sorry, bit of a boring one...
I am trying to buy a house in Peckarmans Wood but am having trouble raising a mortgage as there is a bit of a crack inside. I've had a survey done which states that the crack may be caused by continuous movement and so a structural engineers report is needed.
Does anyone know about the construction of Peckarmans Wood, or does anyone live there too who can give me a bit more information. Could it be subsidence?
many thanks!
(forum is great by the way. have been reading posts for ages!)
Peckarmans Wood - subsidence??
I live nearby and you're right - it is a very nice place to live. However, not much point buying a house if it disappears down the hill! I wonder if the Dulwich estate (who own the land) might be in a position to advise further?
For background information, there is an article about post-war building on the Dulwich estate in this Dulwich Society newsletter from a while back:
http://www.dulwichsociety.org.uk/newsle ... 3-15.shtml
For background information, there is an article about post-war building on the Dulwich estate in this Dulwich Society newsletter from a while back:
http://www.dulwichsociety.org.uk/newsle ... 3-15.shtml
thanks very much for the link - very intersting. and yes, you're right, i don't want to buy a house that may not be standing in the future! but i suppose i really want to know how bad it is. i'm prepared to do some work, but if in the long run its a no hoper than i don't want to get too emotionally attached the place.
the house needs a total refurbishment - nothing has changed since the day it was built and its in a very bad state. all of which i can cope with. but, yup, i can't cope with a house that may fall down a hill!
thanks very much.
the house needs a total refurbishment - nothing has changed since the day it was built and its in a very bad state. all of which i can cope with. but, yup, i can't cope with a house that may fall down a hill!
thanks very much.
hmmm
A timber framed house too....
Am I right in thinking his house is leasehold still?
If you must be nuts getting a mortgage on a house that will never be yours, nor, if it falls down will you have even the land it stands on as recompense.
From what I remember the trustees of the Dulwich college estates were an intranstigent and restrictive bunch.
The restrictions on homes in Woodhall Drive when they were built were notorious, no washing on the line, no partitions between front gardens all that sort of crap.
In todays financial climate I forsee a can of worms opening if you have to have an insurance claim. They'll be forever blaming it on the groundholder.
Give it 12 months, they'll be begging you to take houses off their hands all over South London
A timber framed house too....
Am I right in thinking his house is leasehold still?
If you must be nuts getting a mortgage on a house that will never be yours, nor, if it falls down will you have even the land it stands on as recompense.
From what I remember the trustees of the Dulwich college estates were an intranstigent and restrictive bunch.
The restrictions on homes in Woodhall Drive when they were built were notorious, no washing on the line, no partitions between front gardens all that sort of crap.
In todays financial climate I forsee a can of worms opening if you have to have an insurance claim. They'll be forever blaming it on the groundholder.
Give it 12 months, they'll be begging you to take houses off their hands all over South London
others who live in peckarmans wood have said that the college estates have eased off a bit and are less ruthless than they once were. i have had assurance that they will selll me the freehold - most of the other houses are now leasehold and pay a small maintenance charge to the dulwich estate for the upkeep of the communal areas.
can you point me in the direction of where you get your information from - i'd just like to read up a bit on it myself.
thanks!
can you point me in the direction of where you get your information from - i'd just like to read up a bit on it myself.
thanks!
the evil cynic writes
Have they given you a price for the freehold yet?
I seem to remember in my dealing with buying leaseholds that you had to fulfil certain conditions first, such as living there for a certain number of years., and then it was at the discretion of the landowner to set the price.
If I were you I'd talk to a solicitor, or if you have change them.
"less ruthless" is still ruthless by any means
I still think you are nuts to buy leasehold,unless its a flat, in a tenant controlled building.
I would advise you tread cautiously in any dealings with Dulwich estates.
In my day they were very reluctant to part with any parcel of land.
Like the man said, they aint making any more of it.
