Hello! My family is considering buying a house for 2,550,000 SEK, and we are the only interested parties. However, a look at the inspection report is quite discouraging. There are quite a few remarks, and I wonder if anyone knows how much it would cost to fix these issues (roughly, based on experience?) or if you would proceed but for a lower price.
The inspection is from May 30, 2012. I'll write down the points below (they have been rewritten a bit for easier reading, let me know if they need to be verbatim):
Exterior.
Ground conditions - Condensation water from the air heat pump is not directed away from the house foundation, which increases the risk of water penetrating the adjoining structures. Inspection of the heat pump or system has not been done.
there are plants near the foundation wall, posing risks.
Base - Cracks, paint, and plaster peeling were noted here. The wall water spout leaks, and the pipes have not been inspected. Plaster and paint peeling also in the basement staircase.
Facade - There are cracks in the plaster facade. Dry cracks and paint peeling from the substrate on the facade panel at door/window sections - increased risk of moisture intrusion and rot damage.
Windows - Windows need painting/maintenance. There's a risk of moisture damage due to reduced water-repellent properties; this can lead to rot damage in windows and frames.
Doors - Threshold flashings are missing, hence the risk of water intrusion and moisture damage in the wall construction.
Gutters/downpipes - The gutters are full of debris, posing a risk of overflow and therefore moisture damage to the facade and base.
Roof - Metal details need painting. Roof tiles are damaged, and there is a risk of moisture damage to the underlying structures. They are old and have a limited lifespan, increasing the risk of water intrusion, which can lead to moisture on battens and the roof construction--> microbial damage.
Moss growth on roof tiles, and roof covering might have reduced resistance to water and similar damage as with bad tiles may occur if so.
Mortar in the joints around the chimney is peeling and can lead to the same kind of moisture damage.
Attic - Older leakage noted around the chimney, no elevated moisture levels. Microbial growth on the underlay roof - moisture thus introduced from within the house. This supply must be reduced by better ventilation and sealing of leaks.
Garage - Rot damage in the roof fascia panel, window, door, and door frame.
Interior.
Bathroom/WC on entrance level - Floor slope. During the inspection, the threshold was damp. The slope of the floor towards the drain is poorly executed. Deficiencies in the slope of the floor and/or waterproofing with risk of water intrusion and moisture damage. Risk of stagnant water--> discoloration on tiles and smell.
Since the surface of the bathroom floor consists of tiles directly laid on the existing/old plastic mat, there is a risk of cracks/gaps forming in the seams of the plastic mat as it shrinks over time. Since the plastic mat is supposed to be the waterproofing layer, there is a risk of water intrusion in the gaps and hence moisture damage.
There is also a risk that the adhesion between the old and existing plastic mat and the adhesive may be difficult to achieve, and the tiles may start to detach from the surface. The reason - the mat's surface is often hard, smooth, greasy, and mixed with soap residues, and the substrate (joists) doesn't have sufficient bending stiffness.
Floor drain of cast iron with attached waterproofing - the rough structure of the cast iron makes it difficult to attach the waterproofing correctly--> risk of leakage with moisture damage as a result.
Entrance level/workroom - Door sticks.
Kitchen - There is no moisture protection under the appliances - risk of hidden leaks from pipes and intrusion into the construction with moisture damage as a result.
General on entrance level - Insulating glass is older than 20 years, leading to poor properties with sealing and risk of discoloration of windows.
Entrance level/garage - Elevated moisture levels in the wooden box around the built-in downpipe.
Basement area/hallway - Hollow sound in tiles (what does this mean?)
Basement area/TV-room - Moisture content in the northern external wall frame is 21% and west 20.5%.
Basement area/laundry room and shower - Hollow sound in tiles. Tiled wet room completed before 1989 (there were no requirements for waterproof walls in wet rooms). Risk that there is no waterproofing behind wall tiles--> risk of moisture damage in wall and floor.
The slope of the floor towards the drain is poorly executed. Deficiencies in the slope of the floor and/or waterproofing with risk of water intrusion and moisture damage. Risk of stagnant water--> discoloration on tiles and smell.
Basement area/bedroom/sauna - Inspection of the existing floor/wall construction was not approved at the inspection. To verify if the existing construction has moisture damage, a technical inspection is recommended (so these areas are not approved, is it due to poor construction, or should one delve deeper into this?).
General on basement area - During the control of the construction, moisture levels were measured above the critical level for microbial growth. The risk of growth exists if the relative humidity (RH) in the surrounding air is above 75%, which in softwood corresponds to a moisture content (MC) of 17%. A detailed investigation is recommended to determine the cause and extent of moisture values in test holes.
It is important to note that this recommendation for detailed investigation applies to the entire reinforced wall construction, even if the inspector has not detected any deficiencies in a particular room or building part.
What do you think? We really like the house, the layout, the location, and much more that suits us perfectly, so it would be a shame to buy what might be a dilapidated house.
