Rendering over plaster externally?

[piper64]

As well as some iffy issues elsewhere on a house that is a potential purchase, there is a large area ( half height of the side wall) of plaster where a garage used to be. The estate agent says the vendors 'builder' will render over this as its too difficult to remove it.
First, is it that hard to remove plaster from brickwork? Time consuming maybe.
Second, can you/should you even render (probably k-rend) over plaster like that?
Cheers

 

[Ivor Windybottom]

Looks like a right mess, especially with the remnants of the flat roof above it. I guess they removed the garage to squeeze another house in?

I'd probably just buy something else, unless it's exceptionally cheap.

 

[piper64]

It is a mess and indeed a new house was squeezed in. Your perception is exceptional!
It's not cheap, not by a long chalk.

 

[Ivor Windybottom]

Have they done other "work" to it?

If so then you should expect that it's all been done to a similar standard.

I'd rather buy a house that's a wreck than one that's freshly pimped up. Especially as you now know their standards.

 

[piper64]

No pimping has been done, as far as I know, which is just as well looking at their work so far. In fact, no effort has been made to improve the kerb appeal or make it attractive. My thoughts are that the vendor, who had the new house built ( but has been left unfinished for some time) has cash flow issues.

 

[23vc]

Despite how well it seems to be faring against the elements, rendering over a gypsum plaster is a no no. The issue’s cosmetic, the brick wall’s still there doing its job beneath the plaster. So I’d decline the render offer and focus on any other issues.

 

[piper64]

What are the problems with rendering over plaster? Why is it a no no?

 

[23vc]

It’s internal plaster, not for exposure to damp, frost, so will fail eventually. No exterior render system would be spec’d to be applied over interior plaster

 

[piper64]

Thanks, that's what I thought.

 

[Ivor Windybottom]

Decide what the place is worth to you, regardless of whatever asking price, make an offer and leave it with them. An asking price isn't any special calculated figure, it's a made-up number by an unqualified oik working at an estate agency.

Don't get into debates about the rights and wrongs, let them take it or leave it. As it sounds like they're desperate, they may take a low offer over nothing if those are their choices.

Then you'll have enough spare change to do what's needed to it, probably some sort of grinding/ power brushing then render.

 

[piper64]

That's what has been done, so just a waiting game now. First it was a hard 'no', but then the agent says she might be able to get the vendor to agree to a lower price. Poker-face time now.

 

[opps]

You can hack it away, and I believe that Hydrochloric acid will remove the residual plaster. Not something that I have tried though.

 

[Ivor Windybottom]

If your first offer doesn't embarrass you then it's too high.

We paid 10.7% below asking for ours, after offering 14.3% below. During a reasonably healthy market, not in some desperate recession.

With ours, after I refused to budge higher, they said they'd re-advertise it stating they'd had an offer of £x and invite everyone else to beat it. If nobody did after a few weeks they'd accept it. I said fine, but we won't commit on this basis - you might get no other offer, invite us to complete and find out that we'd bought elsewhere. They accepted our offer within 20 minutes.

 

[piper64]

It's a game and a house is only worth what someone is willing to pay for it. Then, there is always that mystery interested party that appears with a higher offer than yours, so you did the right thing.

 

[jj4091]

Could you actually get scaffolding in there to render it.