Sale agreed but bad surveyors report

Paddytheman

So finally went sale agreed a couple of weeks ago but now the surveyor has been in and his report states theres a need for €15,000 work to make the property "Structurally Sound".

We have maxed out in our bid so its not an option for us to stump up but Im just wondering if there is any responsibility on the vendor in this situation or anyones experience in such??

Cheers...

Danbo!

Paddytheman wrote: »

So finally went sale agreed a couple of weeks ago but now the surveyor has been in and his report states theres a need for €15,000 work to make the property "Structurally Sound".

We have maxed out in our bid so its not an option for us to stump up but Im just wondering if there is any responsibility on the vendor in this situation or anyones experience in such??

Cheers...

You agreed a price under the assumption the house is structurally sound. Nothing is signed and either party can back out. So either get your deposit back and keep looking, or see if the seller will negotiate based on the findings.

They may be willing to drop the price to avoid the hassle of going through the selling process again, only for the next buyer to find the same thing. You may not get the full €15k off the price but no harm seeing what they're open to.

Retrovertigo

Danbo! wrote: »

You agreed a price under the assumption the house is structurally sound. Nothing is signed and either party can back out. So either get your deposit back and keep looking, or see if the seller will negotiate based on the findings.

They may be willing to drop the price to avoid the hassle of going through the selling process again, only for the next buyer to find the same thing. You may not get the full €15k off the price but no harm seeing what they're open to.

The best advice you could possibly get.

Parchment

This happened us - we tried to negotiate the price with the seller and he refused point blank. Our costs would have been maybe 20-25k with the structural issues.

We provided sections of the report to show the issues. Vendor still refused. We pulled out and the house remains for sale 1.5 years later!

Samuel T. Cogley

Sale agreed is at best a 50/50 you'll eventually end up with the house so keep looking. My brother-in-law had to pull out of his sale after months of negotiating over an issue. He offered to let them fix it, he offered to pay less for the house, no dice. Within 48 hours of pulling out of the sale they had come back to him offering him the full €15K reduction for a problem that eventually cost him a fraction of that to fix.

Every situation if different but just keep in mind sale agreed means very little.

The_Conductor

'Structually sound' and the suggestion that 15k will achieve the desired result- to be brutally honest, it sounds like the surveyor was out to find something wrong....... There is very little structural work that could possibly be done for 15k.

Given the suggestion that whatever the surveyor has found can be rectified at a cost of 15k- I'd suggest it doesn't sound too serious- I honestly don't think its the sort of dealer breaker some others here are suggesting it might be.........

Gumbo

I would love to hear what is required.
15k in theory could buy you enough steel for a 3 storey apartment block. A small one but still.


OP, can you clarify what the structural issues are?

The_Conductor

kceire wrote: »

I would love to hear what is required.
15k in theory could buy you enough steel for a 3 storey apartment block. A small one but still.


OP, can you clarify what the structural issues are?

Big time.
It would also buy you 9,000 cinder blocks- if you were really into construction work........
However- you're not going to get a structural job of any consequence done for 15k- hell, you'd be hard-pressed to get a sunroom added on the back for 15k.......

What is the structural issue that the surveyor identified- and if it is a 15k job- do you honestly view it as a sticking point?

super_furry

If the seller is unwilling to negotiate on the price, walk away. Don't expect them to drop the full €15k though.

The_Conductor

super_furry wrote: »

If the seller is unwilling to negotiate on the price, walk away. Don't expect them to drop the full €15k though.

It depends- some surveyors honestly believe they aren't doing their jobs properly- if they don't find something for a prospective purchaser........

If its something minor- I wouldn't get hung up over it.

super_furry

I don't think it's minor if it needs €15k spent to make it "structurally sound" though. All a bit academic when we're guessing at what the issue might be, but if it were me, I'd be looking for a reduction of around €10k from the seller but if pushed would probably settling on splitting it 50/50 at €7.5k.

Penn

The_Conductor wrote: »

It depends- some surveyors honestly believe they aren't doing their jobs properly- if they don't find something for a prospective purchaser........

In a way, that's true. However, terms like "structurally sound" aren't used lightly by any surveyor worth their salt.

The_Conductor

Perhaps the OP might like to elaborate on what the issue uncovered actually is?

Paddytheman

Of course.

There was an attic conversion in which they cut/altered the middle of the trusses that support the roof. It is the roof that is not structurally sound. A suggestion given is to insert two steel beams, obviously given the location in the attic this makes completing the job much more difficult. The price quoted was a maximum for the works to be carried out.