The inspection is from May 30, 2012. I'll write down the points below (they have been rewritten a bit for easier reading, let me know if they need to be verbatim):
Exterior.
Ground conditions - Condensation water from the air heat pump is not directed away from the house foundation, which increases the risk of water penetrating the adjoining structures. Inspection of the heat pump or system has not been done.
there are plants near the foundation wall, posing risks.
Base - Cracks, paint, and plaster peeling were noted here. The wall water spout leaks, and the pipes have not been inspected. Plaster and paint peeling also in the basement staircase.
Facade - There are cracks in the plaster facade. Dry cracks and paint peeling from the substrate on the facade panel at door/window sections - increased risk of moisture intrusion and rot damage.
Windows - Windows need painting/maintenance. There's a risk of moisture damage due to reduced water-repellent properties; this can lead to rot damage in windows and frames.
Doors - Threshold flashings are missing, hence the risk of water intrusion and moisture damage in the wall construction.
Gutters/downpipes - The gutters are full of debris, posing a risk of overflow and therefore moisture damage to the facade and base.
Roof - Metal details need painting. Roof tiles are damaged, and there is a risk of moisture damage to the underlying structures. They are old and have a limited lifespan, increasing the risk of water intrusion, which can lead to moisture on battens and the roof construction--> microbial damage.
Moss growth on roof tiles, and roof covering might have reduced resistance to water and similar damage as with bad tiles may occur if so.
Mortar in the joints around the chimney is peeling and can lead to the same kind of moisture damage.
Attic - Older leakage noted around the chimney, no elevated moisture levels. Microbial growth on the underlay roof - moisture thus introduced from within the house. This supply must be reduced by better ventilation and sealing of leaks.
Garage - Rot damage in the roof fascia panel, window, door, and door frame.
Interior.
Bathroom/WC on entrance level - Floor slope. During the inspection, the threshold was damp. The slope of the floor towards the drain is poorly executed. Deficiencies in the slope of the floor and/or waterproofing with risk of water intrusion and moisture damage. Risk of stagnant water--> discoloration on tiles and smell.
Since the surface of the bathroom floor consists of tiles directly laid on the existing/old plastic mat, there is a risk of cracks/gaps forming in the seams of the plastic mat as it shrinks over time. Since the plastic mat is supposed to be the waterproofing layer, there is a risk of water intrusion in the gaps and hence moisture damage.
There is also a risk that the adhesion between the old and existing plastic mat and the adhesive may be difficult to achieve, and the tiles may start to detach from the surface. The reason - the mat's surface is often hard, smooth, greasy, and mixed with soap residues, and the substrate (joists) doesn't have sufficient bending stiffness.
Floor drain of cast iron with attached waterproofing - the rough structure of the cast iron makes it difficult to attach the waterproofing correctly--> risk of leakage with moisture damage as a result.
Entrance level/workroom - Door sticks.
Kitchen - There is no moisture protection under the appliances - risk of hidden leaks from pipes and intrusion into the construction with moisture damage as a result.
General on entrance level - Insulating glass is older than 20 years, leading to poor properties with sealing and risk of discoloration of windows.
Entrance level/garage - Elevated moisture levels in the wooden box around the built-in downpipe.
Basement area/hallway - Hollow sound in tiles (what does this mean?)
Basement area/TV-room - Moisture content in the northern external wall frame is 21% and west 20.5%.
Basement area/laundry room and shower - Hollow sound in tiles. Tiled wet room completed before 1989 (there were no requirements for waterproof walls in wet rooms). Risk that there is no waterproofing behind wall tiles--> risk of moisture damage in wall and floor.
The slope of the floor towards the drain is poorly executed. Deficiencies in the slope of the floor and/or waterproofing with risk of water intrusion and moisture damage. Risk of stagnant water--> discoloration on tiles and smell.
Basement area/bedroom/sauna - Inspection of the existing floor/wall construction was not approved at the inspection. To verify if the existing construction has moisture damage, a technical inspection is recommended (so these areas are not approved, is it due to poor construction, or should one delve deeper into this?).
General on basement area - During the control of the construction, moisture levels were measured above the critical level for microbial growth. The risk of growth exists if the relative humidity (RH) in the surrounding air is above 75%, which in softwood corresponds to a moisture content (MC) of 17%. A detailed investigation is recommended to determine the cause and extent of moisture values in test holes.
It is important to note that this recommendation for detailed investigation applies to the entire reinforced wall construction, even if the inspector has not detected any deficiencies in a particular room or building part.
What do you think? We really like the house, the layout, the location, and much more that suits us perfectly, so it would be a shame to buy what might be a dilapidated house.
Member
· Västerbottens län
· 18 051 posts
Some of it is easy to fix, clearing gutters. Painting windows takes a lot of time but is relatively easy. Renovating the bathroom 50-100 thousand.
