The House of Chaos - a mini-renovation thread
Discussion
mattman said:
How about a sliding door kit that slides along the wall? Seems to be a few kits that look simp,e enough to DIY - not tried them myself, but would give you room for a sink, at least the bathroom sink is on the same wall so you can tee off that for the water and drains
I need a sliding door so thanks for that.It seems exceptionally cheap compared to some that I’ve seen.
mattman said:
How about a sliding door kit that slides along the wall? Seems to be a few kits that look simp,e enough to DIY - not tried them myself, but would give you room for a sink, at least the bathroom sink is on the same wall so you can tee off that for the water and drains
I could do that I guess, though I presumably would need to remove the door frame on the outside and it'd have the same "gaps" privacy issue a folding door I guess?On other news, I have got the results of the survey back. There are a couple of alarming findings in it which I'll share here, my big question would be will it be worth the cost and hassle of fixing them, or should I now be running for the hills?
(In this survey, condition rating 1 is fine, 2 is monitor and repair when possible, condition 3 is repair asap)
Survey Report said:
- The main roofs are pitched and covered with interlocking concrete tiles.
The roof is covered in harmful moss in several areas.
The repairs needed are not serious or urgent and are considered to be part of normal maintenance work of the
property and should be dealt with after taking ownership or when annual maintenance is next carried out.
Condition rating 2
- The property has double glazed plastic windows.
The front bedroom on the left hand side and kitchen window locks are loose and defective. The bathroom window is stuck open.
Some of the windows at first floor level are not fitted with safety restrictors. These are designed to stop windows being fully opened
preventing falls from height. You should consider installing quick release restrictors which do not require a key. This is to ensure that in
an emergency situation, the restrictor can be released and the window used as a means of escape.
Some of the windows on the first floor have openings that are above the maximum height recommended, which will prevent easy exit
should a fire occur and other escape routes are blocked.
Although compliance with modern standards is not considered retrospective,
you may wish to consider replacing the window units with modern equivalent in order to mitigate any potential health and safety issues.
Over time, double glazing seals can deteriorate allowing moisture to form between panes thus causing misting. The presence of such
moisture depends upon certain atmospheric conditions which can vary from time to time. Therefore this problem cannot always be
seen during a single visit. You should plan for some replacement double glazing in the near future.
The double glazing is of some age, the handles, locks and hinges may well be at the end of their serviceable life and will require more
repair and maintenance than normal.
The junction between the window frames and the surrounding masonry is frequently a source of water penetration, particularly during
severe weather conditions. Although no significant defects were found, the junctions should be checked regularly and any jointing
material/sealant kept in good condition.
Since 2002, double glazing should have either building regulation approval or should have been installed by a contractor registered with
an association such as FENSA, CERTAS or BM Trada which has been recognised by the Government under the 'Competent Person
Scheme'. Your legal adviser should check this and we refer you to Section I.
Condition Rating 2
- The main roof space was entered through a hatch in the front left hand bedroom ceiling. The roof is formed with
conventional timber roof trusses. The roof space is insulated with a small amount of mineral wool.
The roof membrane is ripped and damaged in places on the rear right hand side. This is allowing water ingress into
the roof space, some of the timber battens are recording high damp readings and it is likely the roof trusses are
also damp in places.
The roof space is not insulated to modern standards.
You should ask a roofing specialist to investigate the damp, timbers and roof membrane and report to you before
exchange of contracts so that any remedial works are known before purchase. We refer you to the page in this
report entitled 'What to do now'
Condition Rating 2
- The property has plasterboard ceilings. These have painted, textured and timber clad finishes.
The ceilings are in satisfactory condition. No repairs are currently needed. The ceilings should be inspected from
time to time and finishes maintained in the normal way.
The textured ceiling finishes may contain asbestos but only a detailed laboratory test can confirm this. In the
meantime the material should not be disturbed, sanded or drilled, without taking suitable safety precautions. You
can obtain further information from a Local Authority Environmental Health Officer or from the Government's Health
and Safety Executive.
Condition Rating 1
- The property does not have any mains powered smoke/fire or carbon monoxide alarms.
It would be prudent to install mains powered security, smoke/fire and carbon monoxide alarms.