Regarding it being a deal breaker I stated above that we maxed out in our bid so don't have the budget to carry out such work.

Thanks for your responses.

The_Conductor

Ahh gotcha.
You've actually gone to the very extreme of your budget- you have no slack whatsoever you can put towards this?
I presumed in the context of buying a property that you'd have some sort of leeway........

I don't understand what the current owners thought they were doing- I mean what you're describing is just nuts.

Obviously the first stop is with the vendor- see what you can achieve there- however, if they're not willing to engage with you- is there any merit in approaching your mortgage lender and explaining the situation to them- and seeing if they'll be a little more flexible with you (that is of course, if you're sure you want this specific property).

Gumbo

Paddytheman wrote: »

Of course.

There was an attic conversion in which they cut/altered the middle of the trusses that support the roof. It is the roof that is not structurally sound. A suggestion given is to insert two steel beams, obviously given the location in the attic this makes completing the job much more difficult. The price quoted was a maximum for the works to be carried out.

Regarding it being a deal breaker I stated above that we maxed out in our bid so don't have the budget to carry out such work.

Thanks for your responses.

Ok so there's an attic conversion.
Here's the important piece of information required : the surveyor is saying that steel is required? In what basis?

I've done many attic conversions and 50% of them have involved no steel whatsoever. The structural work can be done in timber using a mixture of glue, bolts and nails believe it or not

Also, the Derek is in the detail here, the roof is. It a structural item with regards to Part A (Stricture) of the Building Regikatikns and thus requires a less amount of structural design than say a wall or floor, but if the roof is hanging into the floor joists for example, then it becomes a structural item.

You need more detail and the 15k the surveyor has quotes is for the complete removal of the attic and reinstatement if required.
He is basically saying, get an engineer in to view the bare bones of the attic conversion and make a judgement.

If you buy, allow a few k to go in and retrospectively add steel if required but it will not be 15k or anywhere near it IMHO (based on the info supplied at this time).

Paddytheman

The_Conductor wrote: »

Ahh gotcha.
You've actually gone to the very extreme of your budget- you have no slack whatsoever you can put towards this?
I presumed in the context of buying a property that you'd have some sort of leeway........

I don't understand what the current owners thought they were doing- I mean what you're describing is just nuts.

Obviously the first stop is with the vendor- see what you can achieve there- however, if they're not willing to engage with you- is there any merit in approaching your mortgage lender and explaining the situation to them- and seeing if they'll be a little more flexible with you (that is of course, if you're sure you want this specific property).

We have cash to carry out work we have planned ie room upgrades but have paid what we are willing to pay for the house, it's not a matter of getting the money, we have offered in my opinion slightly more than the house was worth already as that is what it is worth to us.

We expected a safe environment for our family for the price and that's not what we are being offered.

Paddytheman

kceire wrote: »

Ok so there's an attic conversion.
Here's the important piece of information required : the surveyor is saying that steel is required? In what basis?

I've done many attic conversions and 50% of them have involved no steel whatsoever. The structural work can be done in timber using a mixture of glue, bolts and nails believe it or not

Also, the Derek is in the detail here, the roof is. It a structural item with regards to Part A (Stricture) of the Building Regikatikns and thus requires a less amount of structural design than say a wall or floor, but if the roof is hanging into the floor joists for example, then it becomes a structural item.

You need more detail and the 15k the surveyor has quotes is for the complete removal of the attic and reinstatement if required.
He is basically saying, get an engineer in to view the bare bones of the attic conversion and make a judgement.

If you buy, allow a few k to go in and retrospectively add steel if required but it will not be 15k or anywhere near it IMHO (based on the info supplied at this time).

Without going into too much detail but support was removed and now there's a dip and a crack involved so it seems like steel is required to resolve the problem, an architect friend confirmed this in a chat earlier having seen the report.

I was really hoping for anyone's experience in what has been described to me as the "horse trading" that likely takes place now.

the_syco

Paddytheman wrote: »

So finally went sale agreed a couple of weeks ago but now the surveyor has been in and his report states theres a need for €15,000 work to make the property "Structurally Sound".

Paddytheman wrote: »

Without going into too much detail but support was removed and now there's a dip and a crack involved so it seems like steel is required to resolve the problem, an architect friend confirmed this in a chat earlier having seen the report.

