First Time Buyer and Small Crack in Exterior Wall

RobboWrexham · 24 Mar 2017 at 08:55

Hi

We are about to buy a house and there is a small crack in the exterior wall from the corner of a window but it doesnt go completely to ground. Can anyone give any idea whether this is serious issue or not.

Thanks

Rob

https://goo.gl/photos/5LUtR8iLqasvG2Mk9

Mel_P · 24 Mar 2017 at 09:04

A surveyor should have looked at this and commented. Could be the portent of subsidence - or not. Anything inside? eg crack or covered over crack?

RobboWrexham · 24 Mar 2017 at 09:09

Mel_P said:
A surveyor should have looked at this and commented. Could be the portent of subsidence - or not. Anything inside? eg crack or covered over crack?

We are awaiting a valuation survey. There is no evidence of anything inside.

scorza · 24 Mar 2017 at 09:19

RobboWrexham said:
We are awaiting a valuation survey. There is no evidence of anything inside.

I don't think a valuation survey will report issues like subsidence if it's present, it might be worth considering getting a full structural survey done if you're worried.

Siliconslave · 24 Mar 2017 at 09:33

scorza said:
I don't think a valuation survey will report issues like subsidence if it's present, it might be worth considering getting a full structural survey done if you're worried.

yup, a valuation survey is literally just what it says on the tin - the mortgage company checking your not paying silly money for something so they won't be left out of pocket if you default on the loan. You won't get anything in the way of structural checks (although if its obviously falling down they might well flag that up)

If your worried, and i'm not sure its something serious (but i'm no surveyor) i'd seriously consider getting a proper survey done on the place.

Trifid · 24 Mar 2017 at 09:56

I would put my money (well the cost of a full structural survey) that it is a settlement crack. Pay for a professional to take a proper look at it. A valuation survey is not much more then a check to see the house exists.

Burned_Alive · 24 Mar 2017 at 10:04

Would bet this was caused by the UPVC window install, but as above get a structural survey done. I would also try and check that there is a proper lintel above the window.

mattyg · 24 Mar 2017 at 10:13

Burned_Alive said:
Would bet this was caused by the UPVC window install, but as above get a structural survey done. I would also try and check that there is a proper lintel above the window.

This. It follows the mortar joint and starts at the window. So I (personally) wouldn't be worried. If it carried on up then "Maybe" but that wouldn't concern me. If it was movement then I would expect to see cracked bricks too. (not just the corner of one near the window)

RobboWrexham · 24 Mar 2017 at 10:16

mattyg said:
This. It follows the mortar joint and starts at the window. So I (personally) wouldn't be worried. If it carried on up then "Maybe" but that wouldn't concern me. If it was movement then I would expect to see cracked bricks too. (not just the corner of one near the window)

I thought this, although the crack does go right through the middle of a brick at the bottom. Also the bricks are all still inline so doesn't look like anything has moved.

Rob

mattyg · 24 Mar 2017 at 10:21

RobboWrexham said:
I thought this, although the crack does go right through the middle of a brick at the bottom. Also the bricks are all still inline so doesn't look like anything has moved.

Rob

I still wouldn't be worried. Is the windows near the corner of the house. I'll be even less worried if thats halfway down a longer wall.

RobboWrexham · 24 Mar 2017 at 10:23

mattyg said:
I still wouldn't be worried. Is the windows near the corner of the house. I'll be even less worried if thats halfway down a longer wall.

You can see the front of the house here: http://www.rightmove.co.uk/property...allery.html?propertyId=58614988&photoIndex=0#

The crack is under the window on the bottom right, near the white gas box.

Rob

Thanks for the advice so far everyone.

mattyg · 24 Mar 2017 at 10:55

I still wouldn't be worried. BUT. It might be worth having a quick look around the other corner. Looks like you have a drain pipe on that corner. IF that is blocked/Leaking etc it could cause issues on that corner.

RobboWrexham · 24 Mar 2017 at 11:20

mattyg said:
I still wouldn't be worried. BUT. It might be worth having a quick look around the other corner. Looks like you have a drain pipe on that corner. IF that is blocked/Leaking etc it could cause issues on that corner.

Ok thanks for your advice, as long as the valuation is ok i think we will just fill it in for now. If it is something more i presume it will reappear then we can consider getting it looked at.

Burned_Alive · 24 Mar 2017 at 11:33

RobboWrexham said:
Ok thanks for your advice, as long as the valuation is ok i think we will just fill it in for now. If it is something more i presume it will reappear then we can consider getting it looked at.

Please don't ignore the overwhelming advise in the thread. While it might look simple and we can theorise ultimately it's you who will have to deal with and pay for any issues. A valuation survey literally does nothing. Sometimes they don't even physically visit the house. Get a structural survey done and if needs be get the cost knocked off the price of the house, plus this may give you leverage to knock more off the price.

Siliconslave · 24 Mar 2017 at 12:16

If it is something structural you'll suddenly loose a huge chunk of value off the house and be lumbered with something that'll cost huge amounts to fix (if it even can be) - please just pay for a structural survey, even if for your own peace of mind!

Skillmister · 24 Mar 2017 at 16:13

For the sake of a few hundred quid a survey is an absolute no brainer regardless of the type of property

DampCat · 24 Mar 2017 at 18:17

Honestly i cant recommend enough to get a full survey off the bat. A few hundred now could save you so much time and money if they find something you can't see.

If you dont have the extra cash to spare (dangerous if buying...) You could always add it in to the mortgage or knock it off the offer you make.

ahar · 25 Mar 2017 at 05:37

I also can't recommend enough getting a proper structural engineer to take a look. This is the kind of thing that can really bite you in the arse later on, particularly with buildings insurance and when you try and sell it on later.

We had a couple of stepped cracks in the front of our place and having a structural engineers report saying it was fine made buildings insurance much better (we disclosed the crack when buying the insurance but with the report they still covered subsidence) and currently selling at the moment, having the report has meant the other side are not worried either when their surveyor noticed the mortar repairs we had done.

Don't cheap out on it! You may not be worried about it, but what about the next people when you come to sell?

Gimpymoo · 27 Mar 2017 at 23:40

Is that a driveway?

Maybe someone reversed into the wall

Kiyoshi · 28 Mar 2017 at 09:38

We have a similar looking crack down the side of our house (no window close by). It goes down about 4-5 brick depths, probably not even 1mm wide and more like a hairline crack. The house was built in 1998. Get it checked, I'm not suggesting yours is definitely okay but mine hasn't widened or grown in the last 7 or so years we've lived here.