Loft extension where house previously had a bowed wall

[bilalk]

Hi all,

I'm interested in purchasing a flat in the top floors of a semi detached Victorian property. The sellers have just provided this information:

"The front wall has bowed under the weight of the concrete tiles. This is due to the heavy tiles/poor Victorian design of the house. Remedial works (bracing to roof timbers) were carried out prior to us purchasing the flat (in 2018) on advice of structural engineer. The wall/house has been reassessed by a structural engineer in 2021 (for purchase of downstairs flat) and recently (Feb 2024) in preparation of the sale. These reports have all confirmed the wall is stable and there has been no recent movement (we can provide these reports)."

If I purchased this property I'd be interested in having a loft extension done, do you think this would not be possible/ would be made more expensive due to the bowing wall, albeit the issue appears to have been fixed?

 

[^woody^]

You can't rely on any report prepared for any other person.

You'll need your own report for the purchase, and another for any proposed extension.

You'll also need to clarify ownership of the structure and rights to carryout extension work under the building lease or agreement.