Will you be using it as an attic or as a room, and is the 15k to fix it as an attic, or is the 15k to fix it to meet regulations for it to be a room? I assume the latter would be more expensive due to regulations?

If the latter, consider fixing it to an attic now, and properly convert it at a later time when you have the funds to do so, if there is a large gap in price.

Gumbo

Paddytheman wrote: »

Without going into too much detail but support was removed and now there's a dip and a crack involved so it seems like steel is required to resolve the problem, an architect friend confirmed this in a chat earlier having seen the report.

I was really hoping for anyone's experience in what has been described to me as the "horse trading" that likely takes place now.

Well, without going into too much detail, get an engineers opinion before you decide anything, especially if you really want the house.

This could be something simple like a purlin replacement or some form of remedial support that can be done from inside without any destructive works taking place.

Lekrub

Hi what type of survey was carried out? Was this picked up on your standard survey for the bank or was it an extra one for piece of mind?

Tough call but no way would I ignore his advice. If your budget is maxed, what happens if there is a problem 1 year in. No one has seen the roof so can't comment how much of a bend there is in it.

Alkers

You need a structural engineer to make a call on that, not a surveyor. In any case, explain the situation and see if you can get a reduction in the sale agreed price, citing the findings.

loyatemu

are you borrowing money to buy this place? If there's an attic conversion the bank may want to see a cert of compliance and/or an engineers cert; from the sounds of things the vendor has done it on the cheap and may not have these documents.

Lekrub

Simona1986 wrote: »

You need a structural engineer to make a call on that, not a surveyor. In any case, explain the situation and see if you can get a reduction in the sale agreed price, citing the findings.

I'd like to know did a regular surveyor pick up on this or was it a engineer. And if it was, was he from the likes of The Society of Chartered Surveyors etc...

Reason is I feel like it's a job well done.

Paddytheman

the_syco wrote: »

Will you be using it as an attic or as a room, and is the 15k to fix it as an attic, or is the 15k to fix it to meet regulations for it to be a room? I assume the latter would be more expensive due to regulations?

If the latter, consider fixing it to an attic now, and properly convert it at a later time when you have the funds to do so, if there is a large gap in price.

The work required is to make the roof structurally sound, the room is a bedroom at present and is to be used as such for visitors. I am aware of the regulations involved so it was never going to be an "official" 4th bedroom.

Paddytheman

Lekrub wrote: »

Hi what type of survey was carried out? Was this picked up on your standard survey for the bank or was it an extra one for piece of mind?

Tough call but no way would I ignore his advice. If your budget is maxed, what happens if there is a problem 1 year in. No one has seen the roof so can't comment how much of a bend there is in it.

Cheers Lekrub, it was an extra survey we had carried out by a highly reccomened surveyor. Money in the bank for upgrade work we have planned and of course a fall back kitty but the house is worth what we have agreed to pay, cant justify ploughing another 15,000 before turning the key.

Paddytheman

loyatemu wrote: »

are you borrowing money to buy this place? If there's an attic conversion the bank may want to see a cert of compliance and/or an engineers cert; from the sounds of things the vendor has done it on the cheap and may not have these documents.

There is a cert of compliance for the work. Have spoken to people in the trade and they all said they would trust my survey over such a document!

SB_Part2

Why are people questioning what the surveyor said?

Paddytheman

Paddytheman wrote: »

Of course.

There was an attic conversion in which they cut/altered the middle of the trusses that support the roof. It is the roof that is not structurally sound. A suggestion given is to insert two steel beams, obviously given the location in the attic this makes completing the job much more difficult. The price quoted was a maximum for the works to be carried out.

Regarding it being a deal breaker I stated above that we maxed out in our bid so don't have the budget to carry out such work.

Thanks for your responses.

I came across the EXACT same issue a couple of years ago. I decided to walk on the advice of my engineer. We didn't even consider repairing it. In addition the owners were putting other residents at risk so we weren't sure of what legalities we would have left ourselves open to. (Apartment building)

So if it is an apartment OP, then take legal advice as well as an engineers.

Penn

kceire wrote: »

Ok so there's an attic conversion.
Here's the important piece of information required : the surveyor is saying that steel is required? In what basis?

I've done many attic conversions and 50% of them have involved no steel whatsoever. The structural work can be done in timber using a mixture of glue, bolts and nails believe it or not

Also, the Derek is in the detail here, the roof is. It a structural item with regards to Part A (Stricture) of the Building Regikatikns and thus requires a less amount of structural design than say a wall or floor, but if the roof is hanging into the floor joists for example, then it becomes a structural item.

