Please can someone advise on the potential work and costs involved in rectifying the following issues flagged in our Level 3 RICS survey?
We are currently in the process of negotiating with the seller on a 1930’s 3 bed semi. We assume they are unlikely to instruct a Structural Engineer to assess these issues before the sale, so we would like to get as much information as possible about the potential extent and cost of the work we may be taking on after purchase. This will hopefully help us negotiate an appropriate reduction in the purchase price. I appreciate that accurate costs are basically impossible but any advice and estimates from people who have dealt with similar problems would be really helpful.
1. Removal of load-bearing chimney breasts and inadequate support
“Load-bearing chimney breasts have been removed from within the loft space. Inadequate or no support has been provided to the loads from above, and there is a danger of collapse. Proper support should be installed now, subject to the approval of the Local Authority Building Control.”
The survey also states:
“From the areas that could be accessed it was noted that 3 Nr chimney breasts had been removed from the first floor rooms, which will be covered in Section E5. However, the removal of brickwork has compromised the support to the roof purlins, with one being supported off unsupported corbelled brickwork and a retro-fitted timber strut. We would recommend a Structural Engineer is instructed to assess and provide their comments / recommendations.”
Questions:
- What sort of remedial work would typically be required in this situation and how extensive/disruptive would this work be?
- What sort of cost range could we realistically be looking at?
- Would Building Control approval and/or retrospective Building Regulations approval normally be required?
2. Removal of a potentially load-bearing wall between the kitchen and dining room
The survey states:
“An internal wall has been removed in kitchen / dinner. When walls are removed or altered, the other parts of the dwelling must be adequately supported. If not, the unsupported parts can distort or collapse in the worst cases. In this home, we did not see any distortion or cracking. You should ask your legal advisor to check whether the local council has granted Building Regulation approval for this work, and/or whether a guarantee or warranty exists (see section I). If this does not exist, or the documentation is unacceptable, you should ask an appropriately qualified structural engineer to investigate whether the building is adequately supported. This will involve removing parts of the floor and wall, which you must discuss with the seller. Some of the walls are concealed by textured coatings or other surface finishes. If you remove the finishes, repairs may be necessary to the walls, and defects may be discovered.”
Questions:
- Assuming the wall is load-bearing, what would typically have been installed to support the structure above?
- If no adequate support has been installed, what remedial work might be required?
- What sort of cost range would we potentially be looking at?
3. Retrofitting cavity trays and weep holes
The survey states:
“In modern structures, a cavity tray is fitted above all openings in external walls, typically above RICS Home Survey - Level 3 34 window and door openings. The cavity tray directs any water that reaches the cavity to run back through weep holes to the external wall face. This helps to prevent damp internal walls. This property was built before the introduction of cavity trays. This can result in intermittent dampness within the interior during wet weather, and remediation work is both costly and disruptive.”
Questions:
- How serious is the absence of cavity trays likely to be in a property of this age (1930s)?
- How is retrofitting cavity trays and weep holes done and how disruptive would it be?
- What sort of cost per window/door opening might we be looking at?
If anyone has dealt with similar issues, particularly the chimney breast removal/support and removal of the internal wall, I would really appreciate hearing what work was required and roughly what it cost.
Thanks in advance!