You'd be surprised what else they used to put asbestos in. Just about everything including that black pad underneath the kitchen sink.

 

[IANB]

You'd be surprised what else they used to put asbestos in. Just about everything including that black pad underneath the kitchen sink.

And old floor tiles and some types of lino

 

[leemoo]

Looks structurally sound looking at the pic and having houses either side it must be cos surely they would have complained. The windows will probably be rotten if its not been looked after for so long.
As mentioned it will need gutting and starting afresh.
Least the roof looks ok from pic as this is one of the most if not most expensive thing to have done on your house and unfortunately adds absolutely no value

 

[hamba]

No advice from me. Just want to say good luck and hope all works out well.

 

[tlogic]

Just came back from the viewing. What a bloody waste of time. The vendor turned up at 7pm when it was dark while I was waiting for an hour , the place had no lights either. Upon inspection with my phone light half the lath and plaster ceiling was comming down in the bedroom , very outdated house . Damp underneath the bay window. Basically the whole house needs re doing. Structually looks fine but I may arrange another viewing when its daylight. There was this awful smell in one of the bedroom with a nasty dark stain on the carpet. Im sure thats where the corpse was .
Might not waste any time on this one as I feel the owner only wants to show the property in the night.
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[totes32]

The main thing to look out for is subsidence,asbestos and concrete construction anything outside that can be dealt with when gutting out a house, but look out for finer details in the contract before signing. Sorry just seen your update of the viewing hope you get another viewing in the light....lol

 

[Him Her]

Don't be put off by a first viewing - go back in daylight and have another go.

Potential doesn't always reveal itself first time around. Damp proof injection is not a major job. Based on the front elevation it's worth a serious look - I'd be interested just based on the pic. If you post some more pics I may be able to make some more constructive suggestions

 

[grafter1]

half the lath and plaster ceiling was comming down in the bedroom , very outdated house . Damp underneath the bay window. Basically the whole house needs re doing.

Replacing ceilings is no big deal, messy yes but take some safety precautions and the biggest problem will be the domestic you have with your other half when you're trying to screw up the sheets of 8x4 plasterboard and she's moaning it's getting heavy, or is that just us?

Given that you said it's been empty for 30 years it's bound to be outdated but I'd have gone in expecting to gut every room, possibly back to blockwork ready for new plastering once the first fix has been done. A bit of damp under the window shouldn't be too hard to sort out, getting in via rotten windows? Hard to tell but looks like there could be void under the floor, I think the airbrick is below floor level. When you go back you could always ask the neighbours if there's been any problems with the adjoining walls or roof, might also be worth looking in the loft to see if it has party walls.

 

[Him Her]

Replacing ceilings is no big deal, messy yes but take some safety precautions and the biggest problem will be the domestic you have with your other half when you're trying to screw up the sheets of 8x4 plasterboard and she's moaning it's getting heavy, or is that just us?

Given that you said it's been empty for 30 years it's bound to be outdated but I'd have gone in expecting to gut every room, possibly back to blockwork ready for new plastering once the first fix has been done. A bit of damp under the window shouldn't be too hard to sort out, getting in via rotten windows? Hard to tell but looks like there could be void under the floor, I think the airbrick is below floor level. When you go back you could always ask the neighbours if there's been any problems with the adjoining walls or roof, might also be worth looking in the loft to see if it has party walls.

I believe the download area is over there --->

(@Mods - sorry, mardy git tonight)

 

[grafter1]

....eh?...

 

[IANB]

I believe the download area is over there --->

(@Mods - sorry, mardy git tonight)

Out of order H
That was a constructive and helpful post.
stop scaring the newbies @Him Her