bowing wall

[dragonfly]

Unfortunately I am in the position that the mortgage company won't release funds unless I comply with the valuation, i.e. get a report on the woodworm 'infestation' and a structural engineer's report of the bowing wall. I spoke to my mortgage advisor as I was worried about the nature of the report and she agreed it was probably a bit too brief and not specific enough comapred with others she had seen. I went back to the company who said that the type of report they did is usually accptable by mortgage companies. Within the report they did use the standard 'get out of jail free card' of not being able to do a thorough inspection due to not wanting to lift floor coverings, loft insulation etc, but there was no mention in the report of the woodworm holes that the surveyor picked up around the loft hatch which didn't need even an 'specialist' to pick up. So do I get another company in and risk yet another superficial report or do I hold out until next Tuesday when the surveyor will be back in the office to look at the documentation and see whether a report and pricing is enough for the valuation? 21 days to expected moving date and counting.........

 

[Flyfisher]

So I asked for a report which detailed specific areas requiring treatment and got a report which said that in a building 300 years old infestation is likely so spraying is recomended, along with their quotation for getting the work done. Can anyone give me an idea as to whether mortgage companies will accept that sort of report.

I'd bet the mortgage company will accept the report and, since the report recommended spraying, they will withhold some of the mortgage until it is done.

Unfortunately, I don't think this is really an issue about woodworm or the best way to treat it as such.

The mortgage company have to determine their risk in lending you their money. Woodworm has been identified as a risk, so they need to quantify it. Because they know nothing about woodworm (they are a bank after all) they simply follow their rules and ask for a professional report. If this report recommends spraying that's almost certainly what the bank will require before lending.

It would be the same scenario with damp and you'd likely end up with a report recommending an injected DPC, which the bank would then insist on before lending.

It seems to me that the real issue is to find a better company to survey the woodworm 'problem'. I doubt that the bank cares two hoots if you've got woodworm or not (or damp), they just want a professional report quantifying the problem so they can tick their risk boxes - it's an indemnity issue.

 

[Lime]

I think that many people consider sharing a house with something living, such as woodworm, psychologically difficult.
It makes them feel uncomfortable to have something around that is "out of control".
Spraying provides a feeling of "doing something about it" and control over the situation. The wood is sanitized and made "good" again.
Whether it really makes any difference is very much open to question.
Some older houses must have been sprayed dozens of times over the years with all different types of chemical.
The woodworm holes remain to be stared at by another purchaser in the future to evoke all the old fears and worries that caused them to be sprayed in the first place.

I'm reminded of a gentleman who proudly told me (when I was lifting some floorboards rewiring his house many years ago) that he had had all the floorboards up throughout the house.
He went on to tell me that he had treated everywhere to kill woodworm (I never saw any sign of worm) but to save money he had not used expensive chemicals.
Instead, he had dipped and soaked his entire house in paraffin to drown them (his description) 25 gallons of it.
He was obviously very pleased with himself.
I knelt staring up at him in silence.
The only thought going through my mind at the time was that it was exactly the same process that Bryant and Mays use to treat their matches to make them burn well......and he'd soaked all the woodwork in his house.

Some people will do anything to their house to make themselves feel better.

 

[Penners]

I think that many people consider sharing a house with something living, such as woodworm, psychologically difficult.
It makes them feel uncomfortable to have something around that is "out of control".

Yeah - I feel exactly like that about our dog.

 

[dragonfly]

Thanks flyfisher, I will remain optimistic, especially as I wasn't too horrified by the price quoted. And Lime, the only 'critters' I have a real aversion to are the 8 legged variety - which I can psychologically tie in to a very unpleasant childhood experience involving my mother, a flapping teatowel and 3 inch legspan (but seemed much bigger at the tender age of 5) arachnid. No need to tell you what happened to said arachnid when lovely mum tried to flap it out the window.... :shock:

Anyway. Am much happier as I finally tracked the house down on images of England, although in the 7 years since it was photographed the vegetation has grown so much that you can't see it from the road, but at least it'll deaden traffic noise (ever optimistic). It's image number 51069 if anyone wants to have a nose, and the bowing/cracked bit is to the right of the top of the top right-hand window, althoguh it's difficult to judge from the photo if it was there in 2000.

 

[Matt Green]

It seems to me that the real issue is to find a better company to survey the woodworm 'problem'.

Hi.

 

[dragonfly]

Good news, structural report came back that the crack in the bowing wall was not recent and all we need to do is have a purlin strengthened to be absolutely sure the roof doesn't move. Small retention on the mortgage to cover that and the woodworm spraying (!) is all we have to deal with. We are going to have to replace the render on the rear 120yr old extension because it's been painted with modern paint and therefore not breathing, so we will get that done soon after moving in - don't want to leave it too long as the extension is timber framed.

So, as long as solicitors and contracts don't get fouled by the cock-up fairy , we should be moving a week on Friday, yippee!!!

 

[Nemesis]

Update please when you have news.

Spraying - ye gods what a waste!!

 

[shelli]

just seen your lovely house (to be).

There's probably more interesting information on the property's construction on the Images of England page than there was in the surveyors report!

:lol:

 

[dragonfly]

Well I promised an update. So, such as it is, here it is.