Condition rating 2
- The electricity meter is in the outside meter box. The consumer unit can be found behind the mirror in the hall. The consumer
unit contains RCDs (residual current devices) to protect users should there be a defect with the installation.
We do not know if there is a current test certificate for the electrical installation.
The electrical installation appears satisfactory with no obvious visual defects but much is hidden from view. As
such systems require specialist knowledge, we cannot comment on its serviceability or safety.
This is a risk to the building and to persons, and we refer you to our comments in section J.
You should ask an approved electrical engineer registered with either the National Inspection Council for Electrical
Installation Contracting, (NICEIC), (www.nieic.com/) or with the Electrical Contractors Association,
(www.eca.co.uk) to inspect and test the electrical installation and report to you before exchange of contracts as
there is no current test certificate for the system. We refer you to the page in this report titled entitled 'What to do
now'.
Your legal adviser should check the validity of any test certification for the installation. We refer you to our
comments in Section I. Until the installation has been tested and certified as safe, it should not be used.
Condition Rating 3
- Natural gas is connected and the meter and stopcock are located in the ground floor store room.
We do not know of any current test certificate for the gas installation.
The installation appears in fair order with no significant defects evident. However, as much is hidden from view and
as such systems require specialist knowledge, we are unable to advise on its serviceability or safety.
Such defects are a risk to the building and to persons, and we refer you to our comments in section J.
You should ask an appropriate person to inspect the installation before exchange of contracts as there is no
current test certificate for the system. We refer you to the page in this report entitled 'What to do now'.
Your legal adviser should check the validity of any test certification for the installation and we refer you to Section I.
The installation should be inspected and tested every 12 months. If it has not been inspected within the last 12
months, then it should not be used until a full test of the system has been carried out and any faults/shortcomings rectified
Central heating and hot water is provided by a gas combination boiler which is located in a cupboard in on the
landing. This serves all radiators.
We do not know of any current test certificate for the boiler or heating system.
No obvious defects were seen but we have only carried out a visual inspection of the system and therefore cannot
comment in detail on its working condition.
This is a risk to the building and to persons, and we refer you to our comments in section J.
You should ask a gas safe registered engineer to inspect and report on the boiler and heating system as there is
no evidence of an installation inspection in the last 12 months this should be done before exchange of contracts.
You should follow the advice set out in the 'What to do now' page in this report.
Your legal adviser should check the validity of any service information and/or test certification for the boiler and
heating system and we would refer you to section I. If there has been no inspection or test within the last 12
months then an inspection and service/safety test of all heating appliances must be carried out before use.
The boiler should have either Building Regulation approval or should have been fitted by a registered installer with
the relevant competences. Your legal adviser should check that Local Authority approvals have been obtained or
that a registered installer has been used for the work. We refer you to our comments in Section I.
Condition rating 3
- The majority of the soil stack and vent pipework is internal so we cannot comment on its condition. The property is
connected to the public sewer.
An inspection cover was not located. Observation suggests there is no blockages to the gullets. Legal advisors
should raise specific questions as to whether any problems have been experienced in relation to the drainage
system and give you further information with regards to your liability in respect to the drains to the property.
The top part of the soil and vent pipe (the main vertical drainage pipe) is open and unprotected and without a proper
end terminal or cage, it also has metal adhesive tape on the joint above the roof level. Metal adhesive tape won’t
last as long as lead flashing and you may have to replace in the near future.
Condition rating 2
I presume the certification for the gas, water and power is easy enough to get, however the major worry for me is how big a job it would be to sort the roof.....The roof is covered in harmful moss in several areas.
The repairs needed are not serious or urgent and are considered to be part of normal maintenance work of the
property and should be dealt with after taking ownership or when annual maintenance is next carried out.
Condition rating 2
- The property has double glazed plastic windows.
The front bedroom on the left hand side and kitchen window locks are loose and defective. The bathroom window is stuck open.
Some of the windows at first floor level are not fitted with safety restrictors. These are designed to stop windows being fully opened
preventing falls from height. You should consider installing quick release restrictors which do not require a key. This is to ensure that in
an emergency situation, the restrictor can be released and the window used as a means of escape.
