Prices In Gwynedd - Pulled Out!

[dalek]

So, the bad news is, the survey showed damp - it's a Victorian house that has been empty for two and a half years - so my sister and I got Dad's excellent builder for many years to give an estimate. He came up with £1,600 to fix roof tiles causing leaks and to sort interior plasterwork/decoration affected. The buyer got another estimate to compare, who came up with the same price.

We told the buyer the builder could start work next week, would be finished in a week, and we would pay. But he pulled out, telling estate agents the whole roof needed replacing!? This, after we'd taken all furniture to clearance for him, as he asked, while leaving a few items he wanted - fridge freezer, washing machine etc. So now, when my sister goes over to stay - she lives much nearer than I do stuck in London - she'll have nothing to sit on.

Our builder, who's a star, always put the heating on in the house over the winter very low, but obviously not enough to stop deterioration of roof. Well, we're now going to make good, so that any other surveys will reveal no surprises.

Sigh. Some people.

[StainlessSteelCat]

Almost impossible to find a house in Gwynedd that doesn't have damp problems. The housing stock is generally old, sometimes uses unsuitable materials, is often uncared for and even the most casual buyer can't have failed to notice that it rains a hell of a lot.

Bad luck, dalek.

[marshall666]

To add a buyers perspective, the recent work I've had on our welsh slate roof started life as some chimney repointing + tile sorting, has become lead (valley) replacement, and will probably end up being a new roof.

Based on a building survey and 3 builders quotes, we went halves with the vendor on £900 to sort the leaks our, and are already in over double that.

(Obviously, there's no point sorting plasterwork out until the roof is good and the walls/ceilings have had time to dry.)

[marshall666]

To add a buyers perspective, the recent work I've had on our welsh slate roof started life as some chimney repointing + tile sorting, has become lead (valley) replacement, and will probably end up being a new roof.

Based on a building survey and 3 builders quotes, we went halves with the vendor on £900 to sort the leaks our, and are already in over double that.

(Obviously, there's no point sorting plasterwork out until the roof is good and the walls/ceilings have had time to dry.)

I don't seem to be able to edit the post above, but thought I should point out that we completed a while ago and the extra expense is ours!

[dalek]

Well, finally accepted new offer since last pull-out - of £107,000! On a 5 bed, 2 reception Victorian terrace with garden in good structural nick (though a little dated, as dad was 81) with views of Snowdon, 5 mins walk from Portmeirion village (as featured in The Prisoner series) and with Ffestiniog Railway steam train passing past house a field away. Horrendous. Yet so many people still clinging to hope of £150,000 for similar. No chance.

[StainlessSteelCat]

Fingers crossed on the latest buyer, dalek. Were I looking for a new place to live (and didn't need to regularly commute to London) that would be a pretty sweet deal.

[The Masked Tulip]

Best of luck.