Completed on our sale on 29th June having been forced to exchange a week earlier or lose our buyer. This was also to be our purchase completion date. On 26th June our solicitors told us that they couldn't exchange for completion on the purchase on 29th due to some queries raised with the vendors not being answered to their satisfaction. So with 3 days notice we had to arrange alternative accommodation (my very accommodating mum, & dad) and storage of furniture and cat (mum can't abide them {cats not furniture}). 2 weeks later we are still with mum and dad, solicitors are starting to get rude when we phone them, we are about to divorce from the stress (only joking - will miss my mum's home cooking) and all because the solicitors are awaiting answers to the following crucial questions before they will finalise the contract:
1. Has the boiler been serviced within the last year (my answer - the house has been let through an agency for the last year, surely it has to have been done for H&S reasons, and I don't bloody care I'll get it serviced anyway)
2. Will all the keys be released before exchange (my answer - the house has been let by an agency, they have all the keys, and in anycase, i could fit new locks)
3. Have any of the doors and windows been replaced in the last 5 years (my answer - not judging by the state of some of them, and come on, it's a listed house, you're not allowed to without LBC, and, didn't you look at the survey report......... brother in law who is a carpenter is already champing at the bit)

So here we are, driving by the house every day on the way to work. The nettles are now 7 foot high (am not exaggerating) and the lawn is now a hayfield. next door have horses. Maybe they could use an extra paddock :lol:

 

[NT]

Well I promised an update. So, such as it is, here it is.

Completed on our sale on 29th June having been forced to exchange a week earlier or lose our buyer. This was also to be our purchase completion date. On 26th June our solicitors told us that they couldn't exchange for completion on the purchase on 29th due to some queries raised with the vendors not being answered to their satisfaction. So with 3 days notice we had to arrange alternative accommodation (my very accommodating mum, & dad) and storage of furniture and cat (mum can't abide them {cats not furniture}). 2 weeks later we are still with mum and dad, solicitors are starting to get rude when we phone them, we are about to divorce from the stress (only joking - will miss my mum's home cooking) and all because the solicitors are awaiting answers to the following crucial questions before they will finalise the contract:
1. Has the boiler been serviced within the last year (my answer - the house has been let through an agency for the last year, surely it has to have been done for H&S reasons, and I don't bloody care I'll get it serviced anyway)
2. Will all the keys be released before exchange (my answer - the house has been let by an agency, they have all the keys, and in anycase, i could fit new locks)
3. Have any of the doors and windows been replaced in the last 5 years (my answer - not judging by the state of some of them, and come on, it's a listed house, you're not allowed to without LBC, and, didn't you look at the survey report......... brother in law who is a carpenter is already champing at the bit)

So here we are, driving by the house every day on the way to work. The nettles are now 7 foot high (am not exaggerating) and the lawn is now a hayfield. next door have horses. Maybe they could use an extra paddock :lol:

Your solicitor works for you, not the other way round. You instruct him/her. So its upto you whether you delay the purchase on trivial points or tell your people to stop wasting time.

The LBC/windows question could leave you lumbered with full cost of replacement if they had been replaced without lbc, so you might not regard that as so trivial.


NT

 

[AMc]

During one purchase I was told that the vendor's solicitors "wouldn't bother answering trivial questions in writing". Insulting as that is a vendor's solicitor is unlikely to be interested in questions about the boiler and keys. If the vendor has said the windows haven't been touched on the sellers information sheet then you can't do much more. You can't prove with paperwork that you haven't done something.

As NT rightly says your solicitor works under your instructions. They won't recommend that proceed without the answers to their questions but they will proceed on your behalf if you tell them you understand the potential risks and you want them to make the purchase anyway. Get on the phone and good luck!

 

[Nemesis]

3. Have any of the doors and windows been replaced in the last 5 years (my answer - not judging by the state of some of them, and come on, it's a listed house, you're not allowed to without LBC, and, didn't you look at the survey report......... brother in law who is a carpenter is already champing at the bit)

This is the only bit to concern yourself with.

If these have been replaced and without LBC AT ANY TIME SINCE LISTING you will be liable.

And what that will mean is that you will be expected, if enforced, to return to as they were, although of course historic fabric can't be replaced!

Have a look on Images of England see if there is a pic, look at listing description and see what that says...

Then tell the solicitors to bloody get on with it. And ask for a reduction in their costs!!!

 

[Penners]

Nemesis is right about the windows being the only matter of any substance. And it's really up to you to consider how much risk you're running if you proceed without the answer to that question.

But if you're prepared to go ahead as things stand now, I should write a letter to your solicitors and tell them so. Give them an undertaking that you will not lay blame at their door if the unanswered questions subsequently cause you problems. (That's all they're really interested in - covering their @rses). Then say that you want completion with all possible speed - give them a deadline if you like (but it has to be do-able).

Well, that's what I'd do, anyway.

 

[Anita]

Just a quick tip - If you do have the work undertaken that was recomended by the structural engineers report, it would be prudent to have the structural engineer back to approve the work and "sign the job off". This then avoids any doubt in the future should you at some stage decide to sell the property, as it would be likely that the bowing wall would be picked up again in a survey.

We did this after making repairs to a similar problem and the cost for a very short visit and report confirming that the work had been done and the problem rectified only cost us about £45 (6 years ago).

 

[andrew gayton]

Interesting point - does an injected DPC require LBC? No physical change to the historical property , etc.?

yes it would require lbc in my opinion.

 

[Nemesis]

Totally agree - as well as all the holes, it requires removal of internal plaster (which may in itself be historic) and replacement with modern waterproof render.

In themselves both of dubious value and no idea really of any longer term problems which could ensue.

 

[dragonfly]

good news. Should be exchanging today, completion next Thursday. Had all sorts of correspondence copies from the solicitor - DPC did have all the correct permissions, just took them ages to dig it out.

Good job my annual leave starts next week because:

First job: Chop down 7 foot nettles, then drink beer.

Second job: drink beer....

Oh and somewhere along the line get someone in to chip off lime render which has been painted with 'modern paint' replace, limewash....... do I sound like a proper forumite yet???

Thanx for all the advice 8) e

 

[Lime]

Congratulations.

Just a thought: leave a few nettles for the wildlife.
It's their garden too.

 

[Craig]

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