Looking at buying a 1920's house which apparently suffered bomb damage in the 1940's but was repaired/rebuilt by the original builder at the time. From what we have been told, the damage extended to front elevation windows and roof slate tiles fell through the front bedroom ceiling. Thankfully no-one was hurt or killed. However there was mention that the "whole house moved 3 inches"! Don't know whether this is an exaggeration.
On the outside, there's no evidence of any damage whatsoever so it was obviously well rebuilt.
On the inside, there are some cracks in the floor of the hallway which we are told occurred as a result of the bomb, which landed in the foregarden between the property and the neighbouring house. It's quite a story.
Now the big question. We're not intending to get a structural survey, the main reason being that it probably because the vendor wouldn't budge on asking price regardless, besides which a visual checked of all the walls and of the timbers for any signs of rot shows that it all seems solid.
There is no mention of any subsidence issues or of underpinning on the property information form completed by the vendor, although it may be that the current vendor just doesn't know, as the ownership of the property has been handed down over the years.
There are no tell-tale cracks in the brickwork and everything else seems in good order. There is a detached garage which also has a crack running through the centre of the concrete floor, which may be also related to the original incident.
One thing to mention there is a large tree at the front of the property, approx 20m away I'd guess, which has a preservation order. Only as I type this am I wondering whether the root system could possibly affect the foundations from that distance away?
I have a gut feeling that the house is solid but I'm not a builder or a structural expert so I just don't know.
Just wanted some professional opinions on how we should proceed?
On the outside, there's no evidence of any damage whatsoever so it was obviously well rebuilt.
On the inside, there are some cracks in the floor of the hallway which we are told occurred as a result of the bomb, which landed in the foregarden between the property and the neighbouring house. It's quite a story.
Now the big question. We're not intending to get a structural survey, the main reason being that it probably because the vendor wouldn't budge on asking price regardless, besides which a visual checked of all the walls and of the timbers for any signs of rot shows that it all seems solid.
There is no mention of any subsidence issues or of underpinning on the property information form completed by the vendor, although it may be that the current vendor just doesn't know, as the ownership of the property has been handed down over the years.
There are no tell-tale cracks in the brickwork and everything else seems in good order. There is a detached garage which also has a crack running through the centre of the concrete floor, which may be also related to the original incident.
One thing to mention there is a large tree at the front of the property, approx 20m away I'd guess, which has a preservation order. Only as I type this am I wondering whether the root system could possibly affect the foundations from that distance away?
I have a gut feeling that the house is solid but I'm not a builder or a structural expert so I just don't know.
Just wanted some professional opinions on how we should proceed?