Some of the windows on the first floor have openings that are above the maximum height recommended, which will prevent easy exit
should a fire occur and other escape routes are blocked.
Although compliance with modern standards is not considered retrospective,
you may wish to consider replacing the window units with modern equivalent in order to mitigate any potential health and safety issues.
Over time, double glazing seals can deteriorate allowing moisture to form between panes thus causing misting. The presence of such
moisture depends upon certain atmospheric conditions which can vary from time to time. Therefore this problem cannot always be
seen during a single visit. You should plan for some replacement double glazing in the near future.
The double glazing is of some age, the handles, locks and hinges may well be at the end of their serviceable life and will require more
repair and maintenance than normal.
The junction between the window frames and the surrounding masonry is frequently a source of water penetration, particularly during
severe weather conditions. Although no significant defects were found, the junctions should be checked regularly and any jointing
material/sealant kept in good condition.
Since 2002, double glazing should have either building regulation approval or should have been installed by a contractor registered with
an association such as FENSA, CERTAS or BM Trada which has been recognised by the Government under the 'Competent Person
Scheme'. Your legal adviser should check this and we refer you to Section I.
Condition Rating 2
- The main roof space was entered through a hatch in the front left hand bedroom ceiling. The roof is formed with
conventional timber roof trusses. The roof space is insulated with a small amount of mineral wool.
The roof membrane is ripped and damaged in places on the rear right hand side. This is allowing water ingress into
the roof space, some of the timber battens are recording high damp readings and it is likely the roof trusses are
also damp in places.
The roof space is not insulated to modern standards.
You should ask a roofing specialist to investigate the damp, timbers and roof membrane and report to you before
exchange of contracts so that any remedial works are known before purchase. We refer you to the page in this
report entitled 'What to do now'
Condition Rating 2
- The property has plasterboard ceilings. These have painted, textured and timber clad finishes.
The ceilings are in satisfactory condition. No repairs are currently needed. The ceilings should be inspected from
time to time and finishes maintained in the normal way.
The textured ceiling finishes may contain asbestos but only a detailed laboratory test can confirm this. In the
meantime the material should not be disturbed, sanded or drilled, without taking suitable safety precautions. You
can obtain further information from a Local Authority Environmental Health Officer or from the Government's Health
and Safety Executive.
Condition Rating 1
- The property does not have any mains powered smoke/fire or carbon monoxide alarms.
It would be prudent to install mains powered security, smoke/fire and carbon monoxide alarms.
Condition rating 2
- The electricity meter is in the outside meter box. The consumer unit can be found behind the mirror in the hall. The consumer
unit contains RCDs (residual current devices) to protect users should there be a defect with the installation.
We do not know if there is a current test certificate for the electrical installation.
The electrical installation appears satisfactory with no obvious visual defects but much is hidden from view. As
such systems require specialist knowledge, we cannot comment on its serviceability or safety.
This is a risk to the building and to persons, and we refer you to our comments in section J.
You should ask an approved electrical engineer registered with either the National Inspection Council for Electrical
Installation Contracting, (NICEIC), (www.nieic.com/) or with the Electrical Contractors Association,
(www.eca.co.uk) to inspect and test the electrical installation and report to you before exchange of contracts as
there is no current test certificate for the system. We refer you to the page in this report titled entitled 'What to do
now'.
Your legal adviser should check the validity of any test certification for the installation. We refer you to our
comments in Section I. Until the installation has been tested and certified as safe, it should not be used.
Condition Rating 3
- Natural gas is connected and the meter and stopcock are located in the ground floor store room.
We do not know of any current test certificate for the gas installation.
The installation appears in fair order with no significant defects evident. However, as much is hidden from view and
as such systems require specialist knowledge, we are unable to advise on its serviceability or safety.
Such defects are a risk to the building and to persons, and we refer you to our comments in section J.
You should ask an appropriate person to inspect the installation before exchange of contracts as there is no
current test certificate for the system. We refer you to the page in this report entitled 'What to do now'.
Your legal adviser should check the validity of any test certification for the installation and we refer you to Section I.