You need more detail and the 15k the surveyor has quotes is for the complete removal of the attic and reinstatement if required.
He is basically saying, get an engineer in to view the bare bones of the attic conversion and make a judgement.

If you buy, allow a few k to go in and retrospectively add steel if required but it will not be 15k or anywhere near it IMHO (based on the info supplied at this time).

Sorry kceire but I'd really disagree with a lot of that. In normal cut roofs, you'd be right enough, but it being a prefab truss roof creates a whole different set of issues.

Truss roofs are designed so all the elements are working in conjunction with each other. That's why the timber sizes are smaller than normal cut roofs, because all the pieces are engineered and designed to act completely as a whole, and also why the trusses can be at wider spacings (typically 600mm c/c rather than 400mm c/c for a cut roof). If you remove pieces of a prefab roof truss, which it sounds like they did in this case, you affect the stability of each other member of the truss.

Since the members of the truss are undersized and at wider spacings compared to standard cut roofs, it's likely that the bottom members acting as floor joists are now undersized. Same with the rafters. Typically in attic conversions, this requires new steel beams to carry the new load-bearing stud partitions (which will support the roof rather than purlins as you need to create new walls within the attic for the conversion anyway), and new floor joists between the existing prefab truss to create a new floor.

If they haven't done this and rather have just cut the existing truss and added new walls which are now sitting on the undersized and improperly supported bottom member of the truss (which is now also acting as the floor of a habitable room rather than an attic), then the surveyor is right that the works could cost around €15k to correct this.

As others have said, I'd advise engaging an engineer to see exactly what works need to be done. I'd also suggest getting your solicitor to request certification from the owner's engineer or architect who designed and oversaw the attic conversion works. It seems incredibly doubtful anyone did, but it will strengthen your case for getting a reduction in the sale price of the house because it's something anyone buying the house should be looking for even if you pass on the house.

@penn

@penn. Great post. What you've just said there is how our engineer described the problem we experienced, so we walked at the time and got our deposit back.

Gumbo

Penn wrote: »

Sorry kceire but I'd really disagree with a lot of that. In normal cut roofs, you'd be right enough, but it being a prefab truss roof creates a whole different set of issues.

Truss roofs are designed so all the elements are working in conjunction with each other. That's why the timber sizes are smaller than normal cut roofs, because all the pieces are engineered and designed to act completely as a whole, and also why the trusses can be at wider spacings (typically 600mm c/c rather than 400mm c/c for a cut roof). If you remove pieces of a prefab roof truss, which it sounds like they did in this case, you affect the stability of each other member of the truss.

Since the members of the truss are undersized and at wider spacings compared to standard cut roofs, it's likely that the bottom members acting as floor joists are now undersized. Same with the rafters. Typically in attic conversions, this requires new steel beams to carry the new load-bearing stud partitions (which will support the roof rather than purlins as you need to create new walls within the attic for the conversion anyway), and new floor joists between the existing prefab truss to create a new floor.

If they haven't done this and rather have just cut the existing truss and added new walls which are now sitting on the undersized and improperly supported bottom member of the truss (which is now also acting as the floor of a habitable room rather than an attic), then the surveyor is right that the works could cost around €15k to correct this.

As others have said, I'd advise engaging an engineer to see exactly what works need to be done. I'd also suggest getting your solicitor to request certification from the owner's engineer or architect who designed and oversaw the attic conversion works. It seems incredibly doubtful anyone did, but it will strengthen your case for getting a reduction in the sale price of the house because it's something anyone buying the house should be looking for even if you pass on the house.

I'm not disagreeing with you either btw, I recommended an engineer in my first post a couple of pages back. I didn't know the op confirmed it is a prefab truss roof.

What I am questioning is the 15k repair bill that the surveyor mentioned. And I insisted to get an engineer if it was a house that the OP really wanted.

What I am saying is that the lack of steel doesn't make it dangerous, it could have been designed with timber.

I won't get into the conversation about floor thickness or floor joists as you are correct here, and I know too well about their importance but that wasn't my gripe.

The roof is not considered a structural item under Part A of the Building Regulations and that was my main point I suppose.

OscarBluth

To answer the q re: negotiating: our surveyors report came up with 40k worth of work needed, which was a huge shock to us.