And in a year they wont be giving them away perhaps, but they will be a lot cheaper than now,
Me I dont care I bought mine for cash years ago.
Have they given you a price for the freehold yet?
I seem to remember in my dealing with buying leaseholds that you had to fulfil certain conditions first, such as living there for a certain number of years., and then it was at the discretion of the landowner to set the price.
If I were you I'd talk to a solicitor, or if you have change them.
"less ruthless" is still ruthless by any means
I still think you are nuts to buy leasehold,unless its a flat, in a tenant controlled building.
I would advise you tread cautiously in any dealings with Dulwich estates.
In my day they were very reluctant to part with any parcel of land.
Like the man said, they aint making any more of it.
And in a year they wont be giving them away perhaps, but they will be a lot cheaper than now,
Me I dont care I bought mine for cash years ago.
Properties in this part of London are built on clay. Although pre-building regulations built properties are more subceptible, not all cracks indicate subsidence.
Check when the property you are buying was built. Your structural engineer should be able to establish this plus the nature of the cracks and whether they have settled. Also check the vendor's building insurance to see whether subsidence is covered -if so, whether the vendor had claimed against it.
I understand the townhouses on Peckarmans Wood are on 999 years leases.
Check when the property you are buying was built. Your structural engineer should be able to establish this plus the nature of the cracks and whether they have settled. Also check the vendor's building insurance to see whether subsidence is covered -if so, whether the vendor had claimed against it.
I understand the townhouses on Peckarmans Wood are on 999 years leases.
thank you both for your responses.
my solicitor is indeed asking for confirmation from the estates office to confirm that i will be able to purchase the lease in the near future for a price no greater than that which they have already quoted me.
and i will go ahead with the structural survey to see whether the crack is indeed subsidence, or just a crack.
i know that one of you seem rather negative about the place, but it really is very quiet and pretty and the house is a good price. i just hope that the problems aren't too severe!
many thanks.
shall i keep you posted when i get a structural engineer in there?
thanks!
my solicitor is indeed asking for confirmation from the estates office to confirm that i will be able to purchase the lease in the near future for a price no greater than that which they have already quoted me.
and i will go ahead with the structural survey to see whether the crack is indeed subsidence, or just a crack.
i know that one of you seem rather negative about the place, but it really is very quiet and pretty and the house is a good price. i just hope that the problems aren't too severe!
many thanks.
shall i keep you posted when i get a structural engineer in there?
thanks!
I`m not negative, I`m just wary,
And as such I`m used to being sneered at by the "worldly wise" with their snappy little homilies.
Nothing wrong with living in Peckermans Wood, I played in those woods before it was built.
A nice spot to be with still, I imagine, unless all the trees have grown, fantastic views over the city.
When parting with that amount of cash, for what may well be a future headache, it pays to look at both sides of the cheque before you hand it over.
And weigh up as many conflicting opinions in order to make up your own mind.
And as such I`m used to being sneered at by the "worldly wise" with their snappy little homilies.
Nothing wrong with living in Peckermans Wood, I played in those woods before it was built.
A nice spot to be with still, I imagine, unless all the trees have grown, fantastic views over the city.
When parting with that amount of cash, for what may well be a future headache, it pays to look at both sides of the cheque before you hand it over.
And weigh up as many conflicting opinions in order to make up your own mind.
Peckarmans Wood
We love living in Peckarmans Wood - please see the residents website for information about how the houses were built. The houses are very solid and were constructed with piles driven down 45 feet to guarantee against subsidence. The cost of constucting the houses in the 1960s was actually higher than the price they originally sold for! Hope this help.
I haven't seen the residents association website but looking at a Dulwich Society newsletter from a while back I saw this entry - apologies for blatant plagiarism but it's funny how if you go back nearly a century you seen some familar stories about the tube coming to Sydenham and Crystal Palace:
Looked at your House Deeds recently?
