Cracked bricks in house we just bought

[newmem]

Hi,

My partner and I just bought our first house, got the keys a few weeks ago and just noticed a crack in the corner of the house (there's a crack on both side of that corner). The surveyor didn't pick this up so we are quite surprised. Either they missed it and they've been there for years, or it happened between October and now. Looks like it stops where the DPC is.

House was built mid 1990s and is a semi. We noticed the neighbour's house has similar cracks in the same corner of their house but their crack goes quite a bit higher than hours, vertical but really thin, more hairline - The area is clay soil.

Not sure what our best course of action is. Should we get in touch with the surveyor and ask his opinion and why it might have been missed? Or are we better off just getting a structural engineer to come have a look?

Really gutted and hoping it's nothing serious as we are probably only planning on staying in the house for about 5 years. It's only a 2-bed house and not our forever home and hoping this isn't something that will affect resale.

 

[jj4091]

Not a builder or surveyor or structural angineer but I wouldn't be concerned if that is all there is. Might rub some silicon in to keep moisture out and the probably check uit again in 12 months time.
You may well get different advice off more experienced builders so keep an eye on your post

 

[foxhole]

Could be minor settlement on clay soil , or even frost damage.
Worth asking surveyor , preferable in writing .

 

[newmem]

@foxhole Thanks. I think we will message him. Is there any recourse if this is something he didn't spot/wrote in the report?

 

[freddiemercurystwin]

There really won't be any recourse, move on with your life. It also depends what kind of survey you paid for.

 

[opps]

In image number 2, it looks like someone has repointed one of the bricks. Hard to tell from the picture but it almost looks like chemfix resin. If you spray the brick with water, does the pointing on the top right of the brick change colour?

 

[newmem]

@opps I will have a look, thanks. So it's not likely to be a new crack then?
You are right, it does look like the mortar was replaced there.

Just wished it was flagged up on the survey so we could have known beforehand (we paid for an L2). Hoping it's not going to be something that is really expensive to fix and/or affect resale of the house.

It has all been really stressful, as it's taken such a long time to be able to save for a deposit and be able to buy our first house and with it being from the 1990s we didn't think there would be many problems with it. It's not our long term home, just getting on the ladder so hoping it won't be something too bad.

 

[newmem]

@freddiemercurystwin We paid for an L2 (as the house was less than 30 years old)

 

[johnny2007]

Don't worry about it.
If you really want to, get those bricks replaced: an hour job.

 

[newmem]

@johnny2007 I have anxiety, so finding it quite hard not to worry

 

[stevie888]

That's very local damage: I wonder if something has hit that corner?

Not serious either way,

 

[johnny2007]

That's very local damage: I wonder if something has hit that corner?

Not serious either way,

Yes, this is very possible.

@johnny2007 I have anxiety, so finding it quite hard not to worry

If it helps, get those bricks replaced.
Seriously, it's a very small job for any half competent builder.
Most difficult bit would be to find same bricks.