We went to the vendors and asked for a 20k reduction: essentially, the house was old and needed upgrading/an extension, and we had already budgeted for a significant extension and a bit of an internal refurb but not for that level of work before we considered the extension costs (there were problems with the roof that were unexpected, etc)

Our vendors gave us 5k off (which was 1k below the underbidder) and said if we weren't happy with that they'd go to the underbidder. In the end, having gone back to our surveyor, we went ahead. Our surveyor had budgeted 40k on what was needed to bring the house up to modern standards, despite it being nearly 100 years old, and had included the cost of a new roof when he reckoned in reality, with the right repairs we could get another 10 years out of it. He was happy to have a frank conversation when we were clear that we wanted a clear understanding of what was essential, what was necessary in the medium term and what was nice to have, so a different situation than what you're in.

From looking at property register for other houses we were underbidders on, it is clear some people do get substantial discounts. We were underbidders on one house that was inching up in 1k increments, and I was quite annoyed to see the final price was 25k under what we'd bid- clearly the result of a survey, but again, it was clear to us a lot of work would be needed and we'd priced accordingly.

I think send an extract of the report, explain you were aware the house needed some work but you think this fundamental structural issue is significant and unexpected, and be clear what discount you want. I would be surprised if you got the full 15k off, but probably worth using it as a starting point.

NEWBIEGRL8

Reading this thread and I have just been in a similar situation as a seller where the buyer has pulled out at the 11th hour.
The buyer went to an architect/planner to get a report done NOT a structural engineer and came back with a report which was unprofessional, factually incorrect and stating €20k worth of work was needed on the house. We gave the report to someone who was a structural engineer for their opinion and they said that the report was clearly done by someone who was associated with the buyer and was geared in such a way to get a lot of money knocked off the asking price. The engineer could not believe some of the comments that were made on the report and it was clear that the architect was well out of his area of expertise to make some of the comments made.
Based on his advise after that I did not even entertain the buyer and told the EA to go to the under bidder who we are hoping will still be interested.

My point being is that there are people out there trying to score large discounts and using any tactic they can to try and squeeze the seller into a corner.
The house in question had a substantial amount of money put in for renovations when it was bought originally and has been maintained to a high standard throughout. In this case its "seller beware".

allibastor

Paddytheman wrote: »

Without going into too much detail but support was removed and now there's a dip and a crack involved so it seems like steel is required to resolve the problem, an architect friend confirmed this in a chat earlier having seen the report.

I was really hoping for anyone's experience in what has been described to me as the "horse trading" that likely takes place now.

Here is experience, go speak to the vendor with the report in hand. Say you are willing to go through with sale but issues need sorting prior to sale, or else reduction in price. Negotiate this.

Walk away if not happpy

davindub

NEWBIEGRL8 wrote: »

Reading this thread and I have just been in a similar situation as a seller where the buyer has pulled out at the 11th hour.
The buyer went to an architect/planner to get a report done NOT a structural engineer and came back with a report which was unprofessional, factually incorrect and stating €20k worth of work was needed on the house. We gave the report to someone who was a structural engineer for their opinion and they said that the report was clearly done by someone who was associated with the buyer and was geared in such a way to get a lot of money knocked off the asking price. The engineer could not believe some of the comments that were made on the report and it was clear that the architect was well out of his area of expertise to make some of the comments made.
Based on his advise after that I did not even entertain the buyer and told the EA to go to the under bidder who we are hoping will still be interested.

My point being is that there are people out there trying to score large discounts and using any tactic they can to try and squeeze the seller into a corner.
The house in question had a substantial amount of money put in for renovations when it was bought originally and has been maintained to a high standard throughout. In this case its "seller beware".

Ah no I don't think so. The architect/ engineer/ former builder is playing it safe, list every issue and put a high estimate on the work. If they don't, they get comeback from the Buyer.

In turn the buyer panics, imagining the mortgage will be refused as they don't have the funds to repair, etc.

Cuddlesworth

NEWBIEGRL8 wrote: »

Reading this thread and I have just been in a similar situation as a seller where the buyer has pulled out at the 11th hour.
The buyer went to an architect/planner to get a report done NOT a structural engineer and came back with a report which was unprofessional, factually incorrect and stating €20k worth of work was needed on the house. We gave the report to someone who was a structural engineer for their opinion and they said that the report was clearly done by someone who was associated with the buyer and was geared in such a way to get a lot of money knocked off the asking price. The engineer could not believe some of the comments that were made on the report and it was clear that the architect was well out of his area of expertise to make some of the comments made.
Based on his advise after that I did not even entertain the buyer and told the EA to go to the under bidder who we are hoping will still be interested.

