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The Essential Guide » Finding & Buying Land / Property » What Do We Look For When Buying a House to Renovate, Convert or Extend?
What do we look for when buying a house to Renovate Convert or Extend?
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MOST IMPORTANT: BEFORE YOU BUY - GET A SURVEY DONE!!
The fact that you are buying to renovate will usually suggest that the building structure and general condition is “not at its best”.
Unless you have a good level of experience and knowledge of building structures, you could spend as long as you like looking at every detail of the property, and completely miss something of vital importance, which if you knew about it, may affect your decision to buy the property.
A detailed professional survey can be expensive. It could cost you a few hundred pounds for a detailed report from a “Structural Surveyor”. - In many cases people who buy property to renovate or convert tend to work on the basis that:
“We know there is going to be work to be done, so, we’ll just get the “minimum cost” survey done to satisfy the mortgage company, and we can use the money we save to put towards the cost of the work that needs doing”.
That approach may be ok, if you are lucky! BUT, - What if a more detailed report would have found dry rot, woodworm, settlement, wall tie failure, problems with the chimney, or maybe the rising or some other form of damp which did not show up on the cheaper survey? - If that were to happen, then you may easily find yourselves landed with £1,000’s of extra costs which you had not budgeted originally for.
These extra costs could mean that the completed project goes from being a “profit, or equity” creating exercise, to actually costing more to buy and complete than its “market value” would be when it’s all finished.
You need to use your own judgment to a certain extent when deciding what kind of survey will be appropriate for each individual property which you may consider buying.
If you are buying a property in pretty good overall repair and you are just planning on making cosmetic changes to it, then you may make a judgement that a high cost full structural survey is not needed. – This is a tricky one to give advice on.
There is always an element of risk in buying any property. - Even new properties can have structural defects where the builder has tried to cut corners and used inferior materials or poor building techniques. So, in theory every house should have a full structural survey. - The fact is, however, that they don’t.
A good rule of thumb would be that if you are buying a property which you intend to update or renovate, and which is out of its original “Structural Warranty” period. - Whether your plans are for cosmetic or structural alterations, don’t take any chances. Cover yourself in the fullest way against unexpected and expensive shocks by getting the highest quality of survey available.
What can we look out for ourselves?
There are many things that you can keep your eyes open for before you get as far down the road as booking the “Structural Survey”. - If you pick up on a few of these when you look around yourself, you may never actually get to the point of needing the survey. - You may be able to work out that with just the problems you pick up on yourself, the project will be financially a “none starter”.
I will list some of the main “tell tale” signs to watch out for. – If you see any of these as you look around, either with the owner or the Agent, do not be scared to mention them:
- By picking up items the owner will see that you know what you are doing, and will be less likely to try to “pull the wool”.
- If you pick up numerous items of concern, then when you come to the point of making an offer to buy the property, you may well have a lower offer accepted. Especially if the owner has now been made aware of problems with the property which they may previously have been oblivious to.
Damp:
Look for damp patches anywhere.Fungus on the walls, or parts of the walls that look like they might have been cleaned just before you got there!
Damp or discoloured areas on the flooring could mean that damp is present underneath and it could be far wider spread than just the area you can see on the surface.
Check the ceilings which are under the attic. - Discolouration, fungus or damp patches may indicate leaks in the roof.
If the owners have strong air fresheners in rooms, or have windows wide open, it could be an attempt to hide the smell of damp.
Outside, check to see if there is any part of the garden which comes above the floor level inside? – If so this can sometimes cause damp problems inside unless the wall has been “tanked” (waterproofed) to stop moisture getting through.
Is there fungus spreading up the wall from ground level, or is the render or brickwork discoloured? – If so it could indicate that there is no dpc (damp proof course), or that it is failing.
Settlement:
The main “tell tale” sign of settlement is cracks.
In brickwork these will normally follow a “step” pattern up the joints, or it may actually cause the break into to 2 parts (depending on which is the stronger part of the wall, the brick or the mortar).
The wider the crack the more settlement has occurred. - Settlement cracks can also appear at “weakest points” in the wall. These will normally be at between corners of window or door openings which are roughly “one above the other”. This is where there is less “solid wall” to crack than there is where there are no openings (i.e. the opening itself is already forming part of the line of the “crack”).
All buildings settle a little, but most don’t start to show signs of the movement by exhibiting these obvious signs. If they do on any property you are considering buying, you would be wise to investigate any potential problems with the structure which their existence may indicate.
Wall tie failure:
Many years ago, builders used to use wall ties which could rust and “fail”. Consequently buildings which have over the years absorbed moisture through the outer skin of the external wall ( especially walls exposed to bad weather conditions), could start to suffer from “wall tie failure” as the moisture getting through the brickwork, over time starts to rust and rot away the old wall tie.
The signs to look for are, again “cracks”, - but this time they generally tend to follow horizontal lines rather than appearing as “steps” in the brickwork.
As a tie “fails”, it stops “holding together” its section of the wall. This leaves both “skins” of the wall “freer” to move. If just one tie fails you may not know about it. - But if a few fail on the same course of brickwork, then each “skin” making up that whole course can start to move freely independently of the other skin. This is when you can start to see the horizontal cracks forming.
If you see the signs of failure in one place on a wall, there is a good chance that the rest of the wall ( and the property as a whole) is not too far behind. - This needs fixing, otherwise it can reduce the structural stability of the property. If you are repairing one wall, you would also be recommended to do the whole house. – Obviously this has a substantial cost implication.
