UKH

Can anyone advise me in a potentially tricky situation? We bought our house 5 years ago with an independent homebuyers report from a RICS surveyor with a good reputation. It's a terrace but our rear wall extends about 12 inches further than our neighbour's. Theres a vertical crack in the short bit of protruding side-wall which seems to have been previously repaired (not by us) so must pre-date the survey. I hadn't noticed it until now, as it's best seen from the neighbour's garden, but visible from the back street access. I think our surveyor should have found it and commented in the report at purchase (he didn't). I want to get it checked out and possibly fixed, but should i go to the original surveyor who might be liable if they didn't spot it at purchase or should i fork out for an independent structural report which could be expensive?

Any comments from structural engineers or surveyors particularly welcome!
thanks
mike

In reply to minimike:

My understanding of homebuyers reports is that they don't check the loft, under the floorboards, electrics or gas. It seems reasonable they wouldn't check walls that aren't easily accessible. I couldn't actually work out what they did check and my sister-in-law just had one done on her house that stated the single brick walled 100 year old out building should be knocked down because it is only a built from a single layer of bricks. What utter crap!

In reply to ByEek:

Yes i know, but i have checked the RICS guidance and it says they should perform a thorough external inspection of all visible walls, which this is.. it's not inaccessible - you just have to walk 5 yards down the street and look at it from the side. So i'm pretty sure they SHOULD have seen and commented on it (if it's significant, which i don't currently know!).

In reply to minimike:
Don't panic - it may not be serious. Most cracks, particularly if small, are not.

In the first instance invite him back to comment. He may have seen it, and may not have been concerned. Ask to see his site notes which will show if he saw it and recorded it. Even if he didn't record it, it may still not be serious.

See what he has to say, and remember that you are still his client so he continues to owe you a duty of care in any further advice he gives you. Also if it's movement which has occurred since his survey, then in the (generally unlikely) event of your having to make any insurance claim his knowledge of it's condition previously may help your claim. Hopefully it won't come to that

If you feel unhappy with what he tells you, then is the time to get independent advice.

Trangia - Retired Surveyor
PS I would not expect a surveyor to charge for a re-visit in such circumstances.

In reply to Trangia:

Thanks trangia, that sounds like aensible advice, and from an ex surveyor! I'll call him and see what he has to say..

In reply to minimike:

All the above sounds like good advice. If it's stable (which it may well be if it was filled 5+ years ago and hasn't reopened) then it's probably no problem.

Does the crack get wider as it goes up? That could be more worth worrying about as it suggests some subsidence - could be historical though.

In reply to Oujmik:
The crack has reopened 'slightly' in the time since it was clearly filled with mortar. The existing open crack is no more than a couple of mm but the fill is more like 10 mm in places. I don't think it widens at it goes up but i'm at work so can't check right now. The row of terraces was built in small blocks and our block was obviously built after the neighbour's so i guess if the two blocks have moved relative to each other at any point that's what's caused it.. but i'm not a professional here and it might be due to something more significant.

What counts as 'historical' in this context?

ps. the house dates from about 1880 or so - victorian brick built through terrace (northern!)

In reply to minimike:

Ah, the joy of a Victorian House. Cracks come, cracks go.

Just point it up with lime mortar and keep an eye on it.

In reply to blurty:

That's one option of course.. i just don't want a future surveyor to find it and make an issue of it, which could make a sale fall through or go at a lower price than it should.

In reply to minimike:

I'm afraid I'd be giving you dud information if I pretended to know much about the rate of movement - better to talk to the surveyor.

I think (could be mistaken) that houses of that era have quite shallow foundations which leaves them prone to movement. Whether any movement is serious or not, you'd need to consult a professional. Risk factors which increase the likelihood that the building will suffer from susidence include leaking drains (can be an issue in old properties) and nearby large trees. That's about the extent of my knowledge I'm afraid. If the surveyor thinks it's a concern he might suggest that it is monitored for a period of time to determine if it is progressive or stable.