Structural survey done, problems found after buying

Flibbles

Not sure if this is the right place, but I had a structural survey done before I bought a house. Report said it was fine, they'd checked all visible areas and no issues found.

Today I found out I need the chimney lead replaced as the chimney is leaking, causing mould inside my main bedroom (which took apart a piece of the plasterboard).

I had a tradesman take a look today and he immediately saw something was wrong in the attic, before looking at the chimney externally and saying it was buggered.

Would the surveyors be liable for anything? Since they missed something that was immediately obvious to someone else?

Johnnyhpipe

Flashing - non structural. Would not have been inspected as part of a 'structural inspection' and I would imagine the scope of report is clearly outlined at the beginning to cover this fact.

What is it with people these days, someone always has to be liable🙄

Victor

Flibbles wrote: »

I had a tradesman take a look today and he immediately saw something was wrong in the attic, before looking at the chimney externally and saying it was buggered.

Mileage may vary with phrases like 'buggered'. Use of objective technical terms would be much more appropriate.

Maybe the chimney is fundamentally compromised, maybe it isn't. Maybe the tradesman is exaggerating / selling-up, maybe he isn't.

By tradesman, do you mean a roofer or bricklayer, not a tiler or electrician?

Flibbles

Johnnyhpipe wrote: »

Flashing - non structural. Would not have been inspected as part of a 'structural inspection' and I would imagine the scope of report is clearly outlined at the beginning to cover this fact.

What is it with people these days, someone always has to be liable🙄

I'm just pissed off that I paid someone to check the house was fine before I bought it, and less than 3 months in I've yet another ~1k issue to fix.

Victor wrote: »

Mileage may vary with phrases like 'buggered'. Use of objective technical terms would be much more appropriate.

Maybe the chimney is fundamentally compromised, maybe it isn't. Maybe the tradesman is exaggerating / selling-up, maybe he isn't.

By tradesman, do you mean a roofer or bricklayer, not a tiler or electrician?

Lead was worn, resulting in damp that penetrated my master bedroom.

Roofer, he was able to see there was something wrong inside the attic, within second, followed by an external check.

Victor

Flibbles wrote: »

I'm just pissed off that I paid someone to check the house was fine before I bought it

No, you hired someone to check the house wouldn't immediately fall down. You had inappropriate expectations.

Unless you have specific concerns about the structural stability of a building (in which case hire an engineer), a building surveyor is probably the best person to hire as they will inspect all matters relating to the property.

Flibbles wrote: »

I'm just pissed off that I paid someone to check the house was fine before I bought it, and less than 3 months in I've yet another ~1k issue to fix.

To expect o have to spend nothing on a newly-purchased property would be overly-optimistic.

Lead was worn, resulting in damp that penetrated my master bedroom.

In which case, the lead was 'buggered', not the house.

Metric Tensor

It is also possible that the problem may be more evident in certain weather conditions than in others.

Owning a house (even a fairly modern one) is a non-stop battle with maintenance costs. Give it a few months and you'll find something else that has to be fixed and then something else .... and just when you think you have everything lovely ... the young lad will decide to spill Ribena on the carpet

Metric Tensor

Ahhh - double posts still happening - apologies

kkelliher

Flibbles wrote: »

I'm just pissed off that I paid someone to check the house was fine before I bought it, and less than 3 months in I've yet another ~1k issue to fix.

Lead was worn, resulting in damp that penetrated my master bedroom.

Roofer, he was able to see there was something wrong inside the attic, within second, followed by an external check.

There is always the possibility that there was no issue in place when the surveyor looked at it.....not exactly kind weather in Ireland over the last 3/4 months

wrmwit

Metric Tensor wrote: »

the young lad will decide to spill Ribena on the carpet

Or worse, the young lad will vomit on the carpet!

wrmwit

Flibbles wrote: »

I had a tradesman take a look today and he immediately saw something was wrong in the attic, before looking at the chimney externally and saying it was buggered.

No harm in getting a second opinion. You might be surprised.

FishOnABike

Any report I've ever had done or have seen had so many conditions and get out clauses, together with vague or non-committal statements in the body of the report itself you'd almost wonder what use they are in the first place.

Flibbles

I've found this specifically in the survey

"Lead flashings to the chimney and roof valleys all appear in good condition, and there is no evidence of damp penetration in the attic space."

Which is literally the problem we've found.

NIMAN

Flibbles wrote: »

I've found this specifically in the survey

"Lead flashings to the chimney and roof valleys all appear in good condition, and there is no evidence of damp penetration in the attic space."

Which is literally the problem we've found.

If those lines exist in the report, I would consider taking it further.

Perhaps talk to them, see if they will come up with half the cost?

I remember when I spoke to my structural engineer he said that if anything major goes wrong structurally with my house, I could sue him as he is insured.

His only get-out-clause might be that the damage happened after he did the inspection? Maybe he could blame the heavy rain we have had in recent times?

Worth a punt all the same.

Flibbles

NIMAN wrote: »

If those lines exist in the report, I would consider taking it further.

Perhaps talk to them, see if they will come up with half the cost?

I remember when I spoke to my structural engineer he said that if anything major goes wrong structurally with my house, I could sue him as he is insured.

His only get-out-clause might be that the damage happened after he did the inspection? Maybe he could blame the heavy rain we have had in recent times?

Worth a punt all the same.

Possibly, I'm having the issue double checked by someone else to be sure, if they say the same, I'll contact the surveyors.

Flibbles

Second opinion update;

The chimney doesn't have an apron. It's immediately visible from outside just by looking at the other houses.

Getting a third opinion as well as the second guy came with the first guy.