I'm not an expert but 2.5 million for a renovation project...... maybe you will need to add another million. Do a deeper inspection.
Protte
I'm not an expert but 2.5 million for a renovation project...... maybe you will need to add another million. Do a deeper inspection.
Protte
It will obviously be expensive to refurbish the house. Possibly seven figures to get it the way you want. So check what fresh houses in the area are going for and get your own impression of what the house is worth. As mentioned, it will be a lot of work!
hardly dilapidated
if you can do carpentry or, for example, tiling yourself or have a friend who can
some things need to be fixed but some are just nonsense
that they put tiles on a plastic mat is not great
but hollow sound in the tiles means the slab has detached from the substrate.
I think you should ask a craftsman to look at the house and read the paper and calculate what the essentials would cost, the ROT deduction is advantageous, or if you do a lot yourself.
then compare the price of the house and necessary measures against what other houses around are priced at
but as I said, it's an old house and if it's not been properly maintained then there will be a lot to do.
personally, I have a house and in 15 years I've painted twice at 20 thousand, replaced insulated glass at 10 thousand, new kitchen at 80 thousand, garage roof at 10 thousand
wood stove at 10 thousand, air pump at 20 thousand, new electric boiler at 40 thousand, new bathroom at 20 thousand.
as you can see, it's quite a bit. but I do 90% myself, even potential electrical wiring then the electrician checks and connects.
so you either buy a new house and do nothing or an older one and then there's some work.
but from your description, I don't see anything that would be a disaster
but as I said, have local craftsmen check and estimate what it would cost, the advantage with local craftsmen is that they can come now and then to do a part and show you how to do some of it
I don't know if this can be guidance for you but not everything stated is in need of repair now.
however, you must check that there's no mold, etc., if so, address this before it becomes mold
but just because the windows are 20 years old doesn't mean they need to be replaced now
the important thing is to prevent things from getting worse, for example, a roof that leaks is priority one. a pipe that leaks is priority one. a little moisture in the wall that isn't getting worse and has likely been like that for many years might be priority 10
if you can do carpentry or, for example, tiling yourself or have a friend who can
some things need to be fixed but some are just nonsense
that they put tiles on a plastic mat is not great
but hollow sound in the tiles means the slab has detached from the substrate.
I think you should ask a craftsman to look at the house and read the paper and calculate what the essentials would cost, the ROT deduction is advantageous, or if you do a lot yourself.
then compare the price of the house and necessary measures against what other houses around are priced at
but as I said, it's an old house and if it's not been properly maintained then there will be a lot to do.
personally, I have a house and in 15 years I've painted twice at 20 thousand, replaced insulated glass at 10 thousand, new kitchen at 80 thousand, garage roof at 10 thousand
wood stove at 10 thousand, air pump at 20 thousand, new electric boiler at 40 thousand, new bathroom at 20 thousand.
as you can see, it's quite a bit. but I do 90% myself, even potential electrical wiring then the electrician checks and connects.
so you either buy a new house and do nothing or an older one and then there's some work.
but from your description, I don't see anything that would be a disaster
but as I said, have local craftsmen check and estimate what it would cost, the advantage with local craftsmen is that they can come now and then to do a part and show you how to do some of it
I don't know if this can be guidance for you but not everything stated is in need of repair now.
however, you must check that there's no mold, etc., if so, address this before it becomes mold
but just because the windows are 20 years old doesn't mean they need to be replaced now
the important thing is to prevent things from getting worse, for example, a roof that leaks is priority one. a pipe that leaks is priority one. a little moisture in the wall that isn't getting worse and has likely been like that for many years might be priority 10
Given that it is a wooden structure in the basement's outer walls and the moisture content is so high, one might have to be prepared for
a. External drainage and insulation
b. Demolishing the inner walls and replacing them with inorganic materials.
Strange that they did not allow the inspector to drill a small hole and check the moisture in the wall structure "Examination of the existing floor/wall structure was not approved during the inspection".
Was anything in the house in good condition?
It is, after all, 45 years old, and either not maintained or very poorly maintained.
Facade, chimney, roof, attic, wet rooms, windows, basement, and drainage,
everything has "served its time" and needs addressing.
It's probably a matter of personal inclination, and of course price, how one wants to proceed.
I probably would have passed. But I'm no longer a renovation freak either.
a. External drainage and insulation
b. Demolishing the inner walls and replacing them with inorganic materials.
Strange that they did not allow the inspector to drill a small hole and check the moisture in the wall structure "Examination of the existing floor/wall structure was not approved during the inspection".
Was anything in the house in good condition?
It is, after all, 45 years old, and either not maintained or very poorly maintained.
Facade, chimney, roof, attic, wet rooms, windows, basement, and drainage,
everything has "served its time" and needs addressing.
It's probably a matter of personal inclination, and of course price, how one wants to proceed.
I probably would have passed. But I'm no longer a renovation freak either.