If you come across houses with evidence of “little holes” all over the surface of the external walls, which have been obviously been “made good”, this is a sign that the wall ties have already been replaced. - If so, check that there is a guarantee with the work.
Dry rot:
Most of us know what dry rot is. It is a living fungus which feeds off, and attacks wood within the building. It is often caused by dampness or lack of ventilation.In its early stages it can have the appearance of an “orangey” coloured dust, which, if it come into contact with wood, can begin a reaction which leads to the start of your problems. Brittle, dry, crumbling and flaking wood, are some of the symptoms.
If you catch it early enough it can be treated and stopped. However if it is in its later stages it can cause serious damage to the overall structure of the building.
If you suspect that a property you are viewing is suffering from dry rot, the seller may allow you to bring in a specialist to check it before you think about making an offer. Unless your budget has catered for stripping out a lot of the timber in the property, then dealing with this problem could have a substantial effect on your budget.
Woodworm:
The scary sounding “Death watch beetle” can be one cause of woodworm! - It is one of 4 “little critters” which most commonly cause the damage.
If a property has a woodworm problem the symptoms are usually tiny holes in the wood, and can also include a powdery substance around the holes. Timber may also tend to be a bit flaky around the edges. If you suspect that there is a woodworm problem in a property, you need to find out how serious it is and what the cost implications of dealing with it are. Again, the seller may allow you to bring in a specialist to check it out prior to you making an offer.
Structural defects:
There are many defects which could cause problems or extra expense on a project. It is impossible to list them all. Things to keep your eyes open for are:
- Cracks - anywhere.
- Signs of movement in any part of the structure.
- Loud “creaks in floors” (louder than your average creak!).
- Plaster flaking or coming off in lumps revealing cracks in the wall behind it.
- Cracks in window panes which can suggest that the lintel above the window (if there is one) is not taking the full weight of the wall above.
- Windows or doors not opening (again possibly suggesting a weight not being adequately supported above the opening).
- “Bowing” in parts of walls, externally or internally can suggest wall tie failure or structural instability.
- Uneven floors can suggest settlement or other structural problems.
Keep your eyes peeled for ANYTHING suspicious as you view any property.
As you view a property, you think to yourself :
“Does this property have all the characteristics of a new house? – If not, where does it differ?”
Then, if you notice anything which stands out, you can pay each item the attention you think it needs, possibly bringing in “specialists” to have a look.
Leaks:
This one is fairly straight forward:
Damp patches anywhere, or drying out patches, damp smells.
Check in airing cupboards, under sinks, behind units where possible, anywhere hidden where there would be a possibility of leaks.
Are the seals around the baths “sound”? - If not then water may have been leaking through to the floor underneath for years!
Is there any sign of leaking on copper pipe joints (often seen as green residue after it has dried).
Look at tile joints in bathrooms and kitchens. - If there are areas of the joints which are “darker” in shade than the rest, are they damp to touch? - Tap the tiles to see if they seem to be stuck properly. If not they will sound hollow and this could mean that there is damp behind them which is letting them come away from the wall.
Damaged / deteriorated glazing seals:
Look at the double glazing (if the house has it). - Is there any sign of deterioration on the inside of the glazing unit? If so it can be a sign that the seals on the double glazing units have failed. If so, the units will need replacing, and the suggestion may be that the windows themselves may be getting to the stage where they also need replacing.
Loose render:
Tapping on the external render or tapping it lightly with a small hammer will tell you if it is “sound”. If it has “failed”, as you tap it, it will sound hollow.
Test a large area. - One part of a wall may be fine while another can be failing.
If render is coming away from the wall it may all need to be “hacked off” and replaced. - As well as the cost of re rendering, this can involve the expense of waste skips, scaffolding and extra labour, and can be a costly and time consuming excercise.
Condition of kitchen / utility room units:
If you think that the condition of the kitchen units is of concern, you need to give some serious thought to the implications:
Would you need to replace the whole lot? – If so then you have the “strip out” costs to think about, the Waste skips, the plumbing and electrical work, THEN the cost of the new kitchen plus fitting.
You may also need to re tile the walls and floors, redecorate, and fit new skirting boards. - This one item can cost many thousands of pounds and take up a considerable portion of your budget.
Don’t just think “Oh, it needs a new kitchen, I’ll allow five grand for that” – There are all the associated costs which can add considerably to the basic cost of the kitchen itself
Condition of bathroom w/c equipment:
Exactly the same considerations apply to the bathrooms which apply to the kitchens.
Poor / old wiring and electrical fittings:
Look out for old looking fittings, often yellowing, or with the signs of “having seen” many “redecorations” (“tell tale” signs are numerous bits of different coloured paint around their edges.Check all the switches, light fitting, sockets. Look out for bare wires showing anywhere, or an old fuse box. All these things are signs that the system may be old and will need updating.
Lead piping:
A real “No No” these days. Check under sinks and anywhere you can to see if there are any signs of lead piping. If there are the whole system may need to be replaced.
Asbestos:
Even worse than lead! – If you find asbestos in a property you can’t remove it yourself. You need to bring in a specialist company who will survey the property, give you a report and quote you for the work.
If asbestos is present in a property you are considering buying , the owner may have either done some research already, which they may let you see, or allow you to bring someone in to inspect the problem before you make an offer.
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