The installation should be inspected and tested every 12 months. If it has not been inspected within the last 12
months, then it should not be used until a full test of the system has been carried out and any faults/shortcomings rectified
Central heating and hot water is provided by a gas combination boiler which is located in a cupboard in on the
landing. This serves all radiators.
We do not know of any current test certificate for the boiler or heating system.
No obvious defects were seen but we have only carried out a visual inspection of the system and therefore cannot
comment in detail on its working condition.
This is a risk to the building and to persons, and we refer you to our comments in section J.
You should ask a gas safe registered engineer to inspect and report on the boiler and heating system as there is
no evidence of an installation inspection in the last 12 months this should be done before exchange of contracts.
You should follow the advice set out in the 'What to do now' page in this report.
Your legal adviser should check the validity of any service information and/or test certification for the boiler and
heating system and we would refer you to section I. If there has been no inspection or test within the last 12
months then an inspection and service/safety test of all heating appliances must be carried out before use.
The boiler should have either Building Regulation approval or should have been fitted by a registered installer with
the relevant competences. Your legal adviser should check that Local Authority approvals have been obtained or
that a registered installer has been used for the work. We refer you to our comments in Section I.
Condition rating 3
- The majority of the soil stack and vent pipework is internal so we cannot comment on its condition. The property is
connected to the public sewer.
An inspection cover was not located. Observation suggests there is no blockages to the gullets. Legal advisors
should raise specific questions as to whether any problems have been experienced in relation to the drainage
system and give you further information with regards to your liability in respect to the drains to the property.
The top part of the soil and vent pipe (the main vertical drainage pipe) is open and unprotected and without a proper
end terminal or cage, it also has metal adhesive tape on the joint above the roof level. Metal adhesive tape won’t
last as long as lead flashing and you may have to replace in the near future.
Condition rating 2
I live in a similiar aged ex council property and although my roof space is bone dry, I am budgeting for a reroof in the next few years since the concrete tiles have started to perish after being covered in moss for years before I bought the house. I am budgeting about £8000 for it.
If you can get a couple of grand knocked off and put the rest off it yourself then your new roof will see you out.
If you can get a couple of grand knocked off and put the rest off it yourself then your new roof will see you out.
Congratulations on the forthcoming house purchase CC. Looks a nice place inside. Hope it goes well.
Regarding the condition report, it seems fine with a few things (Cat 3) that should be done and anyway are a legal requirement for rental properties.
- Electrics need a safety test / certificate. Would take a couple of hours and cost up to £200. Lasts for 5 years. You might consider it overkill but might flag up a problem.
- Gas boiler should be serviced regularly. Ask the vendor when it was last done and for a copy of the report from the engineer. If not done or can't find the report get it done ASAP after moving in. Very important as you could be killed by CO or it might break down in the cold weather.
Regarding the wash basin in the WC, the room is similar to one in my parents house which was built in 1971. They have a tiny washbasin (original from 1971) under the window. It’s very small but adequate. The one below shows similar proportions although different size. Easy to see if it will fit – just make a full size model in cardboard or wood.
https://www.victorianplumbing.co.uk/rondo-wall-hun...
Regarding the condition report, it seems fine with a few things (Cat 3) that should be done and anyway are a legal requirement for rental properties.
- Electrics need a safety test / certificate. Would take a couple of hours and cost up to £200. Lasts for 5 years. You might consider it overkill but might flag up a problem.
- Gas boiler should be serviced regularly. Ask the vendor when it was last done and for a copy of the report from the engineer. If not done or can't find the report get it done ASAP after moving in. Very important as you could be killed by CO or it might break down in the cold weather.
Regarding the wash basin in the WC, the room is similar to one in my parents house which was built in 1971. They have a tiny washbasin (original from 1971) under the window. It’s very small but adequate. The one below shows similar proportions although different size. Easy to see if it will fit – just make a full size model in cardboard or wood.
https://www.victorianplumbing.co.uk/rondo-wall-hun...
Evening all, sorry for the lack of update, but things have been mental for the last few months with work and the missus.
To cut a long story short, I pulled out of the house in the end. When I totted up not only the cost, but the time and hassle of everything that needed doing (whole new kitchen, bathroom door/sink, boarding over the artex where necessary, and most worryingly, taking the roof apart to fix the membrane) it made less and less economic sense for a cheap first house that I'm not going to be in forever, and wouldn't have the time to be be there project managing due to work commitments.