My point being is that there are people out there trying to score large discounts and using any tactic they can to try and squeeze the seller into a corner.
The house in question had a substantial amount of money put in for renovations when it was bought originally and has been maintained to a high standard throughout. In this case its "seller beware".

15k sounds about right after you pay off the architect and engineer, rebuild the walls/floor and redo the electrics(cause you know they are ****e). Its usually a complete redo since the first attempt was so bad. Its a decent ballpark figure.

I'd say your "engineer" would be less inclined to say anthing if he had to put his money where is mouth is.

Samuel T. Cogley

Sellers want over the odds, buyers will use every device to save a few quid, the engineers/surveyors etc. are all stuck in the middle (making a tidy sum). While it's underhanded of the buyer in some cases the seller has all the control, especially in a market that's hit bubble type growth!

Moonbeam

Every buyer with this house will have the same issue and your bank may pull the mortgage over the issues .
You could offer to go halves with the vendor or just leave it ,there will be more houses .

The_Conductor

Samuel T. Cogley wrote: »

Sellers want over the odds, buyers will use every device to save a few quid, the engineers/surveyors etc. are all stuck in the middle (making a tidy sum). While it's underhanded of the buyer in some cases the seller has all the control, especially in a market that's hit bubble type growth!

If its going to cost 15k to rectify the issue- ask yourself, are you going to find a commensurate property for the price +15k, and then annoying though it may be- the course of least resistence- is probably to try one final time to negotiate with them, however, failing that- walk (if the issue is a dealbreaker for you).

Personally- I can't understand how or why someone would have screwed up as badly with an attic conversion- however, short and simple is- they did.

Would it be an opportunity to do a slightly more in-depth conversion to better suit your needs (think wiring for CAT 5- for a home office etc etc)?

The seller does hold the cards- because supply is constrained in the manner in which it is- it really comes down to whether you consider it to be a deal breaker or whether you're willing to work with it.

drunkmonkey

I just ran steel beams all around the house as part of an attic conversion. I think 15k is a very high if you were to go direct labour with the steel side of things. 5k would go a long way if it's straight forward. 1k for plans, 2k for steel, 1k labour and parts.
The amount of ripping to get the beam in and support them is where the real cost could be, also how well is the conversion insulated and vented, is the house breathing correctly? Conversion ceiling and walls may need to be ripped out to do it properly, could also do some damage to ceilings downstairs or crack walls shifting the weight to the steel.
Is the roof straight at the moment? You need a good crawl around that attic with possibly a roofer/carpenter and get a quote off them. (that's free, i'd be looking for the keys and get that done asap as you know exactly where you stand).

Paddytheman

drunkmonkey wrote: »

I just ran steel beams all around the house as part of an attic conversion. I think 15k is a very high if you were to go direct labour with the steel side of things. 5k would go a long way if it's straight forward. 1k for plans, 2k for steel, 1k labour and parts.
The amount of ripping to get the beam in and support them is where the real cost could be, also how well is the conversion insulated and vented, is the house breathing correctly? Conversion ceiling and walls may need to be ripped out to do it properly, could also do some damage to ceilings downstairs or crack walls shifting the weight to the steel.
Is the roof straight at the moment? You need a good crawl around that attic with possibly a roofer/carpenter and get a quote off them. (that's free, i'd be looking for the keys and get that done asap as you know exactly where you stand).

Don't believe it would have been straight forward tbh. Very narrow staircase so imagine some damage would have been done to the house. The initial job hadn't been insulated properly and wasn't breathing properly, and the conversion ceiling was wooden and would need to be ripped out, not an easy job having spoken to a few people in the trade.

Vendor said they would have it repaired for €3000 but believe they reverted to the initial builder in whom we have no faith. Also other issues such as the toilet/sink in conversion had been plumbed to the mains. We withdrew from the process, onwards and upwards....

Prinks

Coming late to this thread, but I'm glad to see that the OP has pulled out. I've bought and sold four houses over the years, and the survey always had an effect on the final price - my asking price had to come down where work was needed, and my offer would be reduced if expensive work had to be done. Obviously it's different if you're buying a house that's already cheap because it needs work.