Residents of Dulwich with houses built after 1913 often have a clause in them to effect that the Landlord (now the Dulwich Estate) reserves the right to tunnel beneath the house for the purpose of permitting an underground railway company to run lines. Residents in such houses are usually mystified by this clause.
It relates to the activities of the London Electric Railway Company which were actively seeking to run an underground line from the tube extension proposed to Camberwell Green, to the terminus at the south end of the Crystal Palace. Underground Stations were planned at Champion Hill, Townley Road/Calton Avenue, lower end of Cox's Walk, Sydenham Hill, West Hill and the Crystal Palace.
The Dulwich Estate was receptive to these plans, proposed in December 1913, but the interruption of the First World War led to the scheme being permanently shelved.
http://www.dulwichsociety.org.uk/newsle ... 9-11.shtml
Looked at your House Deeds recently?
Residents of Dulwich with houses built after 1913 often have a clause in them to effect that the Landlord (now the Dulwich Estate) reserves the right to tunnel beneath the house for the purpose of permitting an underground railway company to run lines. Residents in such houses are usually mystified by this clause.
It relates to the activities of the London Electric Railway Company which were actively seeking to run an underground line from the tube extension proposed to Camberwell Green, to the terminus at the south end of the Crystal Palace. Underground Stations were planned at Champion Hill, Townley Road/Calton Avenue, lower end of Cox's Walk, Sydenham Hill, West Hill and the Crystal Palace.
The Dulwich Estate was receptive to these plans, proposed in December 1913, but the interruption of the First World War led to the scheme being permanently shelved.
http://www.dulwichsociety.org.uk/newsle ... 9-11.shtml
Dear All
thanks so much for all the advice and info.
here's an update:
I have had the structural engineers report back and great news - the house is solid! the cracks are apparently historical and do not, afterall, indicate continuous movement. instead he thinks that they are settlement cracks. the buildings were built using sandline bricks and a too strong mortar. this meant that the mortar caused the bricks to shrink which caused the cracks. most would have re plastered the walls shorlty after the shrinkage occurred so it would no longer be visible. this hadn't happened in my house - so the crack is still there.
the structural engineer also commented that the houses are indeed very well built, with very deep foundations.
so, all very good news.
also - have had a look at the residents website and i can only access one page - which is good, very interesting, but i can't seem to get beyond it. is that right? am i missing anything?
many thanks to everyone.
thanks so much for all the advice and info.
here's an update:
I have had the structural engineers report back and great news - the house is solid! the cracks are apparently historical and do not, afterall, indicate continuous movement. instead he thinks that they are settlement cracks. the buildings were built using sandline bricks and a too strong mortar. this meant that the mortar caused the bricks to shrink which caused the cracks. most would have re plastered the walls shorlty after the shrinkage occurred so it would no longer be visible. this hadn't happened in my house - so the crack is still there.
the structural engineer also commented that the houses are indeed very well built, with very deep foundations.
so, all very good news.
also - have had a look at the residents website and i can only access one page - which is good, very interesting, but i can't seem to get beyond it. is that right? am i missing anything?
many thanks to everyone.
One of my school friends lived in Peckermans Woods. It was a great house, massive floor to ceiling windows looking out over the city.
It was an unusual layout with bedrooms and bathroom downstairs and the sitting room had a window looking down into the kitchen.
I thought it looked like a great place to live, mind you they didn’t stay there very long, they moved to Tahiti Avenue, Laguna Beach, California, now there's an address I wouldn't mind having !!!!
Anyway good luck with your purchase Ellie and hope you'll have very many happy years in your home
It was an unusual layout with bedrooms and bathroom downstairs and the sitting room had a window looking down into the kitchen.
I thought it looked like a great place to live, mind you they didn’t stay there very long, they moved to Tahiti Avenue, Laguna Beach, California, now there's an address I wouldn't mind having !!!!
Anyway good luck with your purchase Ellie and hope you'll have very many happy years in your home