Surveyor

Zelda247

hi

we just bought a house and despite having a survey now discover that the floor and the bedroom and en-suite is sinking.... we only bought the house earlier this year and can't understand how the surveyor could have missed it, the house is 7 years old, can anyone advice the best course of action?

thanks

Gumbo

Zelda247 wrote: »

hi

we just bought a house and despite having a survey now discover that the floor and the bedroom and en-suite is sinking.... we only bought the house earlier this year and can't understand how the surveyor could have missed it, the house is 7 years old, can anyone advice the best course of action?

thanks

Was it sinking when the surveyor surveyed it?

Zelda247

Yes it would have been.

ht9zni1gs28crp

But as usual the Surveyor will have it all dismissed in the fine print under the jargon such as 'unable to access the floor joists'

Absolutely pointless bit of paper and a general money spinner....

Bracken81

Yes unfortunately the Conditional Survey will most likely be a Visual inspection only......pretty much to satisfy the Solicitors and Banks needs

I agree with Miller.......a money making racket

Zelda247

ah i see i wonder would it be covered under the 10 year building guarantee as the house is only 7 years old?

Zelda247

sorry should have said we chose to have a survey as we have no mortgage so the banks did not have any input.

sydthebeat

Zelda247 wrote: »

ah i see i wonder would it be covered under the 10 year building guarantee as the house is only 7 years old?

Only if the house and builder was registered with homebond or premier

Rabbo

Isaac Little Nerd wrote: »

But as usual the Surveyor will have it all dismissed in the fine print under the jargon such as 'unable to access the floor joists'

Absolutely pointless bit of paper and a general money spinner....

I'm sure if you wanted to pay for a detailed invasive survey and all the repair works after, the surveyor would have obliged you.

sydthebeat

miller_63 wrote: »

But as usual the Surveyor will have it all dismissed in the fine print under the jargon such as 'unable to access the floor joists'

Absolutely pointless bit of paper and a general money spinner....

Floor joists?

Highly doubt we're taking about a suspended timber floor in a 7 year old house.

Can the op clarify what exactly is happening, perhaps with pics?

Gumbo

Zelda247 wrote: »

Yes it would have been.

So you knew it was sinking and didn't mention it to the surveyor?

Chisler2

Rabbo wrote: »

I'm sure if you wanted to pay for a detailed invasive survey and all the repair works after, the surveyor would have obliged you.

Makes no difference in my experience. I had the "Gold Standard" of enhanced survey at about three times the cost. Survey STILL did not lift carpets which would have detected existing dampness, or evinced more than what was observable to the naked eye, such as "The house is where it is supposed to be; it has a slate roof; it seems to be structurally sound". Use your own judgement! If you are purchasing a car, you drive it and kick the tyres. If you intend to purchase a house, bring a few chisels and guages, stamp on the floors, visit at different times of the day, climb into the attic, insist the water be turned on so you so where and how thing flow. It baffles me that when it comes to one of the most expensive items any of us purchase in our lives, there is SO LITTLE INVESTIGATION! ......and what there is, relies on the dubious 'expertise' of professionals who frankly could not give a monkeys!

Zelda247

No we did not know it was sinking we only discovered it after we bought it i am afraid.... we were shocked as we thought the surveyor would have picked it up.

James 007

Usually its the person who has bought the house has a lack of understanding of what a survey would contain in the first place. A good Engineer would put light to this from the very start.

I have done numerous surveys in the past, both visual and evasive works by carrying out opening up works, trial pits. Usually I would carry both a plumb bob (string with a weight) just to check verticallity of walls and a few marbles (to check the old wooden floors).

A vendor will not allow you to carry out evasive works therefore you are restricted to a visual/photographic survey, and damn right an Engineer/Surveyor has every right to protect themselves by the careful wording of their survey reports.

A visual survey will tell you what it is, list out visual defects, possible issues/faults and remedies and make recommendations for further opening up works etc.

