I am a first time buyer and I have had an offer accepted on a house that I would like to buy in Crookes, It’s a standard two up two down mid-terrace. I opted for the Homebuyers survey. The survey came back with some issues regarding the houses structure. Below is the bit that concerns me.

“there is some bulging of the masonry on the front of the property, which is considered significant. In addition, there is cracking where the front wall is tied into the flank wall in the passage way. Internally we also noted cracking of the walls in the front bedroom and some door openings out of square.

We believe this has been caused by inadequate restraint and a more detailed investigation is required.”

I have been to the property and had a look at the wall and no bulging is evident to my untrained eye.

Is this something that I should expect on a house that was built over a hundred years ago? And what should be my next step? Should I walk away from the sale? Currently the surveyor is unwilling to give a valuation on the property before further investigation is complete.

The survey will always turn something up. Usually you get the impression they've been struggling to find something to make their fee worthwhile, but that sounds like it needs further looking into. You seem sensible in that you realise it's a hundred year old house and won't be perfect, so if you like the house get the issue looked at and make a decision (if nothing else, you might be able to negotiate some price reduction).

The age of the property is irrelevant - you need to be clear about any associated costs of any remedial work.

This is where your solicitor comes into his/her own. I would pass it on to them to express your concerns to the vendor and see what the response is.

You could also speak to the surveyor and ask if they can recommend a plan of action and perhaps a company to get a (free) quote for any work deemed necessary.

run, run, run. they are hundreds of houses for sale. why look for trouble.