Lead Poisoning Caution issued by Home Buyers Survey in Bristol

A Building Survey in Bristol was commissioned by a man who wanted to be certain that his purchase of a three bedroom home was sensible at a price of £130,000. Across two floors, the property included:

• 3 bedrooms
• 2 living rooms
• 1 kitchen
• 1 bathroom
• 1 separate toilet
• 1 utility room
• Some non-urgent repairs

A HomeBuyer Report such as this one employs a ‘traffic light’ system, grading features of a building as follows: 

• 3 – RED - Defects that are serious and/or need to be repaired, replaced or investigated urgently.
• 2 – AMBER - Defects that need repairing or replacing but are not considered to be either serious or urgent. 
• 1 – GREEN - No repair is currently needed. The property must be maintained in the normal way.

  Pleasingly, this Home Buyers Survey in Bristol identified nothing to be in a level-3 state. A few level-2 concerns were raised though:

• Sealant between the joints of the gutters will soon need to be re-applied
• Softwood outside is in poor condition and will be replaced soon
• The central heating system is approaching the end of its life and will have to be significantly upgraded in the relatively near future.

Such issues did not undermine the market value of the property unlike Level-3 problems that are of a much more serious nature and can support price renegotiations.

Lead Poisoning Worry at Home Buyers Survey in Bristol

Investigations need to be made into the house’s water supply. The RICS Surveyor questioned whether the original lead pipe is still in place. If it is then it should be replaced. In the mean time, as a safety precaution, taps should be run for a few minutes in the morning so that no water is used that has been standing in a lead pipe all night. This is to safeguard against the possibility of lead poisoning.

This health and safety warning made by the Home Buyers Survey in Bristol may seem dramatic but it exemplifies the better-safe-than-sorry attitude of Surveyors. If there is the slightest chance that a home may pose dangers to its occupants, due warning will always be provided.