Thanks ONQ for the input.
The site is literally just a site, - the last remaining one in an estate of one-off/self-build style standalone houses (probably around 20 bungalows). ie. The estate wasn't built by one developer.
Almost all the other houses in the estate would have been build over the last 10 to 20 years. - This is the last lot/block/site in the park.
I'm not trying to cash in on this as a #vulture type opportunity", - the site is asking over 300K, but the indications are that they would let it go to 250K or thereabouts.
- certainly not fire-sale stuff by any means!
I noticed a contractor's sign outside one of the other houses (built 10 or 20 years ago I'd say) ie. the sign said "XYZ Ltd, Subsidence Contractors", - underpinning I'd say.
This causes me some concern.
The estate agent mentioned that the seller of the site is/was themselves in construction, - so my guess is they were involved in laying the foundations, - so I think anything they say would have to be taken with a grain of salt.
I'm wondering is the safest thing here to just bite the bullet and pull up the foundations that are there, and redo them, - would this be a huge job? - if it was just going to add a few grand it might be a better option...
It seems like it might be a shame to pull them up if they were fine though. Would it be possible to reuse any of the materials? Would it complicate relaying of the foundation in any way, - (ie. having just previously pulled up a foundation in the location )
What seems to be there are the base of internal and external walls (maybe one brick/block high), with what would be the flooring area filled with stones.
Or, would a structural engineer be able to adequately test/inspect them? - My worry would be that they simply couldn't see all potential problems without having overseen it.
Be assured, - I would definitely get a structural engineer involved, before making any commitment
- But I'm half thinking of going ahead anyway, and possibly being prepared to pull up whats there if an engineer can't certify it.
Apologies for all the questions!
Now this is more like it, a man prepared to investigate the problem professionally with the integrity to accept and deal with any negative feedback in the best possible manner!
First, take a glace at the Self-Build FAQ
http://www.askaboutmoney.com/showthread.php?t=126261
This is a work in progress for self builders, but covers many general points on sites, planning, etc. which you might bear in mind.
I'm not suggesting you're going to built this yourself, but I suspect you're going to get involved in the build in terms of overview regardless.
There may be hidden issues about to affect your site adversely which you should research before commiting yourself in terms of new development adjoining, SAC listing, road and rail networks, etc.
Take a look at the planning files for the estate and see what the planner's reports say, or retain a professional to undetake this research on your behalf and issue a Planning File Inspection Report.
In general this is far less onerous than it used to be because you can ask for copies fo the reports now, unless the files are in storage in which case they must be formally requested and retrived for a fee.
You could also usefully check newspaper reports about the development many of which may be available online.
Finally have a chat to the Local Authority planner and engineer - there may be a member of staff who can give first hand comment on the development
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My non-exhaustive advice would be as follows in relation to the site;
Retain a structural engineer and have a contractor on call with a JCB.
Request a fee from the engineer for performing an evaluation of the existing site conditions, estate services and culverts, and foundations, which may end up dealing with, but may not be limited to, the following issues:
Site Conditions:
Investigate whether subsoil conditions, previously filled land, underground watercourses or landslip could cause subsidence on a given site, or promote problems on adjoining sites, particularly downhill or downstream sites.
If you're not on mains services, you'll need to undertake Trial Hole and Percoation tests anyway and these will yield useful information about the type of soils and the level of the water table.
Investigate whether any dumping or contamination of soils or water courses has occured on your site, adjoining sites or in the area.
Establish whether any wind farms have been built locally and whether you are on well founded ground unlikely to be affected by landslip.
Establish the likelihood of your site flooding, whether it is due to being at the bottom of a hill in the estate through which groundwater overflows will route or due to being on or near a known floodplain.
There are some online resources mentiones in the Self-Build FAQ as well as the usual method of seeking local knowledge, the best of which may be available not from your neighbours, but in the local pub - a good excuse to call in and see what the locals are like.
Estate Services and Culverts:
These can be established by inspection of submitted planning and planning agreement drawings, by inspecting and levelling manholes and if necessary by undertaking a survey using CCTV remotes.
First establish whether or not the estate has been taken in charge yet.
If so, establish that this has include all the underground services including the water supply and drains.
If not, establish whether it is going to be taken in charge per comment above.
Sometimes estates can be developed with main sewers running in front or rear gardens and this usually means the Council won't take them in charge.
Such estates may have sewers running underground in many gardens, front and/or back [which may be combined] and not just traversing a key site.
Sometimes an unavoidable route through a key site is required and has been agreed, for example as a main drain route serving upstream or exiting through downstream estates.
In such a case the Council may have reserved a wayleave and it may be prohibited for the houseowner to build near the drain or extend over it.
Usually the requirement is for say 3M either side of the drain to allow for working tolerance for a JCB and spoil heaps.
You should check whether your site hosts such a sewer or a culverted river.
Where the estate is not going to be taken in charge and/or where the drains pass through your or other site, it may be advisable to check the condition of the drains and assess whether they are admitting ground water.
Opening manholes will give a direct source of information and these can be levelled to check falls. This only leaves the sections between manholes and these can be traversed by a CCTV camera to check for pipe condition gradients, breaks blockages and root intrusions.
Where the estate is privately maintained by the house owners, an assessment of the roads, paths, paving ducts and all the services including commissioning certificates from the builder and sub-contractors is well advised, because any remedies for such as these are going to be cost and labour intensive.
Existing Foundations:
It is possible to check whether or not these are suitable in several ways:
Excavation at a minimum of two different points or as required will allow your engineer to form an opinion on the depth, thickness, reinforcement, trench blinding and compaction of trenches and general workmanship of the pours.
Sampling of the concrete will allow its strength to be tested.
Sampling of the hardcore will allow it to be checked for impurities like pyrite.
Removal of sections of the foundations and hardcore will show whether the site was properly cleared of vegatable matter which could compromise the foundations later, such as tree roots.
Your engineer may suggest other means of investigaion including taking core samples.
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The above advice is not exhaustive and is remote from the site and estate which are not known to me.
It doesn't touch on restrictions in relation to the type of house permitted or even if permission will be granted.
You could find for example that this is an "extra" site, snuck in under the noses of the planners and this may be the cause of its non-development.
Most clients don't want to know about all this sub-soil grief and may try to blank it out because its all "money buried in the ground", but it is precisely such issues that are the most easily avoided at the stage you're at by not buying and the least easily or cheaply addressed once you've bought and built.
Even should you be able to address some of the issues above should the arise, they may affect your later sale price and thus the return on your investment.
That having been said, neither these nor other issues may arise and good luck with the purchase and later build.
HTH
ONQ
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