I felt really bad pulling out, as I liked the sellers and they liked me, they were a good honest working class couple with nowt to hide and I suspect that losing the sale and being told they likely had a roof-off job to sort out was probably a total kick in the teeth. To their credit, the house has only just come back on the market after about 4 months, suggesting they have had major work done (this is in total contrast to a tarted-up ex-BTL house my girlfriend reneged on when I uncovered a spectacular case of dry rot for her on the second viewing, that appeared back on the market within 2 days....
)
Anyway.... within a couple of days of pulling out and some depressed moping, I was lucky to find a very different house even closer to work (about a mile this time, now on the southern outskirts). A 5 year old semi-detached by a reputable builder (ie, one who I haven't seen any horror stories about online), this is the end property of a whole street built at the same time on land bordering the playing field of a primary school. I'm not sure if it was previously wasteland or a block of houses that went derelict and got demolished. Although most of the street is leasehold, this house is freehold (though with some restrictive covenants), and being the end house, I get a nice parcel of extra land down the side which I have designs on for garden expansion and car parking. The house is the same price as the old one, but much much smaller in terms of rooms and footage. However, I'm paying for the newness and the area I guess, and as a single occupant it's less to clean and heat!
Either way, it seems an OK area and being at the back of the school means I enjoy the lack of overlooking houses but I don't suffer any of the school run traffic. There's a police station at the end of the road, too
I know I denigrated the quality and acoustics of new-builds in my opening post, however this one does appear to be genuinely well put together and soundproof to the neighbor's house. Additionally, it does of course still have 5 years of the NHBC warranty left to run if I do come across any issues. Most importantly, both of the bogs have a sink in them!
Anyway, I completed on Thursday so the house is now mine! I have been hard at it this weekend beginning to make it mine, which I will detail in further posts this week. In the meantime, here's some pictures from the listing
To cut a long story short, I pulled out of the house in the end. When I totted up not only the cost, but the time and hassle of everything that needed doing (whole new kitchen, bathroom door/sink, boarding over the artex where necessary, and most worryingly, taking the roof apart to fix the membrane) it made less and less economic sense for a cheap first house that I'm not going to be in forever, and wouldn't have the time to be be there project managing due to work commitments.
I felt really bad pulling out, as I liked the sellers and they liked me, they were a good honest working class couple with nowt to hide and I suspect that losing the sale and being told they likely had a roof-off job to sort out was probably a total kick in the teeth. To their credit, the house has only just come back on the market after about 4 months, suggesting they have had major work done (this is in total contrast to a tarted-up ex-BTL house my girlfriend reneged on when I uncovered a spectacular case of dry rot for her on the second viewing, that appeared back on the market within 2 days....
)Anyway.... within a couple of days of pulling out and some depressed moping, I was lucky to find a very different house even closer to work (about a mile this time, now on the southern outskirts). A 5 year old semi-detached by a reputable builder (ie, one who I haven't seen any horror stories about online), this is the end property of a whole street built at the same time on land bordering the playing field of a primary school. I'm not sure if it was previously wasteland or a block of houses that went derelict and got demolished. Although most of the street is leasehold, this house is freehold (though with some restrictive covenants), and being the end house, I get a nice parcel of extra land down the side which I have designs on for garden expansion and car parking. The house is the same price as the old one, but much much smaller in terms of rooms and footage. However, I'm paying for the newness and the area I guess, and as a single occupant it's less to clean and heat!
Either way, it seems an OK area and being at the back of the school means I enjoy the lack of overlooking houses but I don't suffer any of the school run traffic. There's a police station at the end of the road, too
I know I denigrated the quality and acoustics of new-builds in my opening post, however this one does appear to be genuinely well put together and soundproof to the neighbor's house. Additionally, it does of course still have 5 years of the NHBC warranty left to run if I do come across any issues. Most importantly, both of the bogs have a sink in them!
Anyway, I completed on Thursday so the house is now mine! I have been hard at it this weekend beginning to make it mine, which I will detail in further posts this week. In the meantime, here's some pictures from the listing
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