Part single-skin / strengthening / mortgage

[Freddie65]

Hello,
I am looking at buying a 1920s bungalow. It was initially built as a holiday home and therefore has some single-skin walls. It does however have a lot of standard construction as it has been substantially extended. I have read a lot of negative reviews about single-skin properties and (mortgage depending) I would be looking to strengthen them. Is there any way I can convert them into double brick cavity walls? If so what kind of price would I be looking at? Will this clear up any future surveying problems if I choose to sell in the future?
Secondly, can anybody recommend any mortgage lenders? I am able to put down a 40% deposit if that makes a difference.
I would really appreciate any suggestions!
What are the real dangers of single-skin walls as I really like this property and it is located in a nice area.
Thank you

 

[noseall]

Single skin walls are for garages, sheds and shi thouses.
Problems associated with them are massive heat loss, damp ingress and poor sound insulation.

Can be fixed in a multitude of ways ranging from creating cavity masonry walls (inside or out) or insulated timber stud walls internally.

 

[OllyJaxx]

Single skin walls are for garages, sheds and shi thouses.
Problems associated with them are massive heat loss, damp ingress and poor sound insulation.

Can be fixed in a multitude of ways ranging from creating cavity masonry walls (inside or out) or insulated timber stud walls internally.

Hope you've had a good 10 years since your last message!


Apologise for reviving this old thread, but in ref to the cavity masonry/insulated timber, would these satisfy mortgage lenders in the future and be deemed as standard construction if you know? As the single skin would currently be classed as none-standard.

 

[noseall]

Apologise for reviving this old thread, but in ref to the cavity masonry/insulated timber, would these satisfy mortgage lenders in the future and be deemed as standard construction if you know?

Yes.

 

[robinbanks]

Timber frame and standard masonry cavity are indeed two forms of construction classed as "standard" by lenders.. Possibly the only two forms, mind, but appetite varies depending on the lender

Could be a lot of work to sort out, and if the place was cheap enough as a cash buy because no one would lend I think I would seriously consider knocking it down and starting over; you get the VAT back if you do which may be reason enough to consider it and you then get a house designed to your exact needs rather than an endless sequence of compromises. If you need to live in it while you work you might consider building a replacement dwelling around it, then taking down the old one, if you can get permission for a larger replacement

 

[OllyJaxx]

Timber frame and standard masonry cavity are indeed two forms of construction classed as "standard" by lenders.. Possibly the only two forms, mind, but appetite varies depending on the lender

Could be a lot of work to sort out, and if the place was cheap enough as a cash buy because no one would lend I think I would seriously consider knocking it down and starting over; you get the VAT back if you do which may be reason enough to consider it and you then get a house designed to your exact needs rather than an endless sequence of compromises. If you need to live in it while you work you might consider building a replacement dwelling around it, then taking down the old one, if you can get permission for a larger replacement

Thanks for the advice it's really appreciated, we are wanting to put a new kitchen in anyway so we have no issues with gutting the main kitchen, the biggest part of course is the way in which we can bring it up to spec and easily mortgageable. Ideally, if we can work with whats there and save a few bob that would be ideal. Ripping down the extension to build another which would set us back £20k minimum which is money we simply just don't have to pull out our back pocket.

We do need a mortgage on the property as we're not cash buyers, so I've tried doing research to the best of my ability to rectify the issue if we did purchase. I know some joiners, as well some people in the trade so the ideal case is doing the timber framing internally insulating etc to try get it to be approved.

The issue however is there's neither any building regs/certifcate for the extension and wondering if it could even pass for retrospective works even if cavity/timber is put in? As the foundations arent able to be checked, unless they would require to see a test hole?

If we wanted to bring a specialsit to check over the needed remedial work before we purchased, who would be the best suited? a builder? surveryor? architect?

Many thanks

 

[robinbanks]

Not harm in giving your local building control department a call and talking through your options - the original work can't have been carried out recently with BC oversight on account of the lack of insulation, so I dare say they'd welcome your efforts to put it right..

Whether you'll be able to build off the existing foundations is unknown - you might end up having to do a bit of engineering to support your new inner skin