Robert Desbruslais

Yes environmental health should be called in, regardless of any possible rent arrears etc.

Re the condensation issues, is there a decent extractor in the bathroom? That usually makes a big difference, especially if it is above the shower.... Read More

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The loft must be ventilated otherwise condensation will form on the sarking felt, and drip onto the insulation. Mould will form on stored effects in the loft.... Read More

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We will have to agree to disagree Joe. In 25 years of surveying I have learned there is no substitute for a good balance of heat and ventilation. Furthermore, tenants do not all want to maintain a high temperature in the home. Over the years tenants have been blamed for creating condensation problems. However, they are warey of high heating bills. By installing appropriate insulation, landlords can encourage the tenant to maintain ventilation without risking wasted heat loss and higher heating bills. A humidistat with a heat exchanger will also be effective. Simply turning the heating up without maintaining ventilation is a recipe for condensation.... Read More

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I am a chartered Building Surveyor and encounter this regularly. The only way of managing the problem is by ensuring moisture is expelled to the exterior. Install a humidistat in the bathroom and ideally air vents in the outside walls. As a condition of the tenancy explain the tenants must not vlock the vents. Alternatively if you have double glazing ask the tenants to keep them locked in the 'ajar' position. Purchase a tumble drier that ducts to the outside. Thsee steps.should resolve the matter.... Read More

Excellent comments Nick. I agree; the valuer has to consider the overall market value, no an individual's needs. It's a case of dammed if they do, dammed if they don't!... Read More

Thank you Mark. Valuations are a minefield!... Read More

A further problem is the poor fees the surveyor is paid. He receives a fraction of the arrangemets fee; often less than £100 yet the risk is enormous in comparison. A valuer is given the majority of his evidence electronically and if he doesn't follow the company procedure he will be held responsible. In previous years it was easier to appeal but today the surveyor is proteced by the lender and there is no pressure from a broker who in the past as a packager could have instructed him too; a massive conflict of interest that contributed to the credit crunch! Yes the valuer should do his job properly and be professonal, but you cant expect him to stick his neck out or spend more time than he has to when he is paid peanuts.This is precisely why my practice is not in the valuation business; we focus purely on condition and get paid appropriately.... Read More

Some of you might find this blog and subsequent comments of interest. http://www.rd-surveyors.co.uk/blog/2011/03/what-ever-you-do-dont-ask-the-surveyor-what-its-worth/... Read More

As a surveyor who used to value student let's (we now only do condition surveys) in my experience there are two main considerations. Firstly, it sounds to me like you could be creating an HMO, ie house in multiple occupation. This will be subject to licensing by the council and they will impose certain standards.

Secondly, virtually every property I saw (in Brighton) had to be redecorated and re-carpeted annually as they were completely trashed. This included girl only houses. Obviously there were exceptions but you need to budget for this and potential damage repairs during the year. Students are skint and therefore tend to party at home a lot instead of going out. For most of them it is the first time away from their parents and they have no-one telling them what to do.

On the positive side, usually the lets were 12 months with good yield and the deposits contributed to the cost of the works required at the end of the term.... Read More

You biggest potential problem here is when major repairs are necessary. If the are no funds how will the money be raised? Also, what are the insurance arrangements? Is the entire block insured or each flat individually? In the case of the latter it is a massive headache waiting to happen. All it needs is one flat to be under insured or not insured at all and in the event of damage by say fire or flood, you might end up with an uninhabitable building with no funds to repair.... Read More

You certainly need to know how much it will cost and what the disturbance will be to address it. If significant I would definitely renegotiate if possible, especially as the vendor will have to address this matter now anyway as there is a safety issue and liability if he does not.... Read More

Hi Andy, I have written a much discussed blog on this subject;

http://www.rd-surveyors.co.uk/blog/2011/03/what-ever-you-do-dont-ask-the-surveyor-what-its-worth/#comment-361

Basically even surveyors cannot answer your question. If this is a long term buy I would focus on it being a home, not an investment. If you are still unsure, perhaps you are not in love with it enough!... Read More

Brighton and Hove is a good punt. Has the London effect but less bubbly.... Read More

Good luck Mark; not that you need it! Five minutes on the phone is worth its weight in gold so an hour or more is a goldmine!

Rob... Read More

Surely it is the management and freeholders responsibility to keep the property safe, including the garage block and the site as a whole? If they have had similar problems with other garages they are being seriously negligent in at least not informing the of the risks and telling owners not to use them until repairs are carried out to make them safe; someone could have been killed. In my view they have no choice but to pay; its the least they can do.... Read More

This sounds like a classic case of condensation developing within the roof and appearing like a leak.

The problem always gets worse if insulation is improved without a balance of increased ventilation.

We can advise on line re these issues at askasurveyor.co uk.... Read More

Some lenders will accept if you have a building survey. Failing that, if yiu can wait, by 2014 the issue will be irrelevant as hopefully you could argue the building is over 10 years old. http://askasurveyor.co.uk... Read More