Raising the roof?

[Gervase]

None of the walls have cavities, and some of the original building has been rebuilt at some point with 4" brickwork.

The roof is rotten.

The entire place is so damp at some point in the past the exterior walls have been boarded then renderered over (suggestion is in an attempt to rectify the damp issues)

His opinion is: "The house is too far gone and should be condemned! If you buy it buy it as a building plot"

Decisions decisions

To be honest, that sounds like our place when we bought it. And like hundreds of other older houses that have been victims of neglect and misguided maintenance. You'd be surprised just how much of what appears to be a 'wreck' is salvageable.

It does, however, take a fair bit of dedication, a reasonable amount of money and some knowledge of the subject. It's not for the faint-hearted!

From what you say, it also sounds as though you need to have the place surveyed by someone with experience of period buildings if you're going to take that difficult decision. The comment from youor builder that there are no cavity walls shows, I'm afraid, that the chap doesn't really know what he's looking for. And damp is a given with many such buildings, and is easily sorted.

 

[biffvernon]

Sounds like a lovely house. And probably doesn't need underpinning. I hope it is bought by someone who knows how to care for it or is willing to learn.

 

[macman]

None of the walls have cavities, and some of the original building has been rebuilt at some point with 4" brickwork.

The roof is rotten.

The entire place is so damp at some point in the past the exterior walls have been boarded then renderered over (suggestion is in an attempt to rectify the damp issues)

His opinion is: "The house is too far gone and should be condemned! If you buy it buy it as a building plot"

Decisions decisions

To be honest, that sounds like our place when we bought it. And like hundreds of other older houses that have been victims of neglect and misguided maintenance. You'd be surprised just how much of what appears to be a 'wreck' is salvageable.

It does, however, take a fair bit of dedication, a reasonable amount of money and some knowledge of the subject. It's not for the faint-hearted!

From what you say, it also sounds as though you need to have the place surveyed by someone with experience of period buildings if you're going to take that difficult decision. The comment from youor builder that there are no cavity walls shows, I'm afraid, that the chap doesn't really know what he's looking for. And damp is a given with many such buildings, and is easily sorted.

Thanks for the first bit of real constructive "advice" from this forum!!!

I now have the princely total of 6 days to get in an offer on the property, not really enough time to go for the full surveys etc everyone thinks I should have.

Bear in mind I am no expert, I like the village, the plot and the style of the house. I am after sensible opinions on how to make it work for me.

I have to say Gervase your house is really nice, and the sort of thing I'd be proud to live in, but I don't think the house I am looking at is anywhere comparable in terms of condition or character to how yours was.

I'd reckon 50% of the back wall has been re done at some point in 4" wall. Add to that another 4" brick work "box" added to the side. The ridgeline is as straight as a Jeffrey Archer etc. etc.

I don't have the kind of dedication to take a house from that kind of disrepair AND lose money in the process. Knowing the area, and the value of properties, that is very likely to happen unless:

a) The house is enlarged or b) The house is replaced.

 

[Nemesis]

I rather think I said the same thing... I realise time is of the essence, but maybe getting a rapid second opinion from someone with expertise in historic buildings is what you need. That's constructive and realistic.

I repeat - if this building is in a Conservation Area, just because others have been able to be demolished doesn't mean this one can be, or indeed the roof line raised. That would depend from building to building. Is there a Conservation Area Appraisal? Have you talked to the Conservation Officer? Have any permitted development rights been removed?


No point in buying then finding the restrictions are such you can't do what you want.

Enlarging in a manner sensitive to the original building would make it worth more in the long term.

PS a wobbly ridge isn't always a sign of rot! It may be a sign of age...

 

[Lime]

It sounds a bit late to take advice and think about it.
You are taking a risk whatever the new advice may be.
As the advice you have been given so far appears to be based on inappropriate expectations of an old and neglected property it is difficult to advise you either way.

 

[Nemesis]

I don't consider any advice so far given by anyone apart from maybe the builder 'inappropriate' - people take on very neglected properties all the time and repair them. Ask many who post on this forum.

Conservation Area status however is not something to be ignored.

 

[Lime]

My post was in response to macman's real life experience and the financial risk he or she is about to take with so little time.
The advice he/she received came from a person who appeared to expect cavity walls in an old property. That is inappropriate in my view.

Nothing to do with what other posters have said.

However I would not take any financial risk based solely on an internet forum, good though some of the advice may be.

 

[Nemesis]

It's a great pity there is such a rush, as clearly there isn't the time to put in the legwork required before a bid has to be made. This is a substantial investment, but the specialist skills of a surveyor with period property expertise are required to give a realistic assessment of what is and isn't worth worrying about and also the approximate costings.

Then there is the complex issue of Conservation Area status, and that I do know can be a can of worms.

It's not something I'd rush into, thinking I could either substantially alter the frontage or demolish the building. The financial implications for a purchaser are not what the law and government policy considers to be paramount. A conversation with the Conservation Officer would be a sensible urgent move.

 

[Lime]

It's not something I'd rush into, full stop.
The need to consult both the Conservation Officer and the specialist skills of a surveyor with period property experience is only the beginning of the process.
The ramifications of both their opinions need to be thought on, discussed again and possibilities costed..... in under 6 days?
Impossible with little or no previous experience of older house repairs.
If a bid is made it will not be based on a well thought out plan it will be founded on hope and speculation.