Cracks in mortar where extension meets original house

[guy820]

Hello,

We are selling our property and the buyers surveyor flagged cracking in the mortar where the extension meets the house.

The buyers then had a structural engineer look at the house and seemingly just come back with more recommendations for additional inspections and surveys.

Admittedly my knowledge isn't great but my house survey didn't find any issue as the extension massively pre-dates my ownership and the cracks are all uniform and narrow (see below). You can also see where the previous occupier has put mastic in the lower gaps and presumably stopped when they could no longer reach.

I guess my questions are:

- Is there cause for concern?
- If not, who (profession/company) can I get to put to bed any fears for the buyers?

Any advice would be hugely appreciated.

 

[Bonni]

Just rake out to an inch deep and repoint. Cracking is due to the house and extension being on separate foundations. I never tooth brickwork in from two different slabs as the bricks could snap too. I would tell the buyer to go look at another house and to find a competent structural engineer in future.

They're just trying to knock your price down.

 

[jks7492]

What has the structural engineers report actually concluded other than a rough budget for remedial works?
Have they given a diagnosis of what has caused the cracking and whether it is ongoing?

 

[guy820]

Thanks for your replies. The Estate Agent has requested access to the full report so I'll share any findings if/when I receive it.

The whole point of the structural engineer visit was to give a diagnosis and explain the cracks yet it appears so far that all they've done is recommend additional costly inspections. Possibly just passing the buck to cover themselves.

 

[^woody^]

You are unfortunate to have had an idiot surveyor and an even worse structural engineer - who is clearly out to milk his client/you with costs for further investigation for what he should be able to diagnose from his visit alone.

From the photo, it looks like shrinkage. The grey mortar and the type of brick should have given both of them a big clue, and if there are no corresponding internal cracks, that would confirm things. But your problem now is that doubt has been cast in the minds of the buyers, which you will now never remove.

 

[Notch7]

It’s the usual load of tosh they come up with as leverage for lowering price.

The survey on my Dads house said because a shed in the garden had dropped on one side, it was an indication the house might have a subsidence risk.

 

[guy820]

Appreciate the responses. I've received the full report now and its full of assumptions. All of which being negative. He was inside the house for less than a minute but rather than say there's no internal signs of damage, he has instead said I've recently decorated, which I haven't.

 

[^woody^]

Ask the buyers what they intend. You may like to consider calling the buyers bluff and either require them to proceed, or offer a nominal reduction in price, else put the house back on the market.

Admittedly, if you look for another buyer you don't want deja-vu, so perhaps consider having the wall repointed - but only if the person knows how to blend the pointing in and make new work look old.

 

[guy820]

In his report he states that the cracks in the image above are probably historic and have settled but has said "The stepped cracking beneath the kitchen window would appear more recent".

I'm not sure how he could have reached that conclusion. This is about 1.5 metres away from the extension. Is that a valid statement for him to make?

 

[^woody^]

The engineer appears to be either inexperienced or incompetent, and is expressing random unsubstantiated statements as fact and conclusion.

I can't see a way out of this for you. The buyer has instructed a bad engineer and there is no way out of this situation for you unless the buyer chooses to ignore their engineers advice.

 

[Lower]

I suspect the only way out would be to instruct your own engineer that is prepared to write an accurate report that details the true cause of the cracking to cast doubt on the buyer's engineer's opinion.

 

[^woody^]

I suspect the only way out would be to instruct your own engineer that is prepared to write an accurate report that details the true cause of the cracking to cast doubt on the buyer's engineer's opinion.

The problem is that a buyer has no relationship with a seller's appointed professionals and so strictly can't (and shouldn't) rely on their reports or opinions.

Further, there is no guarantee that the OP will get the result and opinion he wants if he instructs his own report.

The seeds of doubt have been sewn.

This can only be resolved by negotiation - is the OP going to get all this investigation done and any work recommended by the buyer's random engineer - bearing in mind that the same thing applies in that the seller should not rely on a buyer's appointed reports ..... and the buyer can walk away at any time. Or is the buyer going to ignore some or all of their engineers reports in a transaction of £ 000,000's?

 

[guy820]

Yes it's horrendous that an inept professional has caused such a big problem. Having read the report again, there are complete lies within.

The crack he refers to here is just old dried caulk which can be seen below. There's nothing other than that internally that could be seen as a crack. I'm not sure what the "vertical junction with the right hand flank wall" is, but there's no cracks internally. He even says so later in his report.

Rather than accept there are no signs of cracks internally, meaning the house isn't sinking he has just decided to say that there has been recent decoration. There are food marks up the wall near the hob and a cobweb in one corner! It's just whitewashed plaster walls that haven't been touched since a refurb in 2018. It's scandalous that he can just make up lies.

Is there any sort of regulation within this industry so I can look into complaining? I know it's not going to solve the problem with my buyers but I don't want anyone else to be subject to his terrible work.

Thanks again for all the feedback.

 

[^woody^]

You have no contract and so no recourse to anyone instructed by others.

 

[guy820]

I'm that annoyed by it that I might as well put in a complaint to The Institution of Structural Engineers of which he is a member. I reckon I could fairly argue points 1 and 2 in their code of conduct have clearly been breached and I'm impacted by that. But yes, it doesn't do anything to remove the doubt the buyers will unfortunately have. I will encourage them to ask for their money back from him.