If it was visible to the naked eye at the time of the survey a good engineer would of picked it up by looking at existing skirting boards. The question you need to ask yourself, did you employ a competent engineer to do the job.

Is it a ground floor issue or a 1st floor issue?

Zelda247

its a 1st floor issue... maybe the guy just did not spot it, its basically from the master bedroom into the en-suite and across to the main bathroom the floor sinks.....

it was difficult when we saw the house as there were people there and we felt a bit intimated looking around as they did not want to leave (they were renting it) plus we were living in Scotland whilst the sale was going through so it was difficult to sort things out, also we are pensioners so not perhaps as sharp as we would have been if we were younger.

sydthebeat

Can you post pics and describe what the wall and floor construction is?

If the deflection is parrallel with the joists its inadequate bridging.
If it's perpendicular its an indication of something more.

Is there a large open plan room under?

James 007

Zelda247 wrote: »

.....it was difficult when we saw the house as there were people there and we felt a bit intimated looking around as they did not want to leave (they were renting it).......

Maybe a clever ploy by the estate agent.

I have seen many 'sinking' floors in the past in alot of older bulidings in Leeson Park, Fitzwilliam Sq., Merrion Square and Henrietta St.

I'd be more worried/concerned about why the floor is sinking if at all. Is there any evidence at ground floor level to the walls to suggest any movement.

If you are to look any further you need to answer this questions first, is it sinking or is it down to poor workmanship to laying the floor on indeed the covering materials over. How much is it sinking by, how noticeable is it.

Is it something you can live with.

Is it a timber floor joist or suspended concrete floor.

If it is a newer house then you would have every right to question the issue. Older houses settle over time and are usually built on stepped brick foundations often too narrow to take the bearing pressures of the dead weight of the sturcture.

Apologies, house is 7yrs old, new house so.

sydthebeat

The poster has said it's first floor in a seven year old house

James 007

sydthebeat wrote: »

The poster has said it's first floor in a seven year old house

Our post was corrected above syd the beat

James 007

sydthebeat wrote: »

The poster has said it's first floor in a seven year old house

Our post was corrected above

James 007

sydthebeat wrote: »

Can you post pics and describe what the wall and floor construction is?

If the deflection is parrallel with the joists its inadequate bridging.
If it's perpendicular its an indication of something more.

I'm taking a guess that the OP has not opened up the floor yet.

Of course we have mentioned sinking due to settlement, not sinking at all due to the workmanship, but we forgot to mention sinking due to the properties of the materials, if timber the strength class etc.

However your right, we need to know the construction make-up, if any evidence of stress/cracking in the walls below, the ceiling etc.

Zelda247

no, not opened up the floor, the flooring is the usual laminate type thing and the walls are the usual interior type thing, they are tiled in the en-suite. regarding photos i think it would be impossible to get the view of the slanting which goes from the bedroom floor towards the en-suite, the en-suite then backs onto the main bathroom where the floor is again sinking.

sydthebeat

Is it visible on the ground floor?

Zelda247

no funnily enough.....

RORY O CONNOR

Bracken81 wrote: »

Yes unfortunately the Conditional Survey will most likely be a Visual inspection only......pretty much to satisfy the Solicitors and Banks needs

I agree with Miller.......a money making racket

All services are a means of making a living.

A survey on a house is always to be advised as it should show up defective issues in the property so you know in advance of problems. A friend had a house survey done last week and it was discovered that it has Pyrite-simply from the visual survey. the fee was small compared to the costs of fixing the place up if she had bought it so its hardly a racket!

Zelda247

i know what you mean but its crazy that you pay a qualified professional to provide a service and they miss something so vital.

RORY O CONNOR

Zelda247 wrote: »

i know what you mean but its crazy that you pay a qualified professional to provide a service and they miss something so vital.

Well thats when the PI should kick in. As with any service provider get them to set out whats covered and not covered. Stuff in closed off areas clearly cannot be expressed in terms of an opinion but problems typically show themselves on the surface.