House needing work

jenggg

I am interested in purchasing an older house in Cork City. Underpinning needs to be done and I won't be signing the contracts until it is. It seems to be pretty standard in Cork unfortunately. However, the engineer has found a lot wrong with the house. He has suggested I get all external walls replastered, remove all the plaster from internal walls and dry-line. There is also dampness at the base of the walls so I would use DPC here but what's really worrying me is that he says all the floor slabs need to be dug up to be relined properly. To me this is a massive job so wondering if there is any alternative? Also one of the floors is slanting due to the subsidence and I'm wondering if anyone has any experience of insurance companies covering the cost of damage caused to floors from the subsidence? Thanks in advance.

looksee

Since you don't really know what you are doing, you shouldn't touch that house. Certainly advice on something like that needs a bit more authority than you will get on a chat site (good and all as it is ).

Why would an insurance firm get involved in the house? Does someone else have insurance on it? In which case its their business to get it done. You don't have insurance on it, and an insurance firm would not take on a premises in that condition and then pay for work on it.

It needs underpinning, the slabs have shifted and its damp - it sounds as though it is sliding into the Lee.

jenggg

The vendor's insurance is covering the underpinning. There will be no signing contracts until this is completed. Just wondering if anyone has had underpinning done and are happy that it's totally successful. I've had builders in to see the other work involving the walls and floors and am waiting on a quote. The work needed is on the suggestions of an engineer and am I willing to get it all carried out. I am just looking for other people's experiences of anything similar.

looksee

Sorry if I sounded a bit smart, you are obviously just checking all the options. It must have some view though, to do that much rescuing

Kashkai

With hundreds of thousands of unsold properties all over the country, why on earth do you want something akin to a money pit? I've had endless trouble with my house that was newly built at the height of the property boom and tbh, I doubt if I could give it away just to be rid of it. However if you are prepared to take on a house with subsidence, damp etc, then that gives me hope that I can offload my crappy house to someone.

Walk away from that house as you'll never be able to relax in it as you'll be waiting for something else to go wrong. Trust me, I know.

Finally most insurance companies won't touch a house with subsidence or a history of it despite remedial works. If they do take it on, you'll be charged a hefty premium.

bluebell201

Jenggg, what did you decide to do with this house? We are looking at a house that has subsidence now and trying to make up our minds about what to do!