Hi All
We've fallen in love with a detached house in the middle of a Lincolnshire field that seems to be sinking at the rear
We haven't bought it yet but have made an offer so still have time to opt out [offer hasn't been excepted yet].
Due to lack of work/finances we're having to sell up and move to a cheaper area, we will be cash buyers because of the equity in our current home and not because we're rich.
I have been in the property maintenance game for 20 odd years but have no experience in what I found at this house yesterday, due to limited funds I set off to do my own survey yesterday [ok found problems, don't know what to do about them].
I printed out check lists for every room and every aspect of the property, from the loft downwards to all external elevations. Things on list were conditions of ceilings, wall's, electrics, windows, doors/frames/skirtings, floors etc.
There were many hairline cracks in the upper rooms, corners of ceilings, edge of lintels over doors, nothing major upstairs other than the wooden floors were all out of level.
Downstairs was the worse crack running down a wall [going through to the other side], it was an internal wall just inside a column built to support a beam where an opening had been created for a small extension.
Downstairs all floors are concrete and all run down towards the rear of the house, the agent explained to me that the houses were built on concrete rafts and some settling was normal. From using a 3' level it looks like the raft has settled 2" inches lower along the rear of the building [pretty level across front elevation].
So I spent three hours there and filled in a 16 page report but don't know what I've discovered only that the house is sinking
My wife loves the house but to purchase it will literally be all our money, we will be mortgage free which means I should find work again on a minimum wage type job so we'll be better off. If we've bought a red herring though we're stuffed, what would you guys do or advise please. I could get a structural engineer in [we could afford one], if he condemns the place it's money we won't have for the next house we'll have to find
The house was built for Lincolnshire County Council in 1958, the same elderly lady lived there until passing for 25 years, windows are good, electrics/plumbings all good. There are NO external cracks showing in the brick work but definitely some loose pointing in top corners.
While laying in bed last night I had a thought that the weird little extension that had been built [probably extending out no more than 5' in length] on the rear was in fact an attempt to stop the house going any further backwards/downwards in that corner just a thought
I don't have a picture on the left hand end showing the small extension, took a 100 odd pic's and didn't get that one
The house
View of lounge showing small exension outwards [width of patio doors on left]
One of the larger cracks that continues across ceiling, it is on the house side on the column supporting the rsj over opening into extension and goes right through wall.
So lots of little cracks internally, one larger crack near extension and house 2" plus lower at the back
Help please
Kind regards
Brian
WoW! just looked at that first picture on here and the house looks to be really really bad, compare the main house to the side extension and conservatory that's presumed level
Think I've just found my answer
Just found this end shot with the conservatory pretty upright, doesn't look so bad but house is going down. Think my guess of a 2" drop on floor was slightly under exaggerated [did only have a 3' level]
We've fallen in love with a detached house in the middle of a Lincolnshire field that seems to be sinking at the rear
We haven't bought it yet but have made an offer so still have time to opt out [offer hasn't been excepted yet].
Due to lack of work/finances we're having to sell up and move to a cheaper area, we will be cash buyers because of the equity in our current home and not because we're rich.
I have been in the property maintenance game for 20 odd years but have no experience in what I found at this house yesterday, due to limited funds I set off to do my own survey yesterday [ok found problems, don't know what to do about them].
I printed out check lists for every room and every aspect of the property, from the loft downwards to all external elevations. Things on list were conditions of ceilings, wall's, electrics, windows, doors/frames/skirtings, floors etc.
There were many hairline cracks in the upper rooms, corners of ceilings, edge of lintels over doors, nothing major upstairs other than the wooden floors were all out of level.
Downstairs was the worse crack running down a wall [going through to the other side], it was an internal wall just inside a column built to support a beam where an opening had been created for a small extension.
Downstairs all floors are concrete and all run down towards the rear of the house, the agent explained to me that the houses were built on concrete rafts and some settling was normal. From using a 3' level it looks like the raft has settled 2" inches lower along the rear of the building [pretty level across front elevation].
So I spent three hours there and filled in a 16 page report but don't know what I've discovered only that the house is sinking
My wife loves the house but to purchase it will literally be all our money, we will be mortgage free which means I should find work again on a minimum wage type job so we'll be better off. If we've bought a red herring though we're stuffed, what would you guys do or advise please. I could get a structural engineer in [we could afford one], if he condemns the place it's money we won't have for the next house we'll have to find
The house was built for Lincolnshire County Council in 1958, the same elderly lady lived there until passing for 25 years, windows are good, electrics/plumbings all good. There are NO external cracks showing in the brick work but definitely some loose pointing in top corners.
While laying in bed last night I had a thought that the weird little extension that had been built [probably extending out no more than 5' in length] on the rear was in fact an attempt to stop the house going any further backwards/downwards in that corner just a thought
I don't have a picture on the left hand end showing the small extension, took a 100 odd pic's and didn't get that one
The house
View of lounge showing small exension outwards [width of patio doors on left]
One of the larger cracks that continues across ceiling, it is on the house side on the column supporting the rsj over opening into extension and goes right through wall.
So lots of little cracks internally, one larger crack near extension and house 2" plus lower at the back
Help please
Kind regards
Brian
WoW! just looked at that first picture on here and the house looks to be really really bad, compare the main house to the side extension and conservatory that's presumed level
Think I've just found my answer
Just found this end shot with the conservatory pretty upright, doesn't look so bad but house is going down. Think my guess of a 2" drop on floor was slightly under exaggerated [did only have a 3' level]