Our prospective move to large Victorian house - bit nervous !

[swayzak]

Hello

My wife & I have had our offer accepted for an 1857 5 bed detached house in Leicester.

It comes with the expected age-related issues highlighted by a one-level-below full structural survey, and some perhaps related to less than vigilant up keep.

Roof issues include some exposed roof batons, mortar torching perished & a few small holes for patching.

Any advice welcome !

Does anyone know of expert tradepeople on Victorian properties in the Leicester area ?


Thanks

 

[plasticpigeon]

Does anyone know of expert tradepeople on Victorian properties in the Leicester area ?

Congratulations of having your offer accepted. I think if you want to do right and end up with a nice house that at least keeps some of the charm that it had when it was built, I'm afraid I don't think there is any alternative than to become the "expert" yourself. I have not found a builder that I would let loose on my house without very close direction, and my observations of completed jobs where people have just asked trades to get on with stuff leads me to believe this will never result in a satisfactory solution, epecially on older properties which in many cases don't benefit from the use of modern materials. I'm not a Luddite but modern materials should be used where appropriate. From what you say though, it does sound like you need to get your roof fixed as a proiority. I'm not sure why torching is important, as I believe this is mortar over the slate or tile joints on the inside, and is not done these days if there is a roofing felt under the external covering which is a better solution, but any exposed wood or holes is something to get seen to. Photos would be great, lots of people on this site will be more than happy to help/give their opinion!!!

 

[swayzak]

Thanks very much for the prompt reply.

Becoming an expert myself may be a bit of a non-starter as my DIY skills are close to zero

The surveyor took quite a few pics - I shall upload them later today.

Would it be allowed / appropriate for someone to take a look at the survey and advise ?

 

[kreyszig]

Here's a good test for roofers. Mention that there is damp getting in through the chimneys. If they ask you if you really need the chimney, kick them off the property

 

[88v8]

Hello and welcome.

Zero DIY skills is what we were all born with, at least I was. But unless you wish perpetually to be at the mercy of expensive botchers, you can learn.
Just as I did, despite spending most of my working life pushing pixels around in an office. And my father did, in addition to being a research chemist and musician.

Yes, we'd be happy to see the survey, and I'm sure it will be possible to offer some meaningful comment.

Ivor

 

[swayzak]

Thanks

Have spoken to some family & friends who have experience with older properties, and the discussions were reassuring. Estimated cost of a roof replacement / repair (which appears to be the main potential expense) is quite scary though !

Here is a link to folder containing pics & survey...


https://drive.google.com/folderview?id=0B_0x4GphMbDLNlVvVmdqQzROLUU&usp=sharing

 

[kreyszig]

Lovely looking house!
Wow, it doesn't take much to get a 3 from the surveyor, does it? From the looks of that report, your roof woes are very minor indeed.

However, as they haven't been on the roof you might brace yourself for some work that isn't mentioned. The flaunching may need re doing if it is cracked. They didn't seem to poke around much inside the loft either, so they may have missed any signs of water leaking through the chimney flashings.There's some kind of mark on the gable wall in the loft but I can't tell if it's a water stain or cobwebs.

 

[mims&pip]

Looks like a lovely house swayzak! Reminds me very much of one of our previous houses - although that was real wreck, see pics in the 'attic' thread :shock: - we took on that with very little DIY knowledge/experience and brought it back to life from 3500 sq ft of horrid, unloved apartments to a fantastic family home with period features restored......and all in the space of ten years. It can be scary, but also extremely rewarding - we learned an awful lot along the way and have since tackled far worse!

Good luck with it and look forward to seeing/hearing more!

Mims x

 

[88v8]

Didn't see the survey text (?) but visually the house looks in good nick, just normal wear & tear and maintenance to do. The surveyor was struggling to find anything negative.
Original windows hooray, original roof and guttering. Lovely. Regrettable modernity within, but that can be fixed - I'm sure PipMims would have some ideas.

Yes, the roof has been torched with lime long long ago, probably to keep out blown snow.

An insulation obsessive would say to lift it all then insulate then put it back.
Some unscrupulous roofers would tell you 'it all needs to come off guv', and they often get away with it because owners can't be bothered to climb a ladder and look for themselves.
I saw no sign of water penetration, and if the tiles are not delaminating after all this time there is every possibility they could last another hundred years or more. You will find replacement matchng ridge tiles in salvage yards.

So I would say do the minimum of maintenance & repair, insulate the loft - a job which someone appears to have started - and leave it be. The pipework in the loft needs more thorough insulation.

In terms of heat saving, the cost of removing and replacing the roof, keeping the original tiles of course, is such that you would never recover the cost, even if you live to be the oldest man on earth, nor your children nor your children's children.

Get a few quotes from roofers who have worked on period buildings, ask for references, and go and look. Take binoculars.

Ivor

 

[swayzak]

Many thanks all

Yes, we are getting a couple of roofers to take a more detailed look at the roof (at least one of which states they have experience with period properties).

May also get plumbing. heating & electrics assessment to see if any significant upgrades are advisable.

That tank in the roof space - presumably a header tank for the shower below ? Or for something else ?

What about the cellar ? I was thinking about using one of the rooms down there for moving my home music studio into - but given the potential damp issues I guess this may be a no no (without tanking - £££££) ?

I will also have a walk around with vendor soon to try and get better feel for potential problems..