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Any Engineers here? Looking for advice!

  • 25-08-2014 11:24AM
    #1
    IrishAlice
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 557 ✭✭✭


    Sorry if this is a long story.

    Myself and my OH are in the process of buying a new build house...however the foundations are down 5 years so a green cert is required to say there's no risk of pyrite.

    We were told by the builders that we'd get the greencert from them and it was included in the cost.

    Fast forward 4 months, the builders solicitors are saying they won't give us a greencert.

    In order to speed things up we agreed that we'd pay for the greencert to be carried out and have even chosen our engineer. We were then told today that we can't choose our own engineer and must use the one the builders have chosen for us.

    Can anyone advise if this is standard practice or if this should be a cause of concern for us? I don't even know where to look to see if the builders engineer is reputable.

    Thanks in Advance.


Comments

  • #2
    RITwing
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 246 ✭✭RITwing


    Back out of the deal. Like when a shop says if you break it you buy it. In this case buy it and if it's broken - it's still yours.


  • #3
    Gumbo
    Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 41,706 Mod ✭✭✭✭Gumbo


    IrishAlice wrote: »
    Sorry if this is a long story.

    Myself and my OH are in the process of buying a new build house...however the foundations are down 5 years so a green cert is required to say there's no risk of pyrite.

    We were told by the builders that we'd get the greencert from them and it was included in the cost.

    Fast forward 4 months, the builders solicitors are saying they won't give us a greencert.

    In order to speed things up we agreed that we'd pay for the greencert to be carried out and have even chosen our engineer. We were then told today that we can't choose our own engineer and must use the one the builders have chosen for us.

    Can anyone advise if this is standard practice or if this should be a cause of concern for us? I don't even know where to look to see if the builders engineer is reputable.

    Thanks in Advance.

    Hop in your car and drive away. Don't make the biggest purchase of your life without knowing exactly what went into the ground and is holding up the house.

    I know I'd walk away,

    Kceire
    Engineers Ireland Member.


  • #4
    Bigus
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 4,953 ✭✭✭Bigus


    Put down new foundations ?


  • #5
    Gumbo
    Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 41,706 Mod ✭✭✭✭Gumbo


    Bigus wrote: »
    Put down new foundations ?

    Deffo an option, but the site would need complete digging, levelling and starting from the trench up. I doubt the builder will do this.


  • #6
    sky6
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,445 ✭✭✭sky6


    Insist on a new foundation, after all in the scale of costs for a new House Foundations it's one of the cheapest but also one of the most important.
    If they won't do that discuss it with your local Council who might twist their arm to do so.


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  • #7
    893bet
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 9,617 ✭✭✭893bet


    A new foundation may not be needed.

    What you need is an independent engineers report. You are paying.... Why should he pick the engineer. What has he to hide? What's he afraid of?

    Walk away.


  • #8
    IrishAlice
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 557 ✭✭✭IrishAlice


    893bet wrote: »
    A new foundation may not be needed.

    What you need is an independent engineers report. You are paying.... Why should he pick the engineer. What has he to hide? What's he afraid of?

    Walk away.

    This is it in a nutshell. Why insist that we must use the builders engineer?

    The foundations might be 100% fine - they've already provided the geotechnical report for the stone to us but won't let us choose the engineer.

    I've heard that if there is pyrite found down the line that the engineer who signed off on the greencert would be legally liable but I'd still prefer to have our engineer do the certification.


  • #9
    Bigus
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 4,953 ✭✭✭Bigus


    kceire wrote: »
    Deffo an option, but the site would need complete digging, levelling and starting from the trench up. I doubt the builder will do this.

    What cost , for the avoidance of doubt.


  • #10
    RITwing
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 246 ✭✭RITwing


    Are we not talking about a completed house here? In which case the idea of replacing foundations is ruinously expensive.


  • #11
    IrishAlice
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 557 ✭✭✭IrishAlice


    The house is at roof level. They were in the process of building when we paid our holding deposit.

    Our solicitor is saying that it's unlikely an engineer will issue a cert for the house if there is anything wrong with the stone, regardless of whether he was chosen by the builder or by us.


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  • #12
    Gumbo
    Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 41,706 Mod ✭✭✭✭Gumbo


    Bigus wrote: »
    What cost , for the avoidance of doubt.
    RITwing wrote: »
    Are we not talking about a completed house here? In which case the idea of replacing foundations is ruinously expensive.

    That's what I assumed.


  • #13
    Bigus
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 4,953 ✭✭✭Bigus


    RITwing wrote: »
    Are we not talking about a completed house here? In which case the idea of replacing foundations is ruinously expensive.

    Oops , sorry


  • #14
    RORY O CONNOR
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 270 ✭✭RORY O CONNOR


    Why should you pay to get the greencert done-the builder should be reassuring you that the house is OK-what area is the house in?


  • #15
    miss no stars
    Closed Accounts Posts: 2,957 ✭✭✭miss no stars


    I'd walk away. Builder sounds like a nightmare.


  • #16
    IrishAlice
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 557 ✭✭✭IrishAlice


    Having considered all of your responses and after speaking to family, friends and our solicitor we took the decision to pull out of the purchase of the house.

    It's a bit of a nightmare and pretty annoying being back to square one but we decided that it's better to be safe than sorry.

    Thanks to everyone for all of your advice.


  • #17
    hexosan
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,740 ✭✭✭hexosan


    IrishAlice wrote: »
    Having considered all of your responses and after speaking to family, friends and our solicitor we took the decision to pull out of the purchase of the house.

    It's a bit of a nightmare and pretty annoying being back to square one but we decided that it's better to be safe than sorry.

    Thanks to everyone for all of your advice.

    It might not look that way now but you've made the correct decision


  • #18
    Drift
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,395 ✭✭✭Drift


    100% the right decision. Anyone buying a house should be prepared to walk away if something suspect crops up. It's just not worth it in the long run.

    It can be very tough if you are in love with the house/location/price etc. but sometimes you just have to be cold and calculating and realise that it's